I need some suggestions on a blank for fly fishing for redfish. Will be fishing west coast of Fl. Would like a 2 piece 9 foot.

CTS Affinity S 9 wt. I have a Maxim 8 wt. but the 9 wt. will handle the wind a lot better and the weight difference is negligible. I used one last week on a windy day and really liked that rod. It will be my next personal build.

I'd go with the 8 or 9 weight Lamiglas XMG 50 blanks (remind me of Sage XPs) that Angler's Workshop have at an outstanding price right now, the more wind anticipated the heavier the blank. The TFO blanks at Mudhole are a good blank and a good value. Casted a nice, beautiful 8 wt rod a few years ago I really liked, turned out it was a Sevier Tiger Eye blank. There is a huge variety of great blanks for what you want to do. Going with a blank from the same company/series you use right now wouldn't be very far off the mark.

You can't beat the Sevier Tiger Eye blanks !! !!

there are many good blanks out there. an 8 wt is pretty much the standard in south carolina where i normally fish. i like the cts, st croix, talon and others. i just got a dan craft and cant wait to put it together. i really like the feel of the blank. you wont go wrong with the 8 or 9 wt. just pick a blank that best fits your casting style and price point.

If you are just starting fly fishing for redfish an 8 or 9wt is plenty of rod. If you have been fly fishing for a while then a good 5,6, or 7wt is the way to go. The flies used to catch redfish and specks are not that big. I have a couple of the Dan Craft 5wt I built this winter that I've been using on reds. I've caught several fish over 30 inches on them with no problem. This past week I caught a king mackeral that was 24 pounds on a Dan Craft 7wt. They are the best blanks I have found that don't cost an arm and a leg. So are the Batson RX8+, and the Batson RX7+. My next choice would be a Graphite USA or the Lamiglas IMF 700. They are about a 1/2 wt under rated and are stiff enough to punch the fly line out into the wind without shocking the blank. If you don't mind spending some bucks the Sage XI2 blank is probally the best on the market

I have had guys tell me the 7 and 8 wt matrix rods are perfect for this application. I have a guy who fishes the IRL for reds and he loves the 8wt matrix. They are great for casting into the unexpected wind gusts out there.

Chase Foster
American Tackle
www.americantackle.us