Hi everyone, I am new to this forum. As a fly fishing fanatic and rod builder I was greatly relieved when I found rodbuilding.org as there really seems to be a wealth of information on it. I look forward to interacting with other builders in this great pursuit of rod building.

With the introductions out of the way - I am contemplating building a new 2 or 3 wt fly rod. The streams I fish are small (not bushy) and a 3 wt has, in my experience been more than enough rod for the job. Some guys fish 0wt to 000wt's, but I find them largely impractical, especially if a slight breeze picks up. I am considering a number of blanks for my new rod. In particular the Dan Craft V series 8'6" 4 piece. I spoke with Dan, who was really helpful and offered great advice, but I was hoping that some of you guys could offer me your opinions on my choice of blank. I want a blank that is a true 2 or 3 wt rod of about 8'6" (not longer) in a 4 piece. I want a delicate rod with lots of finesse, but that is still crisp and has alot of feel. The blank must fish well in the 5-15 ft range, but still be able to put out 50 ft length of line for that trout rising at the head of the pool. What are your views on Rainshadow RX7 3 wt vs the Dan Craft Signature V 3 wt? What colour is the Signature V (I know its grey, but is there another well know brand that it looks similar to?). Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Gavin

In my opinion they are both good blanks but if I had to choose between them I would opt for the Signature V. The Rainshadow RX8 would be a closer match to the Sig V.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Okay, first off, there is no such thing as a "true" 2 or 3 weight blank. There are no sandards for rod power, only for fly line weight over the first 30 feet. Rod "weight" numbers are purely subjective and based on what the designer thinks you should be doing with it.

Keep in mind that 50 feet of whatever line you use weighs a heck of a lot more than 15 feet of the same line. This is the basis for understanding why certain fly rods work best with certain "weight" lines. The same rod that casts a great length of 4-weight line isn't going to necessarily cast that same line very well in close.

I would suggest searching the CCS database for a blank with a power ERN of about 2.5 to 3.0. Such a rod would cast a 3 or even 4 weight line very well in close at the 15' range you mention. In a pinch you could get out a lot longer, and with a 2-weight line could easily hit the 50 foot mark provided you are skilled enough with that light line to do it.

I'd look for an AA of at least 65 which would provide a fast action and hopefully the crisp feel you're looking for. At the same, one of the higher modulus blanks, due to its quicker reaction and recovery, would also contribute greatly to that "crisp" feel. As much as you're going to get with such a light line blank, at least.

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The Dan Craft FTL 803-5 would also me on my list.

Thanks very much for the detailed reply Tom. I started working through the CCS article on the left a day or two ago - it actaully makes a whole lot of "sense" once you know what to look for. I'll have a look at the data table and get the names of a few blanks. Thanks again.

i love my dan craft FTL 803-6... but if you really want a four piece, my 6 and spencer's 5 piece suggestions wouldn't work for you. a sig V might be "crisper" but the FTL is fantastic for small streams, lenty of feel, finesse and i have had zero problems reach the heads of pools i fish, but my pools are not olympic sized. :-) . part of getting more reach in a cast is technique...

eric
fresno, ca.

Thanks Spencer. I had a look briefly at the CCS data base - it seems you are dead on correct - the FTL 8' 3wt 5 piece has an ERN of 2.67 and AA of 62 and the 6 piece's ERN is 2.97 and AA is 65 (pretty much exactly what Tom suggested I needed). Is this quite similar to the Sage XP or Winston Biix? Unfortunately there is no (or I cannot see it if there is) info for the Dan Craft signature V 8'6 3 wt 4 piece or the 3wt Forecast 8'6 4 piece, which I would really like to have - anyone have this info? Thanks guys.

The Dan Crafts are more like the Sage SPL+/SLT rods, IMHO.

The FTL 803-5 and 803-6 are great rods for what you are trying to do and extremely easy to travel with. If you build them with all cork handle and slip rings, and single foot wire guides with light finish, they are about as weightless as you can get. I have had my eye on the Sig. V 863-4 but haven't tried one yet. If anyone out there has the CC data, I too would be very happy if you would share it. I have not cast any of the newer models of Sage so don't know how they compare.

Thanks for everyone's responses. It seems, from all accounts, that the Sig V is really a great blank so I will probably give it a try. When I spoke to Dan about the kind of fishing I do he suggested the V 863-4. He said it has a really great feel when fishing in close and has a very similar feel to the SLT's. I am sure, based on that, that it must have an ERN of around 3, but it would be geat to know for definate before buying it. Does anyone know what the colour of the blank looks like? Does it have a similar colouring and look to the Scott G2?

Thanks,
Gavin

Dan's Sig V blanks are the same old gloss graphite grey.

well i have the older version (3 pc) of the sig V 8'-4" for 3/4 wt. although many say it fishes well in close, i fish with dries mainly on small streams and found it's not that great FOR ME when fishing in close at the distances you mentioned (5-15 ft). i'm not sure about the newer 4 pc version of the sig Vs. the FTL works best in close. again, for me. sorry to possibly confuse you. :-) i think you'll just have to wrap both, one being made especially for high elevation streams and backacking.

by the way, i went with single foot guides on my FTL and a struble D-27 reel seat and though i didn't use a cork insert/handle combo with slip rings, the downlocking cap and ring setup led to an awfully light feeling rod. lovely actually. good luck. either way you'll have a great rod.

eric
fresno, ca.

Hi Eric, thanks for your input. It's a funny thing rod building - there are just so many blanks to choose from its hard not to end up confused when you start to analyse them individually. Have you, or anyone else out there, got any opinions on the Rainshadow RX7 863-4 for the type of fishing I described? I have heard that it too is a good blank. I know that more often than not you get what you pay for, but there do appear to be genuine exceptions to this rule (eg Dan Cast, Rainshadow and Tiger Eye).

Talking about Tiger Eye blanks - I have bought some 4 piece 8ft tiger eye blanks in 3/4 from Joe at Black Dog tackle (who by the way is a great guy and offers a great service IMHO). I think they are more a 3 than a 4 and they really cast sweetly up close. I would buy another in an instant if they had a 3wt in 8'6 with the same tip and butt size as the 8ft model. Not to mention the colour is magnifecent. I build these blanks up with great components and they turn out real nice.

The only thing holding me back on the Sig V model is the colour. Im just not sure, from an aesthetic stand point, if I want a slate grey blank (I am more of a traditionalist and like my winston green and sage chestnut).

Haven't tried that model RX7, but every other RX7 blank I've used has been a great fishing tool. I too really like the Rainshadow green blanks, always buy them in that color when I can.

I recently built two rods 7 ft. 4 wgt -- one from a Rainshadow RX7 and one from Tiger Eye blank from Joe at Black Dog Tackle -- The Tiger Eye blanks are gorgeous. I usually fish ultra fast (Dan Craft FT) rods I built, but I was very impressed with the feel and casting on small streams on both these rods. I don't think you would go wrong with any of the recommended blanks above, it's a matter of price and color, i think.

Tony M

Tony, I couldn't agree more about the Tiger Eye blanks. The 8ft 3 wt is a beauty! Just looking for that extra 6" and that is the only reason I am looking for something else. It sounds, from all accounts, that the Sig V casts really well (and that aesthetics should not be the deciding factor).

Spencer, when you say the Sig V's are the same "old gloss graphite grey". Were you saying that they are the same as the Scott G series. If so I can live with that colour.

Thanks all.
Gavin

The finish on the SIG V blanks is actually very nice for a grey blank,much nicer IMHO than the Scott G or Loomis GLX,both of which I have to compare them to the SIG V.

The SIG V use to be available in a unsanded gloss finish blank just like the Scott G,or a completely sanded finish blank like the GLX but now it comes in a "matte clear" finish that shows the spiral tiger eye type of pattern(only it is grey colored) going up the blank,like with the Scott G,but is sanded smooth and coated with a satin finish.As far as grey blanks go,the SIG V has the nicest finish IMHO of any grey blank I have seen.

I too love the look of the Tiger Eye and green Rainshadow RX7 blanks,but grey blanks can still look awfully sharp if you match them with the right components and thread color.The nicest thing about a grey blank is that almost every color will go well with it and the thread work will stand out more than it would on a colored blank.

Tony, thanks for clearing that up for me. From what you say it is not a dove grey but rather a darker richer colour (almost a very light black black) - it sounds quite appealing actually. From the reviews it seems that the first choice blank is the Sig V, so I am going to order it now from Dan and try it out - hopefully I wont be dissapointed.

I am considering putting on either a REC PLRN cork reel seat with nickle silver sliding bands or the REC AUSL (finished in anodized black) with a stabalized Amboyna Burl spacer (probably the latter). I am going to go with Hopkins and Holloway guides (probably snake) and I am thinking a deep red thread with gold or silver metalic trimings and no CP. What are your views on the matt black H&H quides over the silver?

What do you think?

Gavin

Gavin,

Gudebrod garnet 0206 has worked really well with the Sig V's I've built and the gold 0340 is a perfect match for a tiger eye, as for guides being that I am fairly clumsy/hard on my rods I now only use NiTi's!

Good luck,

Jason