Hello Everyone,
I have never built a rod before, and I'm sure I will be asking for a lot of advice before I'm finished. So, thank you very much, in advance.
I currently own a fast 9' 4 wt (Cabelas FT) that works quite well for throwing dries and smaller, weighted nymphs on the smaller Colorado rivers that I fish. Most of my casts are for targets between 20-40 feet. I want to build a lighter, slower rod for delicate presentations, but I want to be able to stay within the same casting distances. I think that I want a moderate/fast or medium/ fast 2 wt. in a 9' length, but there don't seem to be a lot of those out there. Also, I don't want to spend a ton of money on my first project. What advice can you give me about rod length, action, and possible suppliers for my "ideal" blank? Would I be happy with a 6'6" Batson? Is there a commercially available rod that uses one of these blanks that I might try out?
Thanks,
George

George Forster
Fort Collins, CO

Okay, action is where the rod initially flexes. You can make a "delicate" presentation with a fast action rod, just as you can make a delicate presentation with a slow action rod - that part is really up to you.

You can consult the CCS database listed in the upper left of the sponsor column. I'd look for a rod with an ERN power of about 3.3 to 3.8 (or so) for that distance range with a 4-weight line. If you don't want a super fast rod, just look for an AA (action angle) of less than 65.

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Tom, thank you for the advice.

I recently built two rods for this type application and was very happy with casting action, light weight and quality on both -- one from a Tiger Eye 7' 4/5 wgt blank from Black Dog (supplier at left) and other from a Batson Rainshadow RX7 - 7' - 4 wgt blank. And the appearance is gorgeous on both. I believe both blank types are available from 7' thru 9'. I recommend a 4-5 wgt for shorter rods to ensure enough line wgt to get out at shorter distances and carry under brush and other overhangs. The fish will only see the leader anyway ....

Thanks for your thoughts Tony.