I am assuming the numbers on the CCS site tell what blank casts well with what line ??? That is what it was made for. There fore one can find a blank that will work or cast a three well.
Yes ya can cast one up and one down on line weight, depending on what it is used for, how long ya want to cast. That is why some fly fishers carry several lines. They come into a siduation that the rod works better with a heaver line or lighter line, they can change it.

The guy wants a three weight, he also has to realize different lines will make for different situations and the rod will perform with several.

Bill - willierods.com

Bill,

No, you've made a mistake. The Common Cents System does not attempt to define what a "true x-weight is." It only provides a power number that can be translated into which lines will easily load the rod at certain distances (WL). A rod that measures, say, 4.5 ERN on the CCS scale will cast a 3-weight line just as easily as it will cast a 7-weight line. But not easily at the same distance.

Any rod will cast any line at some distance. What the CCS does is help define the distance or amount of line beyond the tip that will easily load the rod for the amount of power it has (coupled with the angler's input of course). ERN = ELN is a starting point with 30 feet of line beyond the tip. You may find that your casting stroke prefers ERN = ELN-1 or +2 or whatever.

But there is no such thing as a "true 3-weight" or any other weight for that matter. The rod is what the designer says it is and in almost all cases will cast the rated line well at the distance the designer intended it to. They just don't always bother to tell you what distance they had in mind.

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I thought the distance was with 30 feet from the tip ?? So at least you are in the ball park. Then of course since no two blanks even from the same batch will perform the same. it is wise to measure a blank before a build.

Bill - willierods.com

Bill,

My point is that a rod that measures 3.5 ERN is not a "true 3-weight" anymore than anything else is.

Too many people have used the CCS ERN figures to declare that certain rods are incorrectly rated. They're not - any of these rods will cast the rated line at some distance.


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I understand that. yet I have and I guess most have had rods that were under rated. A fly rod that one wants to use say a 3 wt line -- at 30 ft past the tip, this system will give them a better blank to start with. Then of course depending on how it will be fished, and ones -- personal preference - I had a ST Croix IV 5 wt. It casted well with 5 wt line, but I liked it with 6 wt. it was a fast action, I also feel action or how stiff a blank is like a spring determines line to use. It felt better to me only because I felt the 6 wt pull on the blank at the back cast, and this in a sense told me - time to go forward. Kind of a rod for Dummies. just felt better. All up to the one using it. How it feels.

Bill - willierods.com

Batson's Ranshadow blanks have 3 wts. from 9 ft. all the way down to 5 ft. They are priced well and perform well.

I built a sweet little 3 wt on a St. Croix Avid blank that I fished with today. Very pleased with it. Caught 19 but the big one got away. Very light and just a great USA made blank that has a good warrenty. Try one and I think he'll be very pleased with it and its a great value too.