I am about to order goods for my first fly rod build and have identified that a 9ft 5wt rod is best suited to the species i plan to target.

Having looked at a wide range of blanks i am still undecided. The brands i am looking at are TFO, Northfork, Sage and the other higher end blanks in a fast taper.

I have read a lot about TFO punching well above its price range and like the sounds of their product. My question is, is it worth spending the extra money for Sage, Northfork etc?

Stu Klose

the Sage will be the most powerful in that line weight. The North Fork will be the most pleasant and easiest to cast. The TFO will be the cheapest but also the heaviest. You have to decide for yourself. What someone else likes may not be what you like.

Which Sage model? Overall Sage products are excellent albeit expensive. I am very pleased with mine and feel it was worth the money.

The best option for selection of a blank is to cast all of the candidates prior to purchase.
Many fly shops will allow you to test cast a rod to verify it's to your liking before the purchase.
You can then decide if any blank is worth what you wish to pay.
In general I've found the price and pleasure go hand in hand.
Sage, Winston, Thomas and Thomas among others make blanks that people are willing to pay that much for. That's how they maintain that price tag.
If you reduce your expectations, you can reduce your wallet. How much is a decision you must be happy with. Don't be surprised if after a short period of time you stiil recall and covet that big dollar blank that felt so good. We all do until we open the wallet and purchase the dream.

Eugene Moore

Another blank to consider if you're willing to spend $250+ is the Rainshadow RX8+. It's a pleasure to fish, and the ferrules are second to none (IMHO). The one I build in that length and line weight handles a DT5 pretty well, though I wish the ERN was a little lower. My blank had an ERN of 7.03 so it performs best at 30' and beyond.

Jeff

Jeff,

The way around that is simply to back down one blank model. The Rainshadow RX8+ for a 4-weight might be exactly what you want for your particular 5-weight purpose.

...............

I understand Tom, I believe I built this rod before setting up to use the CCS. The problem, as outlined in a recent topic, is that you don't know whether all "5" weights in any particular model will rate above seven. I'm considering building another RX8+, and will likely seek a vendor that wouldn't mind checking the ERN for me.

Jeff

A Dan Craft FT would be a good choice, also. Very fast. I built an FT 906 6wt. and love it (and I use a 6 wet . line on it- wf6 clouser).

Just to muddy things up for you a little more!

John

Hi Stuart,
I just finished my first 2 fly rod builds (4 and 5 weight). the first an inexpensive blank that, well, it look likes a first time build. The second a nice blank (rx7+), turned out absolutely beautiful. You are getting some good advice here about what blank to build on.

If this is your first build, you might consider building on a less expensive blank for valuable experience. wraps take time to learn and so does the epoxy process. I tested 3 brands of epoxy and settled on one that worked best for me. Many rod manufacturers have valuable information regarding guide spacing and recommended components. the information on this site is amazing as is the help offered. That's very bold to attempt a first build on a sage or north fork type blank.

Best wishes on you build, John

Thank you all

This is my first build on fly but i have built over 30 spin and conventional rods so i am happy with my building skill at the moment (plenty more to learn though).

Blanks i am considering are:

Saxe Z Axis 590-4 ZX
Winston Boron 11x FA0509004
Thomas and Thomas Horizon II HII905-4
TFO TiCr X TFTX905
Northfork CTF 905-2

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Cost doesn't bother me as i prefer to build high end gear and the clients i have chasing this particular build fish 100+ days a year and want a rod that they will fall in love with.

Stu

I have fished with the Winston b11x 9' 5wt and It casts very nice and just fished great and I have wanted one ever since (too many rods and I usually use my RX8+ 4wt anyway). The B11x is probably true to 5 wt power and not too fast. The Z Axis felt too stiff for me just test casting it. Haven't tried the others. With that list, you can test factory rods to feel the difference. You might try the TFO Axiom.

Depends on your casting stroke and what you want the rod to do...all of these rods will cast a 5 weight line...but where it feels best for you will be different for you than it will for me...

I actually built a RX8+ a year ago...I had a factory Sage Z-Axis 6 weight rod at the time, and the 5 weight RX8+ was heavier in physical weight than the 6 weight Sage, and it just didn't feel right for me with a 5 weight line, so I put my 6 weight line on it to see how it felt...it still didn't feel like the rod loaded right for me...so I put on the SA Expert Distance 8 weight line on it, and the rod finally loaded like I felt it should...and it cast that whole line out with a few feet of backing...I don't know about you guys, but any rod that can throw that much 8 weight line isn't really a 5 weight rod to me..

I liked the Z-Axis, and I love my 4 weight B2x...I think the B2x is my favorite rod to fish with...it's definitely the lightest of the choices you have...and I love the way it casts...

At the International Sportsman's Expo in Sacramento, I placed 2nd in their Accuracy Fly casting tournament with the 5 weight Z-Axis they provided...it's a nice rod...they had three rods, the Sage Z-Axis, the TFO Axiom, and the St. Croix Imperial...and the overwhelming preference was for the Sage...

I'd also consider a Scott blank...their S4s is a pretty awesome rod...