I'm looking to build my first fly rod. I am really looking for a 7 foot, 4 weight rod blank with a slow action (something like the Orvis Superfine full flex rods but with a more reasonable price tag for a first build). It seems like all the blanks I see are fast or moderate/fast action. Anyone know where I can find something like this? Also, I have a buddy who is looking for the same thing but in the 9 foot range.

mudhole mhx, but like you said they are mod/fast......great blank

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Super Tight Lines......Don



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2011 05:52AM by don morse.

For your first build, I'd go with something a fair bit cheaper. Personally, I really like the Batson RX7, Pac Bay Tradition/Rainforest, and Amtak. MHX makes awesome blanks, but they'll be a tad more expensive. To get exactly what you're looking for, you may have to really spend some major $$$$. You can build a great rod on these brands mentioned above, and the total cost will be pretty cheap. Then, once you've built a few rods, take a stab at the pricey blanks. (Personally, I've found that the less expensive blanks are every bit as good as those big names; I quit even bothering with the big names).

If you want a more moderate action 7' 4 wt., you can buy a 7' 2wt, or a 7' 3 wt., and then put a 4 wt. line on it.

Erik,
Many of the older hollow fiberglass fly rods were considerably slower in action than the newer graphite rods. You might check out flea markets for a rod to strip and rebuild - they're typically quite inexpensive and you get a chance to "feel" the blank action before committing to it.

Many of the high end slow blanks are really quite normally built in action, just light in power for the factory rating given. Anyone can do the same with any blank. If the factories can call them anything they like ,you can too.

Try the Batson RX6 line, they are very good quality and not expensive. You may have trouble finding a 4wt as short as 7 ft.

Lamiglas offers a glass blank series and TFO has the Finesse series. I would start looking at those as possibilities.

Check out the MHX F704-3. It;s listed as a mod/fast but I have feeling you'll be very pleased with that choice. It may not be the cheapest blank on the market but when you compare apples to apples and feature to feature, I think you'll actually come out ahead.
I started cheap and don't even fish that rod anymore, matter of fact I haven't fished it in over 3 years.

Wow! That is a lot of suggestions right away! I think I'm going to grab an old rod that my dad has and rebuild it (for practice and I like the action on it but the guides are pretty much shot). Then with a little practice, I think I'll go for one of the MHX blanks. I really like the idea of building a rod. I got the idea after having to fix my 9' fly rod when it broke. I sure wish I would have looked here sooner because my repair, though functional, isn't quite as pretty as it could have been.

Erik, Peter's suggestion to look at older fiberglass blanks and do a rebuild is a very good one. I have taken several old fly rods I've picked up at garage sales or second hand stores and had a blast re-doing them. New lighter components, thinner thread, sometimes a new handle-reel seat, better epoxyy finish, guide spacing customed and ta-da!.... You've got a great fishing stick! Today, I am stripping down an older Sage 3 wt that has snake guides as thick as a paper clip, brown no-cp thread. no trim rings and just an average wrap job. Will put light single foots on it, except for the stripper and put some handsome trim rings in with the new guides. Might throw a snake-skin or Tiger Wrap up in the foregrip area. There is a lot of fun in the 'learning and building' arena of rod building.

Steve, A "foregrip" on a three wt?

Phil ....The 'area' right in front of the grip. I often put a snake or tiger there on fly rods. If it's my own handle, I will often put an epoxy ramp and with some feather inlays. Even on lighter wt rods. Looks nice, is truly custom and minimal wt affect there at the butt. Going to post a few pics of some of these.

Ed,
St Croix SCIII moderate action 7' 4 weight Mud Hole
Cabela's PT+ 7' 3 weight or 7'6" 4 weight
Should be within your price range and provide good performance

Eugene Moore