I'm looking to build a 5 wt 8' 6" rod for my 20 year old duaghter as a present when she returns home from college next spring. She is very petite (4'8") and doesn't have much power in her cast and it is rather slow. I think she would do well with a light rod with lots of line feel in a moderate fast action. She only gets to fish 4 or 5 times a year so her casting doesn't stay in practice. So, I'm looking for something fairly forgiving in the timing of her cast. She usually fishes with a 9' to 15' leader with size 14 to 18 nymphys, wet flies, scuds, etc. and size 18 to 24 midges with up to a 7X tippet. Often she fishes with a strick indicator and typically only one fly unless we are drift fishing from a boat. Any suggestions on blanks?

I've been looking at the

St. Croix Sc III and St. Croix SC2/SC4.

Orvis TLS Freshwater in 2 piece and 4 piece. they are rated a Mid flex (Orvis' rating system) of a Mid-Flex 6.5 and 7.0 respectively.

Sage VXP but this might be a little fast. However, the VXPs I've casted are light in hand and easy to cast.

The key to making things easy for her is to make sure you have the right line on whatever rod or blank you buy. Fast action rods load just as easily as more moderate action rods. Again, the key is to have the proper line on there for the distance she's trying to cast and fish in. When you hear someone say that fast action rods are harder to load, they simply don't have the proper line on their rod.

The only one of the above blanks that I have personally used is the St. Croix SCII/IV. It has a very fast action, coupled with an extremely light tip. I'd guess it has the lightest tip of all the blanks you mention.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2011 02:14PM by Tom Kirkman.

The line is already determined. Her reel as Cortland 444 WF5. So she will be using 5wt line and not looking to overload a line. So, if I understand the CCS I think I'm looking for something in the 4.75 to 5.5 range?

That depends on the casting/fishing range. The physical weight of a 5-weight line (or any fly line) changes as you move more or less beyond the tip.

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she can't cast far so about 30 feet usually. No long casts. When fishing midges with a strike indicator we usually are around 25 to 30 feet at the most unless it is a very sunny day, the water is low and clear. Then the further the better but much beyond thrity feet and she starts getting her indicator, fly and weight tangled up.

Then I'd look for a rod with an ERN of about 4.5 and put a 5-weight line on it.

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Thanks Tom

Ed,
You might consider the Cabela's PT+
Good, easy casting. Resonable price

Eugene Moore

If her hands are small, don't overlook making the grip a bit slimmer. This also will increase her comfort and control in casting.

Walt Natzke
Ripon, CA

She has very small hands so I will do that...thanks for the suggestion. considering a MHX 8'6" 4wt with a CCS of 4.75 as a 5 weight rod for her. Would like to sonsider some St. Croix blanks if I can get the CCS from St. Croix or someone else. I don't see the ones I'm interested in on the CCS data link on this site. I just built a 2wt St. Croix sc2/sc4 and it is a GREAT casting rod. Not sure if I 5 weight in the same blank would feel anything like the 2wt though.

"Not sure if I 5 weight in the same blank would feel anything like the 2wt though."

Feel is a function of the "loaded" frequency of a rod. If the actions (AA) are the same, one can get any feel one might desire by simply changing the WL (weight of line aerialized).
Try reading the CCS article on frequency.
Overall weight is another matter.