Lots of folks asking about using a fly rod blank as a spinning rod. Plenty of good reasons from lack of 4-pc pack rods to longer UL blanks.

So how about the other way around? I can't see why a good 8 foot live bait blank wouldn't make a nice fly rod for tarpon and billfish. Maybe a heavy popping rod for a short snook rod in close quarters?

Then the one I have really been wondering about. How about a hot shot blank as a fly rod? On a lark I put a fly reel on one of mine and it seems to be a real possibility. The light tip loads easily on short casts yet the blank is fast enough that you quickly get into its meat for longer casts.

So lets hear. Maybe I'm crazy. Or maybe you guys have some favorite blanks for specific applications.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

I havent tried a hot shot blank, but popping rods work well for a fast action rod.

A blank is a blank is a blank. Fly rod blanks are made no differently than casting or spinning blanks. As above, they're all tubular shafts. That's all.

I have built dozens and dozens of extremely heavy blue water fly rods on 8-feet Back Bouncing blanks. They'll work fine. You just need to match the rod power to the line and distance your customer will be fishing.

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

Yes, light popping rods will work very well.

An Excellent thought - I think I am going to build up an "0" power popping blank as a light one pc. fly rod.

Thanks - Marc

Keep it simple - that's all I can handle!

I just built a 7 ft. 6 wt. 2 piece rod for a customer and he is very happy with it. I used a IM7 blank rated for 1/8 to 3/8 oz lure wt. I used the formula of 1 wt for every 16 th oz of lure wt. so 3/8 figures out to 6 wt. Actually this rod worked out to throw 5 to 7 wt lines quite well depending on your casting distances. As Tom said, a blank is a blank .

Sam -

Your "conversion" formula is interesting to me. Are you literally converting ounces to grains in converting optimal lure weight to fly line weighting?

When I first started fly casting and building, I remember reading one of Lefty Kreh's books and he mentioned that one of his favorite fly rods was built on a jigging rod blank.

Tony

Put the line weight over 16 as a fraction
6 over 16 - reduced - 3/8 oz Depending on the blank But it gets you in the ball park

Bill - willierods.com

Bil;l is right on, as he says it puts you in the ball park

Reckon my problem is a I don't know what I'm doing with a fly rod. Still I keep feeling like I'd want a fast blank but with a soft tip. Everyone else seems to favor a moderate fast blank with a moderate strenght tip (like a popping blank). I have a couple of very fast fly rod blanks but I have been hesitating. The tips are so stiff they feel like a spin/jig blank.

So must be me as I see nobody is liking the idea of a live bait or hot shot blank. Could be that I have been feeling all the wrong popping blanks.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

The only bad thing is sinse blanks are not correctly rated on there onces of lure weight find some thing you want to use and come here to ask

Sam gave you a good place to start

Bill - willierods.com