Folks....

I will be building a 4 pcs 7wt fly rod blank. and would like to max out the casting ability of the blank to deliver a large fly for saltwater use.
Do I now align the lower two piece of the blank like a conventional rod and the top two piece of the blank like a spining rod?
Or all should be in the same alignment from tip to butt.
Which direction is the rightful, and how is the alignment of the backbone on each piece can effect casting distance, consider all other factors remain equal.
It may be a question that was previously discussed but allow me to pick the brains of our forum to build a better fly rod.

Cheers
LY Chua

None of the above.

Choose a rod that has sufficient power to cast the fly (line) the distance you require. If you want greater distance, then choose a 7-weight blank with the highest possible ERN (power). If you want to simply cast a large, heavy or bulky fly, not really caring about distance, you may wish to look at a 7-weight blank with a lower ERN so the rod will fully load at a shorter distance.

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

What blank are you using?

The spline of the rod isn't going to make any difference if you use a slow blank to start with. Find the right blank and build on the straightest axis.

Drew

Also to add You can take a fast action blank and play with several different lines to find the one that works best for what you are doing with it

Bill - willierods.com

as stated above build on the straightest axis..to get the most from the rod you need to build a rod that compliments your casting style....i am not a great caster, but find myself casting better with certain rods that compliment my style of casting and type of fishing i am doing...i prefer a "faster" rod for fishing that requires longer casting distances..any of the rods will cast well in the right hands,but only you can know what works best for you and your style..if you have ever seen Lefty Kreh's casting video he casts an entire fly line with just the tip section of a rod..pretty eye opening when i first saw it years ago..i learned it was more about casting ability than the rod, though the right rod for you can make a world of difference

here is some reading on casting that might be of interest
I found a lot in it
[home.myfairpoint.net]

Bill - willierods.com

Attempting and even succeeding in aligning the spines of fly rod segments will have a negligible impact upon the power of the finished rod or how far or how big a fly it will cast. I would go for the straightest axis also. Just how "big" a fly do you plan to cast in the salt, and for what species under what conditions do you plan to fish with this rod? With a seven-weight you will be under- gunned for many S.W. species and you will encounter considerable difficulty casting when the wind kicks up, as it does so often over salt water.

Try a Google Search on Saltwater Fishing and the Fish you will be going after And Where you will fish

A 7 wt is kind of for bass
You should be looking at a 12 - 15 wt depending on the fish you are after

You can learn a lot

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2012 03:09PM by bill boettcher.

Bill, i strongly disagree that a 12-15 wt rod is needed. they are fine if you are going after very large species, but i regularly use6-8wts and sometimes use a 4wt. it is about the flies you are throwing and the wind you are dealing with. any wt fly rod will be fine if it will throw the flies you are using

You do not need a 12-15 wt for saltwater. You need a rod sized for the fly (line) you need to deliver the payload and for the size fish you are targeting.
As for the line you can choose from a ton of different lines used to toss a mile. Outbound, AFS heads and the like. Just do some research before you waste your time and money.

Too often fish are "played" to death on light tackle - and then released(!) by sportsmen. In the salt the mortality rate of over-played fish is very high due to the abundance of predator fish and dolphins. You may be able to bring a 30 pound redfish to hand with a 7 weight rod, but you have in all probability killed the fish. Rod builders owe it to their customers - and the fish - to suggest the right tool for the right job.

Thanks Gentlemen,

It like a mythbuster program, but the truth speaks for itself.
So the backbone of the blank is NOTgoing to have any additional punch, into launching the fly off to a good distance. The straighest axis........and the fly line is the key factor.

Is it true to say that with a slower blank "cannot'' hold a long length of line out in the air on a back cast? It always collaspes on me.

I am surprise to see that the CTS Affinity X 7wt 4 pcs is able address a long length of line up in the air on the back cast ...and recovered fast enough to have a powerful forward cast too.....probably due to its fast action. So what is so different of this blank other than those of similiar weights. It it the design of the rod, which ditate the actions or the materials, there must be something they have done so right to make the blank relatively easy to handle and power to deliver great distances with a big fly. So where the catch? The rod, action or the fly fisherman?

Your take...thanks

Cheers

>>>The rod, action or the fly fisherman?<<<

Rod, fisherman, action. Make sure the blank you choose has enough power to cast the line and fly you want to use and can handle the fish you might catch.

I would get the line and fly you plan to use and test cast some factory rods. Make sure that you really want a 7. Salt water flies and sinking lines take lots of relative power to cast, and a 7 is on the light side at least the way I think of salt water.

What will you be fishing for?

Have you chosen a blank yet?