Hello,
I am looking for a blank similar to the Five Rivers FT 9ft 4weight fly blank from Dan Craft. I have built a fine spinning rod out of it. It was a great rod for spinners, jigs and small crankbaits in the 1/16 to ¼ range. Unfortunately I lost the tip section in the deep norwegian woods while hiking back from a remote lake. I am now trying quite a while to get a replacment tip without sucess. Now I even get no longer any response to my inquiries, so I have to built a new one. But for sure from a different, bigger company who will hopefully have a better customer service and spare part managment.
But I really liked the stiff, special tip action of that blank. So hopefully someone has a recommendation of one which is similar to the Five Rivers FT 9ft 4 weight.

Thanks
Michael

I've never tried them side by side, but you might look at the Batson RX8.

The FT is pretty unique. I have a 9' 4wt tied up as a fly rod and hate it for the ridiculously fast action. ERN: 7-8, AA: 75-80
I imagine it would make a much better spinning rod, though a fairly expensive one.
Sage TCX/TCR are very fast action but are even more expensive.

Rick

Try a heaver line on it Maybe a 6 will load it better
It's all about weight You may be able to get longer casts fron the 4 ??The more line past the tip the more weight to load the blank heaver line will give you shorter casts

Bill - willierods.com

Thanks Bill. I tried it with a 6 wt and it still feels like a 2x4 while casting. I only use it as a trolling rod now - nice sensitive tip and lots of backbone for hooksets with lots of heavy sink line out. .

Usally the line weight 4 is placed over 16 to give a fraction Reduced giving a lure weight Which would be
4/16 2/8 = 1/4 oz For a spin rod 6 wt would be 3/8 th lure Seems this is well underrated

Bill - willierods.com

The problem with that equation is that it assumes that any fly rod with any specific line weight rating possesses a specific power. In reality, you can have a dozen "4-weight" rods that each possess a different power, so not all will load or cast equally well with a 1/4 ounce lure, just as they won't all load and cast equally well with 30 feet of #4 line.

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it is said to get one in the ball park - But to hit a home run ???
That blank sounded like it was or is a very high powered blank yet under rated Since it is rated as a 4 wt yet does not seem to be able to load with a 6 wt line ??

Then again I do not have it ( in hand )

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2013 05:32PM by bill boettcher.

A 6-weight line and a 4-weight line weigh the same thing at some respective distance.

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Only if that distance is 90 feet or less.

That's my point. Any rod will cast either line, at some distance. The physical weight of the line changes as you move more or less of it beyond the tip of the rod.

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Strip it down and make it a spinning rod

Get a fare power 3 wt and use it as a 4 wt

Then again how fare do you want to cast - what line -

if this is a 9' 4 wt fly rod -- It seems to be a lot stiffer and needs a heaver line
if he is casting a 4 wt line 30 - 50 ft from the tip OR short casts sounds like he wants a -- Mod- fst blank ???
This one is to stiff for the line

Bill - willierods.com

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That's my point. Any rod will cast either line, at
> some distance. The physical weight of the line
> changes as you move more or less of it beyond the
> tip of the rod.
>
> ............


So if I took a 2x4 piece of lumber, strapped some guides to it and attached a reel with 4wt line you would be able to cast it?
If by some miracle you were able to aerialize 90 feet of line it still wouldn't load the rod and once you reach backing it won't load the rod any more.
My statement about the DC FT is that it is a poor example of a 4wt rod at any casting distance.

Michael,
Hi.
The Ft's were one of the first blanks I started to build on.

They can be sweet - I liked the #7 as a #9 fly rod.
Never "wiggled" the #4 so maybe I can't be too helpful.

Except that CTS' #7 Affinity-X is VERY similar to the FT #7 - they can both handle a #9 line well.

While that relationshp may not translate down the line from #7 to #4 - they might.
Also, one of my customers (I am the U.S. Distributer for CTS Fly Rods) had CTS build him a custom 8'9" #3, 4pc fly rod.
I was very impressed with the action - it would make a very nice spinning rod for very light lures.

It could be made in a #4, of course.

I would be glad to work with you if you wish. I am in the auto shop now waiting for my car to be serviced so I do not have any price records with me. The FT's are not cheap - so I assume the pricing would be similar.

hnlcustomflyrods@gmail.com

If you had a heavy enough line, yes the 2x4 would cast it. But that's a red herring argument. I try to stay within practical parameters here.

The Dan Craft rod you describe will cast a 4-weight line nicely, but it's a very powerful rod meant to carry a lot of 4-weight line beyond the tip.

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Let's agree to disagree then.
I would go so far to say that this may be the worst example of a 4wt fly rod - it is certainly the worst I have ever casted.
You are most certainly a better caster than I, and although I can readily aerialize 75 feet of 4wt WF line using several different fly rods (ERN < 5.2), I find that I cannot load the FT in order to even get this much line out without significant effort.
Given this, I would define any rod blank that a majority of fly casters cannot load with the designated line as NOT a nice casting 4wt.

I wasn't aware that the majority of fly casters had weighed in on whether or not they can or can't easily cast that rod with a 4-weight line. Perhaps there was a poll I'm not aware of.

I understand that you can't and that's what matters to you. Thus, I certainly understand your personal reasons for not recommending it as a 4-weight rod.

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Fair enough. Interestingly your opinion is worth exactly the same as mine in this poll.
Enjoy your FT.

Check out the numbers on his post
It is and seems to be a x-fast 7 - 8 wt blank Labeled as a 4 wt

Please with numbers like that yea I know any rod will cast any line
But
Nicely --- That is why it is nice as a spinning rod
What happened to the ( a rod should be rated at 30 feet past the tip ) thing

Bill - willierods.com

I didn't state that a majority of fly fishermen could or could not cast the rod with the rated line.

If you search the archives here you'll find that the Dan Craft blanks do have a legion of fans who feel they are extraordinary at casting the rated lines.

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