Hello everyone, I'm new to the site I've looked around and seems to be some very useful information here. I brought up this post because I couldn't quite find this info and I'm desperate. My dilemma is this: my father-in-law an I use to fly fish a lot together that is until he passed away. He use to be the guy to do all the fly rod building that we would then go fly fishing with different rods for different types of fishing. Now that he is gone I have a lot of blanks and guides of all sizes. The blanks have no markings of brand. I also have a bunch of guides for the blanks but not really sure on how to match some of these up. I built a rod about 10 years ago so I'm pretty sure I could build some again. Just not sure about piecing together from no real manufacture to be found. I really don't want to think I have a pile of garbage now. If anyone could help I would be most I appreciated thanks.

1. find out the length of each blank
2. what type of ferrule do they have. Different mfg. use/used different types of ferrules and pictures may help identifying the blank
3. test the blank for stiffness. This can easily be done by assembling the blank and then pressing about a foot of the blank against your easy chair or couch to see how it flexes and how much pressure it takes to give a good bend into the blank.
don't do this with the tip stuck in the couch, but about a foot back and against a cushion.
4. Light blanks will require guides not as large as heavier rated rods such as a 4-5 wt. vs an 8-9 wt.
5. Grips are the same as the guides. You won't require as large or long a grip on a 4-5 wt. as you would on an 8 -9 wt.
6. All of the above are just a general guide. E-mail me with pictures of the blanks and especially the ferrules and I may be able to help you identify the mfg. Randy

Truthfully, all "quality' fly rod blanks will have some sort of labeling either on the blank or the packaging.
So your fears may be real.
Herb

Herb, not true! J. Kennedy Fisher just used a piece of masking tape and a magic marker to mark all of their blanks, others just put a label such "3M epoxite" on theirs with no wt. designations or whether it was for fly or spin, or casting. I have many of them.

Herb, I would also say that many rod blank makers only included a decal in the plastic rod shipping bag/ tube that was not attached to the blank. Very easy to loose. He is talking about blanks from years ago, not current blanks.

Will agree that no "markings" isn't uncommon. CCS is worth a look as a way to determine things. In some cases, where I had blanks that were marked, CCS gave me better ideas of what weight line to use than factory labels.

Guide trains have changed a bit. Now days one might use three different sized guides and be happy; in the past same blank might have had five different sizes. Nothing to stress about once you get past the idea of what a rod is supposed to look like.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

It could go either way for the blanks. If i were to kick the bucket right now, and someone went through my closet, they would find a bamboo blank partially assembled, no notation of taper or that it's hollow-built from a US maker, various unmarked graphite blanks all bought on closeout and/or/were hinted at to be the same as somewhat-heralded models but just unmarked, great deals on fine performing but budget-quality graphite, and a few unmarked fiberglass fly blanks were it not for hand-written notations of models on the clear package sleeves, a strange combo of letters, a hyphen perhaps, and some numbers to the untrained eye.

what might be good is to use the tackleworks link to the left <---- over there and see if there's a rod builder who specializes in fly rods in your area. and get together for a look-see. or conact a nearby fly club in your area. you might also list where you are located and find somebody else who would be willing to help. and consider unhiding your email address in your personal settings for this forum too.

good luck

eric
fresno,ca.

Todd
If you can find a builder near you that has the CCS ststem set up and can measure your blanks then you will find out what line ( to start with ) the power and action of the blank Write it on the blank This way you have each marked and can figure out what to use each for

Bill - willierods.com

where are you located?

Wow I didn't expect to get so much help so quickly. Thank you all for the support. I'm located in Merced California. And we do have a fly fishing club here that I currently don't belong to. I'm a truck driver and as soon as I get back home I will get some pics up of the rods and I will put my email on my settings. Thanks again everyone. I have a sigh of relief knowing theres hope. Those rods are the one thing I cherish since his passing.

P.s. My email is viewable now. Thanks again.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2014 03:37PM by Todd Davis.

Well Todd, if you don't get any direct help from the highly knowledgeable people here, this is my chance to help as best as I can. I fly fish, wrap my own rods, and I'm located less than an hour south of you. Let me know if I can be of any assistance. I'd be willing to meet up somewhere, even in Merced. Feel free to email me directly.

eric
fresno, ca.

Thank you very much Eric I just might have to take you up on that. As far as some of the blanks I have, under further investigation the blanks are still in the plastic sleeves and have not been open. I have found in each sleeve coiled little pieces of paper that once belonged, I believe on the blanks with this wording on each one as indicated: F805-4DB(804-5wt) 4 piece F764-4DB(764-4wt) 4 piece. F804-3DB(803-4wt) 3 piece
This is what they are showing no other marking then the coiled papers. I have other blanks as well with the same papers just coiled up loose in the plastic sleeves that they are still in.

Just google up the numbers and you now know what you have and build them You got the parts
Here is the first
[www.google.com] Don't loose those pieces of paper maybe tape them on each blank so you don't loose them

Then do a Search here on each to find out how others have built them

Your good to go

Bill - willierods.com

Ok this thread has finally been resolved. I've got information for all the blanks I have now. Made a lot of phone calls about the info on the little paper pieces that were In with each blank. A few blanks were high quality blanks but the majority was 40 to 60 dollar blanks. They are all priceless to me and I just want to thank everyone that helped, thank you very much for your time and input. I love this website and everyone seems genuinely nice. thanks again.

Don't judge a blank buy it's price i have read posts here about 300.00 dollar blanks and being washed with just Alcohol and the paint came off ???

They may be glass and worth every penny

Bill - willierods.com