Hello All,

I was looking at the MHX Fly blanks and like the price points as well as the models. I'm looking for a 9-10 foot 5-6wt with fast action to indicator fish stillwaters.


What do you think of the MHX Fly blanks?


Thanks,
Tony

Tony

For bait casting and spin I really like MHX. However, MHX fly blanks are not my cup of tea. Nonetheless, as you want fast action at a competitive price, MHX has to be on the short list of better value blanks.

The quality on the MHX is very good, I just think they are a bit too stiff for my taste. I would steer you towards a CTS Affinity X blank. In the Carbon Fiber market, they have the best stuff today in my opinion. My primary indicator nymphing stick is an Affinity X 965-4. It also handles dries and dry/dropper rigs very well even though I prefer a much "slower" rod for that work. I have also used the Affinity X 965-4 for fishing out of my float tube, slow stripping a pair of nymphs, that extra 6 inches of length makes long casts a bit easier when sitting low in the water. The tips on the Affinity X are just stiff enough for good hook sets, but soft enough to protect light tippets.

I have a 6WT. MHX rod which I pair with 7 WT lines. It seems to be a high quality, medium fast blank. I use it mostly for shad fishing, casting weighted flies on #4 hooks with 1X leaders 60 or 70 feet. How well the MHX or any blank suits an angler depends upon the species and size of fish being pursued, the casting ability of the angler, the size of the flies used, distance cast, and type of leader. As a general rule slower action rods are preferred for smaller prey and shorter casts.

Give a serious look at the new Bushido Fly Blanks from American Tackle. They are light, straight, durable, and sensitive. They recover very quickly, but are not screaming fast on the tip, which makes them act like blanks that cost $$$ More. These blanks offer serious bang for the buck. They are also priced very nicely for the quality of the blank you get. I posted on one that I built about a month ago. Check them out.

There are a lot of very good fly rod blanks out there, and they vary in action, feel and price. Picking a rod blank remotely is difficult because you can not feel and compare blanks in person. Relying on recommendations it not much easier. I assume you liked the discription given by MHX and want a fast action rod. In my opinion their description is accurate,. MHX fly rods are very nice, cast well and feels light in the hand. For the money they are a good buy. Because they are a high modulus graphite they will have a stiffer feel than a lower modulus graphite blank and having a fast action enables a quicker stroke, but requires a little more skill to cast. The last MHX 5wgt I built was paired with a CFX carbon fiber grip, like it very much.
Norm

Fast action blanks load and cast just as easily as slower action blanks. The trick is having the right line for the distance you're fishing, or the right rod for the line you're using. Nine times out of ten, a person having difficulty with a "stiff" fast action fly rod is underlined.

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Thank you very much. This is all helpful. I might have to check out the CTS blanks and the CFX carbon fiber handle.

Tony

MHx 10' 4wt with a true 5wt line (i.e. Rio Gold) casts beautifully up to 70 feet. It is my go to stillwater rod for trout.
Finished rod with single foot wire guides: ERN:5.4, AA: 70, CCF: 76 (as a 5wt).