Rodbuilders,

I am somewhat new to rod building. I took the mudhole course back in the summer and have now built 5 spinning rods of various lengths and weights. Still have a way to go but have made progress with each build. It is an addicting hobby. I want to build a good fly rod in the near future and am asking for advise for good fly rod blanks. I want to build a 9 foot 5 wt for pond fishing (panfish and bass) and trout fishing in Tennessee and North Carolina. I realize everyone has their favorites. I have used MHX and CRB blanks from Mudhole, a Rainshadow blank from Getbitoutdoors, and two RodGeeks blanks (all spinning blanks). Any recommendations for a good fly rod blank you can give me will be appreciated. Not necessarily looking for the cheapest blank but the best blank for the money in your opinion. Thanks.

Joe

I'd love to hear "best blank for the money" suggestions too. (had to reply to be able to follow the thread)

For me the best blanks for the money are some of the Batson blanks, and some of the Pac-Bay blanks.

Mike Bradfrod
R.M.B. Fishing Rods
Nampa, Idaho

Which fly rod blank is "best" for you depends on what you are looking for in a fly rod: durability, lifting power, casting? To find a better casting blank than a Temple Forks Outfitter Axiom II blank or Temple Forks Outfitter BVK blank you will have to part with more than $600.00.

The MHX fly rod blanks are very similar to the Batson / Rainshadow, the GB and the RG. You could say they are nearly identical accept for color, those are all good. For something a little different look at Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) and North Fork Composites (NFC). I have built fly rods on all of these and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them for a 5 wt. The NFC blanks are very top end and make an excellent 5 wt and the F590-4 (GammaBeta) list for $445 but you can get it for $174 now and made in the USA.

Every TFO rod I've ever built (BVK, Finesse, Professional, Mangrove) has performed well.

If you want to go more up scale take a look at the Epic 5 weight 9' carbon fiber kit which is a soup to nuts affair.

As a builder of only fly rods, my opinion is that the CTS Affinity X is the very best that can be bought! All the those listed by others above are good blanks, and for the price it is hard to beat the MHX.

I'll second the CTS Affinity X if your looking for a Carbon Blank, between that and the Affinity M, best casting fly rod blanks going in my opinion.

For a moderate priced blank, you will do no better than the RodGeeks fly rods. And a custom color for $15 more is hard to beat. They are almost an exact equivalent of the St Croix SC4/2 blanks that sadly are no longer available, except as a complete rod or a Rod Geek blank. I've built a bunch of them at this point and can't say enough good things. High quality and fair price. The only downside, and it's minor, is that it takes 2 weeks to arrive at your door after ordering. But these are very good blanks at a very good price. And made in St Croix's Mexico factory instead of a nameless Chinese factory like most of the same price competitors. Though I agree, that the TFO rods cast well, and most of them are made in Korea.

And for full disclosure, I fish a MHx 5wt and think it's a nice blank. So if you already like Mudhole (and I do too as a supplier) you could go back to an MHx and not be disappointed. But Rod Geeks are nice blanks, and since you've already used them and are familiar with the ordering process, that looks like the winner to me.

Drew

Thank you Phil.
Thank you Bill.
Joe,
Of course, as the CTS Rep, I am prejudiced in favor the CTS blanks.
If you like a fast blank you can't beat the CTS Affinity-X #5 - at any price. If you feel more comfortable with a less fast blank you might like the Affinity-M that has a stiffer tip and a slightly more moderate butt section than the Affinity-X making it bit less fast - but more powerful because the stiffer tip facilitates loading the mid and lower sections where the power is located.
Bot - on the other hand - if you "push" the Affinity-X you can also access its power.
The CTS product is arguably the best performing blank for for any money.
And in the final analysis - they are not really all that expensive.
Contact me if you wish pricing and delivery time.

BTW - I will be spending some time in the Asheville, NC area this August and am building both the "X" and the "M" in a #5.
Regards,
Herb
CTS Rep.

Not sure how much you've fly fished in the past but if you are relatively new to it save some money and look for something around $100 or less (give or take a little). Pacbay, Rodgeeks,TFO Pro II, some of the Batson blanks all fall into that price range. I don't have any experience with MHX fly rods just the spining/casting blanks.
Don't be afraid to check out cheap blanks from the @#$%& site either. The ones I've built on work fine and they give you an inexpensive platform to practice on.
Once you have some build time under your belt (and assuming you are still working on your casting) then step up to CTS or some of the other higher end blanks. They are better.....

Go for broke, build a CTS Quatz. Nothing says fly fishing like the smooth power of quality fiberglass. Soft tips save light tippets, and land dry flies like nothing else.

Thanks to all who have responded. Lots of great options here.

Joe

Joe,
You should really "un-hide"your email.
Herb

Even with fly rods you need to identify the right tool for the job. A 3 wt. rod is often fine for brookies but not for bass. A 7 1/2 foot rod is great for a 15' wide stream but not for wide bonefish flats. Generalized questions receive generalized answers which are generally not much help.

Phil, this was not a generalized question, he was specific to the application of the blank! Did you read the whole post?

Phil, Most people use a different rod for panfish than they do do for bass. Did you think about Joe's post after you read it?

I am partial to Hook and Hackle's Xi Series fly rod blanks. They are a moderate fast blank which are very easy casting. Also the company occasionally has great sales on the blanks so you can get a good deal and try a few different models if budget allows.

Have a friend in Wisconsin who wants a fly rod for trout in rivers. I'm seeking advice as to length and weight and a recommendation for a CTS blank.
Many thanks

I built my first fly rod last spring for small Brook trout and could also be used as a panfish rod. I don’t have nearly as much experience as most on here but I will say that build came out better than expected.

I used a Rainshadow Revelatiion 6’6” 2wt and it honestly casts smoother and almost just as far as my 8’6” Orvis Clearwater 5wt. After reading some reviews on here, my next fly rod build will be with the H&H Xi blanks or CTS if finances allow.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2023 08:06AM by Evan Cobb.