I recently build my first fly rod on an OEM blank from Mudhole which is 9' 5 wt. It casts great, however, the length is a bit much on some of the streams I have been trout fishing on. I would love to build a 3wt say in the 7' range in an attempt to cut down on the number of trees I catch. Keep in mind that I got my 5wt blank for $30 so a Sage is waaay outta my price range. I would like to use a 3 wt for trout and end up using the 5wt for bass.

Any suggestions on what is a good beginner 3 wt?

And if you have any suggestions, what about line or reel? I have a Dogwood Canyon 5wt reel which works fine paired with Cabela's 5wt line.

IMO, shared by many others - you should't "practice" on price-point blanks If you may be a serious fly fisherman in the future.
The blank you should take a look at for stream fishing is the CTS 7'6" Glass #3.
It is a very reasonable blank - especially with the RB.org discount I give to members.
This will provide world class performance. AND - in the future when you have more experience, if you think it could use improvement you can always redo the areas you are not happy with.

If you do get serious - the "practice" rods will be in the back of your closet forever. You will not use them for "back-up" rods. That is a myth.
regards,
Herb
CTS Blanks

You might want to comsider the Batson RX6 Graphite blanks.
A little more moderate than the RX7 and RX8, but still light and responsive.
We have the earlier Blue finish on sale.
Here is a link;
[www.schneidersrods.com]

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

Thanks for the info. Ill check them out.

I second the Batson RX6 for light weight stream fishing. I built a number of them in 2, 3 & 4 weights for customers who love them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2020 04:39PM by Phil Erickson.

I just ordered a 4 piece 3wt. 71/2 foot graphite blank from Amazon for $30 + shipping. I have no idea if it will be good enough to build on but I took the chance. I shudder to think what the mark up is on, say, a $600 fly rod blank - that figures out to $1,800 a pound for graphite - AKA "carbon"

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just ordered a 4 piece 3wt. 71/2 foot graphite
> blank from Amazon for $30 + shipping. I have no
> idea if it will be good enough to build on but I
> took the chance. I shudder to think what the mark
> up is on, say, a $600 fly rod blank - that figures
> out to $1,800 a pound for graphite - AKA "carbon"

Would be curious if that is a working blank...

I am another that will recommend the CTS Quartz 7-6 3wt for small stream trout fishing, its tough to beat Glass. They load in close, 10ft, and they still reach out to 30 to 40ft or farther if needed. That CTS is not going to break your bank as far as cost goes and it will provide a lifetime of good fishing.

If you want a shorter than 7-6 length, CTS does make a 7ft 3wt also.

I checked out the site. The blanks do look pretty sweet! When my budget allows Ill get one.

A fly rod is as "accurate" as the person casting it and no more. I have never encountered a fly rod incapable of casting 40 feet. Some rod-line combinations may make a delicate presentation easier to achieve, but presentation is at least 95% the doing of the caster and the line/leader not the rod. That leaves fit, finish, weight, and durability for the 3wt. buyer to consider - along with price, of course. "It's a poor workman who blames his tools."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2020 07:57AM by Phil Ewanicki.

I would suggest also looking at short 4 weights say around 7’6” especially in glass. A 4 weight will handle wind and bigger flies so much better but still have plenty of flex/ feel with smaller fish. For up close casting most of them can cast a 5 weight line to cast small streamers and poppers too. One of the nicest 4 weights that have stood the test of time in the Lamiglas 904 Honey. I have the one piece FL904 trimmed to 7’4” then was spigot ferruled and built by Fred Paddock. It will cast with just a only 2 feet of fly out of the tip plus leader and is fantastic at roll casting. The Iconoglass from North Fork Composites 7’6” 4 weight looks promising too but it will be a strong faster 4 weight going by the specs. You also might want to call or email some of the well know fiberglass fly rod manufacturers and ask if they have any cosmetic blemish blanks they are will to sell for a good deal. I personally don’t care if the paint has a small flaw if it is structural sound and I can get it much cheaper than retail.

I own several @#$%& site blanks from 7' 4wt all the way up to 13' 7/8 spey rods. None of them have blown up and all cast just fine. The 9wt 9' and 13' 7/8 blanks have caught a ton of 15 - 25lb salmon and smaller stripers. I used them as loaner rods when I take my friends fishing. We've broken a few over the years but not because they were cheap. High sticking, falling and landing on rocks, being stepped on etc. I would wager to bet that many of these blanks are "better" then higher end blanks they we bought 20 years ago. If you are new to rod building then it just makes sense to pick up an inexpensive blank , build it up with inexpensive parts and catch fish. Once you decide you are able to spend more then keep 3 and 5wt rods and buy better blanks. The CTS blanks mentioned earlier are a great choice. For the type of fishing most people do with 3, 4 and 5wt rods almost any fly rod or blank will get the job done and any of them should easily cast 30'

If you want to try something a bit different then build on a fiberglass bank. Lots available in the size and weight you are looking to build on. They start at about $40 and go into the $100's. All of them are fun!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/2020 12:06PM by Quinn Canfield.

Quinn: Thanks. It's heartening to hear from rod builders whose goals are based upon utility and performance.

My biggest pet peeve when it comes to fly fishing is how overly complicated we all make it and how "expensive" it is if you want to cast decently and catch fish. Unless you are fishing in saltwater almost all new fly fisherman will be well served with a 5wt rod and 5 or 6wt floating line. Cheap line at that $30 - $40. Put that line on a $40 reel. Put a cheap 7 or 8' tapered leader ( I generally use straight mono) on it and call it day! I have about 20 fly rods because I like building them. Everything from $30 no name blanks up through $350 R Meiser switch/spey blanks (built by CTS by the way) and everything in between. Honestly the all cast just fine. I definitely like some better but they all get used. By go to fly rod on my boat is a $80 Basspro 1 piece 8' 10wt. Bought it as a complete rod and rebuilt it with better grips.

I have no clue what Ken’s budget is or how much he is willing to spend. He just asked best short fly rod blank for the $ and not $400 plus like a Sage. No hiding it I prefer rod blanks made in the USA and for shorter fly rods I prefer fiberglass for fun and durability. As to value if you keep and fish a rod even on a semi regular basis for years the cost per use would be less than a $1. With that said there are some really good blanks produced overseas. I have heard good reviews of the Diamondback Meeker fiberglass blanks, the Rod Builders Warehouse has them on sale with free shipping for only $45 which is great deal. It all comes down to how often you are going to use it to justify what you willing to spend. Even on a lower cost blank I would still recommend using Snake Brand Universal guides because they require no sanding/filing prep to the feet. For a short fly rod you might spend about $12 more for a set of them but for me they are more than worth it.

I have an 8 1/2 foot four weight that is a very light and sweet rod, and I do not find it to be too long and it is fine on most small streams. To go smaller is fine, but also I would ask: where do you fish, what are wind conditions; how small are the streams, dry fly mostly or nymph, and what size are the fish you are landing? All the above suggested blanks will get the job done. A 7 foot 3-weight will limit you to landing smaller fish and be limited in application outside of rather small streams. It is much more of a specialized tool.