Hey guys. I'm new to rod building and was going to buy a mudhole starter kit or another starter kit.
I cycle and take the bus to get to the local rivers here on the west coast of Canada, so for me having a 4 piece rod is invaluable, and It's very hard to find 4 piece casting rods with any length for drifting with a float that aren't meat sticks (the few I can see are all heavy surf rods).

I was thinking I could get a 4 piece fly blank (spey or switch even?), and build it into a casting rod. I have read around about it and it seems from the limited and somewhat older info that people do it with moderate success? Seems I would want as fast of a blank as possible so that it's not too noodley, but even a extra fast fly rod would be a moderate-fast action at best as a casting rod? Is that still correct with todays fly blanks? A fast action rod would be best for float fishing rivers - you get quicker hook sets, and easier snap casts.

I am looking for about the 10' mark for length. I could live with 9'6" or 10'6". I prefer an longer rod for drifting in a perfect world, but in some of these rivers I don't have a ton of room for a long rod so 9'6" is even fine, any shorter though and you don't get a drag free drift as much when the floats any distance from you.

As for the size of the fish it will be used for. I will use my Abu Garcia 5601 C3 on it with 15lb mainline. Generally I will target Coho Salmon in the 2-12lb range, and Steelhead in the 5-13lb range. Sometimes a 1lb Trout to the odd 25lb Chinook Salmon, but those won't be the targets. So maybe around a 10-17lb rod would be ideal?

I will be chucking mostly 20 gram to 30 gram floats with 15-25 grams of lead under them.

Any advice and knowledge is vastly appreciated. I'm not sure what kit is best. I'm not rich but I could probably drop a few hundred on a kit, same with rod/components. I hear good things about rainshadow locally. I realize it will be a challenge the first time I build a rod, but I think it will fit my meticulous nature perfectly. I build my own spinners, tie my own flies, maintain my reels, only thing left is to build my own rods ;).

Thanks!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2020 07:37AM by Aaron Wilde.

Aaron,
CTS can meet all your requirements - except the 4 pieces.
I can do 10'0", 35-60 total. But in 2 piece.
Herb
Distrib, CTS Rod Blanks.
email me if interested in pricing.h

Herb, can the 2 piece be cut into 4 pieces, with ferules added?

Tight Lines and frisky fish
RJF

Robert,
CTS' ferrules are very strong. No need to wrap for strength. So no.
Even with spigot ferrules - it wouldn't be strong enough.
CTS will, however, design a 4pc model - but there will be a design fee. Perhaps will almost double cost of blank. Customers do often pay for these designs when they want ir bad enough.
Herb

Appreciate the offer but as I said in the OP I am looking for a 4 piece rod. That's the entire point of the build, which is why I was asking about 4 piece fly blanks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2020 07:32PM by Aaron Wilde.

I wouldn't define a spey or switch rod as a noodle. You'll need to look at their heaviest weight blanks to get a 10 to 17 lb. gear rod rating. There are 4 piece 8 - 12 lb. centerpin blanks readily available, but they are 11 ft. at least. They will handle your coho and probably springers also.

I have a 4 piece 13' Shimano Clarus centre pin rod that is 6-12lb. It is very noodle and does okay for Coho but Steelhead give it a run for it's money and Chinook take me 200yards down river. Good rod but I think I need 10-17lb at least

I have a two piece salmon/steelhead spin rod, 9 - 6, slow action, that tests with CCS very closely to a fly blank., 8 weight if I remember correctly. You are on the right track with looking to the fly blanks if you want a slower action than you can find with long spin blanks. Lots of 4 piece fly blanks available. CCS would help zero in.

There are a few cp blanks made in the 4 piece configuration but they’d be pretty slow actioned for a casting rod. Northfork and rain shadow both have a 10’ 8 weight switch rod blank. That might be a consideration. If you could find one in a nine or ten that would be even better. Maybe look for a travel surf rod blank. I know there are a few out there, just look for the specs you need 1/4-1.5oz and 10-20# line. Let me know what you find.

Aaron,

You are venturing into what appears to be relatively uncharted waters for a first build, but necessity is the mother of all invention.

A couple things that I would consider in your position.

1. Take a look at the European market for carp blanks. (With American Tackle just releasing a line of dedicated carp blank, even though theirs are all two piece, they may be able to help with translating the nomenclature of carp blanks into something more familiar.) Those guys use long rods and there may be something useful there.

2. Find a 3 piece moderate to moderate fast action 7' travel rod. Then fabricate an oversleeve for the bottom section that will allow the second section to telescope down inside. Rainshadow has a couple that might work. I would look at the 6-12lb blank, as the extension is going to add power to the blank. You might consider then trimming from the tip a smidge to stiffen it up a bit, if needed. The taper at the bottom of the Rainshadow travel blanks is pretty aggressive, so you would be looking at an aluminum or carbon fiber shaft that you would need to shim internally for a snug fit over a few inches of the butt of the rod blank. Something closer to a travel inshore popping blank might be a better choice than travel bass blank, but again options are limited for multiple piece rods.

The 12 wt. single hand blanks I have CC'd, admittedly not all of them, have an ERN in the medium steelhead power range, 8 to 12 lb. line rating.

I have often wondered why there were no travel salmon and steelhead rods available on the market,and it must be due to lack of demand. Gary Loomis build his first summer steelhead rod on a fly blank,it's how he got started in rod building. There is likely a solution out there and the ccs measurements will likely be the ticket. Let us know what you come up with. I'm interested in one for traveling to Alaska .

Angler's Workshop does have a 4 piece, 8 1/2 ft. blanks rated 8 - 20 lb. line, the TSH86MH4. There is also a 9 ft. 3 piece blank rated 15 - 30 lb. line, the TSP90H3. They are US built blanks, on IM6 graphite by Talon Graphite in Woodland, WA. Last I built one they were what we called rootbeer colored, a dark red/brown, same as the old Lamiglas Esprit blanks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2020 11:43AM by Spencer Phipps.

Spencer Phipps Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Angler's Workshop does have a 4 piece, 8 1/2 ft.
> blanks rated 8 - 20 lb. line, the TSH86MH4. There
> is also a 9 ft. 3 piece blank rated 15 - 30 lb.
> line, the TSP90H3. They are US built blanks, on
> IM6 graphite by Talon Graphite in Woodland, WA.
> Last I built one they were what we called rootbeer
> colored, a dark red/brown, same as the old
> Lamiglas Esprit blanks.


I have a Rapala magnum baha travel rod which I believe is the TSH86MH4 blank as a spinning rod. It's great for traveling but it's too heavy and thick. I still use it sometimes even though it kind of drags the fish in lol. It's rated medium heavy after all ;). I would love if it was just 8-17lb line rating and medium or medium light action.

The 9 ft 3 piece is too short and too heavy. It's important that I get a few specific things right, 4 piece is key, 9'6" to 10'6" ideally, 8-17lb line rating or so, medium power or medium light (3-15lb salmon and steelhead it will be used for), and hucking a float with 15-25 grams of lead. I realize it's a challenge.

It seems a 12wt single hand fly rod would probably be the thickest and closest I would get to 8-17lb rating, but all the ones I see locally are only 9 foot. Maybe even cut down a spey rod at the tip and butt a bit. Not sure yet.. still researching :)

Aaron,
Closest that CTS has for you in a 4 piece spinning blank is the following:
10'0", 4 piece, 50-80 gm (1.75 Oz - 2.8 Oz).
Herb

I know of a 4 pc. 10 ft. steelhead/salmon blank, would have mentioned it earlier, but wasn't sure they were still available. 8 to 20 lb. line class, 1/4 to over 1 oz. lure weight if I remember right. I haven't used one, but I know a few who have, including The Munich Man, Mark Crouse, a well respected high end rod builder. DBlue I think is the name of the company, New Jersey I think is where they are from.

Ah, just looked at the Dblue website. Pretty close but still not quite. 8 to 20 and it chucks up to 1 1/2 oz. A bit on the heavy side for what im doing. Thanks for the suggestion though.

I believe I am almost ready.

Im going to get a rainshadow eternity 2, 4 piece 9' fly rod blank. Either in 9 weight or 10 weight (not sure yet).

An Alps aluminum butt, 13.75" rear cork, 4.26" trigger reel seat, 2.5 inch fore cork, and an alps aluminum winding check (im unsure of what size winding check inner diameter to get though.. do i just ask the place im buying my parts from to check on the blank for me?).

As for guides I will do #16, #12, and #10 in double foot, then I was thinking #8, #8, in single foot, then the rest in #6 singlr foot and a #6 tip. Im not sure how many guides I will need so I compared to a few of other casting rods of similar stats and figure around 13 should do. Im hoping 13 is enough.. a 10'6" rod and a 10' rod thst are 8 to 17lbs medium-fast both habe 13 guides including tip. I will do a static test with the guides taped on and a weight on rod to find proper placement. Any help with that or suggestions on guide sizing, how many guides, and placement would be appreciated.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2020 04:31PM by Aaron Wilde.

I built a spiral wrapped casting rod for float fishing on a discontinued 11'6" 4 piece Batson spey blank.
The blank was rated as a 7wt with ERN: 10.16, AA: 68.

I find it underpowered for casting a 30g float properly balanced, but okay with 25g float.

My favorite float rod (Rainshadow XST1263F-2) is ERN: 12.55, AA: 77 but of course only 2pc.
I would look for a fly blank with an ERN of around 12 for your purposes. I don't find the slower action of the fly blank makes much of a difference for casting.

rick sodke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I built a spiral wrapped casting rod for float
> fishing on a discontinued 11'6" 4 piece Batson
> spey blank.
> The blank was rated as a 7wt with ERN: 10.16, AA:
> 68.
>
> I find it underpowered for casting a 30g float
> properly balanced, but okay with 25g float.
>
> My favorite float rod (Rainshadow XST1263F-2) is
> ERN: 12.55, AA: 77 but of course only 2pc.
> I would look for a fly blank with an ERN of around
> 12 for your purposes. I don't find the slower
> action of the fly blank makes much of a difference
> for casting.


I searched and found someone measured the rainshadow eternity 2, 4 piece, 9 wt blank at ERN of 10.1, AA of 70. So assuming the 10 wt version would probably be around 10.5 ish ERN? Which, would be slightly stronger than your 7 wt spey that you said hucked 25grams/float okay. So the 10 wt eternity 2 would probably be fine for me using 15 to 23 grams/floats? Thats the highest weight fly rod from my distributer. What fish did you use it for/fast coastal rivers?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2020 06:14PM by Aaron Wilde.

Your best bet could be t Mudhole, MHX 4pc - 7wt or 8wt fly blank, personally the 13ft float rod blank which is 3pc would be great choice but length might be a problem for you even broken down.t