Hey everyone I am bit by the fly fishing bug. I am looking for a great pike fly fishing rod at the 9wt for fishing mainly northern USA mainly Chippewa Flowage in Wisconsin. If I were to save for awhile I would make a sage. Any way to get a orvis blank? But then again what would you folks recommend. I already made a rodgeeks 6wt for smallies. As always thanks so much in advance for your time and help.

John B.

Angler's Workshop still has some Batson Eternity blanks left, lots of rod for the money, ETEF9094CB.

I'd recommend a CTS Affinity X 9ft 10wt. I fish the same rod for both Strippers and Pike. Reason I'd step up to a 10 rather than a 9wt, just gives you more power to cast the larger Streamers. The Affinity X blanks are very light in weight, so it will really feel like fishing another brands 8wt.

Contact Herb, HNL Rod Blanks, and I think he does keep a few 10wt blanks on hand since it is a pretty popular configuration.

Bill,
Thanks and hope you and tour family had a great Thanksgiving.
Your post is very interesting - because John has one of the few emails on this site that is not "hidden".
Yesterday, I believe, I sent him the same reasoning for the Affinity-X #10.
The swing weight is very light for a #10 rod.
I was at the home of one of the fly-fishing greats in Miami 4-5 years ago and we compared the Affinity-X #10 with a VERY well know brand. The Affinity-X #10 had a lighter swing weight than the other #8.
Herb

Thanks for all the input. Hit the email and will be looking at the Affinity

I too recommend the CTS Affinity X, and would compare it very favorable to any brand including Sage or Orvis at a far more reasonable cost.

Thanks Phil. That’s why I come here. Good honest opinions from the people who use the stuff. Thanks again to everyone who chimes in

You can easily do as well as a Sage or Orvis for a lot less money. In the meantime, I"d try to find an 8'6" model, hopefully at least a 9-weight for the better fish fighting characteristics it offers. Shorter level for the fish to pull against. Also easier for you to cast large, bulky flies for many hours.

..............

Sent you a email Herb

All my bass bug rods are 8 feet or less..the hard part is finding these rods..you have to look at everything out there, not just fly rods..build for two hand casting also..shorter rods handle ceramic guides well, making casting and fish fighting smoother, so much smoother.

I would first take pains to find a local (or even semi-distant) fly fishers' club, chat up a couple members, ask their opinions and ask to test-cast and compare their rods. Most will eagerly agree. Do NOT assume you will love the way a 9wt. "ABC Power Shaft fly rod blank" will cast because you liked the way a 7 wt. "Power Shaft" blank tested. I have a #9 wt. fly rod which just loves a 10 wt. triangle taper line - a cannon. I built an 8 wt. of an equally priced different model blank from the same company and built it out with the same components I used on the 9wt. I test cast this #7 rod with at least ten different models and weights of line [I have a basin of fly lines from when I test cast them as experimental models] That rod felt "dead" with every one of them. Bye-Bye $$$. A class tackle shop will let you test cast various demo rods.

Thanks Phil for the solid advice