Hey guys I would like to get some suggestions for an Ultra Light blank. I plan on using it for wading for trout in the river throwing rooster tails and such. probably in the 5'6' length range. I just finished a Carbon 4 series medium 6' and I was real pleased with how that rod feels. There is a Carbon 2 series has a 5'6" UL. How do those compare to the C-4.

Thanks for recommendations

What weight rooster tails?

Unless you are constrained by a lot of brush and need a blank that short, consider a much longer blank for better casting, better hook sets. Rainshadow Revelation has two blanks that can be considered, one a one piece, one a two piece. I've built the two piece, very nice.

There are shorter options in the Revelation line.

most will be 1/8 some 3/16. for the most part there will be plenty of room but there are some areas I like to fish where I am dealing with brush.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2021 06:22PM by Mike Stephens.

I don't have ant Carbon 4 Rod Geeks models but I have made and sold a few Carbon 2 models and I really like how they perform . I agree about going with a longer rod for wading and casting , the absolute shortest I can tolerate is 7'6" but I much prefer 8 feet because it really makes a significant difference in casting ability and is still featherlight .

If you can cast and are satisfied with a blank under 6 feet that's fantastic and more power to you .

Enjoy

NFC, in the freshwater section, has some blanks you might be interested in. One of the few places I see 1-4# blanks in 2 piece offerings. Considering the blanks I have gotten seem to be rated a little stronger than they are I'd think they are ultra-ultra UL's:)

Once you "add them to the cart" you will see the actual price. There is a flat shipping fee of $30 so it makes sense to get more than one blank.

If you decide to go that route there are a number of their blanks the good folks here would suggest you try, depending on what all you fish for. Certainly you need at least another dozen rods or you wouldn't be frequenting such a place as this!

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

I really like the MHX UL blanks, they come in I or 2 pieces from 5’ to 7’. They are a great bang for the buck, plus their warranty is excellent. MHX also makes a three piece travel UL blanks.
Norm

Thanks Russ. Most of the fishing I do is in the Crystral River area. We mostly use 7' M - MH with 2500-3000 size Stradics. Before I started building my go to rods are either Loomis or St.C. So far I havent been saving much money on building my own but I am getting some cooler looking rods. On this next build I will probably pick up a Stradic 1000 to use. Hopefully I can find an Fj. I will check out NFC tonight.

Double post.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2021 07:12PM by Norman Miller.

Last couple years I have become a bit of a brook trout junkie. Been searching for the perfect blank. I have built two that are about as close to perfect as you can get in my opinion. Skip the 5' 6" step up to a 6 foot. Not enough extra length to be a hindrance but that extra 6 inches really makes a difference in performance.

First blank I built was NFC FW 602-1 (Delta LMX). Six foot mod fast light 1/32 to 1/8 1-4 lb line. I would say the blank leans just a touch more to the fast side of action. Probable the perfect all around stream trout rod. Soft enough for spinners. Fast enough if you drift live bait. I do both. Also fast enough to make those precision snap casts often needed on trout streams. If I only could have one rod this would be it for stream trout.

Next blank I built was a Phenix Elixer FX601-1-B. Six foot fast action no power rating, 1/32-1/4 1-6 lb line. Ratings put it as a more powerful blank. From fishing both I would put them about equal. My reasoning for the build was I wanted a faster action for live bait and I wanted a lighter rod weight wise. Blank is about 15 percent lighter and I did everything I could to make the build as light as possible. Excellent rod for live bait. On the slower side of fast action but definitely faster than the NFC. Extremely sensitive. While I have fished spinners with it I think a slower rod is a better choice. Personal preference though. If your dead set on 5'6" Phenix does offer a similar spec blank in that length.

I am in the process of building my latest stream rod. Needed something for tiny backwoods streams. Amazing the fish some streams that are no more than three feet wide can hold. I am building on a NFC FW 461-1(IM). Only 4'6" and a bit slower than I wanted but a very nice blank. Should be fun and perfect for crawling through the brush with.

Hello All.

My personal favorite is:

MFR Model Lgth Line Lure Weight Butt Tip Action Power Blk Wt
Phenix MF611-1-B 6' 1" 1-5# 1/32+1/8oz 0.252 3.5 Moderate Ultra Lite .70oz


It's a real fun rod.



Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Batson Revelation are worth a look.

Thanks guys. Great info now a lot of choices. I looked at the NFC and actually have a couple rods in my cart, with the sale price you cant go wrong. I will check out the Phenix blanks.

My favorite small stream and trout rod is a 5' 3" E glass blank rated 1 - 4 lb. line from Fenwick, I've never thought I was at a disadvantage when the rod is so light and line distances are so short. The slow response time of the blank helped with my accuracy and ability to get in all the tiny spots on a spot the bass anglers talk about.

I am very happy with the Elixer line from Phenix. i have built on a few now but the 5'6" ultralight is my go to stream trout rod. Everyone who has tried it has asked for one.

thanks for all the suggestions. I ordered one of the Phenix Elixer blanks. Looks like I finally might be able to build a rod for under $200. :) That remains to be seen though..

Like Spencer said, glass is fun to cast..