Is there a prescribed method/chart/formula to convert a fly rod’s CCS achieved ERN (or IP) to a spin/cast rod line pound-test weight rating? While I totally acknowledge and agree Dr. Hannermann’s CCS and CCF should be the industry-standard to describe a blank’s or rod’s individual characteristics, none the less, present-day spin and cast blanks and rods are commonly “described” by their line pound-test weight range and lure weight range. I have the ERN conversion for lure weight but not line weight.
As many of you know, I am a big fan of vintage Conolon blanks; my supplier only lists length, butt and tip diameters and overall blank weight. I would like to afford my customers with a similar line pound-test weight rating as with all other blanks in which they may be interested. Heck, I would like a common, easily distinguishable chart for comparing blanks!
If “line pound test ratings” cannot be derived from CCS, how do the manufacturers determine it for their blanks and rods? I cannot imagine they simply wiggle a blank and arbitrarily assign a line weight value.
Something tells me I am asking for, expecting too much. None the less, I am inquiring from the best source on the planet; I am here to learn!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Mark, I'm pretty sure the majority of the bass and panfish rods I own would blow up if I tried to hang a weight from the tip equal to the max line rating, and most of them before I even got to the lower end of line rating. It has more to do with the intended use. In freshwater, we use stronger line than we need for abrasion resistance. A lot of bass crank bait rods have line ratings of 20 lb or so, and they typically do not have the power of a mag bass blank with a 17 lb line rating. However pulling a crank bait through rock and wood is going to lead to the line getting knocked up so a lot of anglers use lines that are far stronger than needed so that when a large fish is hooked they do not need to worry about the line failing. I suspect that in open water offshore rods, the ratings are such that the line at the max rating fails before the blank. So, I believe the intended use has a lot to do with it.

Comparing your Conolons with blanks with known ratings or labeling them with a line and lure weight suitable to the intended fishing technique should work just fine.

I could be completely wrong, but that is my take.

Rod power and action do not correlate to suggested line test ratings. Those are purely subjective and only intended as a guideline for what they feel the customer should use for the type fishing the rod was designed for.

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The further you cast a fly rod the more weight you cast; not so with spin-casters There's a considerable difference between fly casters who double haul and those who don't and the weight they cast with any one rod blank. These facts discourage comparing how one blank performs two much different tasks, each of which requires a different skill set.

For the most part the line test ratings are throw away numbers. They do not have anything do with rod blank performance and do not come from any sort of blank measurement. If I read the post correctly are you trying to convert fly line to lure weight ratings? You can do that. But ERN is not a fly line rating it is a power rating. So first you would have to have some idea of what line the rod performs best with. Then you could look up the weight of the weighted section of the line, such as a 4-weight being I think 1/4 ounce. So that blank should be able to load and cast a 1/4 ounce lure. Either way the line test ratings are not an issue. Mono or braid neither loads the rod, the lure or sinker does that.

Mike, he's not trying to relate fly line to lure ratings. He's asking whether there is a table, or conversion formula, that would recommend a line rating for his customers for spin/cast rods based on ERN.

Yeah I think I covered that in my first couple of sentences above. Just offered the rest in case he was looking for a casting lure weight rating, and even that is not written in stone. Just someplace to begin.

Thank you for the replies. Apparently I was in fact asking for, expecting too much to simply convert fly CCS to spin line test.
Joe, your synopsis has merit and may very well be true.
Mike, as Michael noted, I already have a conversion for “lure weight” but was hoping to find an equally similar conversion for spin “line pound test weight”.
I was hoping to discover a method to label these old Conolon blanks/rods with a common, recognizable and comparable “line pound test” rating as is the case with all other blanks and rods on the market. It is unfortunate to learn manufacturers may just wiggle a blank to assign an arbitrary pound test rating.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

You can't convert to "spin line test" because there is no such measurement in the CCS, nor anywhere else that I'm aware of.

Label your Conolon blanks the same way the factory originally did it. About what line range would you use on those blanks? Write that on the blanks.

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Let the size of the fish you catch on the rod and the type of fish determine the line weight or range..

Well, so be it then; apparently there is not a common method of determining the “line pound test” rating for spinning blanks and rods. None the less, I am baffled that the manufactures do not employ some sort of consistent, repeatable method to determine the line pound test range which they boldly post on every spin or cast blank/rod they sell. All this leads me to wonder how accurate my stated “1-4lb test” UL trout rods are as well as my “40-100lb test” stand-up tuna rods?!?!?!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

How would you do such a thing? The rod nor reel cares what line you employ. Your UL rod could be fished with 100lb test. Why would the rod care? It wouldn't cast well when matching that line to the casting weight ability of the rod, but that's another issue.

The only application would be for a line not to exceed the deadlift capability of the rod to ensure the rod is not the weak link in the chain. And then you have to determine if you're talking about a steady pull or a sudden impact.

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Mark I'm going to suggest one way to go about it. It is more from a "saltwater" point of view.

Surf casters employ a shock leader. Experience has shown 10 pounds is needed for every ounce of casting weight. So to cast a two ounce sinker you need twenty pound test. Clearly the blank has to withstand that as well during the cast. So start casting and see where the blank starts to get overloaded.

You won't find many 10# rated freshwater rods that will cast one ounce. So think of it as an upper rating, such as what the blank could dead lift. Now you have to really cast, and not lob that weight.

Figure if the rod starts to get overloaded at one ounce it might dead lift 10#'. Given a drag setting of a max of 33% of line strength you might set the upper line test rating as high as 30#. More conservative would be 50% drag and a rating of 20# test line.

Just to be clear....say the blank performs best from 1/4 to 3/4 ounce. 0.25 X 10 X 3 = 8.33 and 0.75 X 10 (going conservative) X 2 = 15.....so call a blank that casts 1/4 to 3/4 range an 8 to 15# blank....maybe stretch it to 8-20 at the outside. Hope this makes some kind of sense.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Whether right or wrong, accurate or deceptive, fact or fiction, I was hoping to afford my customers with a line test rating as they are accustomed to with virtually all other spin blanks and rods on the market; if for no other reason but simple comparison. If no line pound test ratings were stated on rods and blanks, I would be in no need of even asking this question. My quest was simply to conform to standard “rod labeling” which has been in place since before I caught my first fish 60 years ago, whether right or wrong.
Tom’s points are well taken and understood; so were other replies as well. Thank you to all for your input.
A special thank you to Russell; you have outlined a very logical method in determining the elusive line pound test for a blank; if nothing else, it will produce consistent results. Lacking any better method, it is the one I will employ. Thanks, I owe you one.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

if you have the lure weight, that may be enough since it implies a certain line weight..

Spin fishers can choose between a standard overhead [or sidearm] cast and a "bow and arrow" [or flip] cast. Fly fishers can choose between a wave-the-rod cast and a haul-the-line cast. Comparisons between rods aren't much use until the method of casting is identified.

Line test ratings aren't based on type of casting. Nor much of anything else, really. They are recommendations as to what the angler might use for the type fishing the rod is intended for.

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I usually fish with a fly rod. To me a "line weight" is just that - how much the first 30' of the fly line weighs, as measured on a scale. Spin/revolving spool casters read "line weight" and think how much weight it takes to break this line. Failure to specify whether you are talking about a spinning (or casting) rod or talking about a fly rod when discussing fishing lines causes unnecessary confusion. It often happens on this site.

Line diameter is as important as line test, maybe more but it is only listed on the spool/box the line comes on..you never see it on a rod..