What have been folks experiences with MHX regular and Native fly rod blanks? Are the Native blanks a true step up?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2021 10:52PM by david taylor.

Have not used the Native, but the MHX are very good. I build on a lot of their Fly blanks.

No experience with the Native.
The 904-4 paired with a DT 5 wt is one of the best trout rods I've ever built. The 6 wt switch, I've got really dialed in and love it. The 7 wt I built for Bones I wish I'd never bought.
All the MHX's that I've built I have to upline at least one line to get it to cast in a way that is comfortable to me.
I do CCS all my blanks but I use that as a starting point, I always test cast with different lines to try to find my sweet spot.
I've built MHX's from 3 wt to 8 wt. The trout blanks I like, the heavier saltwater blanks not so much.
It's very subjective and at times very frustrating (and expensive), nothing worse that building a rod that you don't like.
Good luck.

TJB

Thomas Bell Wrote:
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> The 7 wt I built for Bones I wish I'd never bought.

> I've built MHX's from 3 wt to 8 wt. The trout
> blanks I like, the heavier saltwater blanks not so
> much.

Thomas - can you elaborate on what your didn't like about the heavier MHX rods? I'm considering a 9' 8 wt build and MHX is a leading contender. I've built a 5 and 6 and like them.

Thanks,
Mike J

Hello Mike, sorry for the late response.
For one thing the 7 wt was really a nine wt (thru CCS measurements - 178 g, and actual casting a wf floater). I just don't like how it loads when I cast, even with the 9 wt line.
It seems to me that the butt section is too thin. The bottom of the 2nd section (one next to the butt) is thicker than 1/2 of the butt section. Now I know you have to take into account the diameters for the furrel but it doesn't seem right. It just doesn't load smoothly. I use this as a backup rod that seldom sees the light of day.

I've built the 8 wt as well, and it throws a 10 wt line!! Same thing with the blank section diameters. This rod is now an intermediate shooting head 10 wt rod for stripers.

My go to bonefish rod is a TFO BVK in 8 wt , CCS - 195g, that I built myself. It's really a 9 wt but is a pleasure to cast.

Hope this helps.

TJB