Being old to fishing but new rod building, understanding all the products and marketplace is dazzling but also part of the fun. So here goes what might be a series of questions/discussion points...

I purchased a 8 wt Baston Revelation fly rod blank, price was right, it looked 'good' and action etc is what I wanted but I have no barometer to compare other than price. I am curious about peoples opinions/experiences, and specifically if you were to compare this blank to a mainstream rod brand/line, where would it land?

Chris



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/2022 09:21PM by Chris Baker.

What's "mainstream"?

Build it and compare it to your other rods and you'll have the answer. I've not built a Revelation fly rod, but I've built Revelation spin rods and have been very pleased with the performance vs price. I have built what was called an RX7 Rainshadow 3 wt fly rod, and it's a nice rod, too. It has what I call a "traditional" action, fully flexing through most of its length. Revelation is RX7.

I don't have the answer for you but here are some thoughts on the subject.

I strictly fly fish a ton (my wife is an obsessive fly fisher so we go lots) and have tried many different rods and built a number of different rods. I have found all of these fly rods to be like wine. It is a personal choice - what I like someone else hates, what they like I hate. I love the $10 bottle of one wine and don't like another $10 bottle, Heck, sometimes I prefer the $10 bottle to the $40 bottle. It really comes down to a personal preference and everyone's is different.

Here is an example about people's perception of a fishing rod. My son works in a fly shop. I built him a Custom Fly Rod Crafters 10-foot 4 Wt. IM7 Euro Rod. I paid like $60 for the rod blank. Because he works in a fly shop he goes out fishing 2-3 times a week with the guides in the evenings. One of his guide buddies starts using this rod while they are fishing and tells him it is about the best casting fly rod he has ever used. The guy has Sage and Orvis rods in his boat and he loves this rod and wants to use it anytime they go out. The point is the that it doesn't matter what it costs - it is about does it feel good to you, accomplish what you want it to and will you keep loving it.

My experience and opinion? I think the Revelation, RodGeek and other lower priced rod blanks build up into to some great fishing rods. Sometimes I wonder why we pay $450 for a Sage or Winston blank when the $75 blank can be just as nice. And to top it off remember, it is not the rod that catches the fish, it is the operator of the rod.

I think you will be very happy with that rod blank so enjoy building it and fishing it.

Buying a blank based on advertising is unwise. Buying a blank based on testimonials by anyone is risky. A fly-fisher who regularly double-hauls casts of 60 feet or more might not give helpful advice to a fly caster who doesn't cast over 35 feet. If auto dealers will let you test drive a $50,000 car a reputable fishing tackle retailer should let you test cast a $500 rod before you buy it.

I remember being really surprised at the “spare no expense” strategy of the premium fly rod manufacturers back when I was working at fly shops (1990’s). The business models have stayed fairly static since then. Execs and marketing teams go to quite a few trade shows and spread quite a bit of hospitality and product around. I was thinking that a few of these guys must be beyond wealthy not long before their enterprises visited bankruptcy. There are third party distributors who travel quite a bit and add their markup. Home bases and production are often in high cost areas like Bainbridge Island, the Seattle to Portland corridor or chic rural places. These are truly great products, but much of the retail price isn’t what’s actually in the blank. The spread between blank material costs isn’t as much as the retail price differences might indicate.

Good product, outsourced blank. I do not think you will be disappointed, I believe Philip B sums it up. I will add; if it is paired with the correct line (best fly line for that rod), you may think it is the best a fly rod can be.

I agree with Lance that the right line for the rod and the distance you will most of the time be casting is very important. I have not checked any Revelation fly rods, but every fly rod I've tested, from 3 to 9, has its ERN either almost into or into the next weight class up.

I've built an awful lot of the 10 ft. 8 wt. blanks over the years for steelhead anglers, a sweet and easy blank that makes just about anyone feel like they can get the job done with minimum effort, they take a multitude of different lines and make them work. I haven't sold near as many 4 pc. versions, but they are similar in nature, you don't have to learn how to use them like many of the newer, faster rods, you put in your part and they finish it for you.
I of course have not tried every rod and line weight, but the impression I received fishing the old Winston WT rods seem to apply to this series as far as, ease of use. I never fished an 8 wt. version and it was many years ago, just the best I can do.

Below is a link to an episode of Rainshadow Blank Talk Live in which Mike T. discusses the Revelation RX7 and other Batson fly series in candid detail. These shows aren't done in a fancy studio. They're just Batson crew members talking shop, in the shop... Hope this is helpful.

[www.youtube.com]