Oh wow. It’s going to take me a bit to wade through all this and admittedly some is above my head but it’s all deeply appreciated. I hope to carve out some time this weekend and look at some blanks and start to develop a list of ideas and materials. Again, I’m very appreciative that you all took the time and weighed in. This is just the kind of feedback I was looking for. I definitely came to the right place.

Best,
Frank

Interesting. I’m new to the craft so I appreciate the the tips.

Best,
Frank

Do yourself a favor and build two rods, one for spin and another for fly. Keep the hybrid concept for your golf game.

Heh, I understand your point and in general, I’d agree with you but I’m not sure I conveyed my point clear enough earlier. First, the rod I’m talking about building is not meant for general use per se. It’s a specialty rod designed to do one thing and one thing only (at least I only have one thing in mind) and that’s to allow an angler to really streamer fish in these specific types of water, namely small spring creeks that are maybe 20-30 ft across, at best. These are primarily Central PA streams like the Letort, Falling Springs, Big Spring, and the Yellow Breeches. Throw in swaying clumps of elodea and cress beds, it’s pretty complicated water. And just like the fish, you see everything. Further, because of all aquatic vegetation, your casts are almost always at relatively short ranges. A 9 ft or even 8’ 6’ rod throwing a line with say a 7’ leader, you might only have 3 ft or less of line out of the rod tip while your fly is banging the far shore, seriously constraining the ability to do much more than give it a strip or two and that’s it. I never would have thought it’d have made such a difference but my 7’ glass rod is really is remarkable in how well I can hit the far bank with the streamer, then guide it down the lanes and clumps of aquatic plants, and have “space” to work the fly on the retrieve.. Compared to using a long rod where you’re essentially just dappling your streamer here and there, the shorter rod really let me get downright surgical with how I could place and swim the fly. It’s made it a lot more fun for me and let me tell you, when a 23’ bow pops out from a weed clump and casually eats your sculpin, 10 ft in front of you, you know things are going to get interesting.

Frank , you were clear enough in your first post, and you got the right, simple, answer in the first response to that post. We sometimes get lost.