Just wondering what people's experience has been with these blanks. I'm looking to build 4 piece 8 and 9 weights for inshore salt water use.

I build quite a few of them, and the customers have been more than please with them and their performance

They tend to be strong for the advertised weight rating. I have an 8 weight that CCS numbers say is a 10 weight.

I have heard nothing but good things about Gamma Beta, especially in higher weights among salt anglers.

I will be wrapping a 4 wt Gamma Alpha and a 10 wt Beta in the months ahead.

Ed Kramer Wrote:
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> They tend to be strong for the advertised weight
> rating. I have an 8 weight that CCS numbers say
> is a 10 weight.

Ed,
I'm all for statistics on paper, but in the end, nothing matters more than how things are manifested "in the flesh" so to speak. Have you taken that 8wt out for a workout with an 8wt line?

I have an 8 & 9 wt gamma beta. Very powerful and strong casters. At the limit of “fastness “ for my liking. They cast great for me with Rio outbound short lines. With an outbound short, both close and far casts are easy. For me, a bonefish type line requires more false casting.
I also have an 11 GB and a 7 LMX.

Scott Fossum Wrote:
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> I have an 8 & 9 wt gamma beta. Very powerful and
> strong casters. At the limit of “fastness “
> for my liking. They cast great for me with Rio
> outbound short lines. With an outbound short,
> both close and far casts are easy. For me, a
> bonefish type line requires more false casting.
> I also have an 11 GB and a 7 LMX.

Scott....Just wondering how you found the gamma betas being true to their designated line weights. Do the 8 and 9 weights do well with 8 and 9 weight lines? Ed Kramer suggested that these blanks need to be overlined in order to put a bend in them. Did you find this to be so?

There are quite a few comments on Gamma Beta at a web site called microskiff.com. Most there are salt users with higher weight rods. If you registered and posted on the fly fishing forum there you may get a lot of responses. My overall take of GB users there: excellent rods, fast, very powerful.

Thank you Dave. I am familiar with the site. I will have a look.

Ernie ..
For my casting style I use overweight lines with the GB’s. True weight lines (bonefish types) make short casts difficult. Quick casts are also difficult. Difficult means more than 2 back casts. Casting is ok on >50 ft casts, but requires multiple backcasts.

With an outbound short, 1 back cast is good to 50 ft. 2 back casts for >50 ft.
I fish the TX coast.
Scott