Thanks Tom! Next question - who sells these, and might also have PacBay Quickline blanks?
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Okay, so a #5 Minima 3 would be a good match for a #6 SIC or whatnot tip. Got it. Next thing you know, a fly rod labeled as a 5wt fly rod won't be a 5wt fly rod at all... :)
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Thanks for the quick reply, Tom! Yeah, I've always tapered them like that for aesthetics. I've got a few rods I've built up with as few as 7 guides, going 16 - 10 - 6's, they cast great, but honestly, they just look wonky. Same reason I don't fish flourescent colored fly lines... It seems like I could get away with the Minima 3 #5s as I am not running any multitip lines on these rods.
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I've been out of the loop for awhile (too much working and not enough fishing). Looking to build up a few fly rods for this spring. Rebuilding my 9'6" 6wt and then maybe a 10'0" 5wt too. I've seen the Minima guides and like the idea. Can't tell the difference between the Minima 3s and Minima 4s. I like the look of the Minima 3 with gold ring. Can someone let me know what a
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I think I've found some clearanced Sevier TigerEyes for super cheap, they have both 12 and 14 weight models. For the price they're asking, I'll get one of each and be prepared for any trip that may come my way... :D
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Regular albacore. I haven't been out before but from those who have, they run in the 15-45lb range, with most around 20-30. A 12 seems like a bit of overkill to me too but the standard is 14s for trolling (!) and 12s for casting using 500-600 grain lines. I have a couple of 10s that will be coming along but I would like to have at least one 12 so that if indeed I do need all that firepower, I
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I have the 7 and I like it with 225-275. Your preference may vary...
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Going to have the opportunity to go off the Oregon coast in a couple weeks for albacore. I've been told that a 12 weight is the way to go. Any suggestions for a budget blank that will do the job?
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That Batson 10'8" 7wt is a sweet stick. I don't usually buy into the switch rod concept but I've got one that I like for tossing a 250gr integrated sinking head, and it also does nicely nymphing with a WF8F Airflo Nymph Taper. I turned a 8" foregrip and used a preformed 3" rear grip... I don't think I'd go much longer than that on either end. I end up tossing it single-handed
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Forest green (gold trim), dark blue (silver trim), garnet (gold trim) all look good... I did one in orange with a padauk reel seat that looked amazing... Black is tough to do well (pack tightly!) but black with silver looks great too...
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Had a customer return a rod the other day for another wrap as he kept catching steelhead in the 30"-36" range this past winter but his rod only had marks at 20" and 28". Poor guy :).
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Not to mention Flex Coat is priced just slighly lower than platinum and gold...
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Who is stocking most heavily in CTS fly blanks right now (and in the future)? Thanks,
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Well, ****.
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Single foot wire in #5 and Batson Zirconia #6's have worked well as running guides for me.
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Except if the blank goes all the way up inside the reelseat to the buttcap like most do. Very tough to insert anything in if the space is full o' blank.
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Justin, Boiling the reelseat to loosen the epoxy has always worked well for me. It usually will come off after about 3-4 minutes of boiling, with no more than a twist of wrist. Try not to get the cork wet or you risk damaging it. However, if you're going to extend the blank and put a fighting butt on that, you may just want to remove the butt cap (boiling works for this too; only submerge
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I get nice results with both 4 and 6 rpm. Anything more than 12 and I've had trouble, at least in terms of drying (I apply finish at ~50rpm).
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@#$%& has been good for me for supplies, but know that they don't have much fly stuff, especially blanks. Dan Craft is good as well, but deals primarily in his own labels of fly rod blanks and related Forecast components. Really sort of depends on what type of rods you are looking to build and if you have any brand preferences...
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You can also look at ultralight spinning blanks with full-flex configurations. I've built a couple 5' and 6' 'brush rods' and they work great.
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Longer rods tend to be effected more dramatically by weight towards the tip section... so where ceramics might be great on a 6'6" 4wt, I would not like them on most 9'0" 4wts. But the only way to know for yourself is to try both - buy a set of nice ceramics and a set of good chrome snakes. Tape one set on, test cast, and then tape the other set on. You'll be able to tell which
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I'd steer away from ceramics on a 3wt, and on some 4wts as well, unless you use ultra-light weight guides. You generally won't be fighting big fish or casting a long way with rods in this range, so why sacrifice sensitivity in the tip by adding a bunch of weight? The Dan Craft 9'0" 4wt V might be worth a look.
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Anyone have comments on their custom work? Doesn't matter whether it's fly/spin/etc, just curious what other folks have experienced with them... Thanks (in advance) for your replies! -Scott
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The difference between the two RX6 blanks is very, very minor. If an instructor says that he/she can't teach and/or the student can't learn using a 4wt, you should find a new instructor. That's just ridiculous. I've taught people with their personal rods from 2wt to 10wt. Sure, you have to make some adjustments in timing, but the basic structure of the stroke is the same. Just my 2 cents.
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Like Steve said above, the new SigVs are very different from the old 3pc model. The mid and butt on the new models are nowhere near as strong. The taper from butt to tip is much more gradual (.330 to 5.0, vs. the old which went .375 to 4.5, or around there). I think overall I liked the old Vs a little more...
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Which ones are you interested in? I have them for some of the blanks and can email you with what I know.
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I've had a couple of them snap off the threaded insert when too much pressure was applied to the rear grip. Note that "too much pressue" never seems to occur while fishing...more of the 'oops, I sat on it' sort. They're nice because they preserve the whole length of the rod to be used for casting...but I still wonder about the transfer of bottom hand energy to the blank when the b
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You can get away with as few as 7 on a switcher on the 10' FTs. The ones I've built usually get 8 or 9. Don't have the spacing in front of me though. If all else fails, you can just use the other Scott's recommendation :). The removable butt has its pros and cons, I am still undecided...
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What would be the point? As in, what would you be trying to accomplish with that sort of 'construction'?
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I'm no help on the spin rod question...but for the fly rod, I'd look at a 9'0" 7wt, unless you had a real compelling reason to need an 8wt. I fished shad and smallies for a couple years on the Potomac and Rappahannock with a 5 or 6 wt. No fun just yarding the fish in. The RX7 would be a better blank, as the RX6s tend to get a little sloppy in the upper weights. A 9'0" fly rod sho
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