Well, for one thing the vendors didn't return my email. For another they pretty much gotta tell you they have the best thing. For a third, I did say it would be nice to have a template where it could be quantified as much as possible, and hopefully get multiple opinions about he same blank to help out. I mean, really I trust a custom rod build who is looking for quality, price point, knows how
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I contacted Mick Batson to see if he has any rods on his blanks, as he is within driving distance. Anybody else around the Seattle area, I'd gladly come visit to test cast rods.
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How's this. Anybody in the Seattle area built on any of these blanks or have a built rod that they think would fit the bill and would let me cast? I'll buy the beer.
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I agree that people are, mostly, helpful. But look at how many posts are about looking for a blank for such-and-such. Wouldn't it be nice that rather than casting it to the winds we could just go and look it up? I'm seriously sick of building rods with little to know idea what I'm going to get when I'm done. The knowledge is obviously here, I'm just asking that we formalize it a little.
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I'd love to go to the ICRBE, when will it be in Portland, Seattle, or Vancouver? Or, I guess I could just by 3 or 4 Sage TCiRs and stop building rods....
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The MHX is a blank whose name I've seen before. Does it fit my requirements? Will it cast dries with delicacy and huck streamers into the backing on a 30' sink tip? My last rod actually was the St. Croix. As I said, nice rod. The Batson rods I've had a chance to cast seemed a little clunky to me, but I would love to be able to cast some more as they are local. I believe one of the local rod manuf
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Tom, may I humbly suggest a new category? Blank Reviews. As an amateur builder I don't have the time or experience to really know what my rod is going to turn out like before I build it. Originally, I started building so that I could have a couple of sweet rods at a fraction of retail. Instead, I have a bunch of rods whose performance I don't like at way over that! In retrospect I often post
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Yeah, yeah plane not the pilot. Trust me I caught a bunch of fish on my first $30 blank that nobody else could cast. Doesn't mean it was a work of art or a joy to fish with. Nicest rod I ever fished was a Winston, but by the time you build the rod, might as well buy it. The Tiger Eyes I've built make sweet dry fly rods, but cannot handle streamers or sinking lines. My dad's $99 Reddignton can do
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I've made a few rods now, at least into the double digits. A few on S*** blanks which were very nice, as they should be; others on less expensive blanks. Some of the cheaper blanks made sweet dry fly rods, some were 2x4s. I'm ready to build a "real" rod, one that will cast sinking lines and streamers and also have enough tip sensitivity for dry flies. I'm afraid to mention any commercia
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My dad shoots fireworks and a few years ago I built him a nice rod. I used candy apple red hot rod paint to paint the blank, gold guides wrapped in blue and white with gold bands, a red white and blue cork grip with a blazing cherry reel seat somebody here on the board sent me. It might sound garish, but it wasn't, and if it was it was a tribute rod anyway. Then I lost it two days later in a fi
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Fairly fast, in 3,5,7 wts. Hopefully not too expensive. Sick of traveling and not having a rod with me!
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There are times, especially with shooting heads, when I need both. Have somebody take some photos of you casting and see if you ever get a reversed 'S' in the line pre-guides. Besides if you have the answer, why did you ask the question?
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Patrick, some people (like me) like to use a larger stripping guide, often called a "tamer" guide. The theory is that it helps corral all of that slack line while you are shooting. I think Lefty Krey promoted this idea, but I may be wrong, although my TFO does have a honking shooting guide. Most other commercial manufacturers don't do this largely because is "looks funny." I l
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Well, I didn't want to repeat that in case I'd caused offense ;-)
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I posted last night and now the post has been removed. Tom?
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Wow, Karry, thanks for the detailed reply. I think I may be building switch rod on one of your blanks (I built my first rod on one of your blanks). But I was in love with Dan's 5 piece. You could put that thing in your pocket. BTW are you ever in the Everett area? I just opened a pub there I'm hoping to make a little FF hang out (among other things). I'm putting my lathe there to give me somethi
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Hey folks, been gone a while. My house burned down a few years back and I lost everything. Finally got a new rod lathe and set it up to make some Christmas presents. One thing I lost in the fire was a selection of Dan Craft Signature V 5-piece 7'6" blanks and I was chagrinned to find they no longer make this blank. It now comes as an 8' and while the difference seems small, in the places I w
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