There is no such thing as a short 8-10 weight rod blank, I am a dealer myself. I was hoping to find someone with experience on this exact sort of thing. I did receive some information about a Guide-Rod Builder that used to build, and even sell, exactly such a beast ... but he has retired and moved on. I have sent an email to an old friend of his in hopes of making contact or getting information. I have pulled all the CCS/ERN data on several fly blanks without the butt section - they look acceptable, but again I was hoping for a fully experienced opinion. At this point, I will probably call one of the engineers at one of the major blank manufacturer's offices on Tuesday. Again, if anyone has experience on this topic, please post. Thanks!