Keep in mind, whether you measure a rod's power via the CCS or just go out in the yard and cast a bunch of different lines, generally older rods had significantly less power than many modern rods (except the ones specifically marketed as "retro"). Most fiberglass or early graphite rods that were labeled 6wts. , for example, tend to have about the same amount of power (ERN in the CCS) as most modern 4wts. All that means is that we collectively, as anglers, have started preferring more power than earlier anglers. Of course it doesn't mean you can't cast and fish great with less power, it's just a matter of preference. Since I tend to prefer the feel of casting and fishing less powerful rods, but enjoy the lightness of modern graphite, my personal favorite rodbuilidng strategy is to use modern 3, 4, and 5 wt. blanks to build rods that I intend to fish with 5, 6, and 7 wt. lines. Or 0, 1, and 2wts. to fish 2, 3, and 4 wt. lines. You get the idea. Works great for me. I also typically use 4 or 5 different line weights on the same rod, in different situations depending on what I'm trying to do with it. It's just a tool, make it work for you, not the other way around. We've been brainwashed by rod companies.