RX7 blank questions...

[WarrenP]

I am considering having a fly rod assembled and have some questions that I need answers for before I can commit to doing anything because once it is completed, it will be too late to ask questions.

The blank I am considering is the RX7. I want the rod to be 8' 6" long and a 2 piece. I want the rod action to be somewhere between med and fast and I really mean in between. I may be asking for something that does not exist, but, I do not think so. I do not want it to be a "fast" action and I do not want it to be a "med" action.

Would I be correct that the RX7 blank is pretty much what I am looking for as far as action?

My next question is the line guides which I feel snake guides will be fine but I am wondering if I want double foot guides or single. In my mind, double foot guides may assist the blank to lean more to "fast" whereas the single foot may make it lean more to "med". My thinking, which could be "all wet", is that double thread wraps on each guide would "stiffen" up the blank.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance.....

[NewTyer 1]

If you go to the Batson Enterprises website. They have all the specs on all thier blanks. I am getting ready at attempting to build my second rod which is a Rainshadow RX6. I wanted something that was going to act as closely as possible to a Orvis Clearwater and this is what they came up with by the specs I have sent them. Really great people to deal with. As far as the guides go, you will need one stripper guide and then 8 snake guides and one tip top for a total of ten all together. I went with Snake Brand Guides. He is also awesome to deal with. So far my experience with this process has been very pleasing. I hope the build goes as well. It will be a 8'6" 4pc 5wt

[dunfly]

"Fast" and "medium" can be dangerous terms, depending on how you define them. If you go by subjective feel of the rod, one person may consider a medium fast rod as fast while another may consider it medium. The CCS data has all of the RX7's in the mid to upper 60's AA range, which would place is squarely in medium fast. Batson also rates it medium fast.

I use single foot guides on all my lower weight rods. I'm not sure if it actually changes the action due to the shape of the guide, but the second wrap on a double foot snake does add some weight to the tip.

[Uncle Jesse]

Warren, With a 8'6" rod you are going to have about 9 guides, double foot guides are going to result in 9 inches of stiffening along the length of the rod. Isn't that going to make a medium rod faster? Unfortunately I don't know a method of testing the fastness of a rod without putting guides on it and casting it.

[WarrenP]

NewTyer 1 and dunfly,

Thank you both for your input. I think that the RX7 will work fine. As far as the "fast or med" goes in action, I have a Sage XP and I consider it "fast" and it has worked fine for many years, but, now that I am older, I find that my "casting stroke" has slowed down and I enjoy using my Diamondback Americana more than the XP and since Cortland closed their Vermont plant, I am considering having one or two fly rods assembled and was wanting to get a blank that was closer to the Diamondback. I had not considered the added weight of double foot guides and since rod weight is important to me, I will go with single foot guides. Over 20 years ago I started fly fishing and started with Diamondback Americana in 8' 6" 2pc and really liked the rod, but, as time went on, I was convinced by the marketing and some fly fishermen that I needed to be using a 9' rod in 4pc. I now have 3 BVK's (which are great rods) but I have started to fishing the old Diamondback more and more and I have not been on a plane since coming home from the Army in 1970, so, I do not really need the 4 piece rods. The last time I traveled to the Smokies, I used my 8' 2p 3wt and had a ball.

I guess I am just going back to what I started with and enjoyed using leaving all the high tech stuff to the younger generation. I am 64 now and retired on a fixed income and what is important to me now is having fly rods that "seem" to fit me the best and that is 8' 6" rods and 2pc. The "feel" of a 2pc rod appeals to me more than the "feel" of a 4pc rod and that is not saying there is anything wrong with 4pc rods. I just like 2pc rods more. The only other requirement for me now is that the rods not be heavy "in the hand" because when I do go fly fishing, I am fishing for at least 5 hours or more. I enjoy my time on the rivers and enjoy spending the whole day if I can.


I thank you both for your input.....

[WarrenP]

Uncle Jesse,

Just noticed your input and I was thinking the same way that you are in that double foot guides would "stiffen" the blank and make it lean more to fast than med, but, I never gave any thought to the added weight and "light in the hand" is also important to me. My Diamondback rod, that I enjoy using, has double foot guides. Since I plan to have more that just one rod assembled, I may have the first one assembled with single foot guides and see how that feels to me before having another one assembled.

Thanks for your input and by the way, The Goober Bug fly pattern you sent me is a great warmwater pattern and has worked great for me here. Thanks

[Kaboom1]

Warren

Just came up from the Dungeon. You guys got me to thinking about the weight of guides and this is what I found. 10 #3 single foot guides weigh .9 grams. 10 #3 snakes (double foot) guides weigh 1.0 grams. I defy anyone to tell me thay can detect that when a rod is built. As for the extra thread, I weighed a 5 foot piece of size A...the scales would not dect it! As for the extra wwaps making the rod stiffer...maybe, but again, I defy anyone to be able to detect it. I think the bottom line is build, or have built what looks good to YOU, and don't worry about the weight of the guides or the wraps.

Brad

[WarrenP]

Thanks, Brad....I assume you already know about Jack's brother passing. I talked to Jack yesterday and he was on is way there and said he would be back Saturday. May our Creator watch over him and his family during this time in need.

[ol' blue]

Warren
maybe, but again, I defy anyone to be able to detect it. I think the bottom line is build, or have built what looks good to YOU, and don't worry about the weight of the guides or the wraps.

Brad

Exactly my thoughts. Build what you like, and fish it. The differences are much less than you might think by reading a lot of the sites and mags out there. If you really think it's a difference, change 2 or 3 of the tipmost guides to single foot UL wire with minimal wrapping and finish, and be satisfied that you've done as much as practical.

[dunfly]

Single foot vs double foot is an interesting arguement. Its not the weight of the guides themselves since a single foot weighs about the same as a double foot. It is the extra wrap that could make the difference. The extra wrap and the length of the two wraps and the snake guide could make the rod faster, however, the extra weight of the second wraps near the tip could actually slow the action (i.e. recovery rate) down (much like overlining a rod). I have never built on the same blank with single foot and double foot guides. It would be an interesting experiment and you would end up with two rods.

In any event, I don't think the change in swing weight would be noticeable either way. So, I guess it boils down to how you like the look and how much you like wraping twice as many guide feet.