John,
My casting stroke is going to be different than yours so take this with a grain of salt. If I had the where-with-all, I would look seriously at fiberglass. Specifically McFarland blanks. I like the looks of the Spruce Creek, Stream Grade blanks in a 7 1/2'-3 piece-4 weight. I've re-discovered that fiberglass is a very forgiving and very smooth casting tool. Whatever you decide, let us know. OK?

http://www.mcfarlandrods.com/mcfarla...uce_Stream.asp