Hello,
I’ve been a long time lurker here on the forums. I’ve decided that I would like to build my next rod instead of buying a factory rod. I fish for panfish 98% of the time and my favorite all around panfish rod is a G. Loomis GL3 9’ 4wt. I love the action on this rod, it’s not too stiff, but it still has a little bit of a backbone.
I want a blank that has a similar action. I must say that I do not like fast stiff actioned rods. I need a rod that is smooth and can cast a good short line yet be able to cast a decent long line when called upon to do so. I prefer 3 or 4 wt lines and length can be 7’6"- 9’. Can anyone suggest a nice blank under $200 that might meet my above requirements?
First, congratulations on deciding to build your next rod. This will be a very rewarding experience for you, and you’ll go bonkers when you catch that first fish on the rod.
You will get many different opinions on blanks, and quite frankly they will all be good suggestions. BUT! You have set a benchmark for yourself with the GL3, and I don’t think anything else will measure up to that. No two blank manufacturers are going to build the same action rod, and even within the same rod series, there are going to be nuances between weights which you may or may be happy with.
Since you know what you want, I suggest you go to a shop and try out the finished rod you want in the weight you want, and if you’re happy with it, then build one from a kit. If you take the advice of the builders here, you’ll end up building 10-15 rods that meet each of their personal expectations.
When I wanted a 3 wt rod, I bought a H&H Tradition II kit for $65 plus shipping, and it casts and performers like a $200 fancy named rod. But, that’s just me. To some people it’s important to have a name brand rod. To me, it’s just important to have a rod that performs well, regardless of the name on it. Your mileage may differ.
Joe hit it right on the head with his reccomendation. All the blanks recommended are excellent recommendations but this sounds like your first rod to be built. Just speaking from experience you do not want to drop a bunch of money on your first rod. You are going to make a lot of mistakes and get frusterated. If you give up or make a bad mistake then you are out a lot of money for the blank alone not counting all the componets it takes to build a rod. Go with a kit under $100.00. There are a lot of them out there H&H is one good place to get one as is J Stockard fly fishing. I have built rods on the blanks used in their kits and they are what you are looking for in my opinion. Just please do yourself a huge favor and start out inexpensive and ask a lot of questions. There is no stupid question and I know for a fact anyone on this board would be more then willing to answer any question you may have. Just my opinion and I hope this helps.
Hi Jeremy, and welcome to the bunch… For another opinion to add in, I second and third what Joe and Harley have said, With emphasis on start out without spending too much. The guys around here will help you every step of the way, and kits come with everything you need, including some instruction and tips that even seasoned rodbuilders will use…:)ModocDan
Thanks for the advise gentlemen. I’ve refurbished an old Montgue bamboo as well as a vintage Shakespeare Wonderod, so I pretty much know what I’m getting into. The only component on a rod I haven’t messed with yet is the grip. I’ve wrapped guides, replaced tip tops, and have mounted reel seats. This will however be my first build from scratch.
The grip is a no-brainer. Ream it out with a rat-tail file and glue it in place. The reel seat is the important component that you need to get aligned with the spine or curvature (whichever method you choose to use) of the rod in order for the rod to cast straight. I use 20 minute epoxy and do both at the same time. This allows a bit of working time.
Since you’ve done restoration work, the guide wrapping and coating should not be a problem for you. I know there are a few choices for coating the thread wraps, but I’m partial to Flex Coat and Flex Coat Lite. Nothing special is required to use these products, unlike some of the others that require warming the containers before mixing, and perfect measurement of each component. I use the Flex Coat syringes and it works great.
Good luck and remember that we’re here for you if you need us. (I still think you should buy an inexpensive kit for your first full build…just in case!)
Hi Joe,
As far as wrap finish goes, I like varnish. I used the Gudebrod varnish on my refurb’s and it has held up well.
I was on the H&H site and looked at the Tradition kits. I may just get one of those. I’m leaning towards the 9’ 4wt.
Hi Joe,
Varnish will work just fine on graphite. It really is no different than using varnish on fiberglass rods. Here is a link on using varnish on graphite rods. http://www.performanceflyrods.com/varnish/varnish.html
I’m not sure if you’ve heard of Dave Lewis or not, but he has been a professional builder for many years. He had to start using the varnish due to an allergy he developed after using epoxy for so long.
Jeremy:
Hello. The Dan Craft Sig. V 8’6" 4 piece 3 wt. is a great rod. It has a medium fast action, which is more on the medium side. I use mine with a Rio Classic Trout WF 3 F and it casts 10-50 ft. with little effort. Also, I just completed a Lamiglas Perigee 9’ 3 piece 3/4 wt. This is rod is as good as it gets. Great medum fast action and again cast 10-60 ft. great. Fished it for the first time today for trout up 14" and had a blast with it. I fished the Perigee with a SA GPX WF 3 F and this combination worked great. This is a thin walled, large diameter blank that is very light. I had a Sage XP 390 and think the Perigee is a better rod. Both of these blanks are well under $200.00 and are just wonderful rods. Either blank would be a great choice for small to medium size bass, trout and pahfish. Good luck with your project.
I recently finished a graphite rod using U40 Permagloss. I love the shine but was totally disappointed with the way it builds up – that is, it doesn’t. It is pretty flat and I like the more ovoid look that Flex Coat provides.
Someone on one the these posts pointed out that the Permagloss is really better suited for bamboo type rods as it is like a varnish and is quite thin-- and not ment to build up.
So, I would imagine varnish would act in a similar fashion.
Whatever you choose to do is going to be just fine.
Lanny,
I’ll take a look at those blanks, thanks for the advice.
Orthoman,
I like the low build finishes. The thing about varnish is that you can put on a very thin coat and not have to worry about putting it on a rod dryer. Five thin coats of varnish works really well.