Building Your Own Rod

[Tosh]

well i have a friend talk me into building a rod. I know i want to build a fast action six weight, taller than a nine foot rod would be great but wont stop me from buying it. so far i like the st. croix sc4 and the sage vt2 any one own one of these rods and want to give me a opinion or a better way to go i would be grateful as i want a good rod without breaking the bank. Thanks.

[cheeler]

Look into some Dancraft FT blanks online - Fishtales carries them too. Beware though, as I built on a 10' 4wt FT blank but it performs best for me with a 6 wt line.

[ÜberFly]

Yeah Colin (CDone) just built me a Dancraft 8' 3 wt FLT (med/fast) and it throws a 4 wt line WAY better then a 3 wt)!

 

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Look into some Dancraft FT blanks online - Fishtales carries them too. Beware though, as I built on a 10' 4wt FT blank but it performs best for me with a 6 wt line.

 

[Jayhad]

if you want a fast action rod in 6 wt 9" or bigger you could look at the Sage Z-Axis 6100. I think the Z is a nicer action then the VT2, in my opinion the VT2s are nice rods until held side by side the Z-axis, i find the VT2s feel a little slugish or slower. I own a 6100 myself think it's a great stick, I may build a 5100 this winter.

[reevesr1]

well i have a friend talk me into building a rod. I know i want to build a fast action six weight, taller than a nine foot rod would be great but wont stop me from buying it. so far i like the st. croix sc4 and the sage vt2 any one own one of these rods and want to give me a opinion or a better way to go i would be grateful as i want a good rod without breaking the bank. Thanks.

 

I had a buddy build me an 10 ft 5 wt Amundson Wind Warrior. It is a very good rod (is my go to Bow River rod), and certainly won't break the bank.

 

[Tungsten]

Southbow has some new ones in.Blanks

[Conor]

I'd recommend using a brand that specializes in blanks. If you get a big brand name, you will get a great blank, but you will pay for the name.

 

If you want to go high quality, the two mentioned here are great options. I've never tried CTS, but I have heard nothing but great reviews for both CTS and DanCraft Fiver Rivers blanks. You can probably find a blank to try at the shops mentioned to get a feel for what you want.

 

The DanCraft Fiver rivers FT are absolute cannons. Try a 4 and 5 wt with a 6wt line before you build one up. I have a 10ft 5wt you could try. I like a 6 or 7 wt line on it, and I go up to an 8 without really bottoming it out (shoots like a gun with 30ft of 8wt out).

 

Going the brand name route is not a bad option, just more pricey. You know you can try the rod blank before building, and you will end up with a rod with better quality components and a personal touch for a similar investment to a factory rod.

[danhunt]

I've built a few rods on the Dancraft FT blanks and I really like them for a faster action rod because they have a crazy amount of power in the butt, but the tip is still soft enough to be a little bit forgiving when it comes to setting the hook. As others have said I'd recomend overlining by at least one line weight, possibly two. I'm more inclined to go up two line weights on a 9' rod and one line weight on the 10' rods.

[Conor]

http://www.mrfc.com/MadisonRiverShopping/S...px?CategoryID=4

 

Here is a good deal on a sage blank. Xi 2 9' 6wt. Saw it and thought of this thread. I've dealt with the company before and was pleased with service, etc. I think it is a more saltwater style taper (?), but I bet it would be a great fast taper Bow River rod. I'm not sure if Sage warrantees custom builds. Worth checking into before you buy.

 

Dan Craft has will supply warrantee pieces for ~$30 per section. I walked into Fish Tales with a broken tip last year, and walked out with a new tip. Fished it the next day. Better than waiting 4-6 weeks!