Affordable rod blank reviews by forum members.

[ia_trouter]

I am really enjoying rod building. I would like to build a few affordable rods as gifts soon. I like to save money, but it's lot of work and it's not a good deal if your $30 blank is a really lousy rod. If you have a rod that is particularly good or poor I'd like to hear about it. Please be specific with sizing as that matters. List the source if you care too. Of course a blank from an expensive factory rod is good, but not so much the purpose of this thread. I'm only on my second build and got lucky so far.

RDP 2WT 7-0 4 Piece - $60 blank or $100 kit you pick the components and that includes hardwood seats etc. rdpflyrods.com Maybe slightly faster than a medium action rod in my opinion. IM6 graphite. flexes fairly deep but still has some backbone if you lean on it. I'm ecstatic over the way it casts. Will throw a 2WT or 3WT line very well. It's more crisp than my Redington CT 3WT 7-6 and will throw a small streamer better., and also better in the wind. The streamer advantage is purely my personal preference. I think it is actually a 2 1/2WT rod, but slender and light like a 2WT.

 

[swcr]

We can pretty much put a kit out on the majority of the 1 thru 3wt blanks using the SHX blank, Quality Lemke seat and insert, A+ grip and genuine Snake brand universal guides in the 110.00 range. We can also offer just the blank for 50.00

 

[goat trail]

I've only been at this for around two years but I'll share my experiences.

H&H Xi 7'9" 3 wt blank-Purchased from Hook and Hackle. This blank is a beautiful green. It's a fast action blank with good backbone. At first this blank felt a little broom sticky but prior to this blank I'd fished with an im6 graphite blank. After getting used to the faster action I love this blank and I've built quite a few rods on this blank. They're around 80.00 but can be found on sale for %50 at times. Casts well at all distances.

H&H Xi 9' 4 wt blank-Purchased from Hook and Hackle. This blank is my go to driftless fly rod. I use it primarily for nymphing and streamer fishing. It has great backbone and roll casts like a dream. Can launch line, even in windier conditions. Casts well at all distances.

*I've done a 9' 8wt on an Xi blank for a friend. It was a pleasure to work on but I didn't cast it. He seems to like it fine. It feels like a cannon though.

H&H Ftx 7'9" 3 and 4 wt blank-Purchased from Hook and Hackle. This blank is a fast action but has more flex in the tip. A superb dry fly blank. Cost is a little more than the Xi. Also subject to the %50 off deals that come around.

Unlabled IM6 graphite 7'6" 3/4 blank- purchased for around $35.00 at Hook and Hackle. This blank is decent for the price. A medium action. Good dry fly rod. I line it with 3wt line and have a little difficulty casting at shorter distances. 4wt line may fit better. The guides I put on this blank kinda suck too so that may impact performance.

Unlabled IM6 graphite 9' 5 wt blank-I didn't like this one. It felt heavy. Decent roll caster though.

Blanks from Roger on Ebay-9' 5wt. I've done a brown and a green one (both in 5wt) These are a medium/fast action blank. On the heavier side. The finish isn't always perfect but they only cost 30.00. I think they're worth it for a gift rod or a backup.

Anglers Roost Fly Shop IM6 9' 4/5 wt blank-I like this one. It's decently light, finish was good. Only $30.00! Medium fast action. I've done a few on these blanks and I don't think you can beat the price. Only thing that sucks is they started printing their names on them.

Rainshadow Rx6 9' 5wt blank-around $30.00. (on sale I think) Purchased from Hook and Hackle. This blank is on the medium end of medium fast. I like it for tossing dries and swinging wet flies. The blank is a beautiful blue.

I've used a few other blanks but I prefer to stay around the $40-$60 range with blanks. At some point I hope to delve deeper into the higher end blanks but I've been hesitant to use brand name blanks because (although there's probably a lot of R&D that goes into those blanks) I don't want to pay a premium for a name.

 

[ia_trouter]

Thanks Goat trail. Your post was exactly the intent of the thread. There are a number of sub $50 blanks out there. It's nice to eliminate some and watch for sales on the better blanks. I'm sure a lot of the ebay stuff is junk except for a few select sellers with a good rep.

 

[williamhj]

Picking up on what is said above...

I've built some from Angler's Roost and also from Roger. Price is good. Between the two I'd pick Roger - as mentioned, Angler's Roost started printing on the blanks, on a forum I read he even printed guide placement which is insane. I didn't see it for myself but even just printing the name is enough to turn me off. Roger's blanks are fine, had a short 3wt I loved until I snapped the tip walking through tight woods. A touch heavier than some nicer blanks.

Ye Olde English Fly Shop has some nice blanks for a good price. I've built some of his 5wts and a 3wt. I enjoyed the 3wt and found it lighter and nicer than the Roger or Angler's Roost (tip and butt cut more cleanly, paint and finish generally better, seemed lighter though I didn't weigh them).

My favorite has been my 9' 5wt and 7'6" 3wt from Proof Fly Fishing. I don't think he has any 5wts left, you could email and check on the 3wts. I've fished the 5wt a ton everything from nice light dries to articulated streamers. It is definitely better for the former, but handled the streamers fine. Both were finished very well. Beautiful color, lighter feeling in hand, nice action. The 3wt cast wonderfully. I cast it and fished it a bit, but ultimately passed it along to a friend, I built the rod for him. He loves it.

The ones from Proof were a bit more than the ones from Ye Olde English Fly Shop, but I found the price worth it. They still come under many other blanks and are quality. You can get all the components at each site, though Proof has Snake Brand guides (well worth the money) and the reel seats are beautiful.

 

[mdraft1]

I have a new series of custom rolled fiberglass blanks that will be ready to ship in about a week.

 

[barham]

I recently built a 9ft 4wt on a PacBay Ridgeline blank which cost around $100.00. It overlined it with Rio Gold 5wt and cast really well. It is a fast blank in a good looking shiny black finish.
barham

 

[ia_trouter]

Sorry if this comes off harsh, but I didn't really intend this thread to pimp an entire line of rods without details. That is not a forum member rod review. If you wish to comment on a particular size you have hands on experience casting, and believe is exceptional for the price, by all means do as it would be helpful.

Guess what I am trying to say is if rod blank ABC is $50. I'm VERY skeptical all 12 rod sizes are just awesome. There are some diamonds in the cheap blanks, and finding them for myself and other mebers was the intent of this thread.

 

[sndmn11]

We can pretty much put a kit out on the majority of the 1 thru 3wt blanks using the SHX blank, Quality Lemke seat and insert, A+ grip and genuine Snake brand universal guides in the 110.00 range. We can also offer just the blank for 50.00

I got a 10' 4wt matte green blank from Ron for $70ish that is a solid casting rod. He wouldn't give up the manufacturer, but I would buy one again.

 

[saltybum]

Bought a 9wt from Olde English fly shop w/lifetime warranty AND two tips. Very nice light and smooth casting with some good butt stiffness. Also a nice translucent blank. Some may not care but I like the way sunlight shines through them.
Plan on getting an 8 in the near future.

 

[ia_trouter]

I've spoken to a lot of people since this thread was launched. And some of the vendors mentioned. All very easy to talk to and seem to give honest answers to questions. The recurring theme on the net is the IM6 blanks are great for amateur builders. A great way to learn and you end up with a rod that is fun to cast. I have found very few comlaints whish I find amazing given the low prices. Aesthetics and size availability seems to be the variable. It's a great to save money but I'm not going to the trouble to build an ugly rod. Most all the small vendors offer some attractive blanks that look very nice so that usually isn't an issue. About all you are risking is return shipping costs.

I did buy a bamboo blank from Anglers Roost last week. It wasn't one from his cheapest line. The build quality seems to be very good with perfectly tight seams. I'll give the factory wood finish an 8 of 10 (minor color irregularities). I didn't spend $1000 on the blank so I guess it's not unreasonable to expect to work on the finish color some when I varnish it.

 

[ravenbc]

Myself and a bunch of local guys have built a number of the A.R.E. IM6 and glass blanks. We really like the 11ft 6/7wt switch as well as the 12 ft 2/3wt trout spey. Dealing with Johnny can sometimes be an adventure as he possibly has some of the worst CS skills in the business but does provide some of the best value blanks.

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[ia_trouter]

Myself and a bunch of local guys have built a number of the A.R.E. IM6 and glass blanks. We really like the 11ft 6/7wt switch as well as the 12 ft 2/3wt trout spey. Dealing with Johnny can sometimes be an adventure as he possibly has some of the worst CS skills in the business but does provide some of the best value blanks.

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Guess I got lucky. I had 3-4 exchanges with him figuring out what I wanted due to my inexperience with boo. Not favoring him over anyone else. They all seem helpful. I'd probably like some of the higher modulus blanks as well, but just haven't cast one. IMO the IM6 is just safe because it's been around forever. They aren't developing anything new at these prices. They are just copying known tapers proven to be pretty good. I've been thrilled so far.

 

[nevadanstig]

Great thread, the last two weeks I've been really contemplating building a nymph set up. Roger on eBay was one that popped up in my searching, glad to hear positive things about that. Seems like there is a limited market for the blanks I'm looking for though. If anyone sees or can recommend a 3 or 4 WT 10' - 10'6" blanks (under $60) please let me know!

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[ia_trouter]

Great thread, the last two weeks I've been really contemplating building a nymph set up. Roger on eBay was one that popped up in my searching, glad to hear positive things about that. Seems like there is a limited market for the blanks I'm looking for though. If anyone sees or can recommend a 3 or 4 WT 10' - 10'6" blanks (under $60) please let me know!

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Tougher size range. I was trying to build a mini-spey for dirt cheap. Just to see if it would actually get any use. Do your research because some of this stuff is not weight sized correctly. Imagine that, we are buying blanks for 20-30% of retail of major brand blanks. The word is out on the web if you look around. The vendors will also tell you if you ask.

 

[nevadanstig]

Tougher size range. I was trying to build a mini-spey for dirt cheap. Just to see if it would actually get any use. Do your research because some of this stuff is not weight sized correctly. Imagine that, we are buying blanks for 20-30% of retail of major brand blanks. The word is out on the web if you look around. The vendors will also tell you if you ask.

Yeah it is. And I want black only, so that complicates it even more.

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[huronfly]

Tougher size range. I was trying to build a mini-spey for dirt cheap. Just to see if it would actually get any use. Do your research because some of this stuff is not weight sized correctly. Imagine that, we are buying blanks for 20-30% of retail of major brand blanks. The word is out on the web if you look around. The vendors will also tell you if you ask.

I built a 2 hander from Anglers roosts' sage green 9'10" 4 weight blank and I would definitely recommend it!

 

[nevadanstig]

I built a 2 hander from Anglers roosts' sage green 9'10" 4 weight blank and I would definitely recommend it!

Can you tell me what exactly do they mean by Sage green? The pictures on the site are horrible. Is it a muted green like the plant sage or is a bright metallic green like the company Sage uses on rods like the mod?

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[ia_trouter]

I built a 2 hander from Anglers roosts' sage green 9'10" 4 weight blank and I would definitely recommend it!

Do they still sell that particular blank?

 

[ravenbc]

Can you tell me what exactly do they mean by Sage green? The pictures on the site are horrible. Is it a muted green like the plant sage or is a bright metallic green like the company Sage uses on rods like the mod?

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It is a glossy dark green. Here is a pic of the 6.5ft 2wt in the same color, that a buddy built.

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