Custom Fly Rod Build

[AtTheWall]

Rob, do you know anything about Rainshadow blanks? I was reading up about the MHX rods, and I came across Rainshadow as well. They're owned by Batson Enterprises. They have a new one called Eternity 2 that is getting rave reviews.

Batson recently joined up with Gary Loomis to market his new Northfork Composites line of rod blanks too, by the way. He sold G. Loomis in 1995, and this is his first time back in the blank making business, apparently. Should be very interesting.

http://batsonenterprises.com/

Batson Enterprises covers several names in the business, between rod blanks, reel seats and and guides - all under different label names specific to their fishing industry expertise. Pacific Bay and Rainshadow rod blanks are part of this group, and a lot of their blanks are made in China, using mandrels and resin systems developed here in the USA.

They have quality blanks indeed and some of the Batson group blanks, are the OEM source blanks for various fishing industry manufacturers. The Pacific Bay blanks has a series named RAINFOREST which is the OEM IM6 & IM7 series graphite blank supplier to the industry.

North Fork composites, is Gary Loomis's generation 2 blanks, all built under the Batson umbrella.

I don't know much about the individual blanks though but have heard great stuff about Batson.

[AtTheWall]

The Eternity 2 is another High Modulus graphite resin system - coined RX9 graphite. More fiber density with exotic resins which equals, less resin needed to hold the graphite fibers together = a product that is lighter and even faster in recovery.

Recovery is the vibration factor after a cast. The faster it recovers into a still state, from the vibration state after making a cast = the faster the blank's recovery state is. The faster a blank recovers, means it's more sensitive and responsive. The vibration robs casting distance as well....meaning the line is zipping through a vibrating line of ring guides, bouncing off each side of the ring as the blank flexes after it unloads from the cast. The faster you can stop this vibration, and get that line zipping through the guide rings without touching (dead center - on a rod built properly to do this), then you get more distance.

Faster recovery means a blank that is also highly sensitive. Fiberglass feels like jello in comparison to these new HighMod graphite blank systems. A lot like the differences between mono and braid...feel and sensitivity.

The first few generations of graphite, still used some form of old fiberglass resin technologies. As the industry progressed, graphite fiber configuration, interwoven in specific patterns, mixed with the epoxy resins to bind these fibers together, developed the feel and recovery as well as performance of these new HighMod blanks. Less resin, less weight but it requires a lot more from the graphite fiber weaves to perform.

[Shane]

Have you cast your rod yet, Rob?

[AtTheWall]

Have you cast your rod yet, Rob?

She's a KEEPER!!!! She shoots line through the guides smoothly, the power and smoothness is there in reserve. I'm still getting my double haul timing down to push the blank hard, which may be something that will never happen. She's strong and powerful with literally NO WEIGHT, fast and firm action through the cast. Fast recovery....no vibration and or flex after you release the cast....it just goes from pop to literally still as the line zings out on track.

Rolls nice and controlled, and the blank is so strong, you have so much time to play through the power zone. 70ft casts without double hauling....you can get a lot of line up in the air with false casts to a point, it's obscene.

The fun thing about a new fly stick, feeling her out and developing the cast around it's loading points.

I'm happy with this blank! No fish yet but, we fished her Saturday off and on on the prowl in the Laguna.

Really surprised how much wind I can get away with....practicing in an open field next to the house. Intentionally setting up casts 90 degrees to the wind, really loving the power and control of this 9 weight MHX 2 piece. The 2 piece feels so fluid and controllable and there's a lot of power stored for those who can tap it's reserve.

[Shane]

Sounds like a very nice rod. Congrats, and good job!

[AtTheWall]

Thanks Shane. It's interesting to note, the more power a fly blank has, the more one's casting technique, really comes into play with timing being the most critical element of the cast. I bet I could strap a ZEBCO 33 on this blank and cast a 1/2 oz spoon a fair distance too? LOL!

[Shane]

Yep. I have a TFO TiCr-X 8wt that is extremely fast. Some people describe it as being a "broomstick", and some folks hate that rod. I LOVE it. Whatever your hand tells the rod to do, it does it. With a compact stroke and a little double haul, I can shoot a super tight loop straight into the wind 60-80'. It shoots line so fast that you have to "bow" to your cast when the loop hits the end of the line in order to keep the fly from hitting the end of the leader and bouncing back toward you. That's line speed. But if your technique gets sloppy, your casting results will follow. The rod translates your hand/arm movements directly to the line. It's not a forgiving rod. But I learned to cast big bass bugs in the winds of West Texas, so all that trial and error and frustration finally honed my casting pretty well. I love the rod.

[Bowhuntin_Toona]

I gotta get my equipment to get the 2 10' salmon rods built.

[AtTheWall]

I gotta get my equipment to get the 2 10' salmon rods built.

Yes you do Ken!

Interesting you would comment on building 10' salmon rods....I just started building a 9' salmon rod blank, to be used to cast 1/2 ounce - 1 3/4 ounce lures in the surf and jetties, yesterday evening. The targeted species are Jack Crevalle, Tarpon and King Mackerel....with whatever else is willing to hammer my lures, swimming the Gulf of Mexico surf suds.

Basically a very light weight surf rod, using a High Modulus Salmon blank, casting 12lb flouro on a reel that packs 300+ yards of line on a reel that can push 22lbs of drag. I'm looking at hitting 100+ yard casts, using 1 to 1.5 ounce lures (custom spoons), on a 9ft stick that can flat out deliver long casts with lighter lures.

I got into a pile of 15 - 25lb jack crevalle last fall. Using a 7ft rod, I had to wade a bit deeper than I really wanted to fish, just to deliver the cast distance where I needed to be beyond the 3rd sandbar. So the need to add a long light weight surf rod, that can pop long casts from the 2nd sandbar and or jetty ends developed, and this rod build project will be the result.

I'll share this up on another rod build thread here in the DIY section. It's basically a split grip design, built on a classic surf rod layout. The blank is an MHX High Modulus salmon blank that is SUPER LIGHT WEIGHT. Super light weight is key since this will be a hybrid rod. Kind of like a wading blank used for trout fishing on a super long blank - bordering on hitting surf rod blank build. Made to cast super long and work lures, a wading rod on steroids in a sense. Not quite a surf rod and not quite a trout\wading rod - a blend of both.

Reels will be Curado 300 or Daiwa Lexa 300 and or 400 series reels. I'm leaning hard on a Daiwa Lexa 400 since it's more powerful than the Curado 300 (drag) and it has magnetic cast control. The Curado's only have mechanical cast control and smaller line capacities.....so the Daiwa will potentially get the nod. I will use my Lexa 300 as the first reel test....sizing up only if I really need to hit the 400.

[Bowhuntin_Toona]

The 2 I'm building are MH Rain Shadow, and are for the guys out in Washington that helped me get set up fishing out there.

The rod I was using is a 9' 6" Shimano MH with an Abu Garcia Revo. I was chunking 1/2 to 1 1/2 oz weights in the rivers.

[AtTheWall]

The 2 I'm building are MH Rain Shadow, and are for the guys out in Washington that helped me get set up fishing out there.

The rod I was using is a 9' 6" Shimano MH with an Abu Garcia Revo. I was chunking 1/2 to 1 1/2 oz weights in the rivers.

Those Rain Shadow salmon blanks will be so much lighter in comparison to the Shimano MH 9'6", which uses Shimano Aeroglass (fiberglass).

Chunking Buzzbombs in the Sounds and chunking spoons in the rivers - Pacific Northwest salmon\steelhead heaven!

Anglers up there must have functional gills, on both sides of their neck!

[AtTheWall]

An update on the MHX 9wt rod build.

Been casting every afternoon after work. I'm extremely pleased with this rod's performance! On double haul casts, she's pushing distances that are really making me smile.

Right now I'm casting the Scientific Anglers Mastery series Redfish 9 wt - warmwater formula. A line designed for sight casting at cruising fish - Quick cast styled line and super weight forward in design. Working from a dead standstill, fly in my left hand at the ready with roughly 40 ft of line coiled and a single back cast, single haul into a fluid release, this rod pops the full 40 ft. Super quick casts, with managed coils and fly up and ready (out of the water - front casting deck on the skiff).


This rod has turned into a wonderful "quick shooter" fly stick. She manages the wind very well and working on grass with side winds and head winds, I can manage some decent side arm - rod low and horizontal flats style deliveries out to 30 - 40ft with one solid back cast - single hauled quickly.

Two back casts, double hauling - she pops 60 - 70ft and shoots line like crazy with many casts hitting the end looking for more.

This rod is doing what I had hoped she would do. Working on a very fast casting tempo, side arm in a flats style delivery, letting me cover 20 yards easily with minimal casts to deliver. She casts very well in the wind and I have more power and control with this 9wt versus my TFO BVK 8wt using matched lines for each weight rating of the rod. Casting the TFO BVK 8wt with this SA Redfish series 9wt line, same Galvan reel, she doesn't have the muscle to hang with this MHX setup with the same Galvan reel on 9wt.

The TFO BVK and Ross reel 8wt setup will provide backup for this rod and provide my Son some much needed Fly Rod fishing experience.

I'm very happy and this season is going to be a special one!

[Shane]

Sounds like it is more like a TFO TiCr-X than the BVK. I have an 8wt and a 10wt TiCr-X. They will send a loop downrange in a hurry. Those are the kinds of rods I like best. It's windy where I fish usually. Line speed is king.

I still haven't decided what rod I'm gonna build soon, but I like what you're saying about the MHX.

[AtTheWall]

Sounds like it is more like a TFO TiCr-X than the BVK. I have an 8wt and a 10wt TiCr-X. They will send a loop downrange in a hurry. Those are the kinds of rods I like best. It's windy where I fish usually. Line speed is king.

I still haven't decided what rod I'm gonna build soon, but I like what you're saying about the MHX.

Agree. I have an old 8wt Scientific Anglers fly rod\reel, using the older mixed glass technologies, and it's a night and day difference between it and these new blanks. The older, more parabolic actioned blanks, had a casting rhythm that feels like a cushioned buttery flow - flexing back and forth in a controlled whipping fashion. A great feel but, there isn't a lot of spine there to PUNCH quickly. You have to cast up into the power - it was never on tap in quick demand.

These new quick action blanks, the power is there immediately and coupling that with these super weight forward lines, it's one or two back casts and POP - she's out there! Less poetry and more speed and power where as the old school stuff, more poetry and rhythm and less power.

I'm upping my surf setup with RIO Tropical Short in 10wt and I'm going with the Float/30ft Head/1.5 ips (sinking head - floating to loop) line. This will be my surf casting line and 2ft - 6ft channel edge zones. That zone area where specks and trout mix, drifting channel edges - mid day flats to channel cut action.

The 9 wt floating line will see the inches to 3ft deep areas of the flats - morning - evenings and night time.

I'm going to get very serious working a fly rod after sundown this year. I'm adding rattles to a few top waters as well as several sinking flies and including super tiny sized Mr Twister tails to dress my hooks (paddle tail swimming variety) that allow some GLO IN THE DARK illumination.

I really think night time fly fishing is literally untapped along the Texas coastline. Wading key flats that hold fish, dip the sun and mix it up with fly gear, you can cast tight and stealthy with fly gear to score fish. The cover of darkness and lower wind conditions - I'M ALL OVER IT THIS SEASON! You hit the flats in super quiet mode and listen for bait as they explode along the flat to 3ft water deep edges - that zone.

Night time jetty fishing - more fly rod sickness and considering the length of the rod over the rock edges.....working various tuned flies with noise and illumination on an High Slack tide with the turn outbound = tight against the rocks with the sinking bait below a floating line at night - OH YEAH!

[BO-N-ARO]

Nice job!
I made casting and a few spinning rods several years ago..... Like over 35 years ago....and enjoyed the heck out of it. I still have a few that I still use. When I started, graphite rods had not been thought of. Fenwick fiberglass blanks were the choice, but the graphite blanks changed the game.
Keep up the good work.