3 wt rod blank suggestions

[pksgundogs]

Ok, I am going to build a 4 piece 3 wt flyrod in the next month or so. Going to most likely buy the blank at Anglers Workshop in Woodland, as they have a pretty good selection, but am taking suggestions on which rod blank to use. Must be 8'6" or 9' four piece. Any reviews on the Rainshadow 3 wt four piece blanks ? Thanks.

[nookslayer]

Look in to the TFO Finesse series. I have an 8'6" 3 wt and it is money. The blanks are reasonable too.

[AndyK]

Ok, I am going to build a 4 piece 3 wt flyrod in the next month or so. Going to most likely buy the blank at Anglers Workshop in Woodland, as they have a pretty good selection, but am taking suggestions on which rod blank to use. Must be 8'6" or 9' four piece.

I've been shopping for a 3 wt rod (not a blank) and discovered there is quite a difference between models and manufacturers.

One rod I tried felt and handled like a 5 wt. Another (Loomis GLX Whisper Creek) was the thinnest, lightest rod I have ever handled.

My point is that you might want to have "hands on" any blank that you are interested in using for your project.

[StickFish]

One thing to think about is if you really need a 4 piece. The ferrule drive up the cost of the blank - just a thought.

I've built a Rainshadow 5wt 4pc on the Rx7 IF905-4 blank and Rivergeek was very happy with it.

Another things to think about is the action, medium fast, fast or extra fast. The faster the blank the easier the casting, especially in the wind.

The Rx7 IF 863-4 would be medium fast and the only 4pc 3wt that is in the Batson catelog

The TFO (Temple Fork Outfitters) has several 3wt, but the actions are rated Slow. You do get a couple lengths to play with.

Sage has a couple 3wt blanks in their VT2 series which are both rated Moderate Fast. They also have a 3wt in their Z-Axis line at 9' rated fast (and expensive at over $300 just for the blank at retail). A couple more in the ZXL line rated fast.

St. Croix has one in their SCIV and SCV lines rated Fast

Thomas & Thomas has one in their Helix line rated Moderate Fast (again well over $300 for the blank). Another in their Horizon II series rated Fast.

Winston has a couple in their Boron IIT action isn't rated (again well over $300 for the blank). Another in their Boron IIx rated fast.

That pretty much leave it up to you to decide how much to spend from roughly $90 for the Rainshadow to over $300 and various actions all interlaced.

Anglers is a great resource - good luck with your project.

[nb_ken]

While a fast-action rod is easier to cast farther and will handle wind better, you should probably have a pretty good stroke if you're going to invest in one. The timing is less forgiving so it might frustrate you some until you get the hang of it.

More important, though, a fast rod doesn't load optimally without a bit of line out. So, it doesn't work so well at short distances. With my stroke, I'm absolutely partial to fast rods at 5wt and above. But with smaller rods, distance is rarely the first priority. With a 3wt, you're probably going to use it for smaller fish in smaller water, so you're mostly interested in delicate casts at short distances. For me, I prefer a moderate/fast or even moderate action.

Another thing you might consider is length. On a lot of small rivers and creeks, you'll find a bit of tree cover and backcasting room can be an issue. So, -- again, since distance isn't as much of a concern -- you might consider something shorter than 9' to help you get in under the trees. On the other hand, much of the small water I fish with 2 and 3wts involves a lot of pocket-water fishing, so I don't like to go too short. Makes mending harder. Some manufacturers make small rods as short as 6'. Personally, I feel the optimal length is between 7 and 8.5 feet.

Good luck. I love fishing with these little magic wands.

[AndyK]

Another thing you might consider is length. On a lot of small rivers and creeks, you'll find a bit of tree cover and backcasting room can be an issue. So, -- again, since distance isn't as much of a concern -- you might consider something shorter than 9' to help you get in under the trees. On the other hand, much of the small water I fish with 2 and 3wts involves a lot of pocket-water fishing, so I don't like to go too short. Makes mending harder. Some manufacturers make small rods as short as 6'. Personally, I feel the optimal length is between 7 and 8.5 feet.


I agree that a short rod is better on small streams where you are fighting overhead trees and brush.

However, I'm looking for a 3 wt for fishing some of the high mountain, pack-in lakes. Many of these lakes have smaller fish, so a 3 wt sounds about right. Since I will be using a float tube, a longer rod is preferred.

Pksgundogs does not say how he intends to use the rod he wants to build, but ultimate use should be a consideration in selecting a length.

[pksgundogs]

Thanks for the replies ! I should have mentioned that I have been fishing a moderate action 3wt 8'6" two piece Orvis for about 10 years or so; cant recall what the model is or was...they changed their lineup so often... but I am tired of packing the long tube around... It aint on par with a Sage or Winston though. I just got back from our Idaho place over the holidays, where I spent most of my days fishing and duck hunting a local stream, hiking and wading several miles of water carrying a Bullpaks packframe with a decoy bag and a small soft backpack with my fishing and hunting gear lashed to it. Ducks in the morning and then rainbows and browns around lunch time when it has warmed up into the upper teens. I am pretty loaded down, so a four or even 5 piece rod would be more convenient to strap on my packframe. The rod tube sticks up and catches in the brushy trees or drags in the snow. My Sage XP 5 wt is a bit too much rod for the little streams I like to fish in the wintertime. I do use the 3wt occasionally on the larger streams and lakes, floating in a tube, or casting from my drift boat or canoe, depending on conditions. Most of my other flyrods are 3 or 4 piece. Its just this 3 wt and a 12 wt that are my 2 section rods.

I like a moderate + action rod in the wee sizes and fast action in the bigger rods, like most folks I guess. I have cast the newer Sage 3wt 4 piece and it is a beauty, but you guys are right, it is an expensive blank or rod. But some of the cheaper blanks are heavy clunkers. And I prefer a 8'6" where I fish, which seems to do better for casting and landing the bigger fish than some of the shorter rods I have tried. And I am always on the hunt for a sale...what with the cost of keeping my huntin dogs and pickup truck fed.

[clarkman23]

my 2 cents, which these days aren't worth much are as follows...

get yourself a 5 wt. glass blank from either Mark Steffen or Mike McFarland. that way you can deal with any sort of wind that might kick up while maintaining the feel that you think you're getting with a 3 wt. If you're concerned about a slower action rod having issues with wind, don't be. Anyway, there's my 2 cents...coming from personal experience...

~Randy


one more thing, I do like slow action rods...but that's just my personal preference. But give Mark Steffen a call and he'll work with you. Plus, his glass rods are more in the medium action range. Either way, you'll get way more feel with a glass rod than just about any graphite stick. He'll also work with you on a 3 or 4 wt. if you're set on that. He rolls his own blanks as well.

Ultimately, you've gotta get what suits you best. If you like fast rods, get a fast blank. If you like medium or slow rods, give glass a look (from one of the modern builders)...

[pksgundogs]

my 2 cents, which these days aren't worth much are as follows...

get yourself a 5 wt. glass blank from either Mark Steffen or Mike McFarland. that way you can deal with any sort of wind that might kick up while maintaining the feel that you think you're getting with a 3 wt. If you're concerned about a slower action rod having issues with wind, don't be. Anyway, there's my 2 cents...coming from personal experience...

~Randy


one more thing, I do like slow action rods...but that's just my personal preference. But give Mark Steffen a call and he'll work with you. Plus, his glass rods are more in the medium action range. Either way, you'll get way more feel with a glass rod than just about any graphite stick. He'll also work with you on a 3 or 4 wt. if you're set on that. He rolls his own blanks as well.

Ultimately, you've gotta get what suits you best. If you like fast rods, get a fast blank. If you like medium or slow rods, give glass a look (from one of the modern builders)...

Thanks for your scents... Guinness drinker ? How about Beamish ? I have participated in a few side by side comparisons in Galway pubs, after fishing Loch Corrib...
I started out with glass flyrods way back when. Still have one, but I havent fished with it in years. I would be interested in casting a few modern glass rods. I think that is a great idea. For a while, I was using a Winston IM6 5wt that was a real slow rod. It was a nice rod and I caught a lot of fish with it, but then I went to the Sage XP and retired the Winston.

[kigercreek]

One of my favorite rods is a Scott G-Series 5 pc 4 wt. Absolutely LOVE this little rod. The G-series are not cheap, and may have changed a bit the last few years (I had to quit handling Scott about 5 years ago and haven't followed their product line much) but I'd still recommend it over others I have sold/owned (St. Croix -- bad experience, G. Loomis, Gary Loomis, Sage and some built on Pac Bay blanks).

[clarkman23]

Thanks for your scents... Guinness drinker ? How about Beamish ? I have participated in a few side by side comparisons in Galway pubs, after fishing Loch Corrib...
I started out with glass flyrods way back when. Still have one, but I havent fished with it in years. I would be interested in casting a few modern glass rods. I think that is a great idea. For a while, I was using a Winston IM6 5wt that was a real slow rod. It was a nice rod and I caught a lot of fish with it, but then I went to the Sage XP and retired the Winston.

Love the Guinness...I do wish I could claim that photo though...it was taken by one of the photographers of the new online magazine "catch magazine" (catchmagazine dot net)...can't remember whic one though.

If you're in the Portland area, I'd be happy to let you cast my Steffen Bros. 8' 5/6 wt around. To me, it's one of the smoothest casting rods I've ever laid my hands on. It'll give you a general idea of what his rods cast like.

[clarkman23]

I have participated in a few side by side comparisons in Galway pubs, after fishing Loch Corrib...



THAT is something that I'm definitely jealous of...

[speydude]

Some good thoughtful posts overhead. Since you asked about the Anglers workshop blank and it sounded like the new 3 wt will be used mostly on small streams, I would think a slower to med action would be the ticket, and I believe the AW blanks are still IM6, which are med action. Good economical/good value choice, especially for a specialty rod that may only see limited use.