I am heading to the Kenai Penisula in late August to hit the silver run and am going to build a rod before I go. I have never built one before so my friend who has is going to help me. I want a 4 piece 9ft 9wt and was wondering if anyone knows a good blank around 100 to 200 dollars. I have found a few websites that sell blanks but am having trouble chosing one. Thanks Quinn
Go to http://www.dancraftent.com/ and look at Dan's 4pc FT blanks. $155 for the blank you mentioned. These are GREAT blanks used by many custom rod builders.
I second Charlie on the FT, but I am not sure if you need a 9wt for silvers if you get the FT. It is a very fast and powerful rod. Talk to Dan. I believe he uses a 7wt for AK silvers. I may be wrong, which is why you should ask him, but I think that is what told me. Can't go wrong with the FT though, and at a great price.
thanks guy. I have a 5wt already, and the reason I wanted the 9 wt is so I could have a rod at both ends of the spectrum.
I have the entire range of FT blanks and like them all. My personal favorites are the 4 wt and the 10 wt. I hooked (an accident) and got to the boat a tarpon of over 90 kilos on a 9wt. Got it into the leader three times before it wrapped around an anchor line I didn't know was down and it snapped off. The rod held up and I couldn't believe the backbone it had and how well it took the abuse I gave it that day to stop the fish from making long runs.
Hi Salmon...a month ago I purchased a Cabelas Stowaway 7 pieces blank. I have that rod on 5, 7 and 10 wt. Is absolutelly amazing, that's the reason why I decided now to build (another) one, a 6wt. The action is very nice, mid-fast and really poweful. I also like very much the brown-bronze color. $50. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t... matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=stowaway blank&noImage=0 The handle I choose: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...&Ntt=cabelas standard saltwater kit&noImage=0
suggestions: (1) whatever blank is in the bargain baskets at your local fly shop. I thought I saw a tfo blank in that weight for $50 bucks the other day, but that might be full price. (2) ebay (3) buy a whole rod, an 8wt TFO pro, ($149), a plastic mailing tube at your UPS store as a case ($3) and a roll of duct tape ($2) just in case the handle or a guide come apart.
I have built a lot of different blanks and Dan Craft's blanks are my favorite at any price. I'm partial to the SIg V line, but for bigger fish or windy conditions an FT is probably what you want. Batson RX7+ and St Croix SCIV, would be close seconds in that pirce range.
I've always found a 9# to be my favorite Alaska rod. That's heavy enough for Chinook in small water and coho and sockeye in big water. That said some 8's are just like 9's and vis-versa. on line weight just doesn't make a big difference and you can commonly use the lines interchangably. In alaska it's always good to have a bit too much than not enough and the streams can be deceptively fast. I currently have a cabelas SLi 9' 9# 2 piece which i like a lot. I'm not sure if that blank comes in a 4 piece. Alaska airlines fyi does not count a rod tube toward your two bag allowance. August should find coho in all the lower kenai penninsula streams, lot's of big ole dollies too.
If I was in your shoes right now I would consider the Lamiglass blanks that are on clearance (50%) off at a lot of places. I am looking at a XMG50 Graphite blank for $115.
