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Recent beach fly rod build

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HL

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[img=I'm experimenting with CTS fly blanks to come up with beach rods - not switch rods.

 

This one is an 11', #9 that can throw 525-650 grains of line. Has a much stiffer butt than a switch rod. Not designed to handle anchor point casting (spey) - so not a switch rod.

 

The black rings are African Blackwood and the green rings bordering the a><a href=http://www.stripersonline.com/image/id/2603115/width/600/height/450' alt='450'>blackwood is black and green maple.

Herb

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Mike,

The original blanks were built for me 2 yrs ago as switch rods. But after they were built I felt that their butts were much too stiff for Spey type casts. And their tips were too soft. I put them away and had CTS build me a series of blanks with softer butts and stiffer tips. They are very nice switch rods and pretty good overhead rods. CTS included them in their line as "switch" blanks.

 

One day I decided to try the old rods again and discovered that they were much better as overhead casting rods than the newer "switch" blanks. I have the older rods in 11', #8, 10 and 10'6", #12.

Since I thought that the tips were a little soft, I just had CTS build me an 11', #8 with a 20% stiffer tip; and since I did not have a #9, an 11', # 9 with a "regular" tip and one with a 20% stiffer tip.

 

I casted both the #9's with just the guides wrapped temporarily with elastic thread- and no grips nor reel seat. Believe it or not I could not tell the difference between the one with the 20% stiffer tip. Both casted 103' on the grass. I didn't try tip casting to shorter targets. I guess that proves that for distance it is the midsection and butt that does all the work.

 

I originally instructed CTS to build me one butt section with two tip sections - one "regular" and the other 20% stiffer. But then I changed the instx to two complete rods so I could sell one.

 

BTW - I tried an experimental 15 weight Wulff floating line on the softer # 9 and it was unbelievable. The line was originally designed as a tuna line. The head is short (mid 20's) and the running line is 60# test. I almost did not try it because I am not a fan of floaters and this line is as thick as a tow-boat hawser and weighs 650 grains. But it just flew through the guides. I have the large Pole Dancer - # 5/0 or 6/0 - and I will have to try it with this line.

Regards,

Herb

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