How to Choose a Fly Rod Blank

We only use the very best fly rod blanks on the market from the manufacturers Sage, Winston, Thomas & Thomas, and Orvis when building our fly rods. All of these companies have been making fly rod blanks for a long time, and are among the most trusted on the market. We offer several model choices from each of these manufacturers, all of which can all be viewed in the Fly Fishing Rod Blanks section. This allows you to choose a fly rod from your favorite manufacturer, or browse through all the options and find one that fits your fly fishing needs.

Once you have chosen a fly rod blank manufacturer you will now want to choose one of the several fly rod models we offer from that particular brand. For example in the Sage line we use the Z-Axis, ZXL, 99 Series, TCX, and Xi3. In the TCX and Z-Axis we also offer the two handed options of switch and spey rods. Each model is designed to perform differently and to fit the different casting needs and styles of each individual fisherman. Some fly rod blanks are lighter than others, while others are more powerful and designed to create more line speed for a faster casting motion. This is also the point where you will want to choose if you are looking for a saltwater fly fishing rod, or if you want a switch or spey rod. Each of the manufacturers, except for Orvis which is discussed in a following paragraph, offer separate models for saltwater fly fishing which are: Sage Xi3, Winston Boron IImx, and Thomas & Thomas Apex. We also have several switch and spey options to choose from by Winston, Sage, and Thomas and Thomas.

This is also where we need to discuss the action of a fly rod, a term you may have heard before. Talking about rods in terms of action can become quite confusing, and is actually a terribly inadequate way of describing the subtle design of a fly rod. However, for our purposes we will just think of action in terms of the stiffness of the rod blank, and how quickly it will return to its original starting position after it is flexed. The best way to think of it is to picture making a back cast and putting your rod in the flexed position, the action is how quickly your rod will return to that 12 o’clock position. Each model has a different action, and you should choose one that matches the speed of your casting motion. If you have more of a slow, smooth motion then you will probably be better suited to a fly rod that bends closer to the handle and has a medium action. While a caster with a faster motion, who likes to create a lot of line speed will be more inclined to a faster rod that flexes in the tip.

The Orvis blanks that we carry are a little bit different in that we only have one model, the Helios. The thing that is unique to this fly rod blank is that Orvis designs the Helios with a flex index number that denotes the flex and action of the rod. The higher the number the higher up the rod the blank will be designed to flex, and the faster the rod will be. So when choosing a Helios you can decide whether you would like a medium action rod that bends farther down into the handle, with a flex index of 6.0 to 9.0, or a faster action rod of 9.5 to 12.5 that flexes up in the tip section. This is beneficial because a fisherman can have a 4wt trout rod with a lower index of 6.5, while at the same time also own a 10 weight rod with a fast tip flex of 10 designed for the saltwater. These numbers are listed beside the length and weight of the rod in the fly fishing rod store.

All of these factors will determine which model you choose. To help you make this decision we have written out short descriptions of each blank, taking into account all of these factors. Again this is found in the fly fishing rod blanks section.

This is the point where you will need to choose what species of fish you will be targeting, because this will be the major factor in determining what weight rod you will choose. Weight refers to the weight of line that a rod is designed to be able to cast, and runs all the way from 0 up to 16. A five weight rod is designed to most effectively cast a 5 weight line, and will perform the best when loaded with this line. The higher the number, the higher the weight line it will cast, and the more back bone a rod will have. So as rods go up in number they are designed to be stronger and to be able to fight and land larger species of fish. A higher weight rod will also make a fisherman more effective at casting heavy lines and flies, so if you plan on fishing really heavy gear you might want to bump up a weight. Below we have made a chart that lists what weight rods are generally used for what species:

• 0-3 weights - smaller trout, shad, panfish
• 4-6 weights - trout, bass, smaller steelhead and salmon
• 7-9 weights - large trout and bass, steelhead and salmon, smaller saltwater species
• 10-12 weights - larger salmon, saltwater species 13 and up weights- the big saltwater species

Once you have chosen your model and weight, you will now need to choose how long your fly rod will be. Within each model there will usually be a few different lengths to choose from at a particular weight. For example if I want a Winston Boron IIt in a 4weight, I have the choice of a 7’6”, 8’, 8”6”, or a 9’ blank. The best way to decide on length is by the size of the water that you will be fishing most often. Generally, the larger the water that you will be fishing the longer rod you will want. This is because the extra length will allow a fisherman to make longer casts and cover more water, as well as be able to control and mend more line on the water. In a single handed rod a 9 footer is the most common and versatile, but for smaller rivers and creeks a 7’6” or 8’ rods are very popular. The most common two handed fly rods are an 11 footer for the switch, and a 13 or 14 feet long spey rod.

Finally, we get to the fun part. This is where you make your rod unique and choose the level of components that will be added to your custom rod. First, you will choose between our two guide packages that we offer. Our basic option is what we call the Premium Package which offers: high quality stainless steel stripping guides, single foot wire guides, and tip top. Even though this is our basic package these guides are still higher quality than you will find on rods off the rack in any fly shop or website. Our upgraded package is called the Platinum Package and includes: advanced titanium stripping guides with silicone carbide rings inserts, titanium single foot guides with a nanolite ring insert, and a advanced super light, aluminum tip top. These are the best components on the market, and you won’t find a rod that has this level of components anywhere else.

Next you will choose your reel seat. We offer window reel seats with a wood or graphite insert, or an uplocking seat with a full wood insert. There are several colors of wood and graphite to choose from. We also have and upgrade that you will not find anywhere else; our deer antler reel seats. We take deer antler and turn it into a real sear that is extremely durable, and has a beautiful ivory look when finished. It is a totally unique option that makes your rod even more custom.

Next you choose the color scheme that you would like to use on your fly rod for the thread wraps and cork handle. The color options are almost unlimited when it comes to the thread, and if we don’t have your favorite color we will find it. Our cork handles are very unique, and we only use the top of the line flor grade cork. We like to use colored burl cork when constructing them to give them a custom look, or if that is not your style we can make you a normal high quality cork handle.

Finally, you finish off your custom rod by choosing a line of text that we put on to your rod blank. Most people like to put their name in this section, but if you have a short saying or phrase you would like to use we can do that. This really puts the finishing touches on your new True West Custom Fly Rod.