Rainshadow Blanks. Rod Building

[timmosazz]

I am thinking of building my first rod. A 9 ' 4pc 4wt and am thinking of using a rainshadow blank. Has anybody used these blanks? If so I would like feedback. Also the only place I know to buy the blanks are in Hayward at the Rod Rack, Or I saw a kit at Cabelas. Is there anyplace in Sac?

[Darian]

Altho I've never used one, I've heard some good things about them. The price is right. Having said that, I don't know anyone who uses them for building a rod. :? :?

With the exception of one, all of the fly rods I've built myself were completed on Loomis, Lamiglas and TFO blanks. I've had no regrets from making those choices. The TFO blanks offer a rod builders Kit that you can order thru Kiene's or your local fly shop for your specific blank.

The lone exception to these brands was a 9', 7 weight rod built on a Yuba River blank. I bought it at the now defunct Bob's Fly Shack in Yuba City. The action was medium and bent well into the handle. 8) 8) 8)

[Lucky]

Rainshadow is a great blank not sure which one you are thinking about. Dan Craft also makes a sweet blank.

dancraftent.com

[Michael Baker]

Well, I have built on an older 3 pc 5wt. and liked it alot. nice md/fast action, little on the slower end of that catagory. Built a 6'6" 2 wt that I didn't care for. Loaded it with a 4 wt before it cast well at small stream distances. Son-in-law has it and loves it. Dan Crafts are nice but the faster blanks have to be overlined. Haven't tried the anything but the FT. The TFO's may be a good bet, you can try the rods at Kienes to find the one you want to build. Cabela's kits are OK but there are a lot of other options. Don't want to send Bill's customers elsewhere so I would check the TFO's. Man, I just got a little long winded didn't I.

Mike

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Honestly, rod building has pretty much gone to catalog and online now.

After the lifetime warranty on new rods came around and with new lifetime warrantied TFO rods starting at $99 our rod building sales just died.

This is true in most fly shops, but not all.

We can order most any blank for you. We use to stock some but I never had the right one in stock with thousands of possibilities out there.

__________________________________________________ _________

I started building fishing rods at about 16 years old at 'Edwoldt's Rod & Reel Repair' on Del Paso Blvd in North Sacramento (1961).

I built custom rods and repaired them at 'West Capitol Rod & Gun' in West Sacramento around 1970.

I sold rod building supplies for about 40 years in Sacramento.

[Michael Baker]

Bill is dead on. There are so many options and so much competition on line there is no way for him to compete. However, unless you are building a lot of rods it is very hard to get what you are after because every rod feels different to everyone. That is why I recommended the TFO direction, Very nice actions that you can try out first then order exactly what you want. I have built several different rods that I thought would be perfect that I ended up giving away to some one who really liked them. Just my thoughts.

Mike

[timmosazz]

Well her is where I am looking to go. I have been fishing with a 6wt 9"loomis premier rod for 16 years. This rod if anybody knows is a med action rod. It has been a verry good rod but a little too big and a little too small. I fish putah creek a lot and thought a 4wt would be perfect for the creek. I bend a lot of hooks on putah. Anyway I want a 4 wt and I want to build it myself. There is nothing better than catching a fish on a fly you tied yourself and I think adding a rod that you built yourself is a bonus to that feeling. It is also imporntant to me to use U.S. made parts.

[Michael Baker]

Timmo, check this out. Have bought a lot from them, good people.
http://shop4.mailordercentral.com/hookhack/products.asp?dept=113

Mike

[epzamora]

i wrapped and fished on rainshadow blanks and they represent great value and quality. but there are several lineups in the "ranshadow" series, which is offered by batson enterprises, a company which os very rodbuilder-friendly.

some blanks are imported, some are made in the US. in the fly series if it ends with a "+" it's USA made. the very inexpensive RX6 series, nice dark blue, imported, make great stream rods in the under 8' size.

i have a 9' 4wt 4pc RX7+, nice chestnut color, waiting to be wrapped but from what i've read, it makes a great rod.

hope this helps.

eric
fresno, ca.

[Hairstacker]

Eric, curious about your comment that the RX6s are best under 8' -- why is that, is it because these blanks tend to run heavy? I was thinking of picking up a 7' 9" 3 wt. RX6, as I've heard really good things about that particular blank.

I currently have two RX7 blanks (an 8'6" 5 wt. and 9' 7wt.) but haven't built them yet so I didn't want to comment on Rainshadows in general, since I don't have any experience with them. I do like the translucent green color. I have heard a lot of good comments about these blanks, though, which is why I picked them up in the first place.

[Jet]

Pappy is currently building rods on Rainshadow blanks and also has a lot o experience with Dan Craft blanks. He sells all the components and has a lot of experience building rods. He volunteers for rod bashes we have at NCFFB. Give him a call and I'm sure he'll help you with all your questions or needs.

http://www.cal-westcustomrods.com/

[epzamora]

mike... ooops, my bad. i have never built and fished a rainshadow RX6 in anything over 8 feet so i shouldn't have written that. i'm not sure what i was thinking. my apologies. i have read somewhere someone not liking the 9 footers as much as what they were used to. do think it was because of the blank weight but i am not positive about that.

pappy has much more experience in these matters than i. in fact, many do LOL. still, i find the RX6 blank in the 7-6" 4pc 4wt a great roll casting rod and the 7'9" 3wt 2pc i wrapped for a buddy is his favorite. the prices for both of these are great if you don't mind imported blanks.

eric
fresno, ca.

[Hairstacker]

Hey Eric, no problem -- your statement actually makes perfect sense, as your experience is with the shorter blanks. Appreciate you weighing in on the subject, as I'm always curious about the performance of inexpensive blanks. :)

[timmosazz]

I think I recieved a croooked blank. I have put the 4 sections together and the smallest tip section looks like it has a dog leg in it. Is this common?

[Darian]

Send it back. 8) 8) No company should sell/send you a blank with a set in it.... 8) 8)

[timmosazz]

Well I sent it back and now have a new one. Straight as a arrow. I recieved a big I am sorry and a 40% off my next purchase and they picked up the shipping so it is time to start wrapping.