I am going to build a 2wt fly rod, shoild I go 6'6 or 7'6. what do you think of the baston blanks, forecast or rainshadow, hearing rave reviews but think they are a bit of a fast action.

Don't do it Orvist3er, save your money and source out an Orvis 6'6" 2wt like your mate has, you know its going to be better in the long run, simpley because a Rainshadow or Forecaster Just isn't an ORVIS. (you tackle tart).

Then again you could always go to the dark side and buy an Hardys.

See you later mate.....

Martin....

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I thought I saw the Light at the End of the Tunnel, till I realised it was some @*#@ with a Torch bringing me more work.

I built a 6ft 6 4pc 2 wt rod from Rain shadow blanks its a revelation if you havent fished that light before, I took it up to a local hill loch and had a decent session with the wild brownies, it was brilliant, there's nothing like catching fish on a rod youve built yourself,easker1

Are Rainshadow blanks still produced?

I've built lots of rods on both Batson Forecast and Rainshadow blanks and found the Rainshadow to be far superior.

I also have an Orvis, 6ft 6in, 2 wt, Superfine and it's a complete 'noodle' - much like fishing with a piece of partially cooked spaghetti. Somewhere, under a bed or in a wardrobe, somewhere in the house, I've got a 4 piece, 2/3 wt, Forecast blank that feels much more like a rod you could fish with in a variety of conditions.

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[I]"I still don't know why I fish or why other men fish, except that we like it and it makes us think and feel."[/I] Roderick L Haig-Brown

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orvist3r,

I've built a bunch of those blanks and I own the Rainshadow 6'6" 2. Each is a little different to the other so I'll give you a quick summary here. Mine was for light line, small stream trout fishing where you're casting the leader plus maybe 10-15' of line. I've used it on medium streams where I'm casting 30' of line and I've used it on ponds/lakes where I'm fishing 40-50' of line.

Forecast 6'6" 2 wt (2 pc)- Sweet little rod. Smooth action, not a ton of power. Isn't the most responsive graphite, but the action design is very smooth. Fishes as a 2/3 wt. Use light guides and you've got a nice little rod.

Forecast 6'6" 2 wt (4 pc)- Basically the same as the 2 pc, only smaller sections. This is my recco for a backpack rod. It fishes perfectly for small brook trout and would be great on the small becks here. Fishes as a 2/3 at normal distances in small places.

Batson 6'6" 2 wt (2 pc)- The one I own and the first of these that I've used. I didn't build mine, rather it was part of a rod swap. Overall a neat little blank. Fishes as a 4 wt in small streams and a 3 wt on medium streams and lakes. A little more crisp than the forecast, but the action/taper design is a little stiffer in the tip. It isn't 'fast' per se, it just doesn't have a feather light tip like it should.

Pac Bay 6'6" 2 wt (2 pc)- The smoothest of all of them. Perfect balance of power, crispness, smoothness, action, etc. This is my recco for all of them if the 2 pc isn't a problem. Also has the nicest gloss finish and color when they were deep maroon. Not sure you can still get that color in stock. It fishes as a 2/3 like the forecast, but has the crispness of the Rainshadow. Very nice design.

Orvis Superfine 6'6" 2 wt (2 pc)- Underwhelming. A bit too underpowered and floppy as lighthouse said. If you could shave a few grams off of it maybe it would be better. #1 recoil guides all through it and a tiny #6 alconite stripper and it might fish well. Given the blanks above, I wouldn't even consider it.

In general, the batson blanks and the pac bay blanks are great value for money and in line weights 6 and lower and lengths 9' and shorter they are a good feel. When you start to get heavier in line weight or longer in length they tend to get a little tip heavy and loose some crispness/feel. I find the Pac Bay actions a little smoother and the blanks of a bit better quality (fit and feel), but the rainshadow blanks are also very good. You can't fault the forecast at their price, but there are some compromises. They aren't the most responsive graphite, so don't plan to cast a full line with them. Also, the male ferrules aren't filled or trimmed well when you get them, so you sometimes have to custom fit the ferrules by trimming, coating, etc, and then fill them yourself with some soft epoxy. If this is your first build, I would highly recommend the Pac Bay.

If you want longer, there is a 7'9" 3 wt St Croix SCIV that is incredibly sweet, but I'm guessing out of your intended price range. I'm not aware of a 7'6" 2 wt in the batson/pac bay lines.

For completeness, I would avoid the shorter batson rods (5' - 6') in 2/3/4 wt as they are not as nice as the 6'6" rods. They are a bit stiff.

Thanks,
Rick

Thanks for the pointers. As I do not intend using this rod all the time, rather just a"toy" to play with and let the kids use I was opting for a low price build hence the blank choice.My T3 #5 is my go to rod and I love it, the middle to tip action suits my rushed casting style but I also highly rated my old Silver label TL TipFlex#6 which was a fast action. I feel a home build gives a sense of satisfaction when used and a personal feel in fittings and whippings etc. Have not made my mind up to whip the rod myself or let Mick Ball loose on it, he may look like a rough old Sea Angler but he can put silk on a blank like it was born rather than built. I was going to use single leg Recoil to keep the weight/whipping down but after talking with the blank manufacturers have decided to use traditional snakes albeit TiCh. As much as I feel the 7'6 would be the best choice I am still favouring the idea of the 6'6 in a 2 piece, can't get my head around a 4 pc midget rod.

While it is debated whether there is a benefit or how much, I highly suggest you go with fine wire, single leg, chrome guides on this one. The TiCH guides are a bit heavier and double legs are a bit heavier. For a little 6'6" 2 wt, little #1 single foot guides are perfect. Run 6 or so back from the tip, add a #8 single leg stripper (alconite 'bridge' guides work great for this) and call it a day. Keep the wraps short, the finish low, and have at it.

Don't let 4 pcs put you off. It is really handy to have actually. You can keep it under the car seat with a little reel and a single box if you want for just those times when you're out and about with the kids and see a nice little spot for 20 minutes. It also is a nice little setup if you're traveling on a family holiday but don't really have space to take a full rod (yet still want to have something with you).

Thanks,
Rick

I was going to go down the single leg guides as they only need one whipping per ring and therefore one varnish/flexcoat and this is were the weight is. I just like the look of traditional snakes and find hard chrome do wear quite quickly when they are used in gritty areas. Plus I have got hold of some TiCh rings at an unbelievable giveaway price. Will see what it feels like with the rings taped on the blank. Then chuck them in a drawer and buy single leg recoils!!!!!

4 pc rods are great all my rods are now 4pc except my daiwa which is quite old now easker1

4 pce rods equal 2x more joints though so 2x more whipppings. I am still going to go Batson, probably 7'9 3wt now tho', or should I spend a little more and go Sage Z axis?