2025 Mud Hole Rod Building Challenge Mystery Blank

2025 Mudhole Rod Building Challenge Mystery Blank

It’ll be fun to see the other Work and how my Work stands up to it. I’ve been having a lot of fun rod building.

I am an amateur rod builder, who for the past 20 years, has offered custom rods for sale. I build mostly graphite and fiberglass fly rods from various sources, so as a consumer, I know what I like and don’t like in a commercially available blank.

As it currently stands, I would rate this mudhole challenge rod as a 2 star. For positives the blank is well-constructed, the sections are straight, and the tip-over ferrules fit well. The rod sections are different lengths, however, when the rod is assembled, the overall length is the advertised 7’6.” Staggered ferrule rods are usually 2 piece, with a short butt section and a longer tip, but this blank is 3 piece, the mid is about 1/8” longer than the butt, so that is nothing, but the tip is 33/4” shorter than the mid and that is a major flaw in a 3 piece.

The rod is decidedly fast tip action, and the finish is sanded and purposely left unfinished for the rod building competition. Nor has the manufacturer said what the rod was designed to do. I would hesitate to recommend this blank until the rod designer addresses these shortcomings.

First time competing in a national rod building competition the blank is light and very sturdy. Just ordered rest of the components to start building. Painted the rod blank putting the clear coat on this weekend.

Having fun with all of my crafting and building skills I am putting everything I know into this rod blank.