Building The Rodfather Lightning Rod [drc #17 8'2" 4pc 2/3 wt] 18Mar22-26Mar22

I'm still building rods, and I've always had a thing for ultralight. I am still searching for the perfect small river graphite 2 weight. The Rodfather Headwaters is great but at just 6'6" it can't roll cast well and shoots pretty short. Enter the Rodfather Lightning Rod, a fast high modulus carbon fiber 8'2" 4pc sold to me as a 2/3 but  measuring out closer to a strong 3 wt with a real rod number ERN of 3.6 and a very fast AA of 71°. All the materials cost <$90. So, it's very cheap but very light and smooth. It is probably more comparable to the Rodfather Brookie, my current go to 9' 3wt, but this rod is a full oz lighter and it's faster.

I turned a western half wells - cigar variant handle from on-hand cork rings; this design is lighter than a full wells style and came in at only .5oz, but it is still custom and cool. I still have refused to purchase top grade regular cork rings; I buy one grade down at 1/3 the price ($2.5/ring vs $.8/ring) and there are 3 levels below my buy. However, I notice (and y'all can too) the defects in such rings ~ do I rethink that? One handle typically requires 14 1/2" rings - were it all flor top-grade that's ~$30 in parts alone for the grip. Pure regular cork makes the lightest handle so that's why the predominance in this design. Hmmm.

I wrapped out the rod in contrasting sunset colorfast nylon with some brown accents ~ this wrap matches the color in the wooden reel seat insert. Plus, for the 1st time for me, I wrapped some sections using variegated thread... this added funky moire patterns. The Lightning Rod is based on a new matte black Chinese blank weighing only 1.15 oz. I chose a gunmetal colored ultralight aluminum (w/ maple insert) reel seat weighing just .67 oz and a TiChrome single foot guide set which weighs feathers. The guides needed to be ground a bit before mounting so that was an extra step but I really like the sturdy coating on the guide set. The net result is the lightest build out above the blank weight that I've done, just 1.53oz  all up. I mis-marked the rod at 3.2oz but actual weight is a scant 2.67oz! The only lighter rods in my quiver are the RFSB1 8ft 1wt and the Sage 7'10" 1wt. So, wow.

The rod is mated to the Piscifun Sword 3.4 (or Lamson Guru II - weights are basically equivalent) loaded with SA Frequency WF3F line which loads the rod well and balances the system nicely to boot. I don't even take the original drc#1 out anymore, as it's a less handy 2 piece, and it measures out as a 4wt, so I could remove the Sword from it. The Lightning casts great in the yard, long and true, including mends and tight rolls, but proof will be in the field like on the upper Blue or Arkansas, and even the Gore. In comparing it directly to the SB1, Brookie, and Headwaters Rodfather rods, I actually seem to prefer the feel of the Lightning, it but I will do a more specific shootout in a future entry.

Complimenting the rod completion is a pair of Cerebral brews. I convinced the local liquor store, who carries ORB, to pick up Cerebral and Weld Works as well. Nice. The Hollow Fang is a DDH, and better for it, and matches the rod details well, but the Strange Claw is worthy too.

 

Update 27Mar22 - 3 Weight Shoot Out... 

I went out to compare my 3 weight rods/systems for a best of class. I've used this rod weight for anything from Rainbow Falls & 11 Mile, where 20+"ers are regularly landed and both dries and nymph rigs need be thrown, to the Ark & Blue (especially headwaters) where hopper dropper is the shizzle. The three systems above, top to bottom, are:

• GLoomis GLX Whisper Ck (7'9" 4pc Fast 3.4wt) with Bauer M1 reel with SA Mastery MPX WF3F line - this had been my go to 3 wt before the RF Brookie was born; it is very experienced and the M1 is a venerable reel gifted from Kala 20 years ago (so, cool af but heavy),
  
• Rodfather Lightning (8'2" 4pc Fast 3.6wt), with Piscifun Sword 3.4 with SA Frequency WF3F line - clearly brand new and outfitted with the cheapest stuff I could find almost, and
  
• Rodfather Brookie (9ft 4pc 3.4wt) with Lamson Guru II with WF3F SA Frequency line - many big cutbows from 11 Mile last year, especially when fishing with Kala, who used the great Rodfather Cutty 4 wt.
  

I've had my impressions formed from use already - the GLoomis Whisper Ck is comparatively "sloppy" and errant (probably not being as fast as the others) but nice with dries if you wanna approximate where it'll land - the Rodfather Brookie is more accurate but heavy (though it does allow a removable fighting butt) - the Rodfather Lightning is deadly accurate, powerful, and ultralight in the hand. What are some "objective" comparative measurements which might indicate these assessments? I looked at a number of measurements and also did "in field" casting tests to 15ft, 30ft, and 45ft. I used Yellowstone Angler's means of measuring comparative swing weight (if interested it's HERE) - and it does capture my sense. I basically gave 0-1 range values for each of 7 categories. The Rodfather Lightning Rod won this "objective" shootout but the GLoomis surprisingly came in a close 2nd; I still think it is a little sloppy - now it's time for field experience of course.