Bloke Fly Rod Blanks

[lynturk]

Was looking for a wee winter project and wondered if anybody had an opinion on these, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291205482025?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT.
I am thinking of building  a 5 weight 10 ft rod for general boat and loch fishing. There seems to be a slightly differing opinion when looking at reviews so thought someone might have actually used one and had a real life, used for fishing, idea of how they are.

[Wildfisher]

They are pretty decent blanks. The XL50 I have is pretty stiff and though it's a labelled a 6 weight, it's really a 7. I don't know if all of his blanks are underrated like that, but it's a trick used to cheat in casting competitions. Call a 6 weight a 5 and enter into the 5 weight classes.

[haresear]

Was looking for a wee winter project and wondered if anybody had an opinion on these, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291205482025?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT.
I am thinking of building  a 5 weight 10 ft rod for general boat and loch fishing. There seems to be a slightly differing opinion when looking at reviews so thought someone might have actually used one and had a real life, used for fishing, idea of how they are.

I have the XL50 in a 9' #5 and a 9' 6# and come to think of it I am the custodian a #7 in the same length which was kindly donated to the Glasgow Casting Club by Andrew Moray.

The rods cast well, but as Fred suggests, I think they may be a bit under rated in terms of line weight. I find them a bit clunky generally and the rods aren't perfectly straight, although that is more of an annoyance than a performance issue.

Maybe if buying a blank for for short range boat fishing I would choose a #4 rather than a #5, and try it with both lines, but then I prefer to use lighter tackle generally.

Alex

[Part-time]

It's a Bloke 10' 5weight that I use for most of my loch fishing - used it for the last 5 years (bought on ebay) and found it pretty good, good enough that I've not been tempted to look for another rod for the lochs. Used for fishing dries and pulling wets no problem.

Finish of the rod, cork and straightness of the blank all good although I have heard of folk having issues like the ones mentioned. From what I've heard of the guy that runs Bloke, if you had a concern about the quality it shouldn't be a problem to get it replaced.

I'm no expert caster but a wouldn't call the 10' 5 weight I have a particularly stiff rod by modern standards, stiff yes but certainly not a poker by any means. I've always used it with five weight WF lines which have felt just fine - currently using a 5# Wildfisher streamstealth line with it which is working very well

[lynturk]

Thanks for the feedback lads, just found the review Fred did of the 9" 6wt back in 2008. The issue of it being better with a slightly heavier line rating is in most of the reviews. Andrew Flitcroft in T&S did a review which had the rod describes as a bit heavy for a 5wt and suggested it was closer in build in some ways to a seven weight.
Think I am going for the 10" 5wt and if that works better with a 6wt then that's fine. 
Never built a rod before but think it will be a nice way to while away some evenings until the season starts.