Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 Fly Rod Blank – maximum power for streamer & predator

The Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 fly rod blank is the basis for an uncompromisingly powerful streamer fly rod. With 8'8" length, fast progressive action and enormous power reserves, the Exocett 88 series was developed for modern streamer fishing with large flies, compact fly lines and sinking lines.

Thomas & Thomas has been making its high-quality fly rods and blanks in the USA since 1969. The Exocett 88 consistently continues the concept of the successful Exocett SS, combining high line speed with precision, reduced swing weight and exceptional lifting power.

Strength when it counts – versatility where it matters.

A streamer blank for uncompromising rod building projects

If you want to build your own streamer fly rod and are looking for a blank with real power reserves, the Exocett 88 is an exceptional basis.

The blank's characteristic taper produces very fast recovery. This lets the rod build high line speeds and enables precise, powerful casts even at longer distances.

Despite this performance, the Exocett 88 is no stiff “broomstick”. The blank loads progressively and under control. This allows different line weights and fly sizes to be carried efficiently – from precise casts at shorter range to powerful long casts with heavy streamers.

Developed for large streamers and modern fly lines

The Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 blank feels particularly at home where classic fly rods reach their limits.

Large pike streamers, weighted flies, poppers and compact floating and sinking lines are its preferred territory. The fast recovery ensures energy is transferred efficiently into the fly line, so heavy setups can be delivered at distance with as few false casts as possible.

This makes the blank ideal for building a powerful pike, zander, streamer or saltwater fly rod.

Enormous lifting power

A particular strength of the Exocett 88 is its exceptional lifting power. Several meters of sinking line can be lifted powerfully out of the water to set up the next cast quickly.

This is a clear advantage when streamer fishing from a boat or belly boat. With modern techniques too, such as targeting fish with live sonar, the short and powerful 8'8" configuration allows quick changes of direction and immediate casts.

At the same time, enormous power reserves are available when playing fish – an important factor when targeting hard-fighting predators in fresh and salt water.

Multi-modulus carbon and S-glass construction

The heart of the Exocett 88 is the proprietary multi-modulus carbon and S-glass layup. Different materials and moduli are combined specifically to optimize strength, recovery speed and durability with the lowest possible swing weight.

The construction improves the blank's hoop strength and ensures excellent tracking. The result is a fly rod blank that works precisely even under high load while controlling the load peaks that occur when casting heavy flies and sinking lines.

This combination is particularly interesting for rod builders: the exceptional performance of the Exocett 88 already originates in the blank, providing the basis for an individual build whose components can be matched exactly to your personal application.

Proprietary high-performance resin

The performance of modern carbon fibers depends crucially on the quality of the binder used. Thomas & Thomas therefore relies on a specially developed resin system.

Nanoscale particles help reduce microscopic voids within the material structure. This improves the blank's strength, durability and damping properties while avoiding unnecessary weight.

FRP – reinforced ferrules

The ferrules are among the most heavily stressed areas of a multi-piece fly rod.

In the Ferrule Reinforcement Process (FRP), these areas are specifically reinforced with additional high-strength fiber layers. This increases the load capacity of the connections and is especially important for a powerful streamer rod that is regularly fished with heavy lines and large flies.

OBC – controlled blank curing

Even the best material mix can only fully develop its properties with a precisely controlled curing process.

With Optimal Blank Curing (OBC), Thomas & Thomas controls the temperature profile during curing particularly precisely. The aim is to bond carbon fibers, S-glass and resin optimally and to achieve reproducible properties in terms of recovery, strength and durability.

Who is the Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 blank for?

The Exocett 88 is the right choice for rod builders who want to build a high-quality streamer fly rod themselves and deliberately go for maximum performance.

Whether pike and zander in fresh water, powerful streamer fishing from a boat or demanding saltwater applications – this blank is made for situations where large flies, heavy lines and hard-fighting fish are everyday business.

The blank gives you the freedom to match reel seat, grip, guides and other rod building components individually to your personal purpose.

Available models – Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 blanks

The Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 fly rod blanks are available in six different line weights. All models share the characteristic length of 8'8" (2.68 m) and a fast action. This allows you to choose the blank to suit your intended use – from lighter streamer fishing to powerful use with large flies and heavy lines.

Which Exocett 88 blank suits my rod building project?

#6 – 160 grain
The lightest Exocett 88 blank for an agile streamer setup. Interesting for smaller streamers and situations where precision and a lighter rod and reel combination are the priority.

#7 – 200 grain
A versatile streamer blank with extra power reserves. An interesting choice for stronger trout setups and lighter predator fishing.

#8 – 250 grain
The entry into the more powerful predator setups. Very well suited to larger streamers and compact fly lines when significantly more mass needs to be carried.

#9 – 300 grain
A powerful streamer and pike fly rod blank for large flies, sink tips and demanding predator setups. A very versatile class for building a modern predator fly rod.

#10 – 350 grain
For large and heavy streamers and correspondingly powerful line setups. The #10 blank offers high power reserves for demanding freshwater and saltwater rod building projects.

#11+ – 450 grain
The most powerful model in the Exocett 88 series. Developed for very large flies, heavy lines and situations that call for maximum power and lifting power.

Selection tip: The grain ratings provide particularly helpful guidance when choosing modern, compact streamer fly lines and make it easier to tune your individual rod building setup.

Details

• Premium fly rod blank for streamer and predator rods

• Original Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 blank

• 8'8" length

• 4-piece construction

• Fast, progressive action

• Very fast recovery

• High line speed and excellent tracking

• Enormous power reserves and lifting power

• Ideal for large and weighted streamers

• Developed for modern compact fly lines

• Excellent with floating, sink tip and sinking lines

• Multi-modulus carbon and S-glass construction

• Proprietary high-performance resin system

• OBC – Optimal Blank Curing

• FRP – Ferrule Reinforcement Process

• Reduced swing weight

• High hoop and structural strength

• T&T Blue finish

• Suitable for freshwater and saltwater applications

• Ideal for individual streamer, pike and predator rod building projects

• Made by Thomas & Thomas in the USA

Our verdict:

The Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 fly rod blank is the right basis for a rod build where power, speed and precision come first without compromise.

Its combination of fast recovery, progressive loading and exceptional lifting power makes it particularly interesting for modern streamer setups. Large flies, compact shooting heads and heavy sinking lines are exactly the terrain this blank was developed for.

An uncompromising streamer blank for custom fly rod building – built for big flies, big fish and situations where power really counts.