After making flyrods for so long and now breaking into the new realm of spinning and casting rods I was wondering if some of you experienced guys/gals could help me decide the type of (not necessarily brands) guides to be used for the transition guides. My first couple casting rods, for bass, have been built using single foot guides, but a friend suggested that maybe I should be using triple foot guides for the transition guides. What do you think is best?

I make predominately 7' 1 pc and 7' 2 pc casting rods. I use the Fuji concept for spacing.
I've used a 16 as the first guide then go left, in relation to the reelfront, with two 10's and end up with a 10 180 degrees from the first guide.

I'll thank you inadvance for the advice,

David A. Fuller
Great Basin Fishing Rods

For the rods I do, I like to use the double foot guides for the transition mainly because they seem to hold up better. I also spiral the guides in the direction of the reel handle, rod lies better on the deck that way. I will use anywhere from a 20 or 16 as my first guide, depends on the blank and the reel I intend to use with the finished rod.

I also use a double foot guide for transition but use very low frame guides. I now only use one transition guide and at the 90 degree location. It's something I was recently shown and have been experimenting with. I sort of like it. Most times I use a #10.

Wrong Link!!!!! Sorry

[www.pennstateind.com]

Mike

Not Experienced or Expert but build quite a few.

I feel custom rod should be exactly that. I do not believe there "hard" rules for how guides need to be positioned on a spiral wrap. The way the guides rotate should facilitate the "use" of the rod in casting or flipping situations. Example - if fisherman "flips" with his right hand he could rotate his wrist counter clock wise until the back of his hand is up. He then flips with a backward motion. In this situation, with the transition guide rotated to the right the line will be on top of the blank and drag as if it were conventional. The laying flat is an issue that is real and increases breakage if not careful. I tend to rotate for the particular customer style and place guides low and lined up for a straight line configuration. All the 7 and 7'6" rods I have built start with a 12 dbl with 2 - 10 dbl then out to the end with low singles. I end up with a style matching problem because I just can not bring myself to use a unbraced fly tip top that matches the singles. All the reels that my customers use for this style fishing are casting low profile like Calais and Curado Shimano.

Gon Fishn

William,

you've piqued my curiosity!

as i'm just beganning the final portion ( and most curcial!) of building my baitcasting rod blank - having finished the handle. Before me is the daunting task of establishing the guide placement for a sprial wrap on a short 2 piece blank, 6'6". i've nine guides to work with not counting the tiptop (already in place). the tricky part will be positioning the transitional guides just up rod from the stripper guided and throught the ferrule portion of the blank. i'm using a low profile no. 16 TLNSG or no. 12 - haven't yet decided

see here:

[www.shofftackle.com]

i've got a no. 12 and 10 to follow respectively but think that on this short blank i'll only be using two double foot guides before transitioning to a no. 8 TUNSG all the remaining guides are no. 7 TUNSG's up to the 6mm tiptop.

the tricky part is clearing the ferrule portion?! without intruding on the ferrule wrap approx. 2.5 inches. also the majority of the little no. sevens will be far forward in this extrafast magnum taper blank.

i'd be curious to know your method of solving the transition? using only a single guide at the 90 degree location?

i've been advised to place the stripper guide 18 inches uprod from the middle of the reel seat... do you cant the stripper guide?.

can the transition, i wonder, be solved in as little as two guides? especially if the stripper guide is canted towards the direction of the sprial from the git go?

thanks for any enlightenment.

marc forrest

Sometimes the easiest way to do something is also the simplest. Try just getting the line around from top to bottom in as straight a path as you can. Don't worry about how many inches from here or there you are. It can almost always be done with three guides and can almost alway be done using equal angle spacing or proper static deflection testing. I can't think of an instance where a ferrule wrap would need to be 2.5 inches long or why you can't place a guide on the ferrule? That 6'6 blank might be a tad short to hold 9 guides in a spiral wrap but it'll look good.

Thanks so much for all the help on this question. I hope others have learned from the short and thoughtful discussion as well.

I noticed, that every one of you use double/triple footed guides for the wrap around/transition. No one mentioned using single foot guides, so given the level of experience of ya'll, i'd guess double/triple foot is the way to go.

I hope all your fishing lines stay tight
and all your fish are big,
thanks

David A. Fuller
Great Basin Fishing Rods
Reno, NV

Dave,
I only use a double foot guide for the stripper, than I go to single foot ceramic fly guides for the rest. Takes way more pressure than these blanks can generate to bend or even deflect a single foot fly guide.
Usually it's a double foot 12, fly 10, 2 ea. 8s, than 6s to the 6 tip top.
Usually Fuji Alconites unless I have a color issue.