Is there a minimal distance that a wrap can start in front of the guide foot? Lets say like, it should atleast start an 1/8 before the foot to be effective. I was shaping a guide foot and that question just presented it's self, Hmmm I wonder. So here I am. Lets see what you guys come up with. Thanks. Mike

I see lots of factory rods that start just off the edge. So it really should not matter if you go an inch or a thousandth of an inch. I have been altering my wraps as I go back down the rod. At the tip end I start back 1mm from the foot. On the next guide I go 2mm. Then the next one I go 3mm and so forth on back. I don't think you want to go too long especially near the tip or you get extra weight that could affect the performance even to a small degree.

I personally think visual balance is what you should be after when wraping the guide and spacing the wraps. Therefore all wraps should begin the same distance from the guide foot regardless of guide size. Of course the wrap will be shorter as you get to smaller guides. I usually vary mine on each rod depending on the type. Less than 1/4 inch or about that usually works for me. That few turns of thread don't weigh much and I like the effect because I sometimes run a metallic thread across the wrap in a spiral fashon. For instance a flyrod, in my opinion should have very small, neat, no trim, wraps. Very close to the guide foot. Casting and spinners have more room to play with so I lay on more thread and a little trim. Visual balance is what I'm after so I still keep the same number or wraps ahead of the foot and all trim the same. In other words, the smaller the blank the smaller and neater guides should appear. "Go for it" on big boat rods.

Capt. Harold

On all my freshwater and most saltwater rods, I now start each wrap about 3 thread widths off the foot end. The wraps are shorter and look fine. The only time I make them any longer is if I intend to put an inlay in the wrap before it reaches the guide foot.

Any part of the wrap that is off the end of the foot is only cosmetic and serves no real functional purpose. I once thought about starting all my wraps a few mm's past the foot end. Yes, having the wrap only on the guide foot and having the foot end exposed. That would eliminate cracking at the guide foot edge. In the end, I decided it might be impossible to keep water/moisture out from under the wrap with that type arrangement however. I have not tried it, but intend to at some point just to see for myself if it might work.

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