I am new to rod building. The rod kit I have has all the guides. If I want to purchase the guides seperately from a blank, how do I determine the size of the choke guide so I get the best efficiency for casting when the line comes off the spinning reel. I am starting building by making small spinning rods.

Thanks for any input.

Dick Murchison

Read the article in the online library about the New Guide Concept. Generally, a guide that has a diameter roughly 1/2 of that of the reel spool diameter will put you in the ballpark. From there you only need obtain the correct frame height.

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Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. What is the best way to determine the frame height needed? I would assume that this puts the reel that will go on the pole into play.

Thanks,
Dick

Yes, definitely chose and lay out your guides with the actual reel you plan to use mounted in place. Again, read the Library article. Guides that work well for me are the Fuji BYAG Alconites near the butt, changing to Fuji BLAG Alconites out to the tip. Also, just as an example, with one of the Shimano reels in size 2000, I generally use a BYAG size 25 as the butt guide.

What I do is put the reel on the rod and spin the line roller so that it is 180 degrees away from the rod. Run the line through your guides that are taped on and position the stripper guide where the angle of the line from the reel to the guide is not too severe. Hope this helps.

About frame height: Guides designed for the New Concept System, such as the Fuji BYAGs, are "high frame guides." (These are used near the butt, you will change to very low frame fly guides, such as Fuji BLAGs, near the tip.)

The exact frame height is not critical, because you will be adjusting the position of those high-frame guides on the blank so as to give you the proper straight line, from the reel spool to the butt guide, to the smaller but still high-frame intermediate guides, and finally to the intersect guide. Then same-size fly guides out to the tip-top.