I started placing guides on a 7'6" 4 weight fly rod. When I was looking at the chart I accidentally started my spacing for a 7' fly rod. I've currently got half the guides on. What should I do? The differences: a 7'6" should have 9 guides and the 7' should have 8 and there is about a 4.25" difference on the spacing of guide number 8 on the two rods.

Should I just slap a ninth guide on a little further down the rod or should I pull off all the guides and start over?

Thanks,
Jackie

Just wondering .... did you check your blank with any static test or just go by a pre-planned layout? If the latter I think I'd stop where I was, do a
static deflection test (see Tom's article in the Library above) to see where the rod tells you the guides should be and then decide which guides
should be moved.

It sounds like you started placing guides at the tip. Do a static test to position the rest of the guides. the ones towards the tip might be close enough for your liking. If the line doesn't flow smoothly through the guides as they are, it's only a little time to remove and reposition. And a little more thread. Fly rod = not that much thread.
Jeff

Like Jeff said , you should be ok if you started at the tip . The spacing charts are ok for a starting point , but you should read and use the static placement , it realy lets you space the guides the way the charicteristics of the blank wants them . You may or may not see a great difference in the actual spacing when you are done ........ depends on the blank . Have fun , JD

Oddly enough, one of the most satisfiying things to happen to me with rod building was when I reach the point that I could simply cut the tread on a guide that I wasn't quite satisfied with and rewrap it. And it comes from simply doing it over and over again. Take the guides off and do it right. You'll feel better and appreciate it more when you're done.

I agree with Steve. And an even happier day was the day that I realized I don't need to look at a "guide chart". My reccomendation is to cut the threads, take all the guides off. Then put them on with tape following the chart. Then do a static test and look at that for a while. Then maybe take one guide off and re-position them a bit and load it again. Then wrap them.

If its bothering you already it will definitely bother you later. If you dont have finish on the thread strip the guides off and start over again. Chalk off the time wasted as a lesson learned.

Lou

Well, I'll try the static test, but if it seems my current spacing is no good I'll cut them off and start over. The only reason I'm reluctant to do that is because I did start at the tip so I've already finished the really tiny wraps that aggrivate me. I hate the tiny wraps and boy are they small on a 4wt! Oh well, live and learn.

Thanks,
Jackie

The more wraps you do/make, the more proficient you become at them. After a few dozen, even those on the tip area will be nothing - you'll be doing them in under a minute. It just takes some repetition.

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