I am finishing up an 8' spin rod. I had purchased a folding hook-keep for it but not sure I really want to put it on the rod. None of my other rods have them (I just put the hook on a guide) but thought it would be nice to have one. But I don't like that it covers the some of butt weave and I don't want the plug, hook or lure digging into the nice weaves I have done. Regarding location -- there was one post on this board I saw that was decidely for putting it as close to the foregrip as possible. Books seem to have the same opinion.

Any issues with putting the hook on a guide-- undue guide stress/damage or line frey issues?

Thoughts / opinions on the topic? What do most of you do on your rod builds? If you don't use hook-keeps do you do what I do and just fasten the hook to a guide? Just curious.

Thanks
Mark

You can also use like I do, single foot wire guides for a hook keeper. Put them on with the Forham Locking wrap. They come in a lot of colors so you can match it with the guides you are using

Honestly I just stick the hook point in the little gap between the reel foot and reel seat hood. I just find hookkeepers to be in the way although I will use them on fly rods if the customer requests one.

Bill,
I thought that I was the only one that used single footed fly guides as hook keepers. I guess nothing is really original, someone else has always thought of it first. I have been doing this for about 10 or 12 years. How long have you been doing it?

Personally I don't really like hookkeepers. They break up the look of the rod to me. I use them if asked but not on my own rods.

On my own, I use the reel, reel seat and yes, occasionaly the guide frames. Never use the guide ring. That's just asking for trouble.

If all you are worried about is marring the finish, hey.. you are a builder right? If it starts getting scuffed up after a year, give it a lite sanding and recoat with some permagloss and it'll be good as new!

Only about Three years Emory.
I usually don't use them either. I only put them on cause I have had requests for them. Where is the hook go??!! I say on the guide upright post
They do add a little to the rod. And all the colors they are made in now
Most of the time I forget it and have to add it on

I also find hook keepers in the way all of the time.

I have one rod that I put one the folding kind on but after two or three years took it off. Something is always tangling in it. Bigger flies go on the reel seat; little flies go on the feet of the stripping guide. Works just as well. For the past 7 or 8 years, none of my personal rods have hook keepers of any kind.

Hook keepers....ahh the look of a gob of egg juice on a nice butt wrap!!! The nice deep scratches in the signature wrap!.! The great chips and dings from a spinner blade bouncing just above the grip!!

Single foot fly guides look the best and I'll use em' if requested, but for my own rods, its hook somewhere on the reel and I'm rowing to the next hole.

Garrison would never use them after a friend of his got impaled by a tandem hook salmon fly. Theyt are useless, dangerous, and distract from the clean lines of the rod.

Garrison would never use them after a friend of his got impaled by a tandem hook salmon fly. Theyt are useless, dangerous, and distract from the clean lines of the rod.

Only if I'm forced to!

Regards......Doug@
TCRds



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2005 11:51AM by Doug Moore.

I like 'em. Putting the hook on the upright portion of a guide is OK , although that places a sharp hook very near your wraps. Of course, you can seriously damage the insert if you place the hook in the guide itself.

I have one of Emory's rods with the wire fly guide hook keeper and it works great. I don't like keeping the hook on a part of the reel, because I've found that it can dull easier (hook point rubbing against other parts of the reel).

Just my .02
Someone had to defend hook keepers!

-Nick Dazer
Portland, Oregon

On my first few rods, I didn't keep them on, mostly because I fish w/ thumb and forefinger on blank (sensitivity - small mouth bass) and the epoxy and hook keeper both gets in the way and dampens the vibration.

Now I'm toying w/ adding one above the reel seat - out of the way of my thumb/forefinger area.

Mostly I just put the hook in one of the guide supports, never in the ceramic, and very gently reel until the lights tight, but rod doesn't bend.