I usually use ceramic on my single hand rods, except fpr a few lightweigh rods were I have used recoils. This time I am building 12` 8-9 and 15`1" 10 weight and I can not make up mind if I should use ceramic or not. I have snake guides both single leg and ordinary from REC and some snakev hardchrome. I do lot of nightfishing and it is so easy to get the rod into treebranches, tall grass and so on. So from this point of view, recoil guides are the obvious choice. When it comes to slicknes: ceramics. I would appreaciate any comments to make up my mind. I mostly use a shooting head system.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/2005 03:36PM by Terje bendiksby.

Terje--

Is the majority of your fishing traditional Spey-type casting or 'underhand' shooting head casting? I think you answered that in the last sentence, but just to clarify.

If you're using a faster action and/or stiffer rod for underhand casting, you can probably get away with ceramics on the tip section of a 15'1" or 12'0" rod. They definitely would make throwing a lot of line easier.

I would worry about the additional weight of ceramics that far out on the tip if it were a traditional Spey action rod. You'd probably be looking at #8 ceramics, which is a lot of weight at the end of such a long lever.



What rivers do you fish? I had the opportunity to fish the Alta a few years ago and it was absolutely gorgeous. No fish that day, but worth it for the scenery for sure!

Terje, I believe you will be better off to use either Fuji Alconite or SIC ceramics. The ceramic guides will surely increase your casting distance.and with a rod as heavy as 8/9 of 10wt. IMO the added weight(?) will be negligible. As for the tree limbs, use a Forhan security wrap and be carefull. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.

Thank you for your input guys. And to Scott I had three days days fishing to Alta a few years ago, beautiful rivrer, though I dislike the mosquitos. I mainly fish my home arena where I have two good salmon rivers close by and seatrout in western part of Norway. Where you have high mountians surounding the rivers.
terje

I'd use ceramics unless you fish in the winter. Traditonal snakes don't ice up as easily in my experience.