Any hard-and-fast rule for location of stripping guide? I'm building a Forecast 9' 4wt 4pc. I've got the sheet on static guide placement; just want to make sure I hit the first one right. Thanks in advance; I love this forum.

Regards,
ScottP

Scott,
Put the rod in your hand with a nice comfortable 90 deg. bend in your arm while it's comfortabily at your side, reach forward with your stripping hand like you would to pick up the line. The stripping guide should be say 2 inches in front of the spot your hand touches the blank. Test casting can maybe show you a spot further out on the blank that seems to work better, but I wouldn't go closer.

28" from the butt may be considered a hard-and-fast rule for overall rod performance. Many will argue that the stripping guide should be placed to accomodate the caster. A review of anthropometric tables (American) will show that arm length does not vary much in our population. A wide range of individuals are able to effectively use flyrods with stripping guides placed for perfomance. This is not one of the cases where you should fit the rod to the angler. Grip diameter is probably the most important ergonomic consideration in rod construction.

Grab the rod as if you are going to cast, elbo at your side. Reach for the line, don't stretch but be comfortable, put the guide maybe an inch from where you touch the blank or where you touch if you prefer

ICW stripping guides and arm length.......doesn't vary much? Well, when I was fitted for custom golf clubs I was informed boaf my arms were 1/2" shorter than the normal person of my heigth and shoulder width. If both my arms are 1/2" shorter than perhaps some standard, I am sure gonna fit that stripping guide to fit me, instead of a standard chart. I wonder how many people know the diff between their actual arm length and the standards? (these custom golf club makers measured every thing I are. Arm length to the floor, hand grip size, using a radar gun....the average speed of the club head, the flex in the rods I swing....etc.) The used set of clubs I was using, I found too short and couldn't stay down on the ball. The custom made set fixed the problem. I either had to stretch my arms or get longer clubs. <grin>

Jim
<never 10 words or less>

The first rule in rodbuilding should be that there are no hard and fast rules in rodbuilding!! What makes a rod "custom" are the little things that fit a rod to the user and make it better than a factory rod. .

Mike

bill boettcher Wrote:
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> Grab the rod as if you are going to cast, elbo at
> your side. Reach for the line, don't stretch but
> be comfortable, put the guide maybe an inch from
> where you touch the blank or where you touch if
> you prefer

Why????

Ed must not have wanted to pick on you, Spencer, and your "two inch" rule. He chose Bill and his "one inch" rule ??????

Putter
Williston, ND

Guess it's my turn in the barrel Putter ??

Because when you go to grab the line when you are stripping or casting you want it ( which is hanging from the stripper guide ) you want it at a comfortable distance for " you " unless you are building it for some one else. Some one with long arms it will be farther up the rod

bill boettcher Wrote:
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> Guess it's my turn in the barrel Putter ??
>
> Because when you go to grab the line when you are
> stripping or casting you want it ( which is
> hanging from the stripper guide ) you want it at a
> comfortable distance for " you " unless you are
> building it for some one else. Some one with long
> arms it will be farther up the rod

The line does not "hang" from the stripping guide! It actually "comes" from the reel and it is "available" anywhere between the reel and the stripping guide. How can this be? Geez.

Geez, maybe the stripping guide would work about one inch from the reel, then??

Putter
Williston, ND

Randy Parpart (Putter) Wrote:
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> Geez, maybe the stripping guide would work about
> one inch from the reel, then??
>
> Putter
> Williston, ND

No, and you know better. As I first stated ... 28" from the butt may be considered a hard-and-fast rule for overall rod performance. Stripping guide placement is most critical for rod performance and of least importance for the statue of casters. Stripping guides placed too close to the butt, choke shooting line. Stripping guides placed too close to the tip, create line slap. A caster's arm length has nothing to do with stripping guide placement. Casting and fishing movements of the non-casting arm are not controlled or affected by the location of the stripping guide unless it is placed in some ridiculous location as you suggest.

My point being that the stripping guide placement can be conformed to the physical's of the caster. Shaquille wouldn't and shouldn't have a stripping guide at "28" " from the reel seat.

Putter
Williston, ND

"I did it my way" .........
finally.....10 words or less

Ed
Put the darn thing any where you want it. This is just one way to do it. Nothing is written in stone.
When you pull line or " strip " line you want it at a distance that is easy to reach " for you " some one else may not like it

I'd put the stripper where i touch the blank. The line hangs downwards from there if you have slack, wouldn't it?