Hi folks, this is to all you flyrod builders out there. Could you please share with me how many inches from the tip the stripper usually ends up with on an ´8 foot blank rated 5-6 aftm when youre building? I know I should hold the blank and pretend casting and grab the line, and locate stripper 1-2 inches over that point. The thing is I found a guide spacin chart on the web and I tried it. It suits the blank perfect stresswise but the stripper seems awfully high up the blank to me. It´s located 64 inches mearured from tip. I think I would locate it about 68 inhes from tip but this is my first flyrod project and I dont know nothing about flyrods so thats why I´m askin you kind people. Thanks for your time and tight lines. PS. the number of guides on the chart is a total of 9 inkluding stripper no tip top. The blank is slow.
-Kim-

Kim, It has been stated on this Forum many times that spacing charts are best used as starting points to find the best layout for any rod. The rod should be built to fit the user. You have the right idea about placing the Stripping Guide an onch or two ahead of where you comfortably grasp the rod. From there you can begin to adjust the placement of the other guides accordingly. The few inches of difference should not be difficult to accommodate over the 8 foot length of the rod. Refer to the Static Guide Placement article in the Library above.. The 3 of guides is usually 1 more than the length of the rod in feet; so on an 8' rod nine guides plus a tip sounds right. I'd be looking at a double footed #12 stripper and then a #8 followed by all #6's. Single foot ceramics make the most sense to me as they are lighter and much smoother in fighting a fish than snake guides. Utilize the Forhan lock (also found in the Library) to wrap the single foot guides and they will stay where you place them. The lightest guides will optimize the performance of the finished rod. If your budget permits consider titanium framed guides with a quality ring. The new American Tackle Titan guides have received good reviews and are not as expensive as you may think. If your budget permits then the Fuji Titanium framed SIC guides and tip are the best unless you wnat to spennd really big bucks for Gold Cermet guides. There are also light weight REC Recoil guides to consider as well as other titanium framed guides. Others may have different opinions on the ring sizes but small and light is the way to go. Good Wraps, Dave

Thanks Dave for your respond. I know that spacing charts is at best use as starting point and thats how I usually use them. In this case howewer it looks like this chart works very well, stress distribution is good from the start.( first time this happens to me ). Im just curious how far away (inches) from the tip is the stripper usually on an a "normal" 8 foot flyrod? THANKS
-Kim-

The point is that the placement should be determined by the reach of the fisherman...bit of course factory made rods are made to fit the "average" fisherman. I have three 8 1/2 foot factory Allstar Austins. All are 2 piece rods ( 4wt. / 6wt. and 10/11wt. ) Their stripper guides are all 73 1/4 inches from the tips. I hope that helps. The other way to view it is from the butt...not counting the fighting butt on the 10/11wt.; the stripping guides are all just about 30 1/2 inches from the back end of the reel seat. I hope that helps.

Yes that helps alot actually thanks Dave. Thats about the measurement I´ve got when I did the "reach for the line" thing. The measurement that would fit my needs is about 70 inch from the tip. I guess my best bet would be to put the stripper there and the first guide from the tip 3 1/2 - 4 inches from the tip, then readjust the rest of the guides. Thanks.
-Kim-

I just finished an 8' 6 wgt personal fly rod with the stripper guide mounted 26 inches from the middle of the mounted reel. That's where I like it.

The stripper guide and the tamer (mounted 4 inches up from the stripper) are placed on the blank along with one guide mounted on the ferrule and the last guide which is placed 4 inches behind the tiptop. The rest of the guides are then filled in as the static test dictates.

Ok thanks for your help folks... I think it´s going to work out now.
-Kim-

For what it is worth:

First Butt Guide or Stripper position is measured from center of reel seat:

Fly 28 - 35"

UL Spin 18 - 25"

M Spin 22 - 28" and Heavy to 33”

Cast 16 - 24"

Surf 25 - 34"

Boat 22 - 28"

Spey and Spey/Spin combo 28 - 35”


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