I have an expensive blank and want to use light guides with it. I have the REC recoil guides in mind, but I'm concerned about some of the things I've read on the phorum. People have said that they make noise and that the line doesn't shoot as well as with other guides, but Loomis uses them in their top-of-the-line $$$ rods.

What's your opinion of these guides? Should I use them or not?

The lines I have used on my Recoils all worked fine except the clear intermittent slime lines. I also use Zipcast on all my lines, but the slime lines.
I'm just about quit using wire guides on anything, but maybe the real light stuff. The all ceramic Alconite and Forecast guided rods I've made lately are a little heavier in tip weight, but so much nicer to fish. Shooting line to extend a rollcast has never been easier. The weight difference is virtually non-existent once you get the line out, than it's the weight of your throwing the line is what wears you out not the rod.

The lines I have used on my Recoils all worked fine except the intermediate clear slime lines. I also use Zipcast on all my lines, but the slime lines.
I'm just about quit using wire guides on anything, but maybe the real light stuff. The all ceramic Alconite and Forecast guided rods I've made lately are a little heavier in tip weight, but so much nicer to fish. Shooting line to extend a rollcast has never been easier. The weight difference is virtually non-existent once you get the line out, than it's the weight of your throwing the line is what wears you out not the rod.

Jim:
Hello. I have the REC recoil guides on my GLX 5 wt. and they have preformed great. No problems with shooting line, even when I use a clear intermediate line. I have not noticed that these guides make a noise when casting.

Lanny

I have them on a one weight blank. They are kind of noisy and don't shoot line as well as ceramics, but they weigh almost nothing and still perform well. I would probably use them again if i built on the same blank. For a 3 wt or heavier blank I would probably use single foot ceramics.

Hey Jim
RECoils are the only snakes I use (on customers' rods), and most of my customers want snakes, either single of double ft.
RECoils are noisy sometimes, particularly the REC strippers. That noises means friction. NiTi, they say, has about the same hardness as stainless steel. So there's no comparison between RECoils and ANY ceramics when it comes to shootability.

RECoils are great for 4 reasons, period: They are the lightest, they are solid, they are corrosion proof, and they flex.

You can buy PVD plated snakes and they'll be slicker than RECoils but that plating won't last.
Even chrome plating is slicker than RECoils but it won't hold up: the plating rubs off after years.

Long-last is major selling point for me. I try to build longevity into my fly rods. I show clients closeup pictures of grooves, cut clean through the plating, on 4-yr-old H&H snakes on an XP. I've never worn out a set of RECoils. I can accept a little squeaking.

Josh Markvan
www.markvanheirloom.com

I like the RECs, but you need to use a ceramic stripper. That is where the noise comes from. I don't use wire at all on a 4 weight or above. On a really light rod, an argument can be made for the double foot, as they bend more than the SFs.

I have used RECoil guides on many rods, from 2 weight thru 8 weight, and they are noticeably noisier than chrome plated stainless steel or ceramic rings. I just returned from a steelhead trip to the Skeena River in British Columbia, and several of the rods I fished were built with RECoil two-foot snake guides. One of the fishing guides with our group even commented on the line noise. (This rod has a Fuji TNSG SIC stripping guide, too.) I’m used to the noise now, and it is not a factor when choosing guides for a rod.

Having said that, I’m not sure I would put RECoils on an expensive blank having never tried them before. You might end up with a rod you don’t want to fish. I suggest you build a rod with RECoils on a cheaper blank first, or try and borrow a rod with these guides and fish it first.

Also, even though I like RECoils a lot, I do not use them for rods 9 weight or heavier, or for the salt. Notwithstanding their corrosion resistance, RECoils will wear out just as fast as standard plated stainless steel when abraded with salt and sand. I use Fuji TSG guides on saltwater rods, which are also corrosion resistant, quiet and durable. They really shine when that salty beast smashes your fly and rips off line like a rocket.

For quality - go Fuji Titanium SIC -- and be done with it. You paid a high price for the blank put quality guides on it.

I have a float rod I use for steelhead that I recently wrapped with recoils. REC makes spinning guides inthis model and the tip action is light and crisp as compaired to an identicle rod wrapped with conventional high frame guides. I made the mistake by going down to #6 ringed guides when I could have gotten away with size 8s. My reason for thinking this is because I am experiencing the line sticking to the blank as my float is drifting down stream.

Now as the water levels rise and the currents are a little faster this may not be an issue but for now it is. Before anyone tells me I might have the wrong spacing I have approx 11 guides on the tip section with the closest guide to the tip spaced 4.5" from the tip and every guide spaced 1". For example the second guide would be 5.5" from the first, 6.5 for the third and so on.

The line I use is Siglon F made by Sunline and I also use a JW Young Trudex II centrepin which uses a brass bushing instead of bearings and I can swing cast and wallis cast with ease. Friction IMHO with these guides for my application really isn't an issue. Had I used larger ringed guides on the tip the line sticking to the blank in SLOW current wouldn't be an issue I really like these guides and I probably would use them on my next float rod. I've heard some noise but to me it's really not an issue. The moise that comes form the guides comes and goes and more often than not, I don't hear any noise.

I'm open to exparamenting with all kinds of guides on my float rods. I still prefer the high frames and deciding which guide to use would be a tough decesion.

If you are skepticle and noise is an issue then by all means go with the ceramics. But, if you're willing to take a chance buy them and see how you like them. Chances are you will but then again you might not.

But like I said, I have them on my float rod and I probably would use them again because weight on the tip sections is an issue with me. Hoe this helps

Randy

Hello everyone, My name is Mateusz, I come from Poland but live in UK for 9 years.
I'm new to this forum, looking to gain and share knowledge and experience.

As I'm about to start building up my very first rod, I thought I'd refresh this topic. I have a Composite Developments
BLREXT284UL, ultra light 6lb, xfast/fast and the idea is to build up a perch (trout,panfish,bass) rod, casting up to 7g, with a soft, sensitive but fast tip
and nice strong (6lb, I know..) backbone at the bottom, designed to fish using soft plastic lures, ul jigs, very fine thin braid and Shimano TP 1000 FA.

REC guides seem to be the most appropriate solution at the moment..

Can you, please, share some more bad and good stuff about these guides?

With an UL spinning rod - would 20-12-8-6-5-4.5-4.5 + TFST 4.5 (3.5) work ok?
What do you think?

Thank you in advance
Regards
Mateusz