I know this question has been asked a million times on this board, but I am going to ask one more time. I am building a 6wt Sage TCR and am curious if the Recoil snakes will increase my performance. I am aware of the added noise that comes with them, but all I am interested in is if these guides will increase distance and maybe even accuracy. I would appreciate any real advice.

Wire is never better than ceramics in a 6 weight. The Recoil single foot should add performance over the double foot. The idea that they are noisy is a myth. Go with ceramics, titanium frames if you are concerned about weight.

Hi Don
I have both a factory #6 TCR and have built a custom of the same rod using recoils.Personally i didnt find any great performance advantage,not in the distance the line cast or in the line speed,however the rod did feel a tad crisper in the action (custom rod).I did however use the factory rod as a guide for ring spacings and feel that if i had followed the static guide placement then that in itself would have made the difference,
Which in turn leaves another question for another post ,how would sage react in the USA regarding custom guide placements,its a little contensuos here in the UK to say the least.


Bryan

Haven't had many Sage rods break, but Sage has never had a problem with guide placement or type on any of the blanks I've returned.

Bryan, I had assumed that the question was one of snakes versus ceramics. But I would think substituting recoil SFs would offer a slight advantage over factory DFs, as you found. I would correct the factory guide placement if static testing indicated that it was way off. Good place to start, however.

I am building this rod and all I am interested in learning is if Recoils snakes and stripping guides are worth trying on the 6wt. This will be a saltwater rod for bones and reds.

Tim
If I were to build a TCR 6 wt for myself, today, I would go with the most efficient solid Ti framed single foots with 2 matching double foot strippers. These have the hardest, fastest, most eternal rings in them, forever groove free and corrosion proof even in salt.

Salt is very abrasive. I myself wouldn't rely on the RECoils in the salt, not for the long haul.

REGARDLESS of the fact that RECoil snakes are the lightest things out there (which they are), the NiTi is too soft for the harsh salt environment.

BUT if you're happy to have to rewrap this rod eventually and you simply want the crispest TCR on the ocean, go with the RECoil heavy-wire single foot snakes.

I get a lot of feedback from customers about the squeaking of their RECoils and I have to say it embarrasses me a little. Squeaking means friction. BUT Recoils fill a very important niche. They are great for the littlest fly rods and freshwater fly rods in general that you want as light and as crisp as possible.

I could go on and on, but I hope this helps.

Josh Markvan
www.markvanheirloom.com

Tim
If I were to build a TCR 6 wt for myself, today, I would go with the most efficient solid Ti framed single foots with 2 matching double foot strippers. These have the hardest, fastest, most eternal rings in them, forever groove free and corrosion proof even in salt.

Salt is very abrasive. I myself wouldn't rely on the RECoils in the salt, not for the long haul.

REGARDLESS of the fact that RECoil snakes are the lightest things out there (which they are), the NiTi is too soft for the harsh salt environment.

BUT if you're happy to have to rewrap this rod eventually and you simply want the crispest TCR on the ocean, go with the RECoil heavy-wire single foot snakes.

I get a lot of feedback from customers about the squeaking of their RECoils and I have to say it embarrasses me a little. Squeaking means friction. BUT Recoils fill a very important niche. They are great for the littlest fly rods and freshwater fly rods in general that you want as light and as crisp as possible.

I could go on and on, but I hope this helps.

Josh Markvan
www.markvanheirloom.com

Sorry to post twice Tim.
The RECoil strippers are super light but, again, not that slick for line shooting and kind of squeaky. If you insist upon RECoils for your TCR 6wt at least go with two high-grade ringed strippers.

Josh Markvan
www.markvanheirloom.com

They will work fine on a saltwater 6 wt TCR. I have used the recoils on several salt rods up to 11wt. They work great--super light and no corrosion. I like the heavy wire single foot style and use the double foot strippers in 20, 16 and 12. They rarely make any noise.

The RECoils really ARE great. And they will work fine on a saltwater rod.
But they truly are not the slickest and you will get noise. ESPECIALLY dry casting. At least some, more than youre used to probably.
If its not straight squeaking, youll get a sliding sound, even louder than chrome plated guides.
The TCR is about as high end, price wise, as you can go.
So I wouldnt go second best on the guides.
Also I hate rewrapping fly rods.
Even your grandson wont have to rewrap if you go with solid Ti framed ceramics.
Good luck.

Josh Markvan
www.markvanheirloom.com