I am currently working on a light action spinning rod using a 4pc 6wt 9ft fly blank. It will be used for throwing very light jigs and carolina rigged grubs to fluke and small stripers in the summertime surf here in NJ, as well as for surf perch on business trips to California.

Is it possible that I only need one guide between my stripper and my choke guide? I am using a Daiwa Caprice 1500 reel and it has a good amount of upsweep. My stripper is a size 20, switch type high frame and it lands about 25" from the reel spool. My next guide is 9 inches up and is a size 12 switch. The choke guide is 8" up from that and is a size 6 BLAG. The rest of the guides will also be BLAG 6 spaced in increasing increments upto the last 4 tip guides which will be 5" apart. I have a total of 10 guides plus the tip on this blank and the spacing and line path both look good. I just find it odd that I would only need one guide between the stripper and choke. BTW, I will be using 10lb. Fireline on this rod.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks,

Lou

Lou,
Check out the Library on this site. You will find a couple of great articles on guide spacing! I recommend "The New Concept Primer"
The perfect system for setting up just about any spinning rod!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

I have several rods where there is only one guide between the butt or stripper guide and the intersect/choke guide. If you're using a 1500 reel with light line, it may well be all you need. Trust it, try and test it and see what you think.

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That should work fine. Test your rod, then try using an 8 guide between the 12 and the first 6. It'll move your "choke" up a little higher. That's what I have on my UL rod. I used Alconite Y guides, and mine is 6 ft long, but the spacings are about the same. 20, 12, 8, 7, 4 6's then the tip top. My butt guide falls at 22"

I think you'll find that with the 8 and 7 in there, you won't have a nice straight line path - sight down through your guides and see if each one is perfectly concentric with the preceeding one. I don't think it will be, you have to skip the 8 and the 7 and move directiy to the 6. Check it and see.

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