I am building my first fly rod which is a dan craft 1008-4 FT. If I am using a tip top with a horizontal diameter of 7.8mm, what size snake guides should I use for the rest. Do you have any recomended spacing too? I am using a multi tip with BIG KNOTS!!!

Since you bought his rod blank, call him. He will tell you every thing you need to know.
Nice guy to talk with.

My 1010-4 FT has 9 guides and that is plenty (could be one too many even!)...single foot ceramic #7's and they pass the big knots on a Rio Dredger system well. I'd say #5 or #6 SF snakes would give you plenty of clearance (although you could get away with #3 or #4's).

Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

Just as Scott did, I went with ceramics on my Dan Craft 1008-4 FT. I haven't had any problems with knots. Here is the guide spacing Dan recommended I use with the 1008-4.

10’0” 4pc 10 guide spacing
4.75”, 10”, 16”, 23”, 30.75”, 39.5”, 49.25”, 60.625”, 73.625”, 90”

10'0" 4pc 11 guide spacing
4.5", 9.75", 15.75", 22.75", 30.75",39.25", 48.25", 57.5", 67.75", 78", 89"

10’0” 4pc 12 guide spacing
4.25”, 9”, 14.25, 20”, 26.5”, 33.75”, 41.5”, 50”, 59.75”, 70”, 81”, 93.25”

I built t a switch rod on this blank, and had the opportunity to fish it on the Skeena River last September. I built it with 11 guides, and if I were doing it over again I would go with 8 or 9 at the most. My finished rod performed much better as a signle handed rod, when I really wanted a switch rod.

The 10' 10 Weight FT is a very popular switch rod. One contributor recommended spacing for the 10 Wt that might work as well on the 8, as follows:

8 5/8 19 29 1/4 39 1/2 49 59 1/2 71 1/2 87 1/2

There is some discussion of this blank on: [pub107.ezboard.com]