Since there’s no help initially to determine what size guides are required for the New Guide Concept, I ordered them at Fuji specs of 30-16-10-8L-7-7-6-6-6 for an 8’ Rainshadow IP965 (plus a 12 & 20). I spaced these out with a 30-16-10-8L-7-6-6 in accordance with the NGC and found it cast 1/3 oz lead (.344 to be exact) consistently about 30 paces or 90’. Because of about 18” between the 30 and 16, I could see the line sag pretty badly between the spool and the butt guide during the cast and the static test looked blah..

I changed the guide sizes around to 30-20-12-8L-6-6-6-6 (one more guide than before) and it cast consistently around 35 paces or 105’. And the there was less sagging between the spool and butt guide as well and the static test looked better.

Then I mounted the guides 30-16-10-8L-7-7-6-6-6 (an increase of another guide) at Fuji initial recommended spacings and it cast consistently about 33 paces and the line between the spool and butt guide looked even better. The static test looked better than ever. Then I took a ½ oz weight (getting closer to a treble, spawn bag, and slinky for Salmon) and it cast consistently at 40 paces or 120’

This rod will be for Salmon fishing only so my main objective is fighting fish, not casting distance. I’m using a Fuji NPS reel seat with a 5” fore grip turned down to the same diameter so your hand can slide up fairly easy to balance it after the cast. This also will help my brother reach higher up the blank (22” max. according to Baston’s) to fight Salmon. I could probably do another NGC set up with a 25mm as a butt guide but the 30mm sits 26 ¼” from the spool face now at the Fuji specs and it seems to control the line very well.

The rod needs about 1 ½ ozs to balance it right now but I’ve got a lot of masking tape holding these guides on so I don’t really know what the difference will be with thread and finish. The Fuji specs look pretty good to me, what would be the reasons for NOT going with this setup? Thanks.

Nuttin' .

You like it ?

You go with it !

Tight lines to all ~~

Sounds like you did your homework. And, one advantage of using more guides is that your stress distribution should be great.

Go for it.

If it works the way you want, there is not reason not to do it that way. But I'd also try setting it up as I have outlined it in the library here. I think you might be able to get a few more feet out of it, if you want.

.............

Tim,
I think to misunderstood something if you read the article in the library. 18 in. between the stripper and the tamer guides seems exsessive
to me.

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

a lot depends upon the size reel you are using for the size of your first guide.i guess i am from the old school 30,20,16. and so on.i will useally place my guides then load up my rod.if good arch,the i work on line slap.then casting distance.

All those intermediate sizes along the running guide portion would not be used if the article in the library is followed. You'll never get a straight line path with those sizes.

...........

i agree with tom i just went by what guides you had.

I don't know how your first few guides work out pathwise but you can dump the 8L and the 7's and just move directly to 6's. Those other little guides just upset things in-between there. You don't need them.

Replace the 8L with the 7, and then 6's out to the tip. I tried all that you went through, and found this setup to cast best.

I did follow the article in the library as described in test #2 which gave the farthest cast by 2 yards. With a 52mm spool, I opted for a 30mm butt guide that wound up 22" from the spool - at the far edge of the article's recommended 17" - 23". If I had used a 25mm butt guide, it would have fallen in the 26" range. But Fuji's specs with a 30mm butt guide put it 26 1/4" from the spool's face as well - I just didn't order a 25mm as a spare.

That is the only annoying thing I find about the concept system. It's been stated as fact that a specific reel will intersect a blank at the same point regardless of it's overall length - just add more running guides. So a given rod blank with line ratings such as 4-6lb, 6-12lb, 8-17lb or 10-20lb - each of these generally would take a sucessive larger reel (and spool size). And as stated before, the "normal" industry standard is a 4 degree upsweep. And it would seem that the majority of size 4000 series reels for example, a certain "size range" of the lower guides would be fairly consistant - all you would have to space them according to how they line up on the table edge.

If I had built 100 spinning rods, I would think that knowing the line rating and reel size for project #101, I would have a pretty good idea what the lower guide sizes are going to work. I just don't like the idea of having to order 3-4 extra guides since I may only going to make 2 or 3 more spinning rods in my lifetime. I've seen suggested guide sizes for fly rods on this forum based on length and line weight - seems we could suggest ahead of time the probable lower guide sizes for specific weight spinning rods.

if you tend to use the same type and company guides you can make up " sizing guides " of cheap guides and save them to size rods this way you know what guides to order.