If I chose not to underwrap the guides on a halibut rod and prepared the guide feet properly, would there be some benefit to adding a thin coat of epoxy on the blank where the underwrap would normally go and then wrapping the guide on top of that epoxy barrier? The guys are tough on equipment on my boat and I would like a durable product without the underwrap.

Joe Milligan
Seattle

I am an underwrap man myself Joe, but in the senario you are thinking I would probably not use the finish. The same drawbacks that apply to and underwrap would probably apply to the finish ie weight. Plus you might run the risk of wrapping too tight and cause the over wrap thread to cut into the finish and spread. I guess I would recommend either underwrap or nothing. If the guide is prepared properly, it should be plenty durable in your situration. Are you fishing the big Pacifics or no?
Doc

Joe, I'm not sure why you are adverse to an underwrap. I repair rods for a captain here on the east coast and like you, the guys on his boat are really hard on his equip. Concequently, when I repair his rods, I look for durability, that is why I underwrap and use size D nylon for the wrap(sometimes a double layer), with at least two coats of finish. I have never fished for halibut, which I understand can go into the hundreds of pounds, but I can tell you this, from experience, when you have a 300lb shark on, the last thing you are concerned about is how much weight you did or did not add to your repair. The last thing you want is a lost fish due to guide failure.

Joe Milligan - From another believer in underwraps on heavy-duty tackle, may I recommend that you read all the references in this one long Thread cited below. Lots of input from several Authors. ... Then what you do with that information is up to you. Gotta go, Joe... Best Wishes, Cliff Hall+++

Re: Under wrapped guides ... Cliff Hall ... Jan. 2, 2006 10:23PM
[www.rodbuilding.org]
There's plenty of good reading in the full Threads cited below.
[MUCHO ETC, etc., etc.] - Cliff Hall+++(CMH).

you probably about as hard as we are in the uk on our rods ( Freezing temps hard salt spray novices who throw rod down to haul fish up idiots who think a fishing rod is another term for a crane and "winch as hard as they can with drags set to maximum etc etc ) over here if we dont want the underwrap then we prepare the foot to "perfection (well as near as dam it ) IE smooth flat bottomed nicely tapered to wrap end seal it with a drop of black then rub it over a heated "glue stick " this acts as a buffer AND has the added benifit of allowing you to position guides quick and easy then wrap as normal possibly step the thread size up then finish with your preferred metod
Hope it helps

I typically don't underwrap and having built untold numbers have never had any problems. You shouldn't either.

Underwraps can undermine performance on lighter rods but on heavy sticks the added weight isn't going to have much overall effect. If you do choose to underwrap those rods, I don't think you're really going to hurt anything.

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I underwrap everything, including fly rods, no complaints yet. Jesse