Re: Ceramic guide size choice/spacing
Posted by:
Mark Ekstrand
(---.hbci.com)
Date: April 29, 2006 06:28AM
Just to relate an experience I had using high quality Fuji lightwt SIC ceramic guides on a Dan Craft FT908-4 pc. rod:
This rod is used for fishing pike and steelhead with oversized guides for a 10 wt fly line. (keep that in mind)
1. Using ALL ceramic guides, the rod cast like a heavy club. Way too tip-heavy. Not fun to fish with at all.
2. Using 3 ceramics as butt end stripper guides and replacing the front half of the rod with guides of #5 and #6 REC Recoil single foot guides, suddenly the rod balanced nicely in the hand and could cast and shoot very well. An entirely different feel with tons of reserve power to cast the 10 wt. line into next week while throwing 6 inch bunny flies.
My limited experience with all ceramic guides on a fly rod is that the slight extra weight of these guides really is noticeable
when casting, especially in the longer rod lengths, 9-10 ft and in the lighter rods, 5 wt. and down.
If I were you, I'd go with the REC Recoil single foots in the front half of the rod and Sic ceramics near the butt end.
Please understand I have been fly fishing for 30 years and putting rods together for one so my experience with building rods makes me a complete rookie at this.
Good luck with the ceramics.
Mark
