I am about to start my second Dan craft FT. I have built a 5wt with SF snake guides, and am very happy with that. Now I am about to start a 7wt FT. What guides sould I put on this rod? I cant deside, SF or ceramic. Help needed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2006 10:02AM by Josh England.

After your Double-Foot, Ceramic-Ring Stripper Guide, I would cast my vote for Single-Foot, Single-Leg Ceramic-Ring FLY Guides. If you need a little more rod clearance in the mid-section, you can use a couple of Single-Foot, Double-Leg V-frame or Y-frame guides.

Batson's ForeCast "FL" (FLY Series) or "VS" (Vee-SF Series) are very nice. Lots of colors, too.
Available at [www.FishSticks4U.com]. -Cliff Hall+++



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2006 10:32AM by Cliff Hall.

Does the weight difference of the ceramics to the single foot snakes make a difference?
Also if i deside to go with the ceramics what sizes should I run for a 9ft 7wt?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2006 10:55AM by Josh England.

On 6wt rods and up,nothing beats Fugi titanium SIC's.

All the benefits of a high end ceramic ring and still very light weight.

If the Fuji's are to much, check out the American Tackle Titans.

What about the fuji concept CLAG it is alcanite with a chrome frame, or the forcast Flg, how does their weight compair to the one you have listed?

I myself do not like the Alconite guides fly. The ring is very close to the blank. You may be better to check out the Batson guides. The ring sits higher . For weight any without a plating should save a little. They have a polished frame.

Q1: - "Does the weight difference of the ceramics to the Single-Foot snakes make a difference?"
A1: - Not in my opinion. It shouldn't over-load (or "pre-load") the rod blank, nor require that much more casting effort to drive the rod's mass during casting, nor lower your resonance frequency that much.

Q2: - "Also if I decide to go with the ceramics, what sizes should I run for a 9ft 7wt?"
A2: - If you purchase the ceramic FLY Guides in a stainless steel frame, with some type of aluminum oxide guide ring, each one will only cost you ~$2.00 each, if not less. At that price, IMO, it pays to just order a few extra guides, so that you can have on hand whatever you want as you are laying out your fly rod.

I'm not saying what you'd put on your 9-foot, 7-wt. FLY rod - this is just a list of what Guide Sizes that I think you should want to have within reach when you get down to lay out your fly rod:

ONE x (12-10)mm Double-Footed Stripper
ONE x (10-8) mm Single-Footed FLY guide
ONE x (8-7) mm Single-Footed FLY guide
EIGHT x 6mm Single-Footed FLY guides
ONE x 6mm ceramic ring TIP-TOP. May need to order at least 2 TUBE Sizes to ensure a proper fit to YOUR rod tip.

Unless you are doing / using something unusual for your line / loop, knot / connector system, a 6mm ceramic ring should have enough open inner diameter to pass whatever knot without interfence.

This array of choices is what I would consider a minimum, IMO. Anything less and you may find yourself compromising your guide selection; your static load distribution; or placing a 2nd mail-order, and thus delaying project completion and incurring additional shipping costs.
Good Luck, -Cliff Hall+++, FL-USA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2006 09:18AM by Cliff Hall.

Call Dan. he will set you up.

I would go with ALL single foots (alconites or titans) I don't know why a double foot is used for a stripper guide (hang on to tradition, maybe) I use all single foots on musky rods so I sure wouldn't worry about them on a fly rod.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

If I may relate a similar project I undertook a few months ago with a FT 908-4 pc. Dan Craft rod:

This is a real beefy rod with a CCS in the 10 somethings (can actually cast a 10 wt. line very well).
The rod is used for fishing pike mostly while casting 5-8" mega divers and rabbit strip bunny flies with oversized guides for a 10 wt pike taper fly line. (keep that in mind). I wanted a rod that felt balanced in the hand, NOT tip-heavy, doesn't have that 'clubby feel', and also shoots line well while allowing the shooting head connxn to slide through the guides without sticking.

1. Using ALL Fuji SIC single foot ceramic guides, #16, 12, 10, and #8s out to the #8 ceramic tip top the rod cast like a heavy club. Way too tip-heavy. Not fun to fish with at all. It shoots line well though.

2. Using 2 ceramics as butt end stripper guides, #16, #12 and replacing the front half of the rod with guides of #5 and #6 REC Recoil single foot guides with a #8 ceramic tip top, suddenly the rod balanced nicely in the hand and could cast and shoot line 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 fly 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 recommended sized 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. I do feel though that if you are fishing with a fly rod and not a spinning rod, be very aware that extra weight at the tip, even VERY TINY amounts of weight can awaken or break tdown he action of a rod.

Extra weight does indeed affect the performance of the rod - right you are. But ceramic guides need not be heavy. If you choose the right style and size, you won't end up with a tip heavy rod.

...........

Tom -

On that note...I have built an FT 7 weight with H&H snakes, but I would like to build one with single foots. I am trying to decide on wire or "ceramics" - if ceramics includes SIC Alconite, Concept Series. When you say "the right style and size", can you give me any ideas?

Thanks,

Tony