Hi,

First, I'd like to tell you all that my skill and enjoyment of rodbuilding have both increased since attending the Rod Building Expo in February.

My post is to find out if anyone has tried using single-foot snake guides on tiny, UL spinning rods. I did a little searching on this board, and read that some steelheaders were using them on steelhead rods (which I assume meant long, limber spinning rigs), and found the hard chrome finish did, in fact, withstand the abuse of spin fishing with mono.

I'm building a 4'6" UL spin rod (St. Croix SCII) for my son, and think that those guides would be a great, lightweight solution for such a small rod. My plan is to use a regular single foot, high-frame guide (size 20) in the first (butt-end) position, and then another regular guide (probably a size 12 or 10) in the second (choke) position, then follow up with the SF snake guides, and a fly-rod style tip-top.

So, I'm interested in hearing the opinions of more experienced builders before I proceed.

Thanks,
Rob

Robert,

I own several micro light spinning rods built as you are proposing.

They work just fine.

One thing you might do, however, is not try to use a fly rod tip top on such a rod. Try wrapping an additional single foot guide as a tip top. Seems like the line angle is better and casts are smoother, besides being lighter.

Good luck!

Buddy

I made a couple to fish for bluegill and redears in ponds up in East Texas. They are a blast and work well. Big difference in the XXXXXUL. Have fun

Big John
Rio Hondo, Texas
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting

I've used them quite a few times even on dropshot bass rods. The last fly rod I built on an IMX Loomis blank, the customer wanted the type guides used on the high end Sage rods. I think they were HSSGL Hopkins & Holloways, the thin wire guides that stand off the blank a little further than the normal SF snake. Anyway I had some left so I used them on a ultralight, they were as nice there as they were on the fly rod. I used a match guide tip top. The little ones are a bear to wrap because the feet aren't very long ,so getting them on the blank till you wrap them takes more care.I change the line alot on the rods I use, so long term line/guide issues I don't have any info on.

The line doesn't grove the guides? I have an old zebco microlight from when they first came out with them that has snake type wire guides that are now groved.

Phil

Also take a look at the REC Re-coil guides.

I think your talking aboiut S.F wire fly guides, as snake guides usually inferrthat theyt have two feet. The hard chrome versiuons hold up to mono, the black coated ones will wear down the coating on the inside of the guide. I build lots of 10' steelhead rods and use SF wire fly guides on the tip section to lessen the weight. I will some times use a ceramic incert tip top or and oversize wire fly tip top, that is usually as big as a size 3 SF wire fly guide. I try to match the tip-top ID to the SF wire Fly ID's leading into the tip-top, a size 3 is about a perfect match for the oversize fly top hoop, especially for steelhead as it can be cold and icing occures faster on smaller guides.

Thanks, everyone, for your helpful input. I'm sitting down with my son now to finalize the plans... once this rain stops, we'll take the new rod out for bluegills! I'll try to post a pic of the rod and the 'gills sometime soon.

-Rob