Want to put SF wire guides on my forecast 2wt. What sizes and setup would be best?

I was thinking of a Pac Bay 'N' stripper #8 and then the SF's in 3,2,2,1,1,1.
Would this be OK? What size tip top would be best? will prob be ceramic. Will most likely be fishing a 3wt line on this rod.

What make tip top will match the Pac Bay 'N' stripper and the chrome SF's?

Thanks once again!!!

Daniel



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/2006 03:06PM by Daniel Rees.

daniel. those wonderful little N style strippers come in different finishes. i'd personally get the titanium finished version with the zirconium insert. if you wanted the other lighter (or is it darker) toned titanium get the SIC version. it's up to you. i like the subdued color. match it up with titanium single foot wire guides.

your guide sizing seems ok. grab the titanium coated version.

the tip top size would depend on whether you have the 2 piece or four piece 6-6. check batson's website, confusingly listed under "rainshadow/forecast" heading to the left. the 2 pc takes a 4.0, the 4 pc takes a 3.5, as listed. i wouldn't worry too much about "matching" the stripper. nothing out there looks close to the N style stripper except for traditional snake guides. batson's TCFT tip tops would work fine. if you needed a ceramic guide tip top, the pac bay MT tip top is nice. spruce it up with a blue insert tip top. too bad the N stripper doesn't come with a blue insert...

don't forget the winding check if you plan to use one. and uhhhh, hook keeper. ;-)

eric
fresno, ca.

Daniel. As Eric says, the N guide matches snakes well, but not SFs. Personally, I would use a single foot ceramic, readily available in chrome. I would also use a #10 instead of the #8 for the stripper. A ceramic tip top is okay, if you can find one with a big enough ring and unbraced.

I suggest Fuji Alconite CLAG single foot ceramic fly guides. I've built 5 of the 6ft. 6in. 2wt. rods in the past 6 months.On 4 of these I used #8, then 6's to and including the tip. On 1 I used a # 10 Fuji CLAG then single foot snakes & a flyrod tip. The other 4 cast & feel better to me. The ceramics also have less friction when shooting line. With a #6 CLAG for the tip you save the weight of the tip's tube and the tip ring is in line with the running guides. These ceramics are very light and I doubt you'll feel any difference in weight with line out and casting. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.

I built a 6'6" four piece and looked at wire guides but went to fuji alconite blag's and am very happy with the performance of the rod using them. When I weighed tip tops the fuji alconite was lighter than the wire tip top I had as well as being lighter than a recoil wire tip top I weighed.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Lighter then a re-coil, go figure.

Weighed on a powder scale in grains. There is a considerable difference!

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

I just don't like the alconite fly guide ring height. I would think you are just talking about the tip tops ?

Daniel,

I'd also recommend the single foot ceramics for all the guides on this weight rod.

However, other than cosmetics, there is no reason to use tapering guide ring sizes. A #6 or #5.5 ceramic will easily pass all the required connections on a 3 wt. line, no need to add weight just to have extra 'slop' in the line guides. For a fly rod, think more gun barrel than funnel.

I'd go with all #6 or #5.5 single foot ceramics in the ring material and frame finish of your choice. Use the same guide wrapped on for the tip, as this does save weight over a tubed tip top. It also keeps a cleaner ('straighter'?) line path.

A rod built in this manner has a very clean look, casts very well, and is lighter than you'll believe.

Good Luck!

Buddy