I'm going to build a 4pc. 7wt and use all single foot ceramic guides. Is the 7wt the size when you would move up to a #16 stripper? Or, stay with the #12?
I was thinking:
#16, 12, 8, 7's the rest of the way.
Thanks,
Todd

I think if your using a singlefoot stripper it should be tall enough to work with a 12. The rod will tell you what it needs on your test casting session. Something like spin 12, spin 8, than 7s would than work probably.

Yes, they would be the Fuji titanium framed Concept spinning guides down to the fly guide runners.

Hi Todd,

I would start with a #16 stripper and not below. I think a #12 would be simply too small for a class 7 line.


Rgds,
Ole

Something to consider - size 16 concept guides start to get really tall for a fly rod. I don't have experience with 7wts, but I've built a number of 6's and to me a 12 seems fine. It really depends on what type on knots you use. Large loop-to-loop knots may demand a size 16. In that case I'd be using a traditional double foot, and I'd probably even add a tamer guide-- on a 7wt you'll never notice the weight difference.

12s will be plenty big. I have a Perigee 6/7 that I fish with a 7 wt. type 5 full sink line and big lead-eyed dish-rag streamers. The stripper is a TYSG12, followed by TYSG10, TYSG10, then TLSG8, and TLSG7s to the tip. It doesn't take much work to shoot the entire 90 ft. of fly line, when the need arises. The TYSG12, TYSG10, and second TYSG10 are all 4" apart.

I'm not sure what good a sz. 16 guide would do for you. Even if you're using big knots, the running guides will catch on the knots before the stripper ever will. You can test cast with a sz. 16 and see if you get any extra distance, but I'd be surprised if you do. In fact, while you're test-casting, see what happens when your stripper is a TYSG10 or a TLSG10. Commonly, I've found that dropping one or two guide sizes from the factory "norm" doesn't cut down my casting distance in the slightest.

This is a question that comes up offten enough that I realize most custom rod builders use different stripper guides and running guides on the same blank. If you ask 50 people you will receive 50 different combinations and 50 different reasons way they do it that way. In my shop I do not use a stripper less than a size 20 high frame on any fly rod 4 weight and above. The series of all guides would be Fuji gold cermets or titanium framed SIC in sizes 20, 12, 10, in doubled footed or single footed spinning guides, then sizes 10, 8, 8, 7, 7, 7 single footed ceramic fly guides to match strippers, then the tip. There are no rules you have to follow for fly rod guide sizes just your gut feeling of what's right and wrong. If you want a factory style or traditional style rod go with the smaller sizes if you want a progressive style rod of a rod that pushes the envelope go with the bigger sizes. This is one of the reasons they call what we do "custom" rod building.