Great news to report for the use of Jannsnetcraft flexlite guides in cold weather and well below zero...

I have a customer who I just built a 14 foot float rod for and used Janns Flexlite guides with TiCh finish. My customer said the freeze-up rate was very low compared to ceramic insert guides.

One rod had Janns guides and the other do had SIC guides of the same size, and the SIC guides iced-up after about 3-4 drifts, and the Flexlite guides would have to cleaned out after about an hour. (30-40 drifts)

He also said the line felt reel smooth running through them. ANDE 10# backcountry was used.

Just some good real-world info for you guys to digest...

Paul

What did you use for a tip top?

A FUJI SIC, the fear of grooving overcame me.,..LOL.

Paul

Jeez, an honest man!! Thanks for sharing the info, Paul.

Putter
Williston, ND

Yor welcome sir...Anytime....

From the sunny south - Honesty is certainly appreciated - But please tell me one thing - Do people actually fish when water freezes in guide rings?

Bill - my favorite time of year to fish is when icing is not only a possibility, but expected :-) Ice fishing is too fun for words if you are an insane northerner like myself. This Friday I'll be on Lake Superior amongst the Apostle Islands (extreme northern Wisconsin), jigging for 20lb lake trout in 200 feet of water - all through 8-12" of ice. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Thanks for the info Paul. A question I have is, since the tip top freezes first and worst when fishing in the cold (and you're running SIC's as tip top regardless) what's the difference in a day on the water? I don't know what the answer is, but I'm building a noodle of a float rod with Fuji titanium framed SIC's throughout, with an 8 mm tip top, in hopes the big guides won't screw up my action too much and so it'll stave off the deep freeze for a few extra casts. Hope it works!

Brian Folz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the info Paul. A question I have is,
> since the tip top freezes first and worst when
> fishing in the cold (and you're running SIC's as
> tip top regardless) what's the difference in a day
> on the water? I don't know what the answer is,
> but I'm building a noodle of a float rod with Fuji
> titanium framed SIC's throughout, with an 8 mm tip
> top, in hopes the big guides won't screw up my
> action too much and so it'll stave off the deep
> freeze for a few extra casts. Hope it works!
>
It's allot easier to clear one guide as opposed to the top 4 to 6 guides.
As for going to the #8 sic's this will definitely retard ice up but it does noticeably affect performance.
I have 2 15 foot Hardy float rods one tied with #6 sic's on the tip section and one tied with #8's. The one tied with the #8's is noticeably mushier and doesn't recover nearly as fast as the one tied with the #6's. To tell you the truth I'm contemplating replacing the guides on the mushy rod just because I don't like the feel I get with the heavier guides.


Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Paul :

Coming down from the big empty to fish greaser's on Lk Superior?

Winter fishing is great especially in the lower 48, it freezes out all the fair weather fisherman who show up in mass when the weather is far more favoratible. Nothing like seeing a Steelhead race 20 ft to slam a plug in the dead of winter. Haven't tried recoil guides, but have used slightly oversized (Sz 4) SF wire fly guides with TiCH coating and Stanley ice paste and have to remove the ice from the guides about the same as recoil guides.

Good luck fishing for those sounders, can't release any of them because by the time you get them up from that deep they have the bends, we have that problem in the summer time when you can't keep them.