Folks I'm new to all this and am trying to learn here and from reading. I want to build a med-heavy salmon rod but want it to be as light as possible. My question: Berkley puts stainless guides on some of their poles and they "look" like they are much lighter than any ceramic guide. None of the catalogues I have list such guides. Has anyone used such guides with braid line and can you give some input on this? Are they much lughter than something like fugi alconite? Where can I find such guides? MANY MANY THANKS for any advice.

I believe that Jann's has the exact guides that Berkley uses. Looks can be deceiving, which weighs more a ton of lead or a ton of feathers?

Heres the link to the single foot guides:

[www.jannsnetcraft.com]

Joe



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2008 02:22PM by Joe Vanfossen.

Used to have half a coffee can of Berkeley guides you could of had that were changed out due to grooving and other failures over the years. A buddy bought a dozen of the backbouncing rods to use on his charter boat up in Alaska using braid, he said they lasted about 1/2 to 2/3 of the season before they were unusable due to grooving.

Political correctness out the window here guy's, this gentleman needs to hear the truth. What the guy's are trying to say is that Stainless guides may not ( IMO ARE NOT ) what you want to be using with braided lines. You have to remember that the braid will pick up dirt and sand out of the water and the bottom, and just be like sand paper or one of those saws that you used to get for camping that had the rings on the ends.

Bill in WV



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2008 05:28PM by William Bartlett.

I agree with both Spinncer and Bill. With todays Tech knowledge, No one I know uses a stainless ring, they may use a stainless steel fram. What type of Salmon are you fishing for? Are you drift fishing, back bounceing, trolling, Jiging, also are you river, lake or ocean fishing where are you from? Someone from your area maybe able to help you. If I were you I would look into Batson, PacBay or fuji guides. OH YES I HATE ( braided lines).
Good Wraps Bob

IMHO those guides aren't what you'd want to use. They groove easily with braid and even mono, because the inserts are plated stainless, and is not that hard at all, despite the TiCh/TiN plating. The metal used for the frame is also quite soft and weak.

Well I guess that answers that! I reckon I'll use something else. Does anyone know which is better for braid, fiji alconite or fuji hardloy? SC guides are a little expensive for me. MANY THANKS for your help fellas

Alconites are lighter, and look better than that ugly faded Hardloy purple. Both will work fine with braid, as will any manufacturer's ceramics, modern aluminium oxide and better.

Robert A SIC is the best. Please read my first Post and reply. You can email me.
Good Wraps Bob

Sorry Mr. Balcombe but Gold Cermet is better than Sic

Jason Kesckes. Aint no fish'n like bass fish'n

Jason Why is gold better? I keep my Gold in my safe LOL

Just gotta fill in here. I grew up in a machine shop, and we used the same Gold Cermet for finish machining steel and stainless steel. In the machining industry cermet was often a cheaper tool material to use - yet Fuji sells it like it's mined from Mt. Olympus. Better than SiC, nope, sold at a premium, yup.

Just my 0.02
Marc