Hey Guys

Just set out my 2nd rod using the NGC system and would like your opinions on wether i have done it well or not.

The rod is 7' long and the spool diameter is 41mm

The guide setups is as follows

20,12,8 TATSG 6,6,6 TLSG 7 Tip

I would have used a 6 for the choker, but no matter what i did i couldnt get it to work out just right. So i used the 8sized TATSG which i had spare and it seems to have worked out quite well. I did not have access to any other guides and would like to avoid ordering more if possible. Currently the reduction guides line up perfectly when you look through them. So ive done that part correctly.

I decided i would not use equal spacing for the running guides instead i would gradually space them out.

so from the choker the running guide spacings are

Choker to 1st: 223mm
1st to 2nd: 198mm
2nd to 3rd: 173mm
3rd to Tip: 148mm

I have uploaded some photos to the Photo Page, could you please leave any comments you have on here or on the photo itself regarding the line angles between guides. Im still not sure if i should add one more in there or tweak a little to get that perfect spacing.

Any comments welcome

Thank You
Regards
Tom Slater

The NGC System that Tom has explained said to use 1 more guide then the length of the rod plus the tip. According to your set up if I am reading it correctly. You only have 6 guides plus the tip. But custom rod building is a builders preference and if your are happy I am happy. Just my 2 cents. Scott

double



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2008 10:34PM by Tom Slater.

yeah after i set it out i was like oh i only have 6+1

thats why i am considering adding another running guide.

i was able to get it down to the choker only using 2 guides so i think thats where i saved a guide from.

but i think i could get away with using 6+1 if you guys asure me that under load the line does not have too much of an angle

Tom,

I recently finished a 7' 3 piece spin rod and I think I used 8 guides, 3 to the rear of the choker, 5 flyguides as choker and running guides and a tip. I spaced my first fly guide 4" from the tip and the rest about 5" each behind that.

To my eye, the line angles in your photos seem a bit acute. I would suggest maybe one or two more guides.

Having said that I'm not hugely experienced by any stretch of the imagination and would defer to what others have to say.

Regards

Jason

Thanks for your advice mate

Ill give it 24hours for people to post up their opinions and then ill start playing again

Thanks
Tom

You're probably okay. If it sets up like the article suggests, casts and fishes well, then you're fine.

That many guides on that length rod isn't going to be way too few - you might try one more and see how it works, but you're squarely in the ballpark.

..............

Thanks Tom

The question is not how many guides,or even how they are spaced. The questions should be:

1) Does it cast the lure you're trying to use, as far or further than any comparable off-the-shelf rod can do?
2) Does it place your cast spot-on target, whether close or at its limit?
3) Can it land the biggest fish - "fish of a lifetime" - within the range you intended, without making you work much harder than you would if it were a normal-sized fish? Can you control that fish, using a combination of proper drag settings and the capabilities of the rod's design? (yes, that's all one question)

If the answer to all three questions is "yes", then you've placed the right number oguides in the right places along the rod to accomplish what the rod was supposed to do.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

You're pretty close there Tom. The angles do look a bit acute, so one more size 6 would probably do the trick. The choker guide is generally the same size as the rest of the running guides, so your transition is effectively 20, 12, 8, then a 6 choker and the remaining running guides. Did you go with spool diameter X 27 to get the choker distance? Bear in mind that once you are in the ball park the positions are not fixed, rather, you can shift them about a bit to get better load distribution and line flow. Sometimes no matter what a guide will not sit where the concept calculation dictates it should.

Add another size 6, which should then put one of the 6's closer to the calculated choke position. Respace the transitions and see. Another little thing is that for those positions I put the guide so the ring sits at the mark. Foot will be behind. Only a few millimetres in it, but sometimes it helps. The S781 IMX has 8 guides plus the tip, and that is with the TLSG's spaced at 5". Last TLSG is about an inch forward of the 27X position. Your 7 footer is a bit more powerful, so a lot of the time the bend will be more in the tip.

The test casting at the end of it will dictate final positioning.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2008 12:22AM by Ted Morgan.

Thanks everyone

will continue playing after i finish fixing another rod

It doesn't look too bad. However, I would move the first guide from the tip top a little closer, moving the rest of the guides in as well, and getting another guide in there. When I did my first rods, it took a while of playing to get the static testing to come out nice. Since I wanted to use them for saltwater in the LIS (Fluke, stripers, sea bass, etc), I went with more guides to support the line more and have it follow the blank closer. The blanks action, length, length of handle components, reel size, etc all affect the guide placement. I just finally ordered the Latex tubing for guide placement because I tend to move them around so much to get a nice flow. Now when I am getting ready to order up components, I order extra guides, 1 or 2 extra of the smallest guides, and a fly guide for right before the choke guide and a regular height for before the choke. This was I have extra guides to play with if needed. I can always do another order and get more guides, but having spares on hand is nice! It costs a little more, but I have more leeway in getting a better curve and static testing.

Good luck!!

I built a 7' P8400 GLX using a Schimano Sustain with a 44.4MM spool face using the following spacings for 6 guides plus tip top.

1. 1st guide from tip 127MM 8MM guide
2. 2nd to 1st 146MM 8MM guide
3. 2nd to 3rd 178MM 10mm Guide
4. 3rd to 4th 203MM 12MM guide
5. 4th to 5th 267MM 16MM guide
6. 5th to 6th 330MM 25MM guide
7. 6th to lip of spool 578MM 44.4MM spool

This rod is a joy to fish with and I am able to use 6lb to 12lb test line with no problems.