What are the best guides for a 9 ft 7wt St Croix SC5 blank. I am asking for the best entirely based on performance {sensitivity} not aesthetics. This rod will be used primarily for Steelhead fishing in the Erie Tributaries , and the sping Striper run in the Roanoke river in North Carolina. In the customers words he wants to be able to {feel the fish sneeze}

Thanks
Keith Lovegrove

I could be 100% wrong but I don't THINK that the guide type plays much, if any, part in sensitivity although weight would affect it, so I would use the lightest guides.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2008 01:13AM by Mike Barkley.

Make it as light as possible, all the way around. Use single foot guides (half the thread and finish of traditional snakes). If it's a rod that he will use a lot, for the running guides, go with titanium frame, ceramic rings (zirconia or SiC) in the smallest size that will pass his connections (probably 5's or 6's). For the stripper, a higher frame size 12 or 16, again, in titanium, with Zirconia or Silicone Carbide ring. Here I would use a double foot guide, as the single foot strippers get bent a lot. The ceramic rings will be more gentle on the fly line than wire guides. For the reel seat, go all aluminum or aluminum skeleton with a graphite insert. Make the wraps only as long as they need to be to hold the guide feet. Don't wrap the ferrules (although, this looks "unfinished" to most folks, myself included). Use no CP, and finish the threads with 3 coats of Perma Gloss. The key to sensitivity is to make the rod as light as possible. The only extra weight that I would allow, would be for a tamer guide (maybe a size 10 or 8 or even 6), 4 inches past the stripper, but test it first to make sure that it gives you extra distance. If not, then ditch the tamer. If you are going to go through all of this to save weight on the rod, make sure that he buys the lightest reel that will do the job.
Almost forgot the tip...here you may have to search a bit, as many manufacturers haven't released tip tops to match the rest of their lightweit guides.
Have fun!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2008 01:43AM by George Forster.

I'd also buy a light reel just as George mentioned, but would advise buying a large diameter reel (arbor size doesn't matter). Just make sure that the reel has a large enough overall diameter so he has a good retrieve ratio.

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

I would wrap the ferrules. You don,t want them to split on a crazzy running fish. More protection. SC5 will be a thinner walled blank.

Hi Keith,

Yet another chance for a shameless product plug (I am not tooooo proud). I just came back from the Fishing Tackle Retailer Show in Denver where our Ringlock guides were the biggest component draw we've ever seen. I was super excited to have so many manufacturers that either use or will use these guides come by the booth just to say "these are the best guides yet". In fact many of the designers requested sample sets that are all ceramics. I am sure they will find performance improvements over the all snake guide sets, however I doubt that type of guide train will make it on mainstream rods. Not traditional...

If you go with an insert guide option look at our Titan Ringlock series, there is no better guide made. Performance oriented, they are ideally suited for someone that wants to go a step above the usual.

Their solid titanium frames feature:

- Extreme light physical weight
- Smaller foot print (with slightly arrow shaped short feet)
- Flexible corrosion proof frame without finish
- Thin yet durable Nanolite rings (don't bother with SiC, that material is a waste of money that buys you nothing more)
- Stripper guides with a recessed ring & split front leg

If not for this customer, I hope you try them on a future project.

Best Regards,

Darrin Heim
American Tackle Company

REC Recoils rom strippers to running guides to tip-top.
Herb

Unwrapped ferrules on that SCV will bust out..... just ask me. The sound of it cracking will scare the @#&*! out of you too. Later, E...