Just use single foot wire guides and one #8 single foot stripper guide. If this system will work with 1-5 weight rods then it will definitely work with an 8. Your guides weigh very little and the thread as well for that matter, if you make your wraps as short as possible to cover the guides, the finish can add considerable weight if you put it on too thick, but again, just use PG or varnish and that won't be an issue either. I would not be afraid to go 1 guide under the 1 per foot rule because fenwick and pflueger at least did it at one time, I have two 9 foot factory fly rods that each have 8 guides plus the tip, I believe the pflueger has 7 but would have to check again.

Thanks for the clarification Tom, I was testing the ERN on a rod the other day but did it with the tip attached so I would have something to tie off too, I was thinking this would be a little more accurate figure due to the fact that it would be there when the rod is used. I didn't know if that was right or wrong.

Guides, used in reasonable numbers and sizes, won't affect the ERN much, but they will affect it. This speaks to the great resolution of the system that can measure even these small differences.

I'd have to go back and look, but I've recorded many blanks and the finished rods built on them and the ERN usually drops by a slight amount, about .2 ERN at the very most on fly rods.

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I do believe that 00 tread and 2 coats of lite coat finish will waigh les than a glob of glue.