Building a 9 wt fly rod... What sized running guides and top should I be considering? (I'm a relative newb with fly rods.) My last couple (2 wt & 4 wt) were built with ceramic single footed guides... not sure if I want to go ceramic or something like a single footed recoil guide on this one... if you have a strong preference either way, I'd like to hear about it. I'm open to anything that makes sense.

Thanks!

I use ceramics. The smallest guide that will pass your required line and associated connections will be the proper size. Hard to say what that will be - depends on what you're using. I end up with 8's on most of mine. You may be able to go smaller, or might have to go larger. Again, it depends on what type line system you're using.

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I agree with Tom on the guide sizes. Eights should be fine. I built an Allstar 9 wt. with ceramics and had an old feller (Lefty Kreh vintage) who is a certified instructor cast my rod. He cast the whole line with it.

Keith,
I am partial to the REC s/f recoils and I would use #3's unless you are going to overline the rod. Some #9's can be overlined 2 sizes. So if you will go as high as an 11wt line on the rod I would go with #4's.

I personally think that the ceramics overload the rod. I have installed them (temp.) on rods from 9' to 11' and 9wt to 12wt and compared. I have always gone back to the recoils. So if you decide you want the ceramics I have a lot of Fuji titanium framed single foot and double foot strippers with SiC rings to sell 20% off.
Herb

Eights may be too large but they won't be too small in most cases. So they're a safe bet if you are not sure what line set up you plan to use. A 9wt is stout enough to carry eights without bothering much of anything.

Thanks for the replies... I had 7 and 8 on my mind but having always use rods with snakes, I realized that a snake would pass a much larger knot since it had an "open bottom" and I didn't know if that was a consideration on size of a closed loop guide. I'll double check my knot connections when I get started.

Thanks again,

Keith

Bill,
I would love to agree with you because the Ti SiC are great looking, are silent casting and stripping - and I have a bunch of them.
You are correct that the the blanks from 8 and up can handle the ceramics. But at what cost?? Some #8's can handle two line up -but again at what cost??
I have test casted Ti SiC vs the REC recoils on the same blank and there is no question that the blank feels different - lugging all that weight around affects (impairs) the ability of the blank to rebound.

At least you have to give me that if a blank can handle 3 line sizes - by using ceramics you are sacrificing the upper limit of the blank.

Depends on the feel you like / expect from a blank.
Herb



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2009 04:00PM by Herb Ladenheim.