Im about ready to wrap my first simple spiral.Butt guide is a double 12.Bumper and 1st 180 were intended to be double 10s but after taping up and looking at it a #8 double with a low frame sure looks better for the bumper.My question is ,is it ok to use that smaller guide between a 12 and a 10?My 1st 180 is that double 10 followed by 2 single 8s and on out with single 7s.My fingers are too big and my eyes too little for them micros.It casts better than I hoped like this. Thanks SONNY

It will be fine. You might also try making the first 180 a size 8 or a size 7. It needn't be larger than the rest of the running guides.

Nor do you need to use 8's followed by 7's - just make them all the same size.

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Make them as small as you can. I screwed one up with big guides and I just couldn't get them out of my mind, looking at them all the time. I finally took 4 guides off and made them all 8's. Casts just as well and doesn't look goofy. I finally just fish with the rod rather than obsess over it.

What frame style is low but heavier than a BLNAG.That is what my doubles are but the frames look very flimsy.I may just change them all if I can find some I like better.Im using BLAGs for my singles and BLNAGs for the doubles.What about that 12 for butt,double foot 8s for bumper and 1st 180 and single 7s to the tip?Will those blag 7s be ok?This is a pretty serious catfish rig,bigger fish very likely.

If you're going to do that, dump the 8 on the first 180 and go right on to 7's. Unless the blank is a very large diameter and you need the larger ring to help keep the line from touching the blank, there is no reason to use so many sizes. It doesn't do anything for you.

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Just so I understand better, Bruce mentioned in the initial post that he was doing a simple spiral. If I understand the simple spiral correctly, there is no bumper guide, just a straight transition from 0 degrees to 180 degrees. Therefore there will always be line touching the blank between those two guides, even though it generally won't affect casting performance. If I'm wrong let me know

I'm doing my first simple spiral and I want to understand the process before I start attaching guides with epoxy. So far I've just got the micro guides taped to the blank to determine best performance.

Thanks,

Thanks,
Chad Huderle

Huderle Custom Rods
Prior Lake, MN



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2009 10:10AM by Chad Huderle.

The Simple Spiral wrap incorporates a "bumper guide" (this term came from the article which Bill Colby wrote) to keep the line from rubbing the blank. It is not essential nor is it a transition guide. It is not part of the regular spacing, but is an addition to it.

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Chad it goes 90-100 degrees halfway between butt guide and 1st 180 per the article in rodmaker.It suggestad if the rod flexed considerably down the blank into the butt to put it more toward 100 degrees.