I have noticed that on some surf rods the first guide (the one closest to the reel) is turned around backwards. What is the purpose for this?

Novelty, really. The line doesn't really care about anything other than the ring.

However, some have stated that with certain reels and lines the line tends to hit the frame unless the guide is turned so the flat side of the frame faces the reel. I haven't run into this personally, but I'll assume it has happened to somebody.

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May be Lowriders. The first guide is 47.25 inches from reel and is installed backwards. C2

Charlie Smoote Wrote:
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> May be Lowriders. The first guide is 47.25 inches
> from reel and is installed backwards. C2


Thats what I was thinking also, Ive done it on lowriders and there is a difference with them, but havent done it on any other type guide. I have several friends who do it that way on theirs but I have never myself

Its not reversed, that is the correct orientation :-)

Braid coming off the spool at high velocity tends to overtake the guide frame and wrap around it. the sloping legs of the guide act as a line guide. This is clearly visible with videos taken at high fps. This issue can happen towards the stripper end of the guide layout of near the choke area.

St Croix just adapted this on their new surf rod. I asked the rep why and he replied as above - because of braid bunching. He also mentioned that this configuration was not good with mono, therefore you are restricted to braid only with this. He also said that in their test the gain in distance, with braid, was very noticeable.

This is photographic proof that many lines do not behave in straight line movement.

In the world of bass fishing on bait casting rods it is called wind knots -

Upstream frames can impede line flow

[www.rodbuilding.org]

The frames in that photo are having no effect on anything, other than holding the rings. If your line is hitting the frame, you have the guide in the wrong location.

I realize that with the low riders and braid, you have a different scenario.

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The guide in the photo is flipped upside down already, I'm not saying that upside down is correct, but it is already that way in the photo. I personally only flip the lowriders.

Bill:
In that photo if the first guide was smaller and maybe higher, would it not tend to strighten out those pig tails.

Bill - willierods.com

The stripper guide is reversed to allow for the braid to slide off the guide if wraps around it during a cast with a spinning reel (akin to low rider guide). This has been used for a lot of dual purpose rods (at least some of the ones I have seen built on the Outer Banks). I have done it a couple rods that I built which are designed as conventionals but where I might want to use a spinning reel in a pinch. .For example, I have a WRI 1143 that I use primarily to cast metal with and for that purpose, I much prefer a conventional reel but there could be occasional times when might want to cast a floating plug under windy conditions and for that a spinning reel with braid might work better. Tom

On a casting reel the line comes off the reel in a straight line --- on a spinning reel, it comes of with - pig tails - There is a difference !! The first guide is to - straighten out the line. The whole system was made for Spinning Reels. casting and fly reels are very different animal.

Bill - willierods.com