Well I wandered into Feather-craft again today for a shirt and took a closer but quick look at some of the TFO fly rods in the 9 to 12 weight class and I was surprised if not somewhat shocked at the large double foot strippers on these rods. I think one 12 wt had double foot ceramics all the way up the rod. Using my fingernail to measure the ID of a stripper at about 14 to 15 MM. The tip tops are comparatively huge as well. I thought I used large tip tops. I saw a split grip fly rod which I thought was also interesting. When I asked about the guide size I was told that Lefty likes big guides. It seems like everyone on the phorum would prefer much smaller guides. Even some of the Sage rods seemed to have big strippers. I guess to each his own but the size just seems excessive. I have fished a 10 ft TFO last year and enjoyed it but I had a more traditional look.

It's a means of making them stand out - something different.

Lefty may like large guides, I prefer proper sized guides, whatever size that may happen to be.

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The basic concept is to go as small as you can - as long as your knots pass.

Bill - willierods.com

Ever go to the Feather-Craft expos. I'm just out in Union.
Don't you just love walking around ? My first choice if my kids need to send me a gift certificate.
Great fly tying tackle shop.

I knew Ed Story of Feather-Craft well and he always took time to help me and my partner when we were just starting out in business. I was deeply saddened by his resent passing. We had many discussions about the tackle industry over the years, from flys to rods.

This issue of guide size for 12wt and above fly rods comes up rather frequently and most everyone has their own opinion on what the the correct size should be. If you happen to be a traditionalist then smaller is better. If a progressionalist larger guides are the prefered choice. Most of the inshore and trout fishermen I have known are traditionalist and they are put off by anything that they deem odd or seems to be out of place when it comes to big game fly rod design. These are the same people that laugh at a casting rod built with a spirial wrapped set of guides.
The new age or progressionalist big game fly rod builder tries to take the art of big game fly rod design to the next level and not depend so much on what others in the industry are doing for the traditionalist. At last years Expo Tom Kirkman said of one of our 16 weights "it's over built". In my way of thinking being over built is what I'm looking for in a big game fly rod design because of the abuse they take.

Michael A Taylor
www.bluewaterflytackle.net

I don't remember saying that, but I do remember telling people quite often that using the proper size guides is the best thing you can do. Why use guides that are too small or too large? Use whatever size is optimum for the particular rod. You can't do any better than that.

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