is there any general guidelines to follow when selecting components and in particular reel seats and guides? as a beginner who recently ordered supplies/components for my first spinning rods, i found the selection of these parts difficult. ive read where one should match the size of the reel seat to the angler and do a static test with the guides taped on. but, i mail ordered these items and didnt have the option of doing these tests before i made my purchase. i basically guessed on the reel seat size and used the blank manufacturers guide size reccomendation's to select the guides. just wondering if there is any rough guidelines based on rod length, power, line and lure weight. the reel seat i chose was a 16mm for a 6' ML 6-12# fast action spinning rod. thanks, mark

Seat size is covered in-depth in RodMaker Volume 10 #3 in the article on ergonomics. There is a lot to consider, the angler's hand size of course, but also the type of reel used, casting, spinning, etc., because these rods are not held the same way.

Beyond that, your best bet in selecting components is to rely upon a good service oriented dealer who can advise you on the parts and pieces that are best suited to the rod you're building. Don't ever be shy about calling and requesting help - most are happy to provide that kind of service.

.............

It is definitely a learning process. Read, use advice from experienced builders (including your vendor), attend tradeshows whenever possible (Open Houses, ICRBE, West Coast Show, etc.) and eventually educated experimentation.

There is a CD available that would go a long way toward answering many of your questions. It isn't expensive at all and will save you a LOT of time upfront and down the road ... [www.rodmakermagazine.com].