I am almost ready to begin building a 2 weight fly rod. While I have built a few other rods for heavier lines, this is my first 2 weight. I have a Batson RX7 6' 6", 2 piece blank that I ordered along with single foot XTCFT guides from Utmost Enterprises. I wanted the TiCH guides because their gray color compliments the stealth color scheme I am going for. However, upon receive the components, the guides seem a bit on the heavy side in terms of their thickness relative to the blank I am building on. Although I am aware of some of the lighter snake guide options that are available for this application, are there any lighter single foot guide alternatives that come in a TiCH finish? Or would I be better off going with the REC recoil single foots even though they would have a silver/chrome appearance? Thanks for your help!

IMHO - The hard chrome on the single foot wire guides are what I would use. The hard chrome is the hardest material. The recoils may sing

need real light guides for some thing that light.

Bill - willierods.com

You may wish to look at SnakeBrand guides. They are available in black nickel and bronze finishes.

I use Fuji Alconite BLAG #6 blank single foot guides on my 6' 2wt rods. Don't know the weight comparison...but I didn't get any sense that they were too big...like you are saying.

I have used a St Croix 5 and 7 wt fly rods -- with single foot wire guides on them. Excellent casting rods.

What ever guides you use I would keep them single foot. If you put snacks on and have say 8 guides it IMHO is like having 16. An extra thread wrap and finish. Weight you don't need.

Bill - willierods.com

IMO Recoils are the way to go for the lightest mass guide. If you are concerned about noise use the heavy single foot Recoils. If you want the color scheme then you will have to live with heavier guides.

Peter,
It's very hard to find any guide lighter than a single loop of titanium wire.
If you want the best response stay with the light guide.

Eugene Moore

Single foot all the way! And for this rod, RECOILS all the way!

Ditto, of course, for the heavy wire REC s/f recoils.
Herb

I use the Batson SF light wire single foot guides almost exclusively on the small stuff and love 'em. Try LWHSFGP guides. As far as I know they only come in chrome. You can also use XTCSFGP single foot guides (also Batson/ALPS) if you want the TiCh color and they are very nice, although may be a tee-tiny bit heavier. I don't have the specs on that, it is just an assumption since the LW ones are specifically "light wire." If you have a Batson catalog they are on pg 30, or you can find it pretty easy on their web-site catalog. I do hear the REC recoils are very nice, but just haven't tried them yet, so I am not disagreeing with the above. Just giving you another alternative. I would definitely agree to stay away from snakes and go single foot however. I just built a 2wt wih snakes (at the customers request) and not only does it add weight, but all those wraps up at the tip where it is the size of a pencil lead are a serious pain.

Matt Smith
Greensboro, NC

Acid-Rod also has a new English wire guide. They are Seymo They have a step that brings the ring off the blank [] Just below the wire guide. The feet have to be cleaned up.

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2010 09:13PM by bill boettcher.

Yep those look nice too.

Matt Smith
Greensboro, NC



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2010 04:10PM by Matthew Smith.

Pac Bay Minimas size 4 are lighter than Fuji Alconites in a size 4, and will clear flyline/leader connections up to about a 7 wt. They come in TiCH, which is almost Black. This would definately be within a "stealth" color scheme.

The Minimas have a steel ring insert. So why not just use a steel wire guide and with a chrome coating - hard- I have not weighted them are probably lighter.

Looks or performance ?

Bill - willierods.com

TiCH IS harder than chrome.

What is the Victors hardness number on it. I thought chrome was ?

Bill - willierods.com

TiCH, like chrome, is merely a coating and after a (lengthy) period of time will wear at various points. The hardness is not really an issue when dealing with flylines, so virtually any material will suffice. I just know that he had mentioned "stealth" for color and suggested TiCH Pac Bay minimas since they are far better than a piece of bent wire for most applications (the only exception I can possibly think of is ice build up).

I just figured the harder the material -- the longer the ring will last Chrome is harder

Bill - willierods.com