i am wrapping a sage 9'-6" 7wt 4 pc. fly rod blank for a buddy. it's been sitting in my closet for ages and i want to work on it tonight. i'm looking at the guides that were purchased for it (i'm forgetting if i bought them or he did at this stage) and i have two strippers, what appears to be a 12 and 10, both fuji SIC. it's been awhile since i've wrapped a rod but the last two 7wts i wrapped for myself i moved to a size 16 for the larger of two strippers. this size 12 looks a bit small in comparison to what i've been using.

i have a pac bay DPL in titanium finish in a size 16. it matches the SIC in finish color and the zirconium ring closely matches and should be just fine performance-wise. he will be fishing for steelhead in northern california rivers. knowing him he wouldn't mind the switch (i would explain the switch beforehand). what are the performance pros and cons between using a size 12 and a size 16 as the base (closest to grip) stripper guide? he doesn't fish the salt and even if he did, he has a bevy of rods in his quiver as options. basically i just want to finish this out for him and get it in his hands for a trip next weekend so ordering a 16 fuji isn't something i want to do right now.

thanks for any suggestions and feedback.

eric
fresno, ca.

The only way you're going to know if one works better than the other on that rod, with that line, is to try them both and see.

Either will work. The 16 may not add anything extra. Again, you'll have to try it to know for sure.

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

I use a 16 stripper on 7 weight and up but it is because of the perceived need, and the looks. I have never done any casting tests but I bet the 12 will work fine.

thanks guys. and thanks for addressing a post which may have veered towards wishy washy. i think i'll go with the 16. sage lists it as what they use and my buddy likes things conventional in most ways. i just removed the smaller stripper and have started doing both in the same style, using the same matching pac bay guides after getting the go-ahead from the buddy. wish me luck, gold thread on a very dark blank has shown bad wrapping/packing/burnishing in the past.

eric
fresno, ca.

I always go with a 16 on any of the rods I build that are 7wt or heavier.

Ron Weber