Well I have several rods that I am getting ready to re-wrap and I am trying to figure out what the guide sizes are on the rods currently. I have used my digital caliper but none of the ID's seem to match up with what the published sizes are? Hoe do you determine the size on existing guides so that i can order new guides? Also I have two flyrods one a 9 wt. and the other a 10 wt. they both have the same number of guides and are 9 ft. each. They have 2 stripper guides and then the rest are snake guides. How the heck do you figure out what size the snake guides are? And if I wanted to change the snake guides to single foot guides do I pretty mcu stay with the same guide size arrangement? Another words it seems as though the snake guides are all pretty much the same size but I could be wrong, can I just use the same size single foots all the way to the tip top or should I stagger them progressively smaller? The 10 wt. has a Fuji 20 and 16 for the stripper guides and the rest are snakes. The Thomas and Thomas has smaller strippers I think possible a 16 and a 12 and then the same number of snakes. Thanks and sorry for all the questions but I am a little stumped as to what to order for the snakes and/or single foots.

Michael Mayo
Senior IT Support Engineer
Milford, CT.
"I work so I can Fish"

Well guide size is based on the OD of the insert or ID of the frame. You do not measure the ID of the insert. Everyone's inserts are a bit different.

You don't need more than 2, perhaps 3 guides sizes. Using multiples of every size only adds weight and creates a less straight line path. You can and certainly should use all the same size snake guides. Determine what is the smallest size that will pass your line and required connections and settle on that size for all your snakes.

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

Mike Sledden Wrote:
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> Well guide size is based on the OD of the insert
> or ID of the frame. You do not measure the ID of
> the insert. Everyone's inserts are a bit
> different.

Thanks Mike that is where I was making my mistake I thought it was the ID of the ring.

Michael Mayo
Senior IT Support Engineer
Milford, CT.
"I work so I can Fish"

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
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> You don't need more than 2, perhaps 3 guides
> sizes. Using multiples of every size only adds
> weight and creates a less straight line path. You
> can and certainly should use all the same size
> snake guides. Determine what is the smallest size
> that will pass your line and required connections
> and settle on that size for all your snakes.
>
> ...............

Thank you Tom that answers my other question!

Michael Mayo
Senior IT Support Engineer
Milford, CT.
"I work so I can Fish"

Tom,
Is there a way to measure the snake guides on the rod currently to determine the sizes? And is there any benefit to changing the snake guides to single foot guides instead of snake guides i.e. casting efficiency?

Michael Mayo
Senior IT Support Engineer
Milford, CT.
"I work so I can Fish"

Yes

Less thread wraps, less finish, more flex in the blank, better performance.

A blank works at it's best bare. When you put guides on you add weight, guides, thread, finish, the blank has to carry this weight slows it down.

Bill - willierods.com

If you can reduce weight then you've improved the rod. The smallest and lightest guides that will do the job you want done are what you want.

I doubt you'd seem much overall difference in simply changing from snake guides to single foot wire guides. The amount of metal is about the same although you do drop one guide wrap.

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

Michael
Do yourself a favor and pick up a full set of inexpensive alconite guides - ranging from size 6 to size 40.
Do the same thing for a set of stainless guides.

These guides will then give you a pretty good idea of guide size needed when matching guides to existing guides on a rod. Basically you have an outer diamter that is somewhat simiar to the stainless guides. Then you have the inner diameter which will be similar to the hardaloy guide set. I don't know that there is a real standard for guide sizes between manufacturers but these will give you a good starting point. It is often much easier to actually hold a guide up against another guide, than to use the caliper.
It is also easier to aproximate the look by comparing with an existing guide.

Roger

Michael,
There may be some difference from manufacturer to manufacturer, but this might help:
[www.batsonenterprises.com]

George Forster
Fort Collins, CO