I just got done building my first rod which was a heavy duty 10' shark rod. I put the guides on in a slow spiral wrap pattern and noticed that the tip guide is not really made for this configuration. I'm using Batson SU guides but I doubt that matters. The guides below the tip are angled at 90 degrees to the rod but the tip guide is at a different angle, closer to around 45 or so. This angle becomes reversed when you fish with a spiral wrap configuration. I'm concerned that it will put more friction on the line because instead of the guide angle being roughly the same as the angle of the line coming out of the rod when fishing it is reversed. Also there is an extended piece of metal forming a small rectangle surrounding the top of the tip guide, which when fished conventionally would clear the line. Is this something to be concerned with or will it fish fine?



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2011 02:01PM by Dan Nico.

Dan,

It will fish just fine. The angle difference wll not matter at all. All the pressure is being put on the ceramic ring and the slight difference in angle will not cause any issues at all.

Tight lines,

John

I think you are raising issues that are simply not there if you use the simple spiral method as that method loads all the guides optimally. All the guides, including the tiptop, but excluding the rear two, are at 180 and basically load like a spinning rod. The first guide is at 0 degrees, right on top, and loads right through its foot directly, so no twisting loads. The second guide is at 90 degrees and also loads right through its foot withi no twisting loads. I think that slow spirals might make sense with lightly loaded rods but think the simple spiral really shines with heavy duty rods where the guide loads can be very high.

Regarding the comment about angle differences not mattering, even though the load is initially taken by the ring, the guide's attachment to the rod is where the load is transferred to the rod, and off-alignment loads will impart a twisting force to the guide frame and foot. Think of the ring as a free body. What forces do you have to put on it to keep it from moving from the force of the line? Then think of how those forces would be transmitted by the guide frame to the ring. Unless the line is loading that ring at 90 or 180 degrees, there will be twisting on the frame. The guides are most capable of resisting forces when that force is directly into the foot (conventional on top for casting) or directly away from the foot (spinning typical).

Having said all that, the guides you choose and your wrappings may be capable of transmitting the forces to the rings to keep the ring from moving regardless of the angle of loading, but their capability is highest at 90 and 180 loading, like conventional or simple spiral.

Another way to think of it is: What do you do when removing a guide from a rod? The last force you apply on it? You don't pull it away from the rod, and you don't push it into the rod. You twist it to break the partially cut wrapping free.

I hope I have helped and not confused.