I'm building an extremely light weight MHX 3 piece 7 ft 3 wt fly rod. Mostly going after native trout in the mtns. of NC. I'm using cork for a slip ring reel seat. Thinking about a carbon fiber grip and micro guides. I understand Mr. Kirkman has been using Pac Bay minima4 micro guides. Just wondering which catalog number? I'm assuming these aren't the new Pac Bay Minima fly guides. Should I use these new fly guides?

Why not use the REC light wire single foots? I believe they are the RSF guides. They would be perfect for this light of a rod, and weigh almost nothing.

Disclaimer, I have used them only once, but they are nicely made and super light. Plus, they cannot rust, are damage resistant, etc. I was favorably impressed and will use them again.


Drew

If you want chrome it is xf4xg-04

Drew, I should have been a little more informative. Every fly rod build to date save for one no name blank, I have built with either RSF or RSFX REC guides. This is my personal rod and I would like to explore micros so I could recommend them on future builds. It's always nice to have a rod handy for someone to cast. I am a huge REC fan myself. However at .68 per guide compared to 3.00 for the REC, this would help any budget build. And if performance was close, why not?

I think it's important to not refer to these guides as micro guides. A true "Micro" guide wouldn't work on a fly rod due to the size of the connections. Be it loop to loop, or nail type knots. They are just too big to go through a "micro" guide. The XF4XG-04 is a very good guide for light fly rods but a micro it is not. I use either Minima 4's or REC for all fly rod builds. One thing I like about the Minima guides over the REC, besides price, is the TV series guides. The TV guides give you additional height in the stripper guide without having to go to larger ring size. I wish REC had higher frame stripper guide option.

the minima guides are great on fly..you could go probably to size 4's depending on your knot/leader system...i have gone to using them on all of my personal rods..go with a carbon grip and no insert or a light insert and it will be a very light build

Sorry for the confusion by micro I just meant Pac Bay Minimas. Has anyone tried their Minima fly guides?

If you're referring to the low frame single foot models, I think that's what everyone here is talking about.

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Thanks for clearing that up Tom. Are those the guides you were posting about using on all your present fly rod builds?

Yes.

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Yes.

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If anyone is looking to try the minima 4 fly guides we have plenty in stock sizes 4 thru 10 in the fly guides.

Karen
Bingham Enterprises

I've built a couple very light weight, 2 wt., 4 piece pack rods, for the exact same purpose, here in the mountains of VA last year.
A few things considered by me were.
a. The 2wt blanks available for the more reasonable price, could also handle 3wt line easily, so I stayed with 2wt.
b. Natives normally call for shorter, delicately placed casts. I stayed with light wire, but heavier guides might actually slow down the action and improve that type of cast, depending on the blank used.
c. Fly line is fat and soft, mono is skinny and hard...probably no advantage gained by going micro. (increased surface contact = drag)

But, hey...your making finesse casts to brookies and backcasts to bushes...so I don't think you can go wrong either way.

Just things to consider. By the way...The Batson RX6 6'6" happened to respond very nicely from close in, out to 50 feet or so with the Orvis Superfine (shorter head). I was so impressed I'm trying to find time to build one for myself. We still have some beautiful Brookie water left up here too.

Hope it turns out great Dean