Am getting ready to build my first fly rod and have a few questions that need answers.

Rod blank is a 6wt, 8'6" 2 piece blank

I'm thinking of using size 12 stripping guide, 4,4,4,4,3,3,3,3, tip Does this sound about right? If not...any specific formula i need to adhere to when sizing fly guides?

Pros/cons of using single foot fly guides vs. the double foot snake style?

Will only certain reel seats accept a fighting butt?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks

Single foot equal one half the number of wraps, obviously less time wrapping and less weight. With the use of the Forhan locking wrap they are just as secure.

Your size selection is OK, but you can go 12, 4 and 3's all the rest of the way.

Some reel seats are made to accept the fighting butt, all can be adapted, but in many cases it requires "jury rigging."

Guides seem about right to me. I've built several in both single and double foot. I tend to build the smaller (3, 4, 5wt) rods with singles and the bigger with doubles but I don't do it for performance. It's more about appearance. People will tell you that the single foot guides result in less weight on the rod and it is hard to argue that. However at the end of the day I don't think one casts better than the other. If it made that big a difference the high end rod manufactures would all be doing it and they are not (some do, most don't). A fighting butt can be used with any uplocking reel seat. Not sure about downlocking.. I put them on almost all of my rods even the 4 weights. It helps keep the reel out of the dirt and makes it easier to use a rod holder on a kick boat.

Have fun and don't be afraid to try new things. You can find some really cheap fly blanks out there. Use them to learn on. I still some of my early builds even though they are not much to look at. I lend them out to friends to learn on. Who cares if they get broken.

Quinn

If you're going to drop down to size 3's, why use all those 4's? They just add extra weight and upset the intended straight line path. Use the stripping guide, one #4 and then all the rest #3's. Your rod's performance will thank you for it.

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

Just a thought.
If you mean Romoveable fighting butt, they are generally made for larger fly reel seats, like Batson RA8L2.
A fixed fighting butt can usually be slightly modified to fit up against most any fly reel seat.

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

On a 6 wt ??? maybe just an end made out of cork 1 1/2 - 2"

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2011 01:14PM by bill boettcher.

Take a look at the Strubel fly reel seats. They have removable fighting butts for most of their reel seats as an addition. The last couple of fly rods I have built I have used both the Snake Brand snake guides, or the Hopkins & Holloway single foot guides. The Snake Brand guides take little or no guide foot prep. I actually prefer the H&H single foot guides.

Mike Bradfrod
R.M.B. Fishing Rods
Nampa, Idaho

Jesster,
You should be capable of using #2's on a 6 weight and saving some more weight.
9 guides
(4) #2's
(2) #3's
(1) #4
#10 Alox
#12 Alox


Just my opinion

Eugene Moore