Friend bought a CTS blank for a float rod build and gave it to me to work on. He added about a 8 inch extention so now this rod from butt to tip is about 14'2" I have 13- 14 Pac Bay Minima guides I have ready to go with this pole

It is a three piece rod and I am just not sure where to start with guide placements. This is the longest pole I have ever built to date.

Any suggestions would be appreciated to help get me started. I can then do a static test and make the minor adjustment that might be needed from any measurements I get from this forum.

Again three piece, 14'2" float rod 4-8lb rating. 13 to 14 guide placements.

thanks

Steve Lynas

Steve,
Is this going to be built as a spinning or as a casting rod.

In either case, I would start with the first guide at about 30 inches from the reel and go from there.

Simply put, place a guide anywhere you need to direct line or to keep the line following the shape of the loaded blank.

It is not at all difficult and you don't need to spend a lot of time on it.

Obviously have the guides closer together when the blank is thinner and further apart when the blank is larger and more robust.

With multiple piece rods, I try to make a point of having one guide fairly close to each joint if possible. If the guide arrangement allows for the placement of a guide that is fairly close to the joint, it makes the multi piece rod easier to align when you are putting it together.

Also, when I build multi piece rods, I basically treat each section of the rod as a separate rod with respect to determining the straightest axis. i.e. I mark each section of the rod separately with respect to the side of the blank section on which I am going to place the guides.

If this is a spinning rod with a moderate action blank, the use of 13 to 14 guides would be about right. On the other hand, if this blank is a fast or extra fast rod blank, you may need to add several guides near the tip to allow nice line action and good blank loading of the rod.

Good luck
Roger

There are several articals on the library page upper right that should help a lot

Bill - willierods.com

Steve, I built a float rod on a spey blank last year and spoke with Greg Holloway of Hopkins & Holloway in the UK and per his directions set the stripper guide at 32 inches from the reel stem. The rod casts nicely. The stripper guide is also a 10 ring match guide. Seems small but works well with 4-6lb mono. Haven't tried it with braid yet.

Is the rod going to be used with a center pin reel? . Start from the tip of the rod and work down . Start at 3" to 3 1/2" from the tip to the first guide and then add 1" to each guide. EG 3.5 , 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, and so forth. From there a little static testing should work out for you. If you are going to be fishing in icey wheather then you may want to up size your guides on the tip to an 8. .

Rolly Beenen
Rovic Custom Rods

Thanks Gents

It is going to be used with a centre pin reel. Keeping the guides (if possible) close to the joint for ease of alignment does make some sense.

I have purchased #8 tip top ring size so that fits your opinion, but I am afraid the stripper guide I went for was a 25. They go down from there til I get to #8 ring size which they stay til (7 qty) til the end.

Steve

Steve Lynas

Tip 3 1/2 7 1/2 12 17 3/4 23 3/4 31 1/2 40 49 3/4 61 1/4 73 5/8 87 5/8 104 1/2 123 1/2 This is for the !3' 6'' CTS Affinity float blank rated 4-8 lbs. Fished with a centre pin reel. I went with Fuji guides size 20j 16j 12j 10j 8j 8j 8j 8lj 8lj 7j 7j 7j 7j 7j I fish it all winter. The difference between the size 7's and the 8's is relatively no different if guide icing is the concern. I have built a few with this configuration. I got it from the CTS supplier in Canada who is also a builder. There is a twelve guide set up as well