Has anyone ever made ring guides, particularly choker guides, in any shape but a perfect circle? Gravity has to deform the parting loops of line into something other than a perfect circle.

Most likely what you're not looking for, but to answer the question of "Has anyone ever made ring guides, particularly choker guides, in any shape but a perfect circle?"...the answer is YES

[www.mudhole.com]

I believe Kigan also offers a guide similar to the Fuji guides

Not sure what brand they were, but my father in law had a spinning rod built one time that had different shaped guides. Wasn't an oval, more of a round pointed pentagon shape if that makes since. He loved them and said they helped cast further. He cut those guides of several times and had them put on other rods. Personally I don't think they added any casting distance, think it was a mental thing as those guides were way different than anything else he had. He really liked them. I've looked over the years at various sites, but have not seen anything that resembles what he had.

Jay:

You are right! I should have qualified my question: Has anyone tried making a guide in a shape other than a perfect circle TO IMPROVE CASTING PERFORMANCE?

I believe that Kigan has some in a triangle shape. I don't know if it was done for casting performance of not though. You might ask Alex at Hydra as he is there rep.

Ken is partially correct and Thomas is completely correct.

We currently have a ceramic ring with a triangle insert. We had a big poster of it and a demo rod at the Expo. The guides are currently featured on Airrus Rods. The concept behind the ring is a reduction in friction and channeling of the line. We recommend the first two guides from the reel to have these rings. You will be hearing more about this in coming months.

We also have a heavy duty single foot guide with a triangle insert. This guide is more like a single foot but the ring is an oval triangle (rounded corners, larger opening at bottom, etc). This is being used by a couple OEMs as a stripper guide on casting rods.

Later today I will get some pictures of both up.

Good news - a lot has been done on the website and we're at a point we're purely loading all the data tables and charts... so all of this will be on our Hydra site very soon!

Hydra Fishing, LLC

Online: [www.hydrafishing.com]
Facebook: [www.facebook.com]
Email: info@hydrafishing.com

Allan Manufacturing used to make guides with an oval ring.

Here you go:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Hydra Fishing, LLC

Online: [www.hydrafishing.com]
Facebook: [www.facebook.com]
Email: info@hydrafishing.com