Sorry if this was answered yesterday but my post was deleted. I am working on my forth build and I have not bin completely satisfied with my guide spacing on any of my builds. This rod I will be selling to a friend and I want it to preform as close to perfect as passable. The rod is 8' MODFAST 20-50 lb. The spacing I have now starting at the tip is 5" - 5 4/8" - 5 5/8" - 6 1/16" - 6 5/16" - 8 3/16" - 9 13/16" - 11" The butt guide is 24" from the mid point of the reel seat. I don't have any problems with the line touching or dropping below the blank when almost fully loaded but its close to touching and the line straitens out between the third and forth guides down from the tip. For reasons I don't want to explain again I do not want to add a 9th guide. Would I be ok moving the butt guide up a few more inches to bring everything closer together where I need it or should I move the guides near the tip down to bring the problem guides closer together ? I hope this makes sense and sorry if my terminology is incorrect Im still new to this and not real sure how to explain things properly. I was also wounding if a stripper guide is the correct term for a butt guide or is a stripper guide the name used for the first guide on a fly rod or all rods? Also whats the correct name for all the guides from the butt to the tip?

Bill,

I saw your original post, but didn't get to follow the thread. It looks like you've added a guide since then.

Here is how I do my static testing, and it might help you out a bit. I tie a weight directly to the tip top. Then I run the line from the reel through all of the guides in my set (without the guides mounted to the rod), through the tip top, and tie the line to a small weight to put some tension on the line. Next, I begin applying load to the blank and work from the tip top. I place the first guide with very little load on the blank, keeping the relationship between the line and the blank that I want through out the rod. I apply a little more load to the blank, and place the second guide the same way. Continue all the way to the butt (Note: if you use a lot of guide sizes the relationship between the line and blank will change a bit according to the height of the guides. I prefer using as many of the smallest guide I can with only one or two larger sizes when guides are on top.) Once I get to the butt guide, I place it accordingly, make sure that it satisfies any fore grip clearance requirements, etc.

Finally, if I haven't reached my max load for the rod, I'll load it up now, make any adjustments needed. Then check the guides with a few intermediate loads to make sure nothing looks horribly wrong. Finally its off to test cast and wrap. I've found that by working from the tip back and concentrating on each pair of guides individually, I get better more consistent results with my static test. However, if the test tells me I need more guides to get the job done, then I add them in as needed.

Joe

Bill,
With a rod of that size and weight you could likely have the butt guide at 30 inches if you wanted.

Be safe
REW

Bill one thing to consider is that as you load the rod heavier, the bend shifts down the blank from the tip area to the midsection. Comparatively speaking, the force on the mid section guides goes up and the force on tip section guides goes down as the tip section starts to straighten out under increasing load. Because of this, you may be able to spread out the first few guides a bit more than what you currently have helping with your problem in the midsection.

Bill,
You might try this

Distance from tip
5.2 ; 10.9 ; 17.1 ; 23.9 ; 31.2 ; 39.3 ; 48.1 ; 57.6



Eugene Moore



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2013 08:07PM by Eugene Moore.

The butt guide is put on at proper height and location as to keep the line off the hand holding the foregrip moving it father away may have the line hitting the hand holding the rod forgrip
carefull there
8 ' rod - guides on top casting conventional Sounds like you can use another guide

Also check into a Spiral wrap Rod does not twist - easier to fish the reel stays on top of the rod
Plus less guides needed

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2013 06:40PM by bill boettcher.

Thanks for all the good info.