This may sound weird but I am going to build a switchable Fly/Spinning rod for myself (MHX 4wt 4pc) and am curious if their would be any advantage (or disadvantage) to using Microwave guides. It will more than likely see more use in spinning configuration. If nothing else, it will sure get a lot of strange looks LOL!
Any thoughts??

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

lol hey mike long time no talk! :)

i just put some on a 7' 6 spinning rod and they are feeling pretty nice and light wonder what would happen if i put my fly reel on and tried it haha but i guess fly line would have little effect with the guides? not sure i never really bothered to look at the fly line going through the guides when i cast lol

No reason why you can't. The microwave already contains the line taming guide. Should work great!

Send some pics when you are done Mike.

Terry

As long as the fly line loops and knots go though the guides

What about Minima 4s - not 3s

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2013 05:55AM by bill boettcher.

I would think it would work great, but would sure like larger running guides than what comes with the microwave. IMHO

make up your own set up

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Bill - willierods.com

As pointed out the only issue I see, is if the Microwave set will pass the knots for the fly line.

Chris Richer
Iroquois ON

If you are using a 4wt line there should be no issues with passing the connections.

Regards,
Todd Vivian
Mud Hole Custom Tackle

todd@mudhole.com

Mike,
You could do that - but WHY?

Roger, Why Not??? I feel that the Microwave system is an all around superior system for spinning rods but don't know a lot about fly rods.
Chris, Michael and Bill What do you think about using Minima 5 or 6's for running guides??

Chris, this is all your fault LOL! I fwll in love with that spin/fly rod you had at the Michigan Roundup

Thanks for the comments/suggestions

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

The microwaves work fantastic on a fly line. Added 20 ft to my cast

The microwaves work fantastic on a fly line. Added 20 ft to my cast

Roger, fly blanks built as spinning rods have some definite niches: 1-3 wts are great ultra light rods, much more comfortable to cast than the 5-6 foot ones that are traditional, forgiving on crappie lips, and they set the hook better due to their length, wonderful with small cranks. 4-6 wts work well with the lures up to about 1/4 oz. I built a 6 into a travel spin rod for very light jigs on braid, worked great for the smaller fish common along the rocks (salt water) where the surf breaks over and creates a "channel." It also would allow for good bonefishing with jigsin deeper bone habitats when the wind comes up and one has trouble fly casting in the wind.

Most people, IMHO, have been oversold on "fast."

I think I used Minima 3s in size 5 on that rod. I will check when I get home. I just wish the owner hadn't blown that rod up in two places!!

Chris Richer
Iroquois ON

Chris,
Look at it this way;
The rod died,doing what it was supposed to be doing!!

Nope. A bubba hookset on a 20# river salmon is not its intended use. The rod is build on a 7.5" 5 piece 4 wt blank. It broke at the tip of the butt and the tip of the 3rd section. Looks like clean edges, no tearing of fibres.

Chris Richer
Iroquois ON

Mike, I really know nothing about using the small guides on a fly rod since mine were fly blanks built to spin fish, and I'm not a fly expert. Having said that, all you need do, I believe, is to make sure your connections go cleanly through the guides. That means any kind of line to leader knot, but more importantly, any kind of line to backing knot that you will use. The leader knot can be carefully fed, but not so the backing knot. I believe the smallest knot that works well for fly line to backing is the Albright, only two thicknesses of the thicker line, unlike many other knots that have as many as five layers of the thick line. I would think that 6's would be plenty big enough. I think I have 6's on my eight weight fly rod. Isn't that second guide a 5.5? That might need some special attention, maybe another guide of same height but same diameter as the running guides that you find work ok. If 5.5's work ok, and the second guide is a 5.5, I think you're done.

I'll probably kick over another bee hive, but fish don't break rods, fishermen break rods. If the rod is pointing generally at the fish, it won't break.

Grant. You used microwave guides on a fly rod?

George Greensboro, N.C.

Hi Mike,
I would be curious to know how this works out using the microwave guides.

George Greensboro, N.C.

the minima 3's that I used for the running guides have a 5.2 mm inside diameter. they are more than large enough for a 5wt fly line with loop connectors.

Chris Richer
Iroquois ON