I know there have some rules of thumb for how many guides a rod needs. The last one seemed to be one guide per foot of rod length, plus one, plus a tip top. I know this is still good for many rods but wonder if anyone has devised a newer rule for using when the micro guides are used on a casting rod. I know the height varies but being so small any differences in this company's #3 and that company's #3 is not much. Is there decent rule of thumb to fall on to get things just about right when using them. Two per foot, one and a half per foot, or something like that?

Your best bet is to get extra guides and do a static load test. The remaining guides, if any, can be used on the next build.

Then go outside and test cast the rod try less test again add and test again
Some times less is more

Bill - willierods.com

I went and counted my rods with the smallest guides and they seem to fall in around 1.75 guides per foot of overall length. You can round up or down depending how you feel about it. Not sure where other's will come in but that might be a good number to start with when first setting up.

Mark,

While certainly not set in stone, many of the rods I build with micro guides typically end up with the length in feet plus two guides. However, on some rods you'll use L in feet plus one, and other rods may take an extra guide or two if they are very limber in the upper half of the rod. The static test will help with this determination.

Joe

I think it totally depends on the blank characteristics and the fish you target.

Some fish ultra fast action rods that are going to need a lot of guides no matter how you slice it. Some fish for fast, hard running fish, where any contact between line and blank could be catastrophic.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Nothing is written in stone

If you want find a well known company and just use there sizes and spacing

Bill - willierods.com

Russell,
Right on. I also think that for this type rod, where hard fast running fish are consistently being caught, that it is likely that micro guides are really not the best guide to use on the rod.

If you have to use a guide every 2 or 3 inches to keep it clear from the blank, compared to using a taller guide of 4-5 inches, it just seems counter productive to put that many guide on a rod, no matter the size.

But, of course, everyone has their own opinion.

As Mr. Kirkman has said many many times, use the guide style, height and number of guides that make sense for the rod blank the power of the rods, and the fish being caught.

Good luck