Seeking help on types of guides and spacing. I'm using a 14 foot rain shadow spey rod, 4 section, 9/10 weight, med-fast tip, to build a center pin float rod for steelhead/salmon fishing I know this is a heavy rod and I'm still deciding whether I want to use the full 14 foot or cut it down to 13 foot. From other reports, I plan on using a size 8 tip followed by size 8 guides thru size 20. My question is what type of guides, single foot or double foot, casting or spinning , high or low profile guides are other builders using?
Thanks

There was an article in RodMaker a year or so back that covered all this. I don't have it in front of me now but perhaps somebody will chime in and help you out. I'll dig it out in the morning and see if I can give you any specifics.

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use RECOIL high to keep the line off the rod an the guides are a little flexable when the ice set in they will give some [ don't use the lows ]

William Sidney
AK

I built a float rod on a Batson 11'6" Spey blank and found that Batson's recommended guide spacing worked pretty well prior to static testing.

Are you fishing in Ice conditions?8's are too big in my opinion. I use the American Tackle A frame guides or the Titan guides for all my builds. 20,12,10,8,8,8, and then 7s all the way out. . You could start from the tip and go 3.5 ,4.5, 5.5 and just keep adding 1 inch to your spacing. Then static deflection.

Rolly Beenen
Rovic Custom Rods

Thanks all for your input
I've decided to cut it down to a 13 foot float rod to reduce the weight some. At 14 ft the butt is .640 and at 13 ft will be .560 . I will be using it in icing conditions, in the Great lakes, so that's the reason for 8 size guides. Some of the information I found is guide size : 1-20 , 1-16 ,1-12 , 2-10's , 7- 8's and an 8 size tip top.
Spacing from tip : 4 , 9 , 15 , 22 , 30 , 39 , 49 , 60 , 72 , 85 , 99.5 , 115.5 . I know these are just starting points and will be adjusted for final fit with static deflection on the rod. I have built several fly rods , but this will be my first center pin float rod. From pictures of rods I've seen it looks like most were built with single foot spinning guides. I'm trying to keep the cost down, so I've been looking at PacBay, Fuji and american tackle guides. Any recommendations there?
I know a 9/10 weight spey rod is probably overkill for steelhead or salmon, but I got the blank at a good price, so I'm starting from there. Last Fall I was on a guided steelhead trip on the Dowagiac river in Michigan and was using an Okuma Aventa float rod. Hooked a big steelhead and while trying to turn him, he literally snapped the rod right in half about 10 inches up from the top grip. I had never noticed any flaws in the rod. Not buying any more of those rods. I'll probably be buying most of the components from MudHole.
Thanks again for everyones input
Ron

Ronald
That blank will be over kill on GL salmon and trout.
I built one up to use on Tarpon and Sharks. ;)

A 6wt spey conversion works well out your way maybe 7wt if chasing chinny's but the 9/10 will make your arm fall off after a day on the water.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Dave
I know that you are right. When I put the 4 sections together, it is heavy and I know a 9/10 weight rod for steelhead is overkill. I'm thinking that if I just use 3 sections, that will give me a 10 1/2 foot rod, maybe down in the 7-8 wght range and maybe be more suitable to the smaller narrow streams in the GL region. I can always take the #4 heavy section and make a nice walking stick out of it.
New question: for you center pin fisherman, is a 10 1/2 foot float rod suitable for drift fishing?
Thanks
Ron

Ronald,

My experiance has been if you drop the bottom section off of a 9/10wt rod is that its still going to be a 9/10wt rod. That last section is super stiff and really doesn't do a whole lot of flexing. Its the top three sections that make the rod what it is. Now that said I do think you will feel the fight of the fish better then when you had the fourth section and its going to "soften or slow" the action of the rod. But at the end of the day I would put my money on that rod will still cast the best with a 9/10wt line.

Why not just get the proper rod blank?

Jimmy & Randolph
Thanks for the input. I'm going to make a rod out of this blank first and if it doesn't work the way I hope it will, then I'll plan on buying a more appropriate blank and start over

The rod is tip heavy to begin with so why would you add even more weight with size 8's. I would use the american tackle A frame guide and no larger then a size 7. Since this is an experiment for you I would not go and use the ATC titans which are a fantastic guide.

Rolly Beenen
Rovic Custom Rods