I am going to be building my first fly rod on a Sage ONE (8 wt) or Method (7wt) 9ft blank. Since it will be primarily a saltwater rod, I am hoping to increase the guide size above Sage's suggestions (to help tangles go through more easily on running fish), so that they more mimick the Xi3 8 wt guides, which are 2 sizes larger in the snakes and 12J and 20J in the stripping guides versus 12J and 16J for the method and 12 and 16 for the one. Would increasing the guides to these sizes affect the performance of the rod as I have heard? I am not sure which stripping guides I am going with but I will be using the REC titanium guides to save weight.

Sage's Suggestions

Method (10 guides)

16J 12J 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1

One (10 guides)

16 12 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1

Xi3 (9 guides)

20J 12J 5 4 3 3 3 3 3

I like 16 12 5 3's on a 8wt. Think about kwag stripping guides, too.

Greg
Aptos, CA

I build a lot of 8wts for salt. There is no need to go with a 20 stripping guide on an 8wt. I would stick with 16 then 12. I am rebuilding an 8wt right now using Amtak Titan Ringlock 16 and 12 stripping guides (titanium), then REC Recoil Single Foot running guides 6 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 (10 guides all together). The titanium stripping guides are lighter and hold up to salt better (which is why I am rebuilding the rod). I like single foot guides since you save the weight of the extra wrap. If you are going with snake guides you can drop down a size.

You don't need all those different sizes. They do nothing for the rod and can actually degrade the performance a bit.

If you know that #3s are the smallest that will easily pass your line and any connections, just use 12 - 10 (or 8) and go right on to 3's from there on out. You get a much straighter line path with fewer guide sizes. You also shave some weight, which can increase response.

..............

I'll second Tom K's advise, with only one change. If your connections will pass thru a #2 snake use that. I have done that on plenty of 8wt's and never had an issue. Straightest line path and least amount of weight on the blank is the way to go.

Rob,
My choice would be per Sage recommendations for the Xi3
The only change would be to replace the #3 snakes with single foot #3 titanium.
For salt all guides should have titanium frames. I'd stick with the double foots for the lower rod section.
The decrease in number of guides coupled with the titanium singles should give a performance edge in blank response.

Gene

Thank you guys for all the help. I really wasn't sure how the guides affected performance but it seems that the consensus is that lighter/less guides equals a more responsive rod.

Rob Stanton Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank you guys for all the help. I really wasn't
> sure how the guides affected performance but it
> seems that the consensus is that lighter/less
> guides equals a more responsive rod.


lighter/less guides does equal a more responsive rod, BUT do a static test first. Tape the guides in place and make sure when you run a fly line threw and flex the rod that it doesn't touch the rod. If it does this will kill any weight loss you gained. I would guess that the Xi3 has less guides because it flexes less then the Method or One.