Hi guys,
Don't usually ask these kinds of questions - BUT - never did it before.

I am building a #16, 7'6" fly rod to be used for tuna and want to know the conventional wisdom for the runners.

The rod is very stiff - naturally - so not concerned about weight. As a matter of fact a little more weight may help casting.
Thought about ceramics for first time use for me. Worried about effect a snarl in running line might have on a SF running guide though. Double foot ceramics would be overkill and make it look very "un-flyrod(ish)".

Anyone out there done this before??
Herb

I would use double foot ceramic guides all the way out. High frame spinning style for the stripper and second guide, then low frame casting type from there on out. I've built dozens of big game fly rods for marling and tuna with this arrangement and they work very well.

Put a longer grip on the rod, incorporate a standard full wells with an additional 4 to 5 inch fat cigar type foregrip directly onto the front of the wells.

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

The rod you describe will be a lifting tool, not a casting tool. The weight and the casting qualities of this rod would be minor considerations, since casts will be infrequent and short. Big ceramic guides with a roller tip would be sufficient for casting purposes and would much improve the rod's primary purpose - lifting.

Understand all that re lifting - but - Roller tip-top on a fly rod??
herb

Phil, where do you find an up-side-down roller tip for a fly rod?

[www.mudhole.com]

Chris Richer
Iroquois ON

I found a roller tip-top by accident. It didn't specify use as a fly-rod guide. Tradition must occasionally yield to function.

Try All American Roller Guides Upper left They have there Spiral roller guides The tip may work

Bill - willierods.com

This should work for you (if you really think you need one): [www.aftco.com]

I am with Tom on this I don't see the need for rollers

Bill - willierods.com

Thanks all,
I will recommend the DF runners - Fuji Ti and SiC. I will go with a Fuji ceramic tip-top or a conventional fly tip-top. Most probably the Fuji.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Herb

I know Herb has decided on what he wants to do, I just wanted to say that the AFTCO swivel tip would not work any better than any other roller on a fly rod. They would still be up-side-down.

A swivel roller guide wouldn't work. A fixed roller guide would.

Phil, just how do you propose to use it in an up-side-down position ? Especially for casting a fly line?

Buy using this roller top
[www.aarollerguides.com]

Bill - willierods.com

I doubt if it would work very well, for one thing it is too heavy, and for another the line would wear out heavily on the back cast I believe.

The fly line does not care about the style of the tip-top, only the size of its opening. The tuna angler making short, infrequent casts to chummed fish won't care about the weight of the tip-top or its effect upon casting for distance. The fly angler lifting the tuna after it sounded for the third time will appreciate the roller tip-top. Fly fishing for tuna pushes fly fishing to its limits and often beyond. Anglers should be prepared to make exceptions to traditional fly-fishing tackle if bringing tuna to hand is a the goal - and there's no sense in releasing tuna. They will fight themselves to death on fly tackle.

Phil do they even make one that would fit a fly rod tip? The heaviest rod blanks that I know of are rated for a 12 Wt. line. Not a very large tip dia.

I would use ceramic guides myself I have several rods that the owner wants me to change the rollers to ceramics

Bill - willierods.com

Herb said he is building a 16 wt., 7'6" fly rod. If he can find a fly rod blank like this I don't doubt he can find a roller tip-top to fit it.