hey guys
I've always used REC guides but I'm looking to build a 3# fly rod for a friend and he wants it to be as light as possible. who makes the lightest guides? I'm looking at Alps, forecast and REC. if I need to look at other brands let me know. tell me what you think.

Batson single foot light wire guides.

The REC light duty snake guides are pretty darn light, although the builder would be wise to put Forhan wraps on each foot of every guide, since they are very flexible and can back out from under the thread wraps when pressure is applied parallel to the rod axis. This flexibility also allows the rod to flex more easily under the guide, which seems like a very good thing. Still, it is far beyond the limits of human senses to feel the difference in weight between two different 2/0 snake guides, or two piles, each consisting of seven different snake guides.

Phil, maybe I'm a little tired, but it is not obvious to me how to put a Forhan locking wrap on a snake guide. What am I missing?

Michael,
To do a locking guide on a 2 foot snake guide, I would guess (since I have never done it, would be to cut off enough thread to finish your wrap. Then, use your fingers to hold thread pressure and each turn of the rod, thread the thread inside the guide to form the lock on the end of the wrap. You only have to do about 3 turns, so in theory, should not be too difficult.

Be safe

John,
Recoil light wire single foot titanium.
You're already at the correct place.

Gene

thank you guy. I hope you all are off to a great 2015 and you have been able to stay flu free.

REC Recoil guides are the lightest, however "lite wire" guides available from Batson, ATC or Pacific Bay are also very light. In your hand you would be probably unable to tell the difference. REC guides - again - are the lightest and are also higly flexible. Besides lite wire steel guides are available only as snake guides, while lite single foot - only Recoil. Take your pick :-)
Cheers,
Michal
P.S. Flu free

Michal, not true....light wire Batson guides are available in single foot.

Snake Brand Universal light weights, best double foot on market for light weight rods. The Snake Brand are expensive, but they have a very small foot print on the blank, are concave and have a very low profle.

Double foot is NOT the lightest way to go! The extra wrap needed weighs more than the guide.