Going to be building a CTS 9' 5 weight and was going to go with a 12 and a 10 stripper and then snake brand light wire guides 4-3-1-1-1-1-1-1. What would be the advantage/ disadvantage to using 1 or 2 strippers? What would be your layout?

Your # 10 guide will have a smaller ID than your first two snakes, I wouldn't use them for that reason.

Yup, size 12 or 10 double foot stripper. Then whatever makes a nice transition from that to the size 1 snakes (in the proper location). Maybe a 3 or a 2??? Three total different sized guides. No need for a tamer on a 5 wt. IMHO.

Could always ask Herb L. as he builds a lot of CTS fly rods. He is fond of recoil guides IIRC.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Skip the in-between sizes. I know it seems to make sense but if you actually lay them out and look, you'll find that using fewer sizes results in a straighter line path and less weight. Omit the 4 and 3. Go right from your second ringed guide to the #1's. I'd substitute a #8 for the #10 ringed guide. Or, substitute a #3 snake for the #10 ringed.

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I have done a gang of builds on the 905 CTS blanks, all models. Tom is totally correct on not using more than 3 sizes of guides, the rod will cast much better having a straight line path thru the guides.

I am also a big fan of Snake Brand Universal guides, low profile, round profile and very small foot print on the blank. I'd use a #10 double foot for the stripper, then a #2 snake, followed by either #1 or #1/0 for the rest of them, if your line connections will pass thru a #1/0 use that, if not move up to the #1 size.

Your going to pay a bit more for the Snake Brand Guides, another trade off is that they do not require any foot prep if using size A thread. REC recoil would be my second choice, another quality guide.

Thank you all for your input. One last question, with the snake brand guides would you go with the light wire or the regular guides?

Light Wire Universal. Anglers Workshop does carry Snake Brand guides.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/24/2015 06:54AM by Bill Hickey.