My 13 year old Daughter was bored so I gave her a mission to research what would be better on her new 8wt single or double foot wire guides. after about 2 hrs of note taking, searching this site, the internet and doing some serious thinking, She concluded that they don't call it custom rod building for nothing. So the rod should have both, starting from the grip and going towards the tip 2 strippers then 3 or 4 snakes and the rest single foot. Her reasoning( In a very condensed form) is that by using the snakes after the strippers you get the strength of two wraps and better line flow, while putting the single foots up near the tip you decrease the weight on the tip sections and allow the blank to flex easier and recover faster since there is only one wrap per guide. My question is has anyone tried this? Thoughts?

Thanks

Sure, it's fine. The line itself doesn't care. A double foot guide is primarily used when more durability is required for use, storage, transport, etc. Getting weight off the rod, particularly near the tip, is a good reason to use single foot guides.

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

About how much heavier - percentage wise - is a double foot snake guide + wrappings compared to a single foot snake guide with the same opening + wrappings? It seems opinions abound but factual data is scarce - like politics!

About how much heavier - percentage wise - is a double foot snake guide + wrappings compared to a single foot snake guide with the same opening + wrappings? It seems opinions abound but factual data is scarce - like politics!

A lot of different thoughts on this
The only way is to try double foot snakes all the way

And then try single foot 's -- Then make your own mind on what you -- or she -- likes Check distance -- weight of the rod -- feel in the hand

Bill - willierods.com

Sounds to me like her logic is sound. Do it her way. Won't she be proud.

To me the only reason for snakes is to better clear knots or other discontinuities in the line, but I don't allow the line to leader knot onto the rod. And the knots/tangles from bad casting or line management are not that common, so I go single foot. Cuts my wrap time in half. I know that some of the flats fishing experts advocate snakes, and I do snakes for my purist son. I really don't think that the differences in casting performance or feel are significant. I have bigger worries, and the biggest one is casting skill.

Michael: I believe your comments are right on the mark, especially your observation about improving casting skill versus agonizing over a couple tenths of a gram.

Look at the way single foot guide are build.
Same wire (and same lenght of wire) for the two, the difference is that for single foot (or so called) the two foot are on te same location and welded.
So same weight, but only one wrap (and finish associated). The différence in weight is the weigt of the thread and finish.

Another note, with snake you have two wrap, wich create a more hard point with the naturel flex of the blank.
I noticed that for light fly blank, with single foot you have in the end a rod that is more ´fast' (CCS AA greater) than the same rod with snake.
Did the fisherman may be able to notice it, that's anoter question.

________________________________________
@+
Eric
[www.emfishing.fr]

She's awesome! I hope she likes it.

Guides won't change rod action (where the rod initially flexes) so the AA would be unchanged. But the speed of the rod (CCF) would certainly change.

...........

Troy,
I've been building them like that for the last 10 years.
I like two double foot strippers followed by snakes for taming the line and single foot for the tip section due to the weight reduction on the tip to enhance blank response.
I prefer single foot light wire Recoils for rods up to 8 weight.
I don't particularly like the noise but I prefer the rod response.
Most of a rods perceived weight is based on the "feel" of the weight located at the rod tip.
I commend your daughter on her application thoughts. Has she shown a high degree of mechanical aptitude ??
Point her toward math and mechanical engineering.

Gene

You have to love the inspired curiosity of the young, unencumbered by pronouncements of the past. However, if a fly-fisher's best cast is 50 feet and he or she has no desire to improve upon this there is little sense in further refining fly rod building. With practice and instruction dang near anyone can cast 80' with nearly any rod and the right line, even if it doesn't "feel" right.