Just wondering on an opinion for guides. I currently have an 8wt St. Croix that I built with Alps snake guides. Thanks to a fellow builder, they convinced me to buy a CTS for what I am doing. Should I go ceramic or snake? Titanium or Stainless?. I will probably use a microwave striper guide, and a carbon wood seat, that I am going to build. I am using an Alps reel seat for the build. Any help, or if it really matters, just comment.

I vote for snakes as I think snakes pass knots easier. There can be, however, a weight penalty for snakes.

And I'll vote for titanium guides, which well prepares the rod for the salt thereby increasing the rod's potential utility with no penalty other than the cost.

Just curious why you intend to use a microwave stripper.

I think the microwave stripper looks cool! I like good looking stippers, stone, just doesn't do it for me. If I can make a rod like the guy a Batson with 20 guides or something on his rod, that would be cool too. I just want a different look.

I just bought an 8 wgt CTS Affinity fly rod blank at the Expo. I will be using a Carbon fiber foam core full Wells grip, and fighting butt, with an Alps HERA7WL reel seat. Will use Fuji black titanium T-2 KWSG in sizes 16 and 12, followed by black pearl REC single ft flyrod guides as runners, with an arrowana T2 KGST tip top. Should be nice and light and will look good.
Norm

Ceramic is unnecessary for most fly rods. I have never seen a fly rod guide grooved by fly line - or backing. The biggest difference between a single foot guide and a snake guide is looks, and there's no accounting for taste. They both work.

once you try ceramic, you,ll not go back to wire!

Be careful with the 8 wt CTS blank. I bought an 8 wt last year that CCS'd out to a 10-1/2 wt. You may not have what you think you do.

Wow, nice pickup Norm , i can see you're not messing around with this stellar performer and outfitting the rod with top shelf components , ALPS seat and Titanium Sic guides . Enjoy

Not for me but for my friend’s son who is a pilot in the AirForce and is stationed in Charleston, SC. He loves to fly fish for many inshore species, and always wanted a high end fly rod. I have built every rod he and his brother have ever owned. This will be a wedding gift to him, he is like a nephew to me.
Norm

Thats even more impressive , what an amazing gift , you don't even go all out like that for yourself . A good man indeed .

I ordered mine at the show because they didn't have any left. I just don't know, I like the look of ceramics. Hey Ed, I purchased a CTS because my St Croix feel like a 14 and a 10 1/2 would be a great improvement. Also the gentleman who gave me the suggestion said that CTS has been the only blank he has built that was right according to ccs.

Ed: You nailed it! There is a simple deflection test you can do to determine the weight of a fly line a blank is best suited to cast. It involves clamping the butt end of a fly rod to a horizontal surface, suspending a one ounce weight from the tip-top, and measuring how far the rod tip bends toward the floor - simple and informative: much more so than ads promising "The most powerful 5 wt. ever made"
(because the "5 wt." is an 8 wt.). However, this misinformation sells a whole LOT of fly rod blanks, fly rods, and lines.

John,
You don't say if you ordered the CTS #8 in the Affinity-X or Affinity-M version.
But assuming it was the "X" - that blank makes a very versatile rod.
I have built many ans still fish one.
I have friends who use it with 400 a grain floater to cast Gurglers with me on the Cape Cod beaches. I have other friends who use the Wulff Bermuda Triangle #8 floater for use in the Abacos for Bonefish.

I definitely would not use ceramic runners or tip-top on ANY blank if you expect to obtain the performance inherent in the blank. It adds a lot of weight - and this blank can handle a lot of weight - BUT you are sacrificing the ability to "over-line" the rod when desirous.
The rod is "dumb" and does not know if you are loading it up with component weight - or line weight. But it will tell you when it has had enough. It will talk to you sooner rather than later with ceramics.
I have experimented with ceramics on most of my builds and still have the Fuji Ti Sic single foot in my closet and not on the rods..

On that rod I would use as a stripper Fuji TKWTG in a #20 if you are going to use heavier lines (400gr) or #16 if you will be using lighter lines. Then go down one from the stripper.
Then either REC Recoil single foot or snakes (I've used both - the snakes have an 18% larger opening due to the "side-door" effect.
You do wrap twice for the snakes - but the S/F feet sit higher and with the Forhan lock requires about the same amount of thread and finish. So take your pick.
I always use the REC Recoil tip-tops in large ring for this rod. Yeah - I know they are ugly - but they're light.

Microwave stripper on a fly rod??? I know the concept and have built spinning rods with them - not ready to concede that they are for fly rods.
Please feel free to contact me for more info on this blank.
Herb
U.S.A. Distributor CTS Rod Blanks

I would go with 16,12 strippers Pac Bay Model T in titanium frame and REC recoil heavy snakes for the rest with a traditional large hoop tip top.
I personally would not use agate (stone) or the microwave guide. The whole point of the microwave guide is control the looping effect of line coming off of a spinning reel. Your fly line is already coming through "straight".

What would be the advantages of using ceramics on a fly rod - assuming you would use a fly line on a fly rod?

Supposed to be "smoother" and therefore shoot better. I have a couple of rods I built that way. Can't say I noticed a difference in casting distance. However I did have a ring pop out of one while on a fishing trip. That was enough for me to not use them again. I think stripper guides are less likely to "pop" because there is more clearance around knots and loops then a running guide.
My casting distance is limited by my skills not my hardware.

ceramics are not about casting distance or ringa getting knocked out but are about fish fighting performance especially large fish. wire guides under load increase the friction on the line making it e difficult to feed line in a controlled fashion..they just are not smooth enough..with ceramics you will feel in control of larger fish at all times..there,s none of this silly bowing to the fish..he is made to bow to you with ceramic guides..try them, you won,t go back to wire..lol.

Ben makes a good point and for long running salt water game fish it's something to keep in mind but the majority of fly fisherman aren't dealing with long drawn out battles where heat and friction become a factor , native brook trout can be tough but not that tough .

I really do appreciate the input on this build, I think I will probably be going with snakes as it is going to be used for fish that don't run enough. I may, or may not do the microwave guide, I just like being different. I might just do all titanium, with recoil and fuji.

If you decide to try the Microwave stripper that American Tackle designed for Fly Rod's please report back as to how it performed , many are very curious.