We fly rodders are all passionate about using the slickest, smoothest, slipperiest stripping guide insert available.
I recently faced that issue when choosing a stripper for a new CTS Glass 8'8" #8 rod I was building for my personal use.
My options were the Fuji TKWSG (Titanium/SiC), TKWTG (Titanium/Torzite), a discontinued TSVSG (Titanium/SiC) - or a plain wire REC Recoil stripper (Nickel Titanium alloy).
So I performed the following IMPERFECT experiment (Spoiler alert - I chose the REC Recoil).
I strung a REC Recoil and a Fuji TKWTG on a short 10' length of fly line. Then I tied the fly line to two door knobs - 10' apart - under as much tension as i could achieve.
Then I pulled back, one at a time, on the guides - like one would do with a bow and arrow - creating as much tension/friction as possible.
I moved the guides, one at a time back and forth on the fly line under as much tension as possible.

I was not able to discern ANY difference in ease or difficulty due to friction between the two guides.

Bottom line - find the lightest guide you can find in the proper size - use it and stop stressing.
Regards,
Herb (CTS)

There is another aspect of the stripping guide. I don't like keepers on my fly rods because, while unusual, it is possible for line to catch on them. A rationale concern? I don't know, but I do know with no keeper, it won't happen. I also want to keep the leader out of the guides, so I use the stripper guide frame for a keeper after looping the line over the reel foot and back up to the guide.

A double foot guide allows me to easily use it as a keeper without using the ring. Using the ring could have the hook and the line getting together, possibly damaging the line.

The main component of friction is pressure between surfaces. Very little such pressure exists between line and guide surfaces on the cast. The situation is different when fighting a fish, however. And it is this latter scenario where some difference can be found, particularly under a larger, hard running fish. That's when the slicker the guides are the better the reel's drag seems to be working.

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Michael,I also do not use "keepers".
I don't for a different reason.
Depending on where they are located on the blank - they interfere with the fisherman's index finger while fighting a fish.

I try to move my hand as far up the grip while fighting a fish. The keeper can make for a very uncomfortable finger while gripping.
Herb

FLY LINE $$$$$$ want to keep as long as I can, a little better guide MIGHT HELP a little , I hope

William Sidney
AK

Tom,
I attempted to create as much - or more - tension - therefore friction - while sliding the guides back and forth on the fly line by pulling on the guide "bow-and-arrow" style.
I am satisfied I recreated the friction one would encounter with a big fish.
Herb

What you didn't replicate was the speed and the continued pull that a big fish could generate. While you might not be able to tell any difference just sliding a guide along by hand a few inches, if you take a heavier saltwater type fly rod and outfit it with any quality ceramic against most any chrome plated guide, there is a noticeable difference under the run of a good fish. Suddenly, all the guides are in play at the same time.

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Fishing with a dirty (gritty) fly line causes a great more friction than any type of guide.

When fighting any fish, the stripper guide has the least amount of tension and friction as the line is by then straight or almost straight to the reel.

Actually, as you put more and more pressure on the rod, it is the top half that straightens and the lower half that is bent and carrying the vast majority of load. This is why when you load a rod to failure, it will almost always fail in the lower 1/3rd of the blank's length - that's were the load falls.

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in Rich Forhan's book about the revolver rod he hung 5# on the rod and measured the load on each guide..the butt guides had ten times more load than the tip guides, 0.1# to 1.0#..

ben belote Wrote:
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> in Rich Forhan's book about the revolver rod he
> hung 5# on the rod and measured the load on each
> guide..the butt guides had ten times more load
> than the tip guides, 0.1# to 1.0#..


That would certainly make sense.

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I don't doubt that, but if you look a s set of guides on a new blank that has BLUE / BLACK guides the tip guides seam to wear the most , YES ??????????? or am I out in LEFT FIELD ??

William Sidney
AK

The tiptop tends to have the line entering-exiting at the sharpest angle and is confronted with the most debris on the line, which it then tends to shed before it reaches the other guides.

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A revolver rod is not a fly rod! From my experience, a fly rod does not bend an appreciable amount between the reel and the first stripper. Most of the bend is in the mid section of the rod.

All rods have a progressive action. The more load you apply, the more the bend will move towards the butt. In a heavily loaded situation, it is the stripper and subsequent guide that will have the most pressure on them.

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