I am wrapping a Eternity2 9 foot 6 wt, 4-piece fly rod. I have a single foot guide set of: 1 size 12 stripping; 1 size 10 stripping; 1 size 4; 1 size 3; 2 size 2; 4 size 1. These are the sizes recommended by Batson on their web site. Some suggest one should go up a size or two for single foot. Are the size 1 singe foot too small for this rod?

For starters, you don't need all those different sizes. Use a stripping guide, drop down one or two sizes, then move right on to all the same size runners. This will provide a straighter line path and at less weight.

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The size 4 is larger then your 10 ceramic, makes no sense to go larger IMO.

I've never heard of a size 1 single foot, or are you talking about wire type single foot fly guides? If you're talking about ceramics, I'd be hard pressed to use less than #6 for the running guides.

So along those lines, #12, #8 and then as many #6's as required to get to the end of the rod.

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Yes, wire single foot, not ceramic. I do have ceramic single foot for the two stripping guides: #12 and #10. All the others are wire single foot.

I have built a number of these blanks and I use, 12 & 10 strippers then #3 single foot wire guides the rest of the way. I also fish one of these builds and it performs very well for both casting and fighting the fish.

16-12 strippers,-6-6-6-5-5-5-4-4 single foot wire,-large loop tip. I like going oversized, just psychological I guess. Never had a bad casting rod even though most of my builds are on cheap no name blanks. Am currently about to start the same blank in a 5wt and that's what I'm going with. Built a 5wt med-fast no name with these sizes and can easily cast 60' no problem without dbl hauling.

It all depends of you line to leader knot.
If it pass thru size 1 or not (mine pass with ease on size 1).
So I use 12/10 stripper, one size 3, one size 2 then size 1 thru tip.

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@+
Eric
[www.emfishing.fr]

Scott: I have never personally seen anyone fly cast over fifty (measured) feet with a fly rod and fly line without double-hauling. I know I can't, but I can cast over ninety feet with a double haul. Is there a commercially made 5wt. rod with the guide train you specify? I would love to double-haul test cast it and break the 100 foot barrier with a 5 wt.!

Scott Giaquinto Wrote:
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> 16-12 strippers,-6-6-6-5-5-5-4-4 single foot
> wire,-large loop tip. I like going oversized, just
> psychological I guess. Never had a bad casting rod
> even though most of my builds are on cheap no name
> blanks. Am currently about to start the same blank
> in a 5wt and that's what I'm going with. Built a
> 5wt med-fast no name with these sizes and can
> easily cast 60' no problem without dbl hauling.

Just for kicks - drop the 6's and 5's and go straight to the 4's. There is a lot of distance between guides so there is no need to think you are somehow aiding line flow by using so many different size guides. You will actually get a straighter line path by going straight from the #12 guide to the 4's.

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Phil, you must not have observed very many fly fishermen! I and others I fish with can cast well over 50ft without a double or single haul !

PS: I am 82 years old.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/2019 03:03PM by Phil Erickson.

Good for you, Phil! When I'm fishing I watch the water, not the flycasters, so nearly every flycaster I watch is during a teaching session. These folks definitely can't double haul and definitely can not cast 50 feet. Every one of them can easily cast farther than 50 feet once they have learned to double haul, which in my opinion is almost a necessity to successful fly fishing in salt water.

Phil, I agree with you regarding casting in salt water as it usually requires longer casts then most fresh water. While a good double haul is important, there are times when a single haul will suffice.

Presentation is everything, if your long cast impresses your buddies fine, but if the cast put you across 2, or 3 current seams, your not fishing effectively. Spend equal if not more time fishing 20 - 40 ft. Love it when anglers are up to their belly buttons in the water and I'm catching fish behind them.

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
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> Scott: I have never personally seen anyone fly
> cast over fifty (measured) feet with a fly rod and
> fly line without double-hauling. I know I can't,
> but I can cast over ninety feet with a double
> haul. Is there a commercially made 5wt. rod with
> the guide train you specify? I would love to
> double-haul test cast it and break the 100 foot
> barrier with a 5 wt.!

Phil, Anytime you get to the WNY area let me know and we can hook up.

Spencer: You make a good point. I know a fellow from Canada who is a deadly (calm) shallow-salt-water fly fisherman and never threw a fly farther than 50 feet. Fresh-water fly fishers frequently have to cast less than 30 feet. When you are in open water or in a boat or in a wind the ability to cast 80+ feet is never a handicap and always an asset.