Thanks for the advice on my 2nd rod build (8'6" 4 weight). I was able to fish it Saturday over on the Deschutes. First fish I landed with it was a 16" redside fooled with a caddis dry in the waning light of the day.

I've now built a 6 weight for streamers and the 4 weight for most of my dry fly fishing. Now, I going to build a 9' 5 weight to replace my old Orvis.

Assuming I start with a 12mm stripper and end in 1/0 snakes, what would be your preferred guide size progression? 12mm to a 4 and then to the 1/0s?

Thanks again for all of the help on the last one. I now have a rod building bench next to my fly tying bench.

Thanks,
Mike J

If you're only going to use one ringed guide, you could go right from the 12 to the 1/0 snakes. The drop will still be very gradual as the 12 and the first 1/0 will be several inches apart.

I normally use two ringed guides on any fly rod, even lighter weight rods because under load the butt carries most of the load and ringed ceramics or similar in those positions makes sense. But it would only take you a half hour to try some different guide arrangements and find the one you like best.

...........

Whatever you decide on for ther guide train - I wouldn't go smaller than a #1
Herb

I'm with Herb, 1s out to the tip top for a 5 weight.

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I normally use two ringed guides on any fly rod,
> even lighter weight rods because under load the
> butt carries most of the load and ringed ceramics
> or similar in those positions makes sense. But it
> would only take you a half hour to try some
> different guide arrangements and find the one you
> like best.
>
> ...........

How do you hold the guides in place when doing this sort of testing?
Would you use a 12mm and then a 10mm ring guide?

Donald La Mar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm with Herb, 1s out to the tip top for a 5
> weight.
Are you guys just concerned about knots hanging up? I've seen people recommend 1/0s for up to 6 weights? In any case, what would be the guide train that you would use?

Mike Juliana Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tom Kirkman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I normally use two ringed guides on any fly
> rod,
> > even lighter weight rods because under load the
> > butt carries most of the load and ringed
> ceramics
> > or similar in those positions makes sense. But
> it
> > would only take you a half hour to try some
> > different guide arrangements and find the one
> you
> > like best.
> >
> > ...........
>
> How do you hold the guides in place when doing
> this sort of testing?
> Would you use a 12mm and then a 10mm ring guide?


I would use a 12 - 8 and then 1's or 1/0's the rest of the way out. Tape the guides in place, look at them and the line path, and then test cast a bit if you like.

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

I would go with a 12, then either an 8 or a 6, and 1/0's the rest of the way out.

Ron Weber

People who have not learned how to cast a fly more than forty feet can ignore all these fancy charts and put the guides wherever they look nice.

Phil, i used to fish from a kickboat and rarely needed to cast over 35'..most were caught between 20 and 30'..this was pretty much true with bank fishing too..your right, i don,t think i can cast over 40' anymore, but don,t need to..lol.

I would not want to go below a size 1. Smaller only makes it potentially more difficult to pass fly line to leader knots through the upper-most guides. The debate on weather to step down the guide sizes or just go directly from stripping to the final size is always on.