I'm new to rod building, short story love to fish lost my leg took up building rods for a hobby. How do you know which way to place a guide? With double leg toward the butt or towards the tip top? I want to build some salt water rods and want to make sure I have the guides in the correct position. Any help in understanding this would be appreciated.

Single leg forward.
Especially the Fuji K guides to facilitate the guide being snag-free.
But some do reverse the orientation . Maybe they will chime-in and say why.
Herb

Like Herb said is how I have always done it .. Exc for the Fuji RV. Which goes with the single leg toward the butt.

Thank you any advice helps. Like I said I'm new so I want to learn and do it correctly.

Has anyone ever compared the performance of two rods with identical blanks but different guide trains - I mean measured performance, not personal opinions or feelings?

Phil,
What test would you use to get a precise scientific repeatable measure of performance.

You can't use casting distance unless you use a mechanical repeatable robot to flip the rod.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Roger: Statistics are a reputable source of objective information. Have an angler take 25 casts with each of two rods, each with a different guide train. Measure each cast in distance and accuracy in feet and inches, and use arithmetic to determine average distance and average accuracy. Repeat this process with 20 or 30 anglers chosen at random. Examine the results (versus your feelings) to see whether different guides do or do not enable casting distance and/or accuracy. Actual, numerical PROOF of superior distance/accuracy by one particular type of guide would create a sales bonanza for the manufacturer! Funny how they stick to "feelings" rather than facts about guides?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2020 08:12AM by Phil Ewanicki.

I'm fine with just using my judgment. To me it's just fishing, not world peace. I'd rather not burden the manufacturers with the costs it would take to do this. I'd end up paying for it in the product prices.

the longer the cast the less accuracy you have..that,s all i need to know..so i keep my casts under 40' and i get better hook sets and the fish has less time to unhook itself or get into cover..

Single foot guides go foot towards the tip??

i think most builders point single foots toward the butt and the ring leans a little towards the tip..

That's how I have always placed them....foot towards the butt. Never saw them the other way. Thanks.