I'm building a spiral wrapped lamiglas SI1262M float rod and am about to wrap up the final 2 guides. Belly guides are 5's. I have a double foot 6, a double foot 10, and more 5's in stock to work with.

I could either:

- Use the 6 as a stripper and a 5 as the transition
- Use the 10 as a stripper and a 5 as the transition
- Use the 10 as a striper and the 6 as the transition

I have spacing to work with and could make all 3 work from a line angle standpoint.

Any thought on what you would do in the situation would be appreciated.

I’d go 10 to 6 to the runners.
Norm

Though I have never had the problem myself, I have been using a double foot guide in the transition position on rods I sell, many seem to bend them somehow, my rods are all single foot LAG, or BLAG transition guides, even my salmon rods.

I actually built this blank a couple months ago as a spiral wrap bait caster. I started with a size 12 guide. I don't have all my details handy but it is a sweet blank and have really been happy fishing it.

Matt Hehn Wrote:
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> I actually built this blank a couple months ago as
> a spiral wrap bait caster. I started with a size
> 12 guide. I don't have all my details handy but it
> is a sweet blank and have really been happy
> fishing it.

Agreed, all the salmon/steelhead and bass SI blanks have been amazing for me. They do a few sales every year where you could build a bare bones rod on a top-tier blank and come in same ballpark as an Okuma SST. Hard to beat that price/performance ratio.

Ended up going with the 10 -> 6 guides.

As for guides bending, I have been using seaguide titaniums and did end up bending the stripper and transition guide frames on an acid wrapped salmon float rod. I was able to bend both back no problem and honestly was probably my fault. The chaos of a full drift boat on a good day of salmon fishing tends to be really hard on gear.

Is it necessary to consider the type of line (braid, nylon mono, etc.) or the thickness of the line or the anticipated ambient fishing temperature when selecting or spacing guides - or is it best to select and space guides for use with lines of medium flexibility and thickness?

Most use braid for float rods because it floats, though I have heard P Line makes a floating mono. Here in the Pacific NW we don't get much weather that will freeze a line, or guides. Wind is a bigger problem.

Thanks, Spencer. That makes sense, and the thinner the line the less the wind is a problem. I still wonder if guide spacing is a matter of "one size and placement fits all" or if ideal guide spacing and guide sizes are a function of the of line to be used - mono or braid - and if mono line the diameter/flexibility of the line and the temperature/flexibility of the mono line?