Tom, just 32" can,t be right..that,s too simple..there,s got to be a formula at least..lol.

Stan, it's your rod. Put it where you want it. Put it at 32 and try it out. If you find you cannot reach far enough up the rod for your preference, move it up a little and try it again. I notice that the Batson recipe for the 9 wt Eternity 2 puts it a few inches lower. I think the last rod I made where I tried it and placed it had it either at 32 or 33.

32 works for me. It's more than my last 2 builds so I'll have a chance to compare them. I doubt I'll notice much difference, you haven't seen me cast.

I believe the reasoning behind the 32", us that most peoples reach will not extend beyond that when stripping. Thus creating more of a universal fit across the spectrum. I personally in all that I have build, have never set one beyond 30" and never encontered any issues

Ron Weber

Michael Danek Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Stan, it's your rod. Put it where you want it.
> Put it at 32 and try it out. If you find you
> cannot reach far enough up the rod for your
> preference, move it up a little and try it again.
> I notice that the Batson recipe for the 9 wt
> Eternity 2 puts it a few inches lower. I think
> the last rod I made where I tried it and placed it
> had it either at 32 or 33.


Reaching to the stripping guide is as simple as reaching up, or drawing the rod back towards you with your rod hand. If you located the stripping guide at say, 50 inches up the rod, you'd still be able to reach it.

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

You'd still will be able to reach it, but only by having to do an un-natural act to set it up. In my opinion there is a right place for it. And it very likely varies with the arm length of the fisherman.

Much worse than having it too far out is having it too close. Too close will interfere with proper handling of the line.

So here we are, 2 pages of discussion about the proper placement with the blank manufacturer saying about 28, the rod-building forum administrator stating unequivically but without explaining, that it should be 32, and some arguing that it depends on preference and user ergonomics. I'm looking forward to page 3.

HAHA! You know page 3 is coming

Let me put it this way - do all the guide placement testing you want. Test cast it. Place it where you can easily reach it. Double haul test it. Set it for long arms and set it for short arms. Once you've done all that and whatever else you want to do, locate it. Then measure it. It'll be just about right at 32 inches past the butt.

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

Let me put it this way - Put it at 32 inches past the butt. Now go test cast it. Double haul it. Have a short armed person try it. Have a long armed person try. Try it on a 6' small stream trout rod and try it on a 10 saltwater fly rod. You are going to find that a stripping guide placed at 32 inches past the butt is about right on the money for any rod, any type cast and any person. It's foolproof. Works for any and all.

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

Michael,
Thank you for the kind insight without correction; I meant 82cm, not mm. Cut me some slack; I am old school and a fabricator who still employs 1000th inch increments LOL. Getting close to page #3.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

When you build your rod, try a MicroWave 18/8 striper guide.

Randy L Kruger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When you build your rod, try a MicroWave 18/8
> striper guide.

I considered that! But went with REC guides. Double foot 10 and the rest single foot #1's

Stan,
I hope you went with the new REC Cerecoil ceramic-ringed stripper. They're great.

The reason I settled on 32-33" for my strippers - no matter the rod's length - is because when closer at, say 28", the line comes straight up from my stripping basket, or boat deck, or ground and has more of a tendency to either wrap the rod - or over-ride the stripper and bellies out in front of the guide.
Putting the stripper at 32-33" allows it to enter the stripper at a smaller angle.

BTW - the old wives tale to put the stripper at arm's length is just that. Unless the cast is botched -the line will come-up tight to the reel - so no need to reach. If the cast is botched - just bring the rod back so you can reach the line - as Tom said.
Herb

Looky here. Dug around in my workshop and found the FlexCoat fly guide spacing. 9' 2 pc 4-6 wt sets the stripper at roughly 28".

9' 4 pc 4-6 wt set the stripper at 32"

A fly rod for a child can have a closer stripper, typically it should be just beyond the reach of the person casting so in my opinion the length will matter between a 7' rod and a 9' rod. With a four piece 9' rod there is usually no guides on the grip / reel seat section. When you said "son" I was thinking that you started him fly fishing at around the same age I started my children at, 5 and 6. Typically I figure out the distance of the stripper guide from the reel face first then measure from the tip to get the correct guide spacing. A custom rod can be made anyway you want it, nothing is in stone.

Herb, it is NOT an old wives tale, there is a need to reach! When you hook a fish and need to strip, you must reach up for the line, you should not be moving the rod as it may either create slack or pull to hard on the hook set.

Herb Ladenheim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Stan,
> I hope you went with the new REC Cerecoil
> ceramic-ringed stripper. They're great.
>
> The reason I settled on 32-33" for my strippers -
> no matter the rod's length - is because when
> closer at, say 28", the line comes straight up
> from my stripping basket, or boat deck, or ground
> and has more of a tendency to either wrap the rod
> - or over-ride the stripper and bellies out in
> front of the guide.
> Putting the stripper at 32-33" allows it to enter
> the stripper at a smaller angle.
>
> BTW - the old wives tale to put the stripper at
> arm's length is just that. Unless the cast is
> botched -the line will come-up tight to the reel -
> so no need to reach. If the cast is botched -
> just bring the rod back so you can reach the line
> - as Tom said.
> Herb

I chose the REC recoil's, not the new ones. I have these on my 4 wt and they're fine. This is for a first time fly rodder (son is 50 by the way) and he's rough on equipment. So, for a couple of benjamins (plus reel, I had an extra Lamson I'm giving him) he can give it a try. I put the stripper at 32.

If you're hooked to a fish, the line will be taut. No need to reach out for the line - it'll be where ever you reach up to grab it. But if the stripping guide is too close you can only grasp it out so far and thus will have to make more and shorter "strips" to get the fish in (if you're not fighting the fish off the reel).

Put it at 32 inches beyond the rod butt and fish it. Give it to your 5 year old son and let him fish it. Let your wife fish it. Just put it 32 inches beyond the butt and forget about it.

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

Listen to Tom , he knows this stuff. The 27X method for choke guide positioning is used more than any other method on earth for good reason . If Tom says 32" you best set it at 32" because this is why Tom was born , to educate us lower life forms on everything rod building related.

speak for yourself Chris..Tom doesn,t know everything and he would be the first to tell you that..