One consideration for a series of partial flexes, instead of going to a full 90-degree or max flex only, is that it helps me achieve correct spacing on the running guides.

At a 90-degree flex test, the front 1/3 to 1/2 of the rod (depending on the bend profile or action) is straight more or less; pointing at the fixed load point. There is little to no
bend in the tip section between the guides. It is easier for me to see the way the line/rod angle works through the running guides when I flex it at 25% or so, then move on from there
to my max test bend.

Now that I think about it, the more load put on a blank the less stress the running guides take. So, does this mean I could use a guide or two less and still be alright? I like the smoother
bend profile I see when I use more than less guides so probably will stick with that....but in reality, I might not need as many running guides as I think since the tip section is really not
the part of the blank taking the most load.

I have no proof but I think keeping guides close at the tip may help with high-stick breaks. Just a feeling I have. Comments welcome.

Interesting point you make, Leslie. From a fish fighting perspective, the deeper bend effectively makes the working portion of the rod shorter, moving the "fight" lower into the blank and applying more power. Any portion of the tip that is straight could be cut off and thrown away and it would make no difference in how the blank is working to control the fish. I'm a little weird, but I often think about this while fighting a fish and adjust the angle based on what I see and what part of the blank I want to work with in a particular situation. Are we still on topic?

l,m just going by feel but the more guides i use the smoother and quicker the load is transfered up and down the blank during a fish fight also i get stronger hook sets if i place the butt guides as low as i can on the rod tapping into more of the stiffer butt..some will say you loose casting distance because of the sharper butt guide angle which is true but this is much less of a problem wth braided line which i prefer anyway..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2022 07:11PM by ben belote.

I agree with you, Jim!

And I think this IS still on topic because what you just shared is about the guides/angles maximizing the business end of the blank. The 'sales pitch' is how the blank makes the cast and how it handles the lure/bait. 'Closing the Deal' is about how the guides handle the catch/fight. That means the line angles in the guides count thrice: cast, control, and catch. The rod is bending all the time.

(and thanks for the Fuji Handle posters you sent that I received today!)

High sticking is something I see regularly with my fishing buddies and others. The worst examples of this are when they catch a small to mid-size fish, not the whoppers which they want netted. They swing a one-pound white bass or ten-inch crappie into their lap on a short line with the rod at 12-o'clock in the air. Damn! That tip is bent beyond 90-degrees! Looks like a candy cane!

It is a testament to the toughness and design of many blanks that they do not break more often than they do under these situations! My heartrate goes up! I am not sure how
much effect an extra guide out at the tip would help some of these folks. But you are right, too few guides would 'pinch' this area even more.

That first two-feet of blank is the weak-point, in my own learning experience. Whether it is a particular number of guides in that region, or just good rod-handling habits (not high-sticking) it is better to err
on the side of a guide or two more rather than squeeze that area between too few guides.

Jim. Like you, I have no actual proof that extra guides in the running portion of the blank protect from high sticking breaks, but I do have some anecdotal evidence. I have more than a few friends and acquaintances in the form of fellow tournament bass fisherman, that have shared stories of breaking rods while landing fish.

I mentioned something in the thread titled "End of an era" It was the first reply, to the very first post I made on this site, and is something that I have taken to heart on every rod I've built. The advice came from Tom Kirkman. And that advice was that since I know I high stick my rods while landing fish, that I may want to add extra guides in the running portion of the rod. I'm going on 7 years, and haven't broken any of the rods I've built, as a result of high sticking. Considering the way I have landed some of the fish I've caught, I am convinced that those extra guides make a big difference.

Tom has given us all so many excellent tips!

I remember the ICRBE of 2011 and a fellow there had brought a 9-foot fly rod with like 16 or more guides on it. He let me cast it around. That rod cast very well! It felt smooth and not at all "heavy."
I told him he might not get that rod back from me.

Anyway, it was an eye-opener!