Hi guys, first of all I'll introduce myself because I am new in the forum.
My names is Dario a pike fisherman from Italy.
I am a beginner in rod building but thanks to the forum I found a lot of useful information. so thank you guys!
Today I have a question since I want to build a fly rod for pikes (my first one), the idea is to build a 9ft 9-10wt.
which guides do you guys suggest?

Will you use a full set of ceramic guides from butt to tip or ceramic just for the stripper and stainless steel for the rest?

sorry if maybe the question has already been asked but I couldn't find an answer on the forum.

Thank you for the help.

Dario

2 Ceramic Strippers (Double foot) and the rest double foot snakes. Let us know if you need sizes.

Thank you Lance!

A suggestion on the size will be appreciated!

Some people like pretty guides that have some kind of mineral/stone rings (Heavy), but I am going to recommend performance type guides to keep it as light as possible. I would use either Fuji KW 20 and KW 10 with REC double foot snake RSNX size 6 then size 4 double foot snakes to the tip with a large loop tip top.

You could also go with the REC Cerecoil CSG double foot in size 20 and 10 for strippers. They are Ceramic ring guides from REC. Use the same REC double foot snake running train. The REC Cerecoil guides are little harder to place than the Fuji KW so you may want to consider the easier option. Here are some links from the side menu where you can order all from the same place they have large loop tip tops also.


[reelseats.com]
[reelseats.com]
[reelseats.com]

[getbitoutdoors.com]
[getbitoutdoors.com]
[getbitoutdoors.com]
[getbitoutdoors.com]

Ceramic fly-rod guides are vulnerable to cracking and breakage due to impact, metal guides aren't, and there is no evidence ceramic guides will allow you to fly cast farther or more accurately than all-metal guides. There is no record of all-metal guides being "grooved" by fly lines or fly-line backing. You should be so lucky.

I have replaced thousands of steel guides due to grooving. Particularly pear-tops. And there is a "record" of such going back a hundred years or more.

No one in this thread has suggested that ceramic guides will allow you to cast further or more accurately. It has been stated, and is accurate, that ceramic guides are quieter and pay out line more smoothly under pressure.

........

I have seen many metal guides grooved by monofilament lines but no metal snake guide grooved by a fly line. Do fly lines make wide, shallow grooves in snake guides?

Yes. And I can tell you if a guy casts overhead or sidearm by where that wide groove is.

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

Thank you Lance for your suggestions!

I don,t think I ever grooved a wire guide but they sure have destroyed many fly lines..you can start a season with a new floating and half way into the season it,s acting like a sinking wet line with water leaking through the damaged line..many times I have locked up with a nice bass and I could not feed line because the wire guides were dug into the line..ceramics solved that problem..also, ceramics worked better for me on an 8' rod but you may need the extra casting distance of longer rods.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2022 10:12AM by ben belote.