I just put the first guide to 0 on a rod i use to jig for flounder as i noticed ithe line was l stacking to the side after doing it the line would go to center of the reel. I don't know why it did it with this rod. My other rods are offset about 10 degrees and no problems.
I love a spiral wrapped rod.

David,
I suspect that it may be the reel.

To answer that question, take the reel in question and swap it to one of your other spiral wrapped, offset guide 1 - and see if there is a difference.

Take care

Is everybody else but me using direct reels without a line leveller like my Abu Garcia baitcasting reel has?

Not an issue at all with one of those.

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

Enlighten me! With a NON-level-wind reel, what is the difference if the line is stacking to one side or in the middle of the spool? Unattended, the line IS going to stack somewhere dependent on the butt guide placement. In either case, the angler will have to direct / guide the line back onto the spool for even line-lay onto the spool. My spiral method with an offset butt guide makes maneuvering the line that much easier by only having to PUSH the line across the spool (easy) without having to PULL it back (awkward). But, to each their own.

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

I have made many conventional rods with the spiral wrap (Acid wrap, Roberts wrap) and concur wholeheartedly with the notes regarding its advantages. With regard to the number of guides used to transition the line from the top to the bottom, I have seen three basic formulas:

- 1 transition guide @ 90 degrees
- 2 transition guides - one at 60 degrees and one at 120 degrees
- 3 transition guides - 1 at 45 degrees, 1 at 90 degrees, and 1 at 135 degrees

When to use one method over another is a matter of personal preference, having the least deflection at each transition guide, and sometimes affected by the rigidity of the blank in the transition area. I typically use the 2 or 3 guide methods, I have never used the single guide transition.

There are also theories regarding the first (butt guide, stripper guide?) guide - some formulas call for that to be slightly offset one way or the other. I personally don't do that as I have yet to be convinced of how it benefits the build.

There is one rule, however, that bears remembering! Always have the transition rotate to the side with the reel handle! If you lay your rod flat on the deck or other flat surface, then it will not be resting on either the reel handle or any of the guides, transition or otherwise.

Yet more fuel to support that there are numerous ways to spiral wrap a rod (and that each builder, myself included, considers his or her method the best). With all due respect, I totally disagree with Richard’s statement “There is one rule, however, that bears remembering! Always have the transition rotate to the side with the reel handle! If you lay your rod flat on the deck or other flat surface, then it will not be resting on either the reel handle or any of the guides, transition or otherwise”. Other than himself, whose RULE is that?!?! Furthermore, I NEVER lay my rod on the deck; it’s either in a rod holder or my hand. The first 2 or 3 spirals I built were spiraled in the direction of the reel handle, as Richard suggests. It didn’t take long to realize that it is much more difficult to PULL the line back across the spool than PUSH it. Spiraling AWAY from the handle requires only PUSHING the line across the spool and it will return on its own. That is the BENEFIT of an offset butt guide (stripper guides are for fly rods).

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

A lot of fishermen do transport their rods on their boat decks. If the first spiral guide is not on the same side as the handle, you end up with a rod or rods that don't like to lie nicely on the deck.

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

One man’s benefit is another's befuddle. I spend too much time on my builds to even consider laying them down on the abrasive deck of a boat. My main point was that thumbing / directing the line back onto the spool for even line-lay is made MUCH easier with an offset butt guide, spiral OR conventional! But again, to each their own.

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

Bass fishermen in particular store their rods on the deck when fishing and running short distances. If you spiral to the handle side, you negate any issues from doing that and do not incur any penalties in the meantime. It's the one direction that checks all the boxes. Do it the other way and you may have a customer that at point finds he can't keep his rods on his boat deck. So why not build it in the direction that works for everybody in every situation.

...........

Most, if not all, freshwater and inshore casting reels are level winds, so pushing or pulling the line with the thumb for level line lay is not an issue. In my opinion, you can spiral in either direction, doesn’t make much of difference. Some like to spiral to the handle side, to keep the guides off the boat deck, others like to spiral in the opposite direction for a more balanced look. The first spiral wrapped rod I used was made for a a guy that cranked his reels right handed, I crank my reels left handed, the rod worked great for both of us. If you use a non level wind offshore convention reel I’m sure Mark has a point.

Richard Bowers Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have made many conventional rods with the spiral
> wrap (Acid wrap, Roberts wrap) and concur
> wholeheartedly with the notes regarding its
> advantages. With regard to the number of guides
> used to transition the line from the top to the
> bottom, I have seen three basic formulas:
>
> - 1 transition guide @ 90 degrees
> - 2 transition guides - one at 60 degrees and one
> at 120 degrees
> - 3 transition guides - 1 at 45 degrees, 1 at 90
> degrees, and 1 at 135 degrees
>
> When to use one method over another is a matter of
> personal preference, having the least deflection
> at each transition guide, and sometimes affected
> by the rigidity of the blank in the transition
> area. I typically use the 2 or 3 guide methods, I
> have never used the single guide transition.
>
> There are also theories regarding the first (butt
> guide, stripper guide?) guide - some formulas call
> for that to be slightly offset one way or the
> other. I personally don't do that as I have yet
> to be convinced of how it benefits the build.
>
> There is one rule, however, that bears
> remembering! Always have the transition rotate to
> the side with the reel handle! If you lay your
> rod flat on the deck or other flat surface, then
> it will not be resting on either the reel handle
> or any of the guides, transition or otherwise.

To do mine I got my bait caster set across my office chair so it would stick out and up at an angle then strung it putting a loose single-foot guide on the line between the top guide on the butt and the first one on the tip. Then I tied a 4oz pyramid weight on the end of the line to put a good bend in the rod. I tried the guide in various offsets and positions to find a spot that worked so the line was approximately equal distance from the blank fore and aft then marked the spot with a paint pen and wrapped it on there. Coated it with some flexible UV fly tying head cement and took it out fishing for pike the next day. I wind left handed so I put it to the right to offset any torque when retrieving or hauling in a fish. I haven't measured the offset but it's only about 45°.

It casts every bit as well as it ever has and I've used this rod/reel combo for near 40 years so know how it feels. Unfortunately the water was bathtub warm and the fish weren't biting so I didn't get to feel it with a fish on but the season is changing rapidly and I hope to get out soon. I've landed many large salmon over 30 lbs in fast water on the Chilliwack River in BC and others and have felt that torque in it's standard configuration. Never liked that part of using a bait caster so hopefully that's gone.

I for one would never lay my rods on a deck, dock or the ground. When on a river and need to put my rod down I'll lean it against a tree or stick it between some rocks to leave it standing up. Stepped on rods don't fish very well in my experience.

Good article on spiral wraps here but I can't find the link about using a single guide in the manner I did mine. The original top guide is still on my rod just above where I placed the offset guide.

[www.fishalaskamagazine.com]

Tight Lines All!

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover