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9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Tyler waitt (---)
Date: January 22, 2024 01:57PM

I am new to the rod building world and have messed around on some kits that had come with all components, however I have a 9’ 9wt on my mind that I would like to build. I plan on going with a NFC gamma beta, but I am looking for salt worthy guides and any recommendations will be helpful as looking online is a bit overwhelming.

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: david taylor (---)
Date: January 22, 2024 03:23PM

Gamma Beta is a good and powerful rod.

You will need a stripper guide and the second guide (technically not a stripper) will need to be of the same type, just smaller. Stripper I would go with a size 16 and the similar style next guide a size 12. For running guides you will need to choose wire single or double foot (traditional snake-style guides). For a 9-wt I recommend double foot guides and I like the Recoil RSNX. Though any quality double foot will work fine. The Recoils hold up well in salt. You can use all size 2 running guides or taper down from size 4 to size 2 in whatever taper you choose. Tapering has a certain visual appeal to many, but provides no technical or performance advantage. If you like the idea or look of taper, use one size 4, two size 3s, and all the remaining guides size 2. You will need a tip top of the proper size and the NFC blank information will tell you what that is. Some might say you could to as small as a size 1 on the final running guides, but I would suggest staying with 2s.

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Mike Juliana (136.226.57.---)
Date: January 22, 2024 04:18PM

Hi Tyler -
I'm getting ready to build a 9 wt Gamma Beta for a friend. Here's my build sheet for it:

Blank: North Fork Composites 9' 9wt GammaBeta (0.470" butt diameter)
Fighting Butt: Baston CCFB-3 (Super Grade Cork/HDCC Fighting Butt)
Reel Seat: Alps RA701L2-B (Aluminum Fly Reel Seat - Black)
Handle: Baston FW7.375CS-340/865 (Full Well Super-Grade Cork Handle)
Winding Check: TBD
Hook Keeper: None
Guides:
1 Baston TIMXNZG16 (Size 16 Titanium Medium)
2 Baston TIMXNZG12 (Size 12 Titanium Medium)
3 REC RSNX (size 3)
4 REC RSNX (size 3)
5 REC RSNX (size 3)
6 REC RSNX (size 3)
7 REC RSNX (size 3)
8 REC RSNX (size 3)
9 REC RSNX (size 3)

- Mike J

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Tyler waitt (---)
Date: January 22, 2024 04:21PM

Ah this is perfect. Thank you both for the replies. Very helpful, I will most likely follow suite and build the same way

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: david taylor (---)
Date: January 22, 2024 06:26PM

Since you plan to use in salt water, as Mike indicated , you will want an all metal or metal with carbon spacer reel seat. You want to avoid a reel seat with wood spacer for salt.

The titanium stripping guides are nice, cost a bit more than cheap ones, but are strong and light. I used a similar stripper guide on my 8 wt NFC LMX. As to the Rec guides you could go with size 3 or 2, not much of a difference. I did 2 on my 8wt. I agree that full wells is best in a heavier weight rod and in salt, as it provides a good strong grip, and its better to spend more for the super-grade. Fighting butt also a good idea on rods 7 wt or heavier.

That is a fine and functional basic reel seat, and I believe on sale at Get Bit Outdoors. If you want something with more panache, you can look at the triangular reel seats, channel lock type, and AmTack has a really nice seat in the 3KFS that I used on a 6 wt but should do fine on a 9. Some of the seats IMHO that are meant for salt are almost too big, so before epoxying make sure your reel's foot fits well in the seat and you are not having to wind the nuts up to the end of the threads.

If the reel seat you choose is uplocking and requires an inlet in the grip, you will need to ensure the inlet your order for the grip is of the right size to fit the upclocking hood on the reel seat. It it is too small, you have to be very, very careful in sanding it to enlarge the inlet, as it is easy to crack off the edge.

For the titanium guides and Recoil guides you may want a ti-gray type winding check.

Here are some nice stripping guides on sale, though not Titanium: [www.flyrodcrafters.com]

And I have had good luck with these winding checks: [www.flyrodcrafters.com]

You will need a caliper to measure the width of the blank in the area of the winding check, which will be narrower than the butt of the rod. You don't want it too tight or to have to force it. on.

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Abe Henderson (---.dynamic.asdk12.org)
Date: January 23, 2024 01:36PM

David - just curious how you like your NFC LMX 8wt? I just ordered an 8wt and 9wt with the current sale. I've never built or cast an NFC blank before - actually I was looking at a Batson Revelation - but decided to try the NFC based on the sale price.

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Mike Juliana (136.226.57.---)
Date: January 24, 2024 12:56AM

Hi Abe -
I have the 9 wt NFC LMX as well as the GammaBetas in 7,10, and 12. I like casting the LMX just as much as the GBs. For the money, the LMX is very good rod. Wrapping them can be a bit a of pain though.

Thanks,
Mike J

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Tyler waitt (---)
Date: January 25, 2024 11:57PM

Would a 10 wt follow the same build or should I up the size of the stripping guides ?

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Tom Kirkman (Moderator)
Date: January 26, 2024 08:54AM

You could use the same set-up as what was listed above. No need to go larger.

..........

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Abe Henderson (---.gci.net)
Date: January 27, 2024 02:28PM

Thanks Mike!

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Tyler waitt (---)
Date: February 05, 2024 08:35AM

Mike, thank you for sharing your set up. I followed suit with the corks, fighting butt and reel seat. However I may have ordered the wrong reel seat model #. I stuck my 7+ hatch reel into the reel seat to test it out and the feet of the reel go beyond the threads. It definitely fits but it is a little snug taking the reel out of the seat. The diameter “seems” to be ok but I don’t have the blanks in to test them.

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Mike Ballard (---.cust.tzulo.com)
Date: February 05, 2024 09:12AM

For a reel seat your best bet is a Fuji nylon composite seat. They are bulletproof and will never rust, jam, or break. They also hold a reel more securely than anything else out there.

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Michael Danek (---.alma.mi.frontiernet.net)
Date: February 05, 2024 04:32PM

All good advice, in my opinion.. I will ad that regardless of the corrosion resistance of the guides, wash your rod and reel immediately after each use. Do not immersed the reel / rod grip in a bucket of water as some recommend. This is asking for trouble. A rinse is right and doesn't expose the grip or reel to long periods of immersion. Do not skimp on epoxy in gluing the seat and grip on. Most factory rod failures occur with the grip or seat coming loose, and the weight/cost saved by being skimpy just don't make sense.

For salt fly rods I do not use a keeper. It's just another place for the line to get hung up when a fast fish takes off. Instead, keep the leader/line knot out of the guides and bring the leader around the reel then back up to use the frame of one of the first two guides for a keeper.

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Re: 9’ 9wt fly rod guide rec.
Posted by: Ernie Blum (---)
Date: February 06, 2024 08:52PM

Are there any bona fide reasons that rods in the 7-8-9 weight ranges are better built with snake guides vs. single foot wire ring guides as runners? I hopefully will be starting an 8 wt. for salt water some time in the near future.

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