I read Dom Morton's article on guide placement in the latest RodMaker with great interest. One of the things he mentioned was choosing a stripper with 1/2 the diameter of the spool on the reel. Some time ago I exchanged e-mails with Ralph O'Quinn concerning perma gloss and guide set ups on Ultra Light spinning rods. Ralph said that his testing indicated that the optimum stripper was the old fuji match guide with a size 10 ring which is a small ring. I would seem to me that too large a ring would allow the line to flop around an slap the blank and that line type and ring material would also play a role here. How do some of you that build alot of spinning rods feel about this issue?

Thanks Jim

going by what this article says, the setup I am working with right now would about a size 25 for the reel I am using, but, if you go by where he says to run the guide up the line to where the line just touches the outside of the ring, it puts the guide really far up the rod. So I went up to a 30 high frame, which puts me more in range, and the static deflection comes out good. I think that maybe a 10 would work with a VERY small reel. but on many rods, the guide size may be part of the never ending compromise in rod building. In order to get the rod to flex right and everything to work well, you sometimes have to stray from "THE LAW". to use a size 10 for a spinning stripper will be very rare,I think, I haven't been able to get anything smaller than a 12 to work even on a 24" ice rod with a very small reel, and here, casting isn't even a concern. well, I probably just really confused you huh?
jeff

the half spool diameter rule works good for me. when you cast a spinning rod the line will come off in large loops anyway. it has to since it's coming off the spool the way it does. the larger guide helps "knock the loop down", and get the line running in a straght line quicker. from what i've found so far, if you use a guide that's too small, the loop sort of "overruns" the choke guide, instead of getting "knocked down". i'm no expert, but this has been my experience, so far.

i use daiwa tds-2500ia's, and a 25 or 30 works very well. if i plan on using mono, i go with the 30, braid i use the 25. (the braid is stiffer, and doesn't come off in as large a loop as mono)