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NEW - Rod Maker Magazine has the Answers to your Questions

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SUBJECT - Concept Guide Sizing
Question - I'd like to ask a few questions if you don't mind. I enjoyed your article on the New Concept Guide system in the last article. Being a builder of fly rods only, I'd like to ask you your recommendations on building a saltwater rod (9 feet, 10 weight) using the New Concept guides and also my first attempt at using single foot guides as opposed to snakes. In the past I have used a #20 SVSG, 16 SVSG, 12 NSG, followed by snake guides going from #6 down to a #3. All over-sized guides, which I know you are not in favor of. What would be your recommendations for guides in applying the new concept system to a 10 weight fly rod? Would I calculate a center line from the top of the reel or should I not do this and just use the new style concept guides (SIC) along with the guide calculation method that one of your past articles referred to (the pegboard article). I would also like your thoughts on the concept of placing an extra stripper, one size down, 100mm past the first stripper. One final question is how do you recommend the calculation of the first stripper guide?
Mark Wayne

Answer - First of all, I am not against using over-sized guides in relation to what is considered normal sized ones, if they are needed. However, many rod builders have mistakenly begun using guides that are considered over-sized under the impression that doing so will automatically increase their casting distance. They won�t. In fact, in many cases they will reduce casting distance due to the extra weight and corresponding reduced efficiency they introduce to the rod. Guides should be large enough to pass the line easily, plus any knots that be used between leader/line and line/backing. If you are using a shooting head system you may find you need to use slightly larger guides than normal. You determine how big is too big by test casting. Try some different sized sets and when you achieve your best distance note the sizes you have on. If using larger guides than those used on your best attempt does not result in even greater distance, then it would only be folly to do so. Remember that you want to use the smallest guides that will do the job in the optimum manner. As far as your first stripping guide goes, a #20 SVSG is not necessarily too large but I think I would try a #16 SVSG as well. If you get the same results with the #16, then that�s where you will want to land. Finally, the New Guide Concept does have some applications where fly rods are concerned. Much like a spinning rod, we want to reduce the angle at the stripper guide which the outgoing line creates. Higher frame guides allow you to do this although you will want to quickly reduce frame heights and guide sizes as you progress up the rod in order to take advantage of the increased performance that smaller and lighter guides offer over their larger counterparts. (Read this issue�s installment on the New Guide Concept for further information on this topic.) A simple yet effective method for determining the stripper guide placement is to have the user hold the rod in one hand with the elbow bent at 90-degrees. Now casually reach up with the opposite hand as if you were going to grasp the line in order to strip. A point just an inch or two ahead of where your hand naturally contacts the blank is a good place to locate the stripper. On a 9 foot rod, this will fall about 76 inches behind the tip for most people. It will be a tad bit farther up for folks with longer arms and a bit farther back for those with shorter arms. The idea of using an additional stripper about 4 inches ahead of the first stripper is a sound concept and will help channel the line into a staighter path and result in a bit more distance. This is more noticeable on the higher line weight rods such as what you are working on now.
Rod Maker Magazine

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