Thread: A little advice PLEASE

Originally Posted by coach

Good idea on cutting back the tip. Now how to buy a tip?

I would be a little careful cutting the tip of the new rod blank, I never liked to do that, unless I was repairing an old blank. I think the only place you could get a new tip is from the company that made the blank, or did you mean the tip top, the first guide?

Yes I'm sorry, I'm was referring to the top guide. In the catalog it tells what the tip size is so when ordering what size should I get or just get an assortment?

Was thinking about using the PAC BAY TW guides a wire wrap

Originally Posted by coach

Yes I'm sorry, I'm was referring to the top guide. In the catalog it tells what the tip size is so when ordering what size should I get or just get an assortment?

Tips are measured in 64ths. Typical sizes for a light surf rod would be 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6 etc..

Jann's Netcraft is a good source & their catalog has good information.

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/

Guide spacing:

http://www.mudhole.com/assets/images...cing-Chart.PDF

Lots of info online if you Google "Saltwater fishing rod guide spacing"

The company will state the tip top size of the blank, order the tip top guide that will fit it. It should be the same size. IMHO, I would NOT go with PAC BAY! They will not stand the abuse of salt water for very long. Are you still thinking of building this rod from a fly rod blank? If so, what WT? If you are concerned about the rod being guide heavy, use a micro guide or a 1 foot guide. I have Fuji 1 foot guides on the rod that I use on the party boat and the spinning rod that I use for salmon and my 8WT fly rod that I use for salmon, no problems. A 1 ft. guide will give you more sensativity and a better feel of the fish during battle. Guides act as a roller bearing on a rod, the more guides that you put on the blank, the easier it is on the blank and the less weight each guide will have to carry, but, don't put on to many. I think there are guide spacing charts available on the internet or a you tube showing how to space your guides, I'm not sure, I have never looked. A tip, I use small rubber bands that I get at the dental office that they use for braces to hold my guides on when I check the guide spacing and to hold the guide in place while wrapping it. Once I have the wrap well up on the foot of the guide I cut the rubber band. GOOD LUCK, take you time doing this and it will take a lot of time, keep me posted.

The blank in question is a 9 WT. I have looked at other guides. I guess I was just looking for a different look. I will let you know what I do. Thanks for the interest.

I have a tip sizing gauge that I got from Jan's Netcraft . or if you a micrometer or a precision measuring device tips are measured by 1/64th inch.

A person with the handle 311POPE on YouTube who was supposedly a commercial surf fisherman (pomps) on FL east coast had one video on his light fly-blank surf rod for fun, but his commercial rigs were considerably heavier. No huge details on the build. His other videos suggest he is competent as a fisherman, not a poser.

A 9 WT will be plenty heavy, you could catch a shark with that. It won't make any difference what type of guides you put on it, a 9 WT will not be guide heavy. If you want to make it look different, marblelize the handle, or maybe even where the butt wrap would be. I think it looks nice and it's very easy to do. Mudhole has a video on how to do it.

Thanks I really appreciate the suggestions and help. I'll try to post photos when I'm finished.