Rod Mod.

[ICE]

Maybe wrong forum...... but what better place than the DIY section.
Rod Guide / eye upgrade
Sage XP 8wt 10'`4pc.

So I use primaraly for shooting lines /heads on the beach. What dose the community think about bumping up the size of the first 2 guides (starting at the reel) to a larger I.D.? Could this help shooting the running line from my basket? I've noticed that on my TFO 7wt. the eyes are larger on the first two. Would this be advantageous? So what would be the advantages / disadvantages in doing so? Could one help in sizing eyes? I've used mud hole for replacing eye's in the past for spinning rods, but have had a hellofa time sizing. Buy 6 sizes and use 2.
On another note, 2 strippers at lindamar beach, Pacifica last night rising tide black chartreuse and brown jig head clouser. One to hand another lost in the wash (rookie move).

Thanks,

J. Ice

[Rmacneil656]

Honestly I wouldn't change a thing. With a shooting head, you aren't really shooting a taper or loop to loop through the bottom guides. You usually start your cast with head out of the rod anyways. I think you have pretty good setup there. ( I also have a TFO with larger almost spinning rod eyes on the bottom, I think it is just manufacture choice).

If you really want to start tinkering, you can play with line sizes and types. You can change running lines, and shooting head lengths and weights to see what you like best. I cut down an old line into a skagit head for the trout spey I made. It was honestly more fun to test lines than modify the rod. You can go with extremely short heads that are extra heavy and will shoot the heaviest bugs, or you can work on a light long belly that will cast to the horizon.

[Darian]

This kinda sounds like tinkering. If your rod's not broken, why fix it??? On the other hand, if your experiencing casting problems, maybe tinkering with the line or a casting lesson or two will solve it. Won't modifying your rod void the mfr's warranty???

If you're dead set on doing a modification and choosing line guides gives you some problems, try buying a set of guides and grip(?) from TFO. They have the appropriate number for stripper, snake guides and tip-top guides for differing rod sizes. Price, around $65.00.

Hope it all works out for you....

[lake flyer]

You might want to contact a competition caster. They cast shooting heads with mono running lines and they do adjust guide spacing and sizing to increase distance.

[Ted S]

If you want a rod to REALLY shoot line, build it with a full set of ceramic insert guides. I built a Sage TCX this way and the difference between it and the normal wire guides is amazing.

Ted

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Top cutting edge fly rod designers like Jerry Siems of Sage and Steve Rajeff of G.Loomis have designed their fly rods with the smallest guides that they can use that will not restrict any distance to keep the rod very light.

Lefty Kreh will recommend a size 20 stripping guide first, then a size 16 next plus larger snake guides on most of his salt water fly rods.

Be careful because if you go to crazy the rod will feel like a club.....

.

[DLJeff]

I personally prefer to upsize both stripping guides as well as the snake guides and tip top. Does it make a difference - I think so otherwise I wouldn't do it. But someone else who picks up one of my rods might not notice. Here's my take on it. As the line goes through the guides it wobbles and flops around. The more acute the angle is between the fly line and the guides, the higher the friction losses. Ditto for the line slapping and wrapping against the rod itself. Larger guides seem to provide more leeway and ergo, less friction. It's sort of like golf club design - the pros love a tour blade with ultra small sweet spot that allows them to control the ball flight. Week end hackers prefer the perimeter weighted irons with much larger sweet spot that is more forgiving to an errant swing. More importantly to me is the ability to pull knots in and out of the tip top and guides. It makes landing fish easier.

[ICE]

Thanks for the thoughts guys, the only reason I was toying with the idea is from what I've seen on a lot of the current 7wt + rods out there. I looked like there was a trend for larger ID bottom eye's I assumed it was to help allow the line to run out faster from a basket or bucket allowing less restriction as the rod / eyes taper to the tip. I do love the rod an how it currently casts. Just wondering. If you don't ask you wont know. Maybe I'll wait until the eye's ware out or become grooved from the sand and salt.
Thanks again.
J. Ice