OK! I've built several rod's and I have been putting the "Spine" on the out (not on the side with the guides) side. Today I was told that was wrong. :confused: Where do you put the "Spine"
Dave
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OK! I've built several rod's and I have been putting the "Spine" on the out (not on the side with the guides) side. Today I was told that was wrong. :confused: Where do you put the "Spine"
Dave
Dave;
I don't really think there is a right or wrong side. Lets see if I get this right (If I don't we'll hear about it very soon). Putting the guides on the "Soft" side should give more power to the forecast. Putting the guides on the "Hard" side will give more power to fighting the fish. Most (again I may be wrong!) put the guides on the "Soft" side.
Lets see what happens!!
I put my spine on the outside. The refference I have said that it didn't matter which side (inside/outside) you put it on, as long as it wasn't on either side or off center in any way. That way there is no "twist" on the rod killing your power curve.
That is true. Jack just stated fact and options.
At an FFF conference one year I asked that exact question of four very well known Rod Designers from various manufacturers. I received four very different answers.
At the time I lived in So. California and would watch these guys come in with Tuna sticks that were twisted! :confused: I asked about it and learned the problem was that the rod was manufactured so the guides were not in line with the spine - at times the rods would break due to too much stress while fighting a big tuna. The stress from the weight of the tuna would actually twist the rod. I was told the guides could be placed on either side of the spine then the rod would not twist or break.
So I figured logically that the rod should bend towards the fighting fish in the direction the rod wanted to bend. This meant for a Fly rod I put the guides on the soft side. I figured even very light rods might end up in a fight with a much larger fish than the blank was designed for. So this made sense. I have never had any rod break on me while fighting a fish and I have caught some very large fish on light rods. Now my own errors may be a different story but we won't go into that. :rolleyes:
I don't really believe the "spine" is a factor with most if not all modern day rods. I will align guides to match the curve of the blank (if any) for the sake of aesthetics, but not due to anything else. I don't think that it will affect your casting or durability of your rod in any perceptible way.
From what I've read, ol' blue has a very good point as far as the better quality blanks go. The "curve," as I understand it is actually the soft side of the spline ( spine ).
To be on the safe side, I tested very carefully for the spline and ended up putting the guides on the soft side, as described by Jack Hise, for the same reasons.
Don't believe there is a "wrong" way, unless you put them on one way when you are really looking for the effect of putting them on the other way ?? ( Does that sentence sound as dumb reading it as it is does writing it ?? Hmmmmmm..... )
I think Black_Co may have hit the true reason. I'd say that "The Twist" he mentions can add fatigue to your casting on those long days of fishing. This was pointed out to me from a rod builder and friend here in TN. You may not think it's much but after 6 hours you'll feel it!
Thanks Smernsky!!
Ahhhh yes...the "To spine or not to spine" conversations that take place on all rod building forums lol ;)
You'll find that builders are split on this topic most times. Some think you have to do it while others say it pointless to do. It all started back with Dale Clemens in his book Custom Rod Building. Dale said having the "spine" (or some people call it "spline" as well) anywhere other than the bottom of the blank caused the blank to want to twist or roll causeing it to be not as accurate when cast.
There is a spine on blank...actually anything that is tubular has a spine whether it is a rod blank, PVC tube, metal steel tube..any tube has a spine..that part is true. But as to how it affects something like casting acuracy or fighting a fish....personaly I dont put any stock at all into it having any affect what so ever. The reason is because almost any amount of pressure wheather its from a fish or even just casting 10' of fly line cancels out any affect the "spine" may have on the rod.
When I first started building rods I "spined" them with the guides on the spine. After speaking with a number of rod builders and having many of them tell me it doesnt matter, I then started building simply on the straightest axis and didnt worry one bit about the spine.
I'd say at least the last 200-225 rods I have built have all been built on the straightest axis and not with the spine in mind. And I can honestly say after casting each rod I build before I ship them....you simply cant tell a difference.
Now if your a builder that spines your rods...thats cool, if thats what ya like to do then no need to stop, its certianly not hurting anything. But if someone is worried about not being able to find the spine or where its placed. I say spend more time thinking about something else on the rod that will have more of an affect on it because my personal opinion/experiance is spine dosent have any at all.
Just my .02 on the subject;)