Spinning Rod Guides on a Fly Rod
I was wondering if there is any merit to the idea of putting spinning rod guides on a fly rod. I saw some pictures of what I believe was a fly rod made by Great Bay rods and it looks like they have spinning rod guides on them; furthermore I read a comment by a fly fisherman saying he could cast 90 ft with a rod made by that company whereas he couldn't get past 70 feet with is Z-Axis rod. In addition I have an Orvis Helios 8 wt that has much larger stripping guides than any of my other rods and I can cast further, easier with it.
So I'd like to know what would happen to my fly rod if I put spinning rod guides on it. Would I be able to cast further only to see accuracy go to pot or would I make it so heavy it would wear me out or would some other bad things happen?
All in the eyes of the beholder
The old fly rods had very small guides, since the fly lines were pretty thin (silk lines) the larger guides came about with the creation of plastic fly lines. Some fly lines, like the Cortland Sylk, are thinner, so will run through a 'normal' guide better since they don't rub on the inside of the guide as much as a fatter line. Keep in mind the finish on the line will also affect how well it 'flies' - hard finish flies better than soft.