if singled footed guides are superior why doesn't Sage use them on their XP and Xi2 models?
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if singled footed guides are superior why doesn't Sage use them on their XP and Xi2 models?
Most rod makers do use double-footed guides on their saltwater rods, or on rods over 5 wt as severely stripping line can cause damage
to the generally lighter single-foot guides.
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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
If you're asking about why they don't use ceramic single-foot guides, the answere is cost. Even on the highest end rods, it still comes down to how the companies can shave off $5-10 a rod. Right now there is very little demand for those guides in the off-the-shelf market. Until that changes, they won't have any insentive to offer them on thier products. Even if they are better.
If your asking about single foot wire guides, then I dunno. I guess as LF said.
This is something I have not understood either. Sage uses the Hopkins & Holloway stripper and double foot snakes on their rods now.
I really like the H&H single-foot wire guides. IMHO I can build a rod better than Sage using a Sage blank and the H&H single-foots - but as always that amounts more to personal preference.
I think H&H needs a better salesperson maybe? PacBay got Loomis to go with them but I prefer the way the H&H single-foots stand away from the blank.
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Let No One Walk Alone
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Bill
JC,
I don't think our ideas are mutually exclucive. But I think all the features offered on a rod are always market driven. The high end market wants high mod graphite, high grade cork, and a slick reel seat, so thats what you find on high end rods-- great quality on that end.
What the market doesn't demand are better guides - ceramics on heavier wts and single foot wires on light weights. My guess here is that by-and-large most fly-fishers don't know about the benefits of ceramics, or the benifits of weight savings on light rods.
I think there is also a lot of poor quality wraps on rods, even high end. Again, I would say market driven. How many fly fishers you you see inspecting the quality of the wraps at your local fly shop? Probably not too many. Last time I did that, I saw about 1/4 of the high end rods had the guides showing between the thread - not just poor, but slopy thread packing.
No, I wouldn't say any major company is trying to screw us, their just meeting the demands of the consumers, while trying to stay in the black.