Why Snake Type Guides

[tlerm]

I love this website! Who would have ever thought that there would be so much passion regarding something so undeserving of heated debate.
Would someone tell me; fur, or foam flypatch?

Oh, that probably deserves its own thread!

[Fly Goddess]

My hubby built me a three piece Lamiglass 7' four weight a few years ago. I requested the single foot....don't really know why now.
He built himself the same rod this year with snake guides.
I swear, if I blind fold anyone...they would not be able to tell the difference.

[Silver Creek]

Let me add this tid bit.

I believe there is a difference between telling a difference and making a difference. To tell a difference, one needs to cast both types of rods, one rod with snake guides and the other rod with single footed guides. That is the first requirement.

Secondly, the original rod blank must be soft enough that the small amount of relative stiffening of the action with double footed guides can be humanly noticed.

I think with a super fast rod that is already relatively stiff, it would be very very difficult to tell the slight additional stiffening of a double footed snake guide vs the single footed variety. With a very soft rod, yeah, I think even I would have a chance of noticing it.

I also think that the line rating of the fly rod makes a difference. Put snakes vs single footed on a 14 wt fly rod, and I don't think anyopne could tell which rod is which; but put them on a zero wt rod, and the difference would be more noticeable.

So I don't think the guides are the only factor. I believe the underlying characteristics of the rod blank, ie, rod action and line rating are crutial.

What is most important, however, is whether it makes a difference in the ease of use, the accuraccy of the cast, the distance of the cast, the fighting of the fish, and so on. For most anglers, I suspect that the answer is no. For other anglers who may fish with very light lines and soft rods, or who think single footed guides are superior, the answer can be yes.

[Jackster]

I love this website! Who would have ever thought that there would be so much passion regarding something so undeserving of heated debate.

It could also be looked at as campfire chit-chat. That's the way I view these conversations anyhow.

[bonefishwhisperer]

Let me add this tid bit.

I believe there is a difference between telling a difference and making a difference. To tell a difference, one needs to cast both types of rods, one rod with snake guides and the other rod with single footed guides. That is the first requirement.

Secondly, the original rod blank must be soft enough that the small amount of relative stiffening of the action with double footed guides can be humanly noticed.

I think with a super fast rod that is already relatively stiff, it would be very very difficult to tell the slight additional stiffening of a double footed snake guide vs the single footed variety. With a very soft rod, yeah, I think even I would have a chance of noticing it.

I also think that the line rating of the fly rod makes a difference. Put snakes vs single footed on a 14 wt fly rod, and I don't think anyopne could tell which rod is which; but put them on a zero wt rod, and the difference would be more noticeable.

So I don't think the guides are the only factor. I believe the underlying characteristics of the rod blank, ie, rod action and line rating are crutial.

What is most important, however, is whether it makes a difference in the ease of use, the accuraccy of the cast, the distance of the cast, the fighting of the fish, and so on. For most anglers, I suspect that the answer is no. For other anglers who may fish with very light lines and soft rods, or who think single footed guides are superior, the answer can be yes.

I have read all and this is the post I agree with the most....I have a rod right now, it is a custom G Loomis 10ft 6wt with fighting butt....it had single foot guides...I rewrapped it last yr with snake guides(which was a 1st) because of the notion of adding weight or making rod too heavy(trout fisherman mentality)...I wish I hadnt waited to do so...the rod is noticably faster and distance is INCREASED...the rod is so much better it is hard to believe..this was a complete shock to me...as of now I would only use RECOIL guides...the truth is on small fish such as trout it will never matter either way...

[hardhat]

I could see the rod performing differently changing from SF to snake guides if the guides were lined up differently than the original configuration. Meaning in conjuction to the spline or curvature of the rod blank. Other than that I would suggest that some other variable has taken place.

[JohnScott]

...... just seems to me that if you are that aware of your rod WHILE YOU ARE FISHING, then you are not really focused on fishing and the things that matter most while doing that.

Sure, big deal if you can scientifically determine and maybe even feel something different because of different style / weight guides in a STATIC testing situation. But fishing is a DYNAMIC activity with so many things going on that it defies logic to attribute importance to the type of guides you got on your stick.

John

[MontanaMoose]

I mean you prolly don't want to use certain kinds of fur and then foam, well, we both know that's the best way to lose flies...but i got to thinking...the vest sellers that include the foam patch prolly sell flies too !

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

P.S. I like the double foot,
double spiral guides in stainless...

I love this website! Who would have ever thought that there would be so much passion regarding something so undeserving of heated debate.
Would someone tell me; fur, or foam flypatch?

[bdharris]

How can a person make such a statement?? "OUT FISHED"..?? No way to PROVE positive or negative. Had you stated that it normally is able to cast further..?? Or because of its cosmetics you prefer using it than the rod with snakes..??...but OUT FISHED????

Maybe he doesn't get around to using his snake guide rods?

[Cold]

Maybe he doesn't get around to using his snake guide rods?

Kind of like you dont get around to reading posts?

Also, I've fished 2 of my rods with snake guides for a combined time nearly double that of the 2 with single-foot guides...and I've landed far more fish with the two fished less-often, but with the single foot guides.