Well hello again all. I hope that everyone is doing well.

So I have a delimma. I built a H&H IM6 9' 4 weight just recently. I am currently in love with the rod. BUT, my 12 year old has now laid claim to it now that she has fished with it once. It seems as though my handy Sage 9' #6 is about to take a back seat!

Well, now that I have a need for another kit ... like any of us need a reason to get another rod ... I am planning on building another 9' #4 IM6 from H&H. This one will be a 4 piece rod instead of a 2 piece though. But before I get started I need some help with guide placement. On the first rod, I just went with the reccomended guide placement from H&H. And this leads me to some questions...

1. When building a fly rod, what will changing the locations of the guides do for a rod???

2. I can understand if you place more guides closer together, you can make that section "stiffer" with the thread wraps and epoxy. But is that about it?

3. Let's say that do to ferrule placement, I have to move a guide a little bit. What effects on the rod would I get by moving it either closer to the tip or butt of the rod???

4. What size guides and tip tops do you guys use on your rods?
I am wanting to use single foot guides and maybe a little larger tip top for this rod. I am wanting something that can cast a little easier to longer distance than the 2 foot snake guides.

5. Will larger sized single foot guides and larger tip top do the trick, or does it matter that much???


Thanks for all the help everyone!!!

Sincerely,
Reg