Just to confuse things ? I might disagree a bit.

"you want to stay as small as you can and still pass the knots that you use. Anything larger adds weight to the rod and affects performance. "

Actually I would say this is a compromise as just about anything is when trying to design something. The larger the guides the better the line can shoot through them. Sooo... Are you building a small stream rod or a larger rod? Is casting ?Distance? a factor?

I make these decisions based on what the rod is intended for. If I am building a rod to be used in a scenario that requires delicate presentation and accuracy I will try to use the smallest guides I can. If I am building a rod for blind ocean fishing where the more water covered the better then distance is a factor. I will use the largest guides I can without making the rod top-heavy.


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Let No One Walk Alone
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Bill