Guide preparation?
I ordered the Forecast 6'6" 2wt kit from Hook and Hackle recently and am finally around to building it. Do the guides from these kits really need much filing?? To my uneducated eyes they look pretty much ready to go. Thanks in advance for all input.
bd
Yes!!!! You need to make sure that the bottom is smooth (so it won't cut into the rod) and that the quide fee set totally on the blank. Some are bent a little and only set party on the blank. You also need to file down the end od the foot so that the wrap thread will climb up on the quide foot easily. You do not want to see the end of the quide foot sticking out after it is wrapped. Some guides need little work and other quite a bit. Allyn
I'm nearing completion of a 2wt IM6 kit from Hook and Hackle. I thought the same thing as you about the guides. They looked pretty good to me. I discovered, though, that the guides didn't lay flat on the guides. Some time with a needlenose pliers would have remedied that pretty easily. They were already filed down to a taper, though. I didn't mess with that at all and didn't have any problems wrapping over the ends.
Next time around I will spend a little bit more time prepping them for a more professional finish, though.
Thanks guys, that was what I was looking for on both counts.
bd
I am glad I listened to you guys. Wasn't that difficult and it was easy to tell the importance once I started wrapping. I stopped on one guide and filed it some more, thread climbs the foot much better after some prep work. Rod #1 is almost done, not perfect by any stretch but nothing looks egregiously crooked. My initial goals were for it to be sturdy and usable, I think I did it
bd
If it cast reasonably well and lands a fish ok, who cares. you have had the fun building it and then using it! Allyn
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