Rod building supply questions

[Roberto]

hey guys,
just a question for the rod builders out there.
Ive got a nice slow action light weight blank, thats 13 foot long and 4-8 lb test line rated. i want to build a super light weight ( in both aspects ) rod for steelhead. I want the lightest guides possible without breaking the bank. Any decent options out there. Also to save on weight and cost, im doing low gauge cork handle with sliding rings. any one with experience have some input on this topic?
thanks gents

 

[eric]

any single foot micro guides or fly guides are wicked lite to begin with...
and the fact its a slow action to begin with,, you dont have to worry too much about the guides affecting it.
depending oh how the blank bends,, you will probably need anywhere from 6 to 12 guides.

biggest weight factor is the epoxy, from what i notice a coat or two can add grams to the weight.
also your fishing fw, you dont need titanium guides or the likes as corrosion isnt much problems like in sw.

 

[despotiko]

You want 11-14 guides, depending on how slow the action is you can get away with less but as a general rule, one guide per foot of rod, plus one for the tip. 6 guides on 13' foot rod is no where near enough. Also running low frame guides or fly guides is alright if your only fishing fast flows, but once you get into the slower stuff you'll find your line sticking to the blank when you gain slack. You want a good set of mid or high frame guides, i'd recommend RECoils or minimas but i have had some bad experiences with grooving and line fraying, they are very light though. IMO the best guides for the coin are the Fuji BYAG or CYAG, steel frame with Alconite insert. That's what I use on most of my personal rods and have found them super durable and very light for a $40 set. Other good options are the Fuji TYSG for $150 or Alps and Pacbay have a line of titanium framed guides that range between $80-$120 that are as light as the TYSG's. You'll definitely save weight overall by using plain cork and sliding rings, but that usually throws the balance off, resulting in a tip heavy rod. If your gunna go the sliding rings route I suggest using some heavier burl or accent cork and nice wood butt cap to counter balance the build. Lastly, I pick up a lots of stuff from John he's great to deal with and has a good selection, take a look at his sight http://www.freewebs.com/johnsflymaterials/.

Goodluck,

Dimitri

 

[Roberto]

thank you so much sir, i am a total noob to tying rods. that info was helpfull . will browse through the site to pick out what i need.