Static Testing

Today I was getting my guide placement sorted on this rod. For the guides I've went with titanium Sic's as I'll possibly be using it in the salt for bass. Stripper is a 16mm DF, then 12 DF and 7mm single foots right out to the tip. For the life of me I could not find my wee surgical rubber bands I usually use to hold on the guides while testing so I can move them back and forth with ease. So went with masking tape after I found myself getting quite frustrated. I know they are in that shop somewhere. Tape will do in a pinch but the rubber bands are much easier to use. I was a little hot under the collar and you can see I just slapped the tape on any old way!!!

Ive got a rod holder bolted to a jig which is fixed to the side of my garage. The rod can be mounted in the holder and a weight attached to the end in order to fully flex the rod. The guides can be placed so the line path follows the arc of the blank. On a nice day like it was today its nice to do this outside. My stripper is place at 31" from the center of the reel. This is the distance I use for all of my fly rods. I can reach without stretching and my stripping hand lands about 2" short of the guide. The first guide from the tip goes at 4 1/2". Thread the line through the stripper and then slide on all the other guides between it and the guide at 4 1/2". They will just bunch up and hang on the line. Now thread it through the first guide and the tip. I just eyeball where I think the guides look good and tape them on. Now attach a weight to the line and put a bend in the rod. Adjust your guides so you get a nice path with no major "flat spots".

Just out of curiosity I compared my guide locations to a spacing chart. A few guides were close but the chart was 100mm out for a couple. This just goes to show this is the best way to find guide placement. Every blank is different so keep the spacing chart in the drawer where it belongs. :>)