This is my first venture into Spey Rods. I have an 11'6" Forecast 6/7 blank. I started laying it out convinced I should use single foot wire guides over single foot ceramic guides for the weight savings.

Then it occured to me that I might want the ceramic guides (Forecast Blue Ring) for the better "castability."

I am an above average fly caster, but have limited experience spey casting.

I am building the rod primarily for nymphing on tailwaters and to learn spey casting.

Which guide set is the better way to go on this rod?

David Edens

Not long ago I was in the same position as you were. Ceramics seemed the way to go but I thought I'd ask questions too. Bob Meiser, the anointed guru of Spey on this site AND Forcast themselves (I'm building one of their blanks too-12.5ft, 7/8wt ), both recommended snakes over ceramic. I wasn't about to second guess those two opinions... I used snakes. I didn't ask about single foot wire because I've got a ton of snakes, so you may want to ask both of them what their opinion is of single foot wire vs. snakes. Please post any response you get. Both Bob M. & Forecast were quick to respond and very helpful with advise.

Tight Lines,

Tim

Hi David.

The only bad thing about ceramics is that you need reasonably large ones and they do weight quite much - even the titanium framed ones. With my next blank I've decided to get titanium framed SiC stripper guides and the rest will be single foot recoils. The tip will most likely be recoil too but I haven't decided on that yet; the other option is titanium framed SiC.

Since you're building a double hander (or spey rod as they are often called on the new continent), I'd say you don't gain much from the extra slickness of the ceramics since you won't be hauling. When the line is shot, the resistance is quite small regardless of the guide material.

Single foot and normal snakes weight about the same but with single footers you have less wrapping to do and that's where a little weight is also saved with single footers.

Cheers,
Sakari

I have built a number of those same blanks last fall. Those built with the ceramic ring guides were as easy to balance the rod as the one with snakes. The ceramics seemed to cast smoother although the skill of the caster still influenced distance. Just remember to mic the line and knots you are using so it will pass through the guides you choose. If your e-mail was not hidden, I could offer more help
Regards,
Kenneth Prager

David-

As I understand it (and how it was explained to me when I asked the same questions), a true spey cast in many different forms and by many different names uses very little shooting line through the guides. Most, if not all, of the line is out in front of you and on the water. Casting is an act of using the resistance of the water sticking to the line to load the rod and thus shoot the line back to beginning of the desired drift.

So with this information, does a true spey rodder need ceramic single foot guides, NO!

But, toss in these variables and ask the same question:

Multi-purpose rod, utilizing traditional fly casts, used for high sticking and the advantages of length in mending capabilities
Reduction in wraps thus saving time and simplifying the look. Single foots = 1/2 the wraps of snakes

I haven't done the testing, but I wonder....Would a single foot ceramic guide weigh less when completed than a snake foot? I would guess it would or that it may be very close?!
I would guess for certain (is that contridictory use of words?) that a single foot wire guide would be less than a snake.

I wrapped up my 6/7 11'6" Forecast with ceramic single footers because of the flexibility it provides. It casts like a dream in all ways and if I ever wanted to throw on a pin on it with mono line, that wouldn't be a problem either.

Domenic Federico
Infinity Rod Creations

Many folks shoot line when using spey rods, to varying degrees. Maybe nothing, maybe a few feet, maybe fifty feet or more. It all depends on one's chosen technique. I build mine with snakes largely because shooting line isn't a limitation in my fishing, and the added durability of snakes is worth it to me on the river.

The forecast 6/7 IMO is too much rod for most trout (its really an 8 wt), unless said trout happen to have spent some time in the salt.

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