Hey guys,

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a single foot or double foot stripping guides on a fly rod?

is one better than the other?

Thanks!

Mark Warnke

Black Swamp Custom Rods

I build only fly rods, and the only advantage I can think of is.....half the number of wraps. This reduces weight, but weight in this area is not an issue. Single foot are a little more susceptible to damage.

Right, the line doesn't care. A single is okay, but won't take the amount of bumping and banging that a double foot would in most instances. I'd probably stick with a double foot in any rod used for larger fish. Maybe anything over a 7-weight or so.

..............

I don't think I've ever had guide damage of any kind on my freshwater fly rods, they're not the most durable blanks to start with and the single foot guides take quite a bit of force to damage in actual fishing situations. Heavier, or saltwater designs can probably benefit from double foot guides as they can be knocked around more. Staying with a low frame design will allow you to use the smaller diameter rod tubes like your rods use now, diameter goes up with taller guides which isn't really a bad thing. Height could have advantages as it does on spinning rods I think, the big stripper guides are there for the height, I think, not so much for the ring size.

I don't really see where anything was mentioned as to the height of the guides, mere the advantages or disadvantages surrounding the use of one or the other.. I think Tom had the best answer, but as stated previously if weight is the concern, it is going to be very negligible on that part of the rod unless you are possibly working with a 0 or 1wt

Ron Weber

The only big advantage between the two, is that a double footed guide is much tougher than the single footed guide.

But, if you break the blank by stepping on the rod, the guide will not make any difference.

Be safe

If I'm wrong, someone will tell me, but for fly rods I don't see an advantage in higher stripping guides. The line is not coming off the reel in casting. I like the solid look of a two foot guide in the first two locations, have never tried a single foot, but even though it may be fine, I just like the two foot there.

I would like some comments on single foot wire vs snake running guides. Some advocate snakes for being better able to pass minor tangles in the line than single foot running guides. I have used single foot running guides and have had no problems, but is there that or another advantage to snakes over single foot wire guides?

I suspect a half-hour instruction session with a competent instructor will benefit the rod's user much more than any conceivable fly rod guide train arrangement.

Awesome! Thanks for the help.
Actually my next question was going to be about the difference of the height between the single and the double foot guides.
Thanks Spencer!
all in all I was asking so I knew when a customer asked which was better, I knew what the answer was..
you guys are great!
Thanks again!

I have been using single foot strippers on the light fly rods, 4Wt and down. Titanium Titan single foot guides in size 10 or size 8 (NIRLF-10, or NIRLF-8) depending on the build have worked out very well as stripper guides. No problem with damages and they sit close to the blank, as Michael mentioned, I see no advantage to the guide sitting far off of the blank.