Has anyone created a blank for conventional reels which had an opening in the fore grip or the adjacent blank through which the line could pass directly into a guide train on the underside of the blank?
Such an opening could be engineered so that it would not weaken the blank in the least and would provide the same benefits as a spiral guide configuration in a much neater arrangement.

I think it would be easier to ferrule the blank to a reelseat/grip assembly, in fact it was done before. The blank rides above the reelseat/grip assembly and looks like the old dogleg reel seats used in earlier days.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2016 09:54AM by Spencer Phipps.

The Bass Handler handle positioned the rod blank above the reel spool and allowed the line to run directly from the spool to the underside of the rod. At least two companies have produced rods where the line entered the rod and then ran along the inside of the blank, no guides required. All have met with some difficulty or another, but the concepts are at least sound. The problem has always been the implementation.

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A through hole in both sides of the blank would have fit a certain reel size, type, position of guide, and size, or height of guide to my way of thinking. Grip length would also be affected.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2016 11:49AM by Spencer Phipps.

Phil, it was meant as a joke when I mentioned angle drilling through a blank to improve on the spiral wrap concept in my post “Wave guides and Acid wraps” a few days ago, in which you responded four times. But it got you thinking which is always a good thing. A word of caution, though, on becoming an Over Thinker like me!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Different tools for different tasks. Spiral guide wraps have been widely praised for trolling and jigging for big fish. I am unaware of any spiral wrapped factory-built surf rods or inshore rods for conventional reels. Are there any situations using a conventional "on top" reel where use of a spiral wrapped rod would be a disadvantage? As a fly fisherman for over 55 years I am familiar with counter-productive influences of tradition upon sport fishing as well as numerous short-lived fads.