For those who build fly rods using single foot insert guides, have you used ALPS Titanium F-Guide TIPF single foot running guides? I know I like the Titanium XN series for stripping guides but the feet on the TIPF seem a little long to me and I am just not sure what that might do to the action. Thanks in advance.

Tony,while I haven't used them I cannot comment on that. Why not just grind the foot shorter to your liking?

tony,
I have not seen any guide - no matter the length of the foot - to have any significant effect on the action of the blank.

But, as Chuck suggested - if the foot is too long, grab the grinder or sander and make it any length that you like. You can also thin the foot to as thin as you wish.

Be safe

tony,
I have not seen any guide - no matter the length of the foot - to have any significant effect on the action of the blank.

But, as Chuck suggested - if the foot is too long, grab the grinder or sander and make it any length that you like. You can also thin the foot to as thin as you wish.

Be safe

Tony,
All guides have an affect on the action of the blank. Especially with their distance from the tip.
Not so much how the blank deflects but very much on the speed of the deflection recovery.
Heavy guides create slower response, lighter guides create quicker response.
Guides closer to the tip slow response more, guides further from the tip slow the response less.
Smallest lightest guides are the best choice.

Gene

Action is where the rod initially flexes, so no, adding more or less guides will not affect the action. Speed, which is reaction and recovery time, will be affected by an addition of weight, particularly in the upper half of the rod.

You might think a longer, stiffer guide will stiffen the rod, but the overall effect of the additional weight will actually make it feel softer.

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

Thanks to all who replied. Ask me later if you want to know how this experiment went. These are definitely light guides, so I am not as concerned about the foot length any more.

Tony,

I have used the exact same guides on a 4 piece 9 ft., 8wt blank, using size 6 runners. To be brief, I then retied using XN strippers and Recoil double foot snakes. The difference in rod responsiveness between the two guide types is like night and day. Therefore if you want to keep your rod as crisp as possible, go with a lighter guide option other than the TIPFs.

Regards,

Craig

Craig -

That is interesting. You had 6mm TITANIUM TIPFs for the running guides then switched to the Recoil snake guides and noticed a significant difference?

Thanks,

Tony

Tony,
Many on this forum have used inserted guides on fly rods.
Most experienced the same as Craig and myself.
I find them intolerable on a fly rod.
Perhaps that's why the top manufacturers of fly rods have shied away from them. Not because they were traditional or cheaper, they just work better with lighter guides.

Gene