Hello all, been a while since I have been here for some help as I am a very occasional builder for my own needs. I am considering a new 6 wt on a St Croix scv blank. What might be the biggest differences between the Recoil titanium wire single foots and the newer minima guides? A few years ago I built an 8 wt for a friend for saltwater use. The recoil guides seemed a bit noisey compared to ceramic insert guides. I think perhaps 6's in either for running guides.

Thanks!

Ceramics will be quieter than either, but depending on the type and style chosen you may incur a slight weight penalty. Initially the sound of fly line running through anything other than ceramics bothered me, but I got used to it after a bit.

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Thanks, otherwise is there a difference of any consequence?

The Recoil are probably longer wearing, but I've not had any wear issues with the Minima's.

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The geometry of a snake guide allows a snake guide with the same nominal diameter to pass a larger obstruction than a ring guide of the same diameter. Leader connections and backing connections featuring loops or even nail knots require larger- and heavier- ring guides than their snake-guide equivalents. If you use those excellent REC "lite-weight" snake guides I suggest a couple of Forhan wraps around both guide feet of each guide. They are indestructible but flexible, and I have had one foot of an REC lite-weight snake guide flex enough when the guide was accidentally struck that one leg of the guide backed out entirely from under its wrapping. The guide was undamaged - it sprung back to its original shape - but I had to re-wrap and re-finish that guide foot.

Phil,
How would one do a Forhan wrap on a snake guide?

Herb

Herb: By hand, without a bobbin. When you get to the point where you wish to make your Forhan wrap (s) you leave 8 or 10 inches of slack and cut your tying thread. Make your wrap(s) around the guide foot and the blank with one hand while you maintain wrap tension with your other hand. Complete the whip finish as usual. I don't know how else to do a Forhan wrap?

Phil,
Yes, I agree that you would need to do that for the locking wrap - since with a snake guide, you would need to feed the loose end of the wrapping thread through the snake guide to execute the locking wrap at each end of the guide.

Normally, when I do a locking wrap, I do the lock three times so it would require inserting the loose end though the guide 3 times on each end of the guide for the completed wrap.

Take care

I have to admit that to me, doing 18 Forhan locking wraps on double foot fly rod guides is unjustified in preventing the very rare instance of a REC guide pulling a foot out of the wrap. I would rather simply do the wraps in the normal, efficient, way and then, in case of a rare "loose foot," re-wrap that foot.

The extra Forhan wraps cost me about 30 seconds each, but I have practiced. I figure a few extra minutes at the rod bench might save me or someone else a fishing trip. I never managed to slip an "escaped" guide foot back under its wraps.

Generally, the Forhan wrap offers the greatest benefit on single foot guides that are prone to pulling out when caught on rod lockers, etc. Double foot guides aren't nearly as suspect in that regard. However, if you can do them in a very short time it's likely to be just that more insurance for little extra trouble.

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i have no idea how hard the wire is but is their a way to roughen up the surface so that the thread and finish can get a better hold on the guide?

or maybe hammer the tip flatter and wider just a bit making the foot resist pulling..