I have been advised not to put single foot guides on a spey rod. Why is that? I am new to rod building and have only used single foot guides once. They seemd to work fine on the 8wt. rod that I did use them on. I really seem to like the idea of and the looks of the H&H guides that stand off the blank.

Shawn Smith

Who would tell you such a thing. I'm guess it's somebody who has never actually used them. Single foot guides will work fine on that rod.

Why not use them? It is a ring with a foot and leg that attaches to the blank. Why were you told it would not work. Surely the guide has no idea what type rod it is being attached to.

Tell your 'adviser' Poppycock! and use them with confidence!

Actually it was a customer service person from one of this sites sponsors. They said that the single foot guides would not hold up to a spey rod. They thought that the line would get caught in them and maybe rip them off. At least that is the way that I understood them. Not knocking them(they have been great to me) just getting a second opinion.

Shawn

They must not have used them. I have single foot guides on surf rods and they have never gotten 'knocked off' or pulled out. The darn things are tough!!!

Somewhere somebody talked about the pressure you can put on them. I think it was said that they could lift 40 pounds without damage. Then you've got the Forhan wrap as showed in the last issue of RodMaker that makes sure nothing can pull them out. You'd have to destroy the rod to get one off with that wrap.

I have seen single foot rods used on heavy sticks for snook and tarpon. If they can't tear them up I doubt anything you'll get on a spey rod will. I'd use 'em and see what happens. I'd bet they'll out live you. (No bad luck intended.)

I agree with all the statements made..Wraped correctly you can use single foot guides on a sailfish rod
Bob

Shawn,

I and fellow rod-builders in Norway where spey rods (two-handers) are used frequently for salmon have used single foot guides for many years (Fuji, H&H/Seymo). I usually add a few extra turns of thread as a security wrap in front of the guide foot. They work perfectly, the only problems we've had are from our own mistakes fighting bushes and trees along the riverbank.

Sigurd Stefansson