GUIDE SETTING
The following five points are important when it comes to guides.
1. Casting
2. Swinging
3. Hooking
4. Fighting
5. Reeling in
For casting (1), not only distance but also accuracy is required.
For swinging (2), sensitivity is required.
For hooking (3), hooking power is required.
For fighting and reeling (4.5), rod action and rod power are required.
For distance and rod power, the important factors are line speed, weight balance, prevention of tangles, prevention of twisting, and prevention of line wear.
The three roles of guide performance are: Utilizing the capabilities of the bamboo rod blank. It prevents the original tone and power from being lost.
Utilizing the capabilities of the reel. It makes it easier to insert and remove the line. Here, the running line is the main focus.
Utilizing the capabilities of the line. It makes the line smooth and does not damage it.
Important factors include sensitivity, accuracy, balance, hooking power, rod power, line twist, and line tangles.
Let's take a look at each of them.
About sensitivity
The lighter the tip guide and the more guides there are, the higher the sensitivity.
The smaller and lighter the guide at the tip of the rod, the higher the sensitivity.
The more guides there are, the more points of contact with the line, and the more vibrations are transmitted to the rod, so the sensitivity increases.
About accuracy
The lower the tip guide and the smaller the guide system, the higher the sensitivity.
When the force from the line is applied to the rod sideways or when casting with the rod tilted, a twisting force is generated in the rod.
If the twist is large, the rod will not swing straight and will curve, making it impossible to cast accurately to the desired point. Due to the principle of leverage, the twisting torque is smaller with lower and smaller diameter guides. This allows you to cast accurately.
About casting distance
The casting distance of a fly (fly line) varies depending on the number of guides, height, weight, size, and position.
The stronger the rod's repulsive force, the greater the distance.
Apart from weight, the more guides there are, the greater the repulsive force. The heavier the guide, the slower the rod will be and the weaker the repulsive force. The less the line resistance, the greater the casting distance. The more guides there are, the more contact points there are, so the greater the resistance. The fewer the guides, the easier the line will be to move around and the more likely it will get tangled or slapped.
I use a guide setting for my rod that gives the greatest casting distance and causes the least trouble.
About balance
The lighter the tip guide, the better the balance. The small guides on a single foot are very light.
Increasing the rod balance reduces the feeling of heaviness, reduces fatigue, and improves the operability of the rod.
Some models have a butt end cap attached to the rod end as a weight balancer. This is also to eliminate the weight and balance the weight.
About hooking power
The more guides there are on a rod, the greater the hooking power. If the number of guides is extremely reduced, the rod will just bend and the hooking power will be almost nonexistent. The more guides you have, the more the line will not come off the rod, so you can pull the line in without losing power, and the hooking power will increase.
Increasing hooking power reduces the chances of the fish escaping.
About rod power
The more guides you have, the more rod power you will have and the faster the reeling speed will be. A rod with the right number of guides will have less power loss, so you can use the power that the rod is capable of.
The more guides you have, the lighter the reel will be.
The greater the guide resistance, the greater the reel's reeling power will be.
This will continue throughout the fight with the fish, so it will make a big difference. By increasing the rod's repulsive power and reducing the guide resistance, you can reel in larger fish faster.
About line twist
The more guides you have, the less line twist there will be.
The running line released from the reel will have line twist. The twist that occurs will be returned to a certain extent as it is wound onto the reel. When casting, the line will twist and return repeatedly, but in reality, the line will be squeezed by the resistance of the guides and will end up being sent to the tip of the line. The more guides there are, the less resistance there is to the guides, so kinks are less likely to accumulate.
About tangles
The Agate guide, which is used as standard for stripping, not only looks good, but also helps prevent tangles by allowing the line to slide smoothly. It is also strong enough.
The narrower the guide width, the lower the back, and the smaller the ring system of the other guides, the less likely tangles will occur. Tangles are also easier to remove. The more guides there are, the less likely the line will move around and become tangled. The lighter the tip guide is, the less likely the tip will shake and the less likely the line will get tangled.
The tip guide is especially lightweight, so it reduces tip wobble.
Excessive friction on the line due to the small diameter and low back.
We have achieved a dramatic reduction in tangles during casting, preventing tangles, reducing frictional resistance, and not compromising the action.
