Well in my latest flyrod blank order, I stuck the X-Ray P700 in the cart.  Probably should have gone with a proven blank, but wth. This will be my first bfs build.  For guides does RV6, KB5, KB4.5, KT 4.5 to tip sound close?  Not sure on the sizing between the small guides and couldn’t find a dimensional chart for some reason. 8lb braid with leader will be used on it.

 

Thanks

I think you are spot on with the guides. I've been curious about that blank as well, thinking of ordering it for an ultralight spinning rod. Let us know what you think when you get it. 

You should be fine with 4.5, however I would stick with 5 for runners if planning to run a leader. Again, 4.5 should be OK, it's just my personal preference not to go smaller than 5 if I know I'll be running leaders. 

Thanks,

I was looking at my jdm rods and think they are 4.5, but heck they could be 5’s. Outside diameter is 4.4.  5’s are probably a safer choice

 

 

A 4.5 will easily pass leader knots joining 50# braid and 15# mono. You won’t have any problem here. 

I have spinning rods, running 3 mm runners, 10 lb braid to 8 lb P-Line CXX with the knot on the reel that cast beautifully and further than my identical rods built on the old NGC system. 5 mm guides were used on the old Berkeley Series One casting rods back 30+ years ago, G Loomis was using 4 mm guides on spinning rods 40+ years ago, they shed knots just fine. You really think a casting rod wouldn't do better than a spinning version passing a knot? The stripper you selected is the second choke point on your rod, the reel level wind is the first, did your knot pass through it? Doesn't the line have to pass through that little hole at some pretty steep angles? If so, haven't we learned something about the rest of the rod layout from the size of the levelwind guide and the straighter angles the line will see after it leaves the reel?

Thanks all, just went and measured a rod, and it looks like it is a couple 4.5’s and then 4’s to the tip (comparing anglers resource height chart).

 

tied an FG of 10lb suffix to 20lb fluoro and it seems to flow fine.   I thought I had something with smaller guides, but maybe I imagined it as it looks like 4 is as small for Fuji KT or lb . I will give these a try. 
 

 

Next time I’ll ask which system for spiral is best  cheers

A 4.5 will easily pass leader knots joining 50# braid and 15# mono. You won’t have any problem here. 

 

Depends on what knot you'll be using.  IMHO   A double uni with this combination will probably be trouble.   

For this rod 8-10lb braid with an FG to 15/20lb  leader will be the norm

Interesting light braid to heavy leader combo.  Up here in MI, my usually finesse setups are 8-10 lb braid to a 6 lb leader.  I do not think the finesse lures I fish would work well on heavy FG leader.  What kind of lures are you using?  I am assuming you are trying to maximize abrasion resistance with that leader choice.

For hard baits, Duo spearhead 38 and 50S are favorites 

 

Zmann trd craws on 1/16 jig head for plastics. Light saltwater around oysters 

When you are fishing oyster beds in the salt, saying so on a bass site just might get you better answers. Just an observation. I have a river I fish littered with clam shells for walleye, SMB, catfish, salmon, steelhead, and white sturgeon in it, I can't imagine needing that heavy a leader on a rod that has the same power as a lighter powered 5 wt trout fly rod. I fish Sea Run Cutthroat trout over commercial oyster beds with 8 - 10 lb leaders and have for 50 years.

So, I have this blank now.  The top half is quite limber but then it does transition to more power in the bottom half than I expected.  I will need to compare it side by side to my SJ640 IMX (extended to 6') but I want to say the bottom half is more powerful.  Going from memory here.  Blanks are at my work shop.  Finished rods are at home or in my boat.  If I reorganize my work shop, I would like to add a chart to do comparisons between blanks by hanging weights on them, but this is a hobby, not a business, for me.  So, space priority is given to me real job.  

Thanks for the feedback, I was hoping the blank had a bit of junk in the trunk.

still waiting on the blank.. yawn..