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Fly Rod Guide Spacing Chart

This guide spacing chart covers most two piece fly rods. It can be used on 3 & 4 piece rods by adjusting individual guides at ferrule locations. Typical butt guide (Stripping) distance is from 27 to 36 inches from the butt of the rod. This dimension is arrived at by the length of pull when double hauling for distance casting. These are not the absolute best locations for all rods, but are good all round spacing for most rods. Hope they can be of use to someone.

1st row of numbers is the distance between individual guides.
2nd row is the cumulative add up measuring from the tip down.

Guide # from tip
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
7 ' Rod - 8 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
4 1/8 4 3/4 5 3/8 6 6 5/8 7 1/4 7 7/8 12
4 1/8 8 7/8 14 1/4 20 1/4 26 7/8 34 1/8 42 54          
7 1/2 ' Rod - 9 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
4 3/8 5 5 5/8 6 1/4 6 7/8 7 1/2 8 1/8 8 1/8  8 1/8        
4 3/8 9 3/8 15 21 1/4 28 1/8 35 5/8 43 3/4 51 7/8 60        
8 ' Rod - 9 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
4 1/4 5 1/8 6 6 7/8 7 3/4 8 3/4 9 9 9        
4 1/4 9 3/8 15 3/8 22 1/4 30 38 3/4 47 3/4 56 3/4 65 3/4        
8 ' Rod - 10 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
4 1/4 4 3/4 5 1/4 5 3/4 6 1/4 6 3/4 7 1/4 7 3/4 8 1/4 8 3/4      
4 1/4 9 14 1/4 20 26 1/4 33 40 1/4 48 56 1/4 65      
8 1/2 ' Rod - 9 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
4 1/2 5 1/4 6 1/8 7 8 9 1/8 10 1/2 10 1/2 10 1/2      
4 1/2 9 3/4 15 7/8 22 7/8 30 7/8 40 50 1/2 61 71 1/2      
8 1/2 ' Rod - 10 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
3 5/8 4 1/4 4 3/4 5 1/2 6 1/2 7 1/2 8 1/2 9 3/4 10 1/4 10 3/4      
3 5/8 7 7/8 12 5/8 18 1/8 24 5/8 32 1/8 40 5/8 50 3/8 60 5/8 71 3/8      
8 1/2 ' Rod - 11 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
3 3/4 4 4 1/2 5 5 1/2 6 6 1/2 7 1/4 8 10 11    
3 3/4 7 3/4 12 1/4 17 1/4 22 3/4 28 3/4 35 1/4 42 1/2 50 1/2 60 1/2 71 1/2    
9 ' Rod - 10 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
4 1/8 4 7/8 5 5/8 6 3/8 7 1/8 7 7/8 8 5/8 9 3/8 11 1/2 12 1/2    
4 1/8 9 14 5/8 21 28 1/8 36 44 5/8 54 65 1/2 78    
9 ' Rod - 11 Guides - (Guide on ferrule) #1
4
4 3/8
4 3/4
5 1/4
5 3/4
6 1/2
7
7 3/4
8 1/2
10 1/2
13 1/2
4
8 3/8
13 1/8
18 3/8
24 1/8
30 5/8
37 5/8
45 3/8
53 7/8
64 3/8
77 7/8
9 ' Rod - 11 Guides - (Guide on ferrule) #2
4 4 1/2 5 5 1/2 6 6 1/2 7 7 1/2 8 10 1/2 13 1/2    
4 8 1/2 13 1/2 19 25 31 1/2 38 1/2 46 54 64 1/2 78    
9 ' Rod - 12 Guides - (Guide on ferrule) (3 guides on butt)
4 7/8 5 1/8 5 3/8 5 5/8 5 7/8 6 1/4 6 1/2 6 7/8 7 1/4 7 5/8 8 8 3/8  
4 7/8 10 15 3/8 21 26 7/8 33 1/8 39 5/8 46 1/2 53 3/4 61 3/8 69 3/8 77 3/4  
9 1/2 ' Rod - 11 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
4 1/8 4 5/8 5 5 1/2 6 6 3/4 7 3/8 8 1/8 9 11 1/2 14    
4 1/8 8 3/4 13 3/4 19 1/4 25 1/4 32 39 3/8 47 1/2 56 1/2 68 82    
9 1/2 ' Rod - 12 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
5 1/8 5 3/8 5 3/4 6 6 1/4 6 1/2 6 7/8 7 1/4 7 5/8 8 8 3/8 8 3/4  
5 1/8 10 1/2 16 1/4 22 1/4 28 1/2 35 41 7/8 49 1/8 56 3/4 64 3/4 73 1/8 81 7/8  
9 1/2 ' Rod - 13 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
4 4 3/8 4 3/4 5 1/8 5 1/2 5 7/8 6 1/4 6 5/8 7 7 3/8 7 7/8 8 3/8 8 7/8
4 8 3/8 13 1/8 18 1/4 23 3/4 29 5/8 35 7/8 42 1/2 49 1/2 56 7/8 64 3/4 73 1/8 82
10 ' Rod - 12 Guides - (Guide on ferrule)
5 3/8 5 5/8 5 7/8 6 1/8 6 1/2 6 7/8 7 1/4 7 5/8 8 8 3/4 9 1/2 11  
5 3/8 11 16 7/8 23 29 1/2 36 3/8 43 5/8 51 1/4 59 1/4 68 77 1/2 88 1/2  

 
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