Should I replace the tip guide?

[PBBrandon]

I have a St. Croix Victory 7’3” MXF that turned into a 6’11” MXF a while back. I already got my replacement rod (6’10” MLXF LTB) but because St Croix just has you send a picture in for warranty replacement, I still have the old Victory. It’s still got a good action to it and I bet it’d make a nice wacky rod or just something I keep in the truck all the time. I have a Fuji tip guide replacement kit, but all of the guides in the kit are a bit bigger than the current top guide of my victory. Should I go ahead and replace the guide or just snip the 2mm of blank above the guide on my victory and leave it like that? Thanks

[garroyo130]

replace if you plan on using

[MN Fisher]

^ This. The tip-top is integral to the casting ability of a rod. If the distance to the first guide is that short, remove the first guide and put an appropriate size tip-top on if you want to continue using the rod. Note that the action will change...it won't be an XF anymore.

[casts_by_fly]

don't trim it and just add a tip top that slides over the top of the remaining blank.  Don't worry that the second guide is 2" from it.  More important is that you keep as much of the tip section of the blank as you can.  That's where all of the action is.

[bulldog1935]

Actually, the rod will be faster, and will give away a little light end on the lure weight range.  Shouldn't affect anything else.  

[Alex from GA]

Do as casts-by-fly says, don't cut anything.  Use the lightest tip top you can.

[MickD]

If faster means where it will first bend, it will get slower when you shorten it.  Do CCS on it to prove it if you doubt it.  If faster means faster recovery speed then it probably will speed up a bit.

 

If you still have both pieces intact I would recommend doing this procedure on it.  I've done it probably a dozen times, and all the rods were successful after doing it.  My last was the second repair (broken near the tip first, then repaired and it fished fine, then got stepped on and was broken farther down, repaired again) on an 8 wt fly rod and just got the report that it casts as well as ever and landed two bonefish just fine.  https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html

 

This procedure if done right will result in a rod that fishes just as well as the original.

 

I have never liked how a rod shortened from the tip feels.  

 

Note that it's not that important whether you use glass or graphite for the sleeve.  I actually prefer graphite because it is thinner walled and makes a less obtrusive appearance.  

[PBBrandon]

Thanks everyone!

On 12/4/2023 at 12:37 PM, MickD said:

If faster means where it will first bend, it will get slower when you shorten it.  Do CCS on it to prove it if you doubt it.  If faster means faster recovery speed then it probably will speed up a bit.

 

If you still have both pieces intact I would recommend doing this procedure on it.  I've done it probably a dozen times, and all the rods were successful after doing it.  My last was the second repair (broken near the tip first, then repaired and it fished fine, then got stepped on and was broken farther down, repaired again) on an 8 wt fly rod and just got the report that it casts as well as ever and landed two bonefish just fine.  https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html

 

This procedure if done right will result in a rod that fishes just as well as the original.

 

I have never liked how a rod shortened from the tip feels.  

 

Note that it's not that important whether you use glass or graphite for the sleeve.  I actually prefer graphite because it is thinner walled and makes a less obtrusive appearance.  

I have the broken off piece and will try this first. Seems like I could learn something from it lol. If that doesn’t work I’ll just replace the top guide.

[MickD]

7 hours ago, PBBrandon said:

I have the broken off piece and will try this first. Seems like I could learn something from it lol.

The most critical part of the process is making sure you get adequate epoxy (buy some rodbuilding epoxy-I think some of the hardware stuff is pretty stiff/brittle) along the inside of the sleeve.  Don't skimp, use 90% alcohol or denatured alcohol for cleanup of tracked epoxy before it hardens.  If you have questions as you go through it, message me and we'll work them out.