Guide Spacing PHY Perfectionist/Martha Marie/Parabolic 15

[moregrayling]

I have three blanks which are awaiting finishing. I would need the guide spacing for the following:

PHY Perfectionist, stronger taper, 5-weight

PHY Martha Marie, 6-weight

PHY Parabolic 15, wet-tip 6-weight, dry tip 5-weight (if it makes a difference in the guide spacing)

I would be much obliged if somebody could post the guide spacings for these. Thank you ever so much for your help!

[SpringCreek]

The Para 15 guides spacing can be found here: https://www.hexrod.net/RMA/search2.pl?msg=rm9810.639

[3creeks]

I built a Perfectionist copy using the following. As always, I temporarily attached the guides and fine tuned them. I don't think guide spacing is written in stone but a good starting point to fine tuned from. https://www.hexrod.net/Tapers/drtapers/ ... _90_4.html

[moregrayling]

@ all: thank you!

Any ideas on the Martha Marie?

[Godfroy]

@ all: thank you!

Any ideas on the Martha Marie?

I have often worked out guide spacing from photographs posted on tackle dealers sites such as Spinoza Rod or Freestone Vintage Tackle. This can be remarkably accurate, as I have been able to prove when I have subsequently found the correct figures or have owned one of the rods shown in the photos.

It is possible to become too obsessed with this, I think. Here are the figures for an original Perfectionist which I used to own but bear in mind that this rod measured 7' 6 3/4" not 7' 6".
4 5/8, 10 7/16, 17, 24 7/16, 32 1/2, 40 1/2, 47 13/16, 56 9/16, 66 3/4. The stripping guide on this rod is 24" from the butt end of the rod, 66 3/4 + 24 = 90 3/4". On this rod the gap between guides 6 and 7 is smaller than that between guides 5 and 6.

Here are pictures of the original rod above and my copy below. I don't like the twin sliding bands so I copied the handle from another Perfectionist.

Paul.

[moregrayling]

Thank you!

[Adamsdry]

Martha Marie from Quashnet;
viewtopic.php?p=657490&hilit=Marie+guid ... ng#p657490
More;
viewtopic.php?p=95497&hilit=Marie+guide+spacing#p95497

I don't think guide spacing is written in stone but a good starting point to fine tuned from.

...and to emphasize 3creeks point there's this post from Mike Brooks;
viewtopic.php?p=624682&hilit=Allen+guides#p624682

When I built my first Martha Marie I ran into as many guide spacings as published tapers.

Not trying to muddy the waters, just offering food for thought.
Best, D

[quashnet]

I did not respond earlier because all examples of the three tapers that I own cast lighter lines than specified by moregrayling. But this may not have made much difference to Young, and in any case one person's five-weight rod may be another person's six-weight. Adamsdry has already referenced my Martha Marie guide spacing measurements. Here are the others:

Perfectionist: measurements taken from Martha Marie Young's rod built in 1955, and Paul Cardell's rod built in 1956, both made by PHY. Guide spacing on both rods is essentially the same. Full length tip section has tiptop plus six snake guides. Measured from end of tiptop as 0”, the tip guides are at: 4-1/2”, 10”, 16-1/2”, 23-3/4”, 31-3/4”, 40-5/8”. Butt section has three snake guides, one acting as the stripping guide. Measured from end of female ferrule as 0”, butt guides are at 2-1/2” (snake), 13” (snake), and 22-3/4” (snake, in stripping guide position).

Parabolic 15: measurements taken from Robert Terrill's rod built October 1954 by PHY. Full-length tip section (wet or dry taper) has tiptop plus six snake guides. Measured from end of tiptop as 0”, the dry fly tip guides are at: 4-3/4”, 10-3/4”, 17-1/2”, 25-1/2”, 34-3/4”, 43-3/4”. Butt section has one stripping guide and two snake guides. Measured from end of female ferrule as 0”, butt guides are at 5-1/4” (snake), 14-1/4” (snake), and 23-3/4” (stripping guide).

(Another, earlier Parabolic 15, built for Stanley Eldert in November 1951, has similar guide spacing measurements except for the position of the stripping guide, which is at 23-1/4” measured from the end of the female ferrule as 0”, a difference of one-half inch. I love casting both rods but the Terrill rod is a bit heavier and stronger, and therefore may be closer to what moregrayling had in mind for a taper preference, so I would recommend using the Terrill measurements.)

[moregrayling]

I did not respond earlier because all examples of the three tapers that I own cast lighter lines than specified by moregrayling. But this may not have made much difference to Young, and in any case one person's five-weight rod may be another person's six-weight. Adamsdry has already referenced my Martha Marie guide spacing measurements. Here are the others:

Perfectionist: measurements taken from Martha Marie Young's rod built in 1955, and Paul Cardell's rod built in 1956, both made by PHY. Guide spacing on both rods is essentially the same. Full length tip section has tiptop plus six snake guides. Measured from end of tiptop as 0”, the tip guides are at: 4-1/2”, 10”, 16-1/2”, 23-3/4”, 31-3/4”, 40-5/8”. Butt section has three snake guides, one acting as the stripping guide. Measured from end of female ferrule as 0”, butt guides are at 2-1/2” (snake), 13” (snake), and 22-3/4” (snake, in stripping guide position).

Parabolic 15: measurements taken from Robert Terrill's rod built October 1954 by PHY. Full-length tip section (wet or dry taper) has tiptop plus six snake guides. Measured from end of tiptop as 0”, the dry fly tip guides are at: 4-3/4”, 10-3/4”, 17-1/2”, 25-1/2”, 34-3/4”, 43-3/4”. Butt section has one stripping guide and two snake guides. Measured from end of female ferrule as 0”, butt guides are at 5-1/4” (snake), 14-1/4” (snake), and 23-3/4” (stripping guide).

(Another, earlier Parabolic 15, built for Stanley Eldert in November 1951, has similar guide spacing measurements except for the position of the stripping guide, which is at 23-1/4” measured from the end of the female ferrule as 0”, a difference of one-half inch. I love casting both rods but the Terrill rod is a bit heavier and stronger, and therefore may be closer to what moregrayling had in mind for a taper preference, so I would recommend using the Terrill measurements.)

Thank you very much indeed for that! One more question: are the guide spacings of the para 15 the same on the dry as on the wet tip?

[quashnet]

Yes - although I specifically mentioned measuring the dry fly tip, the guide spacings are actually the same for wet and dry tips.

[moregrayling]

Thanks again, this is a great help!