[mr max]

Hi, can anyone please help me.I have a fenwick hmx steelhead rod with SS304 guides.I had a groove on the tip & after replacing it I noticed a groove also on two eyes.As I don't want to replace the 2 eyes , can these be removed by a abrasive etc?I would realy appreciate your expertise on this problem.

[braveviper]

You have been using braid I guess?

[mr max]

No mono, but retrieving & jigging metal vibrating baits in current I think thats what did it.

[braveviper]

Use a different rod with ceramic guides or hydeloy(sp?)

[mr max]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I can use a different rod but as this is one of my favorite rods I would like to find a way to remove the grooves from the stainless steel eyes.I certainly will not use it for throwing vibrating baits as I have learned my lesson doing that.

[Mattman]

Braid or mono has nothing to do with grooving. Even fly anglers groove all metal guides. And it has nothing to do with the baits you were throwing. Metal is an inferior material for a guide ring, period. It isn't the line that grooves your guides, its the grit from the water clinging to the line that grooves your guides. And rivers have more grit than lakes.

I don't think you'll be able to remove those easily. If I were to try something like that I'd probably start with a Dremel and a fine stone or fine sandpaper. Then you'd have to work up with finer and finer grits and finally polishing compound. But I hardly feel that's worth it or that you'll get a satisfactory result.

If you really love the rod, you could look at having someone replace all the guides with ceramic guides. Or just keep using it until the gooving becomes problematic.

This is exactly why all metal guides will never go on any of my personal rods. And I fully advise customers that insist on metal guides that grooving is very likely down the road.

[mr max]

Thanks matt for your input it seems like sound advise on the matter of metal guides,as I was slightly concerned seeing them used by fenwick when I purchased the rod but I realy liked the feel of the rod.You would think a company like fenwick would wrap with S.I.C. guides or at the least some type of ceramic.I think abu garcia,berkley and fenwick are using these berkley SS304 guides now.

[Mattman]

I think an even bigger travesty is Loomis using Recoil guides on the GLX.

I'm not sure what's sparked the popularity lately in metal guides. Whether its Recoil or the SS304's or others. I assume for the rod companies, its a savings in materials. Marketing can spin the "value" of them.

[mr max]

Has any member out there ever tried removing a groove on a guide I would really appreciate your input?

[Vodkaman]

I don't think you are going to find an answer based on sound experience. But Mattmans proposed method is how I would have tackled the job.