Like soles are to shoes, fishing rod guides are one the most crucial components for most fishing rods. They too, however, are one of the most commonly damaged parts due to wear and tear, rust or mere negligence.

This is my first how-to tutorial and I titled it as such because hopefully at the end of the tutorial, you would be able to be a Jenius (with a J not a G because the G spots are all taken up by the real professionals) in replacing guides.

If you've noticed, I used "repairing guides" in the title but in actuality, I have absolutely no idea on how to repair the guides themselves. I do, however, have experience in REPLACING them. I know its just a technicality but it is important to me given the amount of half-truths I've witnessed the past few days on the internet (and also the flak, oh gosh.).

Back to topic, there are really just 2 major steps to take in replacing fishing rod guides. The first being to remove the old guide including its thread wrapping and epoxy coating and the second being to install the new guide.

It's really not difficult to do this on your own as I have learnt (with some help of course). You could however get your guides replaced at tackle shops with rates around 10 dollars or more (from what I know) but it does add up to quite a sum if you're planning on refurbishing your entire fishing rod.

REMOVAL OF GUIDES

To remove guides, first we have to understand how they are installed. Guides are installed directly to the blank, followed by a wrapping of thread and finally a coating of epoxy is applied to secure the guide in place. So basically removal of guides is just the reverse engineering of the entire process.

Step 1. Heat the epoxy with a small flame

Do take note that even with a lighter, you could damage your rod blank if too much heat is applied to the rod blank (I did this once on a broken rod I bought online and it was intriguing to see the blank  fold on itself given the heat applied).

Step 2. Use a blade to shave the epoxy off.

After gently heating the epoxy, the outer layer protecting and securing the rod guides should be soft enough to cut through with a sharp blade. TIP: Cut the epoxy directly covering the rod guide so that even if you do cut too deep, you won't hit the blank. You do not have to cut off all the epoxy in one go, just shave off enough to expose the thread wrapping.

Step 3. Unwind the thread

Once the thread wrapping is exposed, you can then proceed to cut away at it to expose a sufficient amount of loose ends to unwind the thread. If done properly, this process could save you a lot of time and the epoxy removal process will take care of itself. If the thread breaks midway, just repeat process 2 and 3 until all the thread is removed.

Step 4. Remove the old guide and any remaining epoxy

Once the thread and epoxy are removed, you can the proceed to remove the guide. There might still be a layer of epoxy deposited on the guide so remove those patiently with fine grain sandpaper. Be extra careful not to damage the blank.

Step 5. Clean the blank

Using a wet cloth or just running the blank under water, clear off any remaining debris. AND YOU'RE DONE!

INSTALLING OF GUIDES

Now that you've removed the guides, you would have gained a basic understanding on how the guide was installed on the blank. So let us proceed to installing your new guide.

Step 1. Tape the new guide in place.

Using masking tape or any other tape that is easy to remove, tape down the guide onto the blank. Don't worry too much if the guide isn't perfectly straight when you tape it down as you can make minor changes to the position of the guide in later stages.

Step 2. Take your thread and tape the loose end to the guide.

You would want to prepare your guide by first creating a gentle slope at the end of the guide foot using a file. Because you would be wrapping the guide from the foot of the guide towards the eyelet (the circle thing which your line goes through), you would want to tape the thread about an inch from the starting point (also depending on the size of your guide and how many foot it has).

Step 3. Start wrapping!

Once the guide and thread are secured, you can start wrapping! Determine how far down the end of the guide foot you want your wrapping to start. Because you would need to coat the thread with epoxy later on, you might now want to start too far away from the guide and end up altering the action of the rod with the the epoxy. Further more, if there is too much epoxy, the coating might be prone to cracking. The wrapping process is really easier to explain through the video but let me try to break it down. Start rotating the rod such that the thread is taut around the guide (the guides might shift a bit, don't worry though). Once you've reached the starting point of your wrapping, slowly rotate the rod allowing the thread to tighten on itself (this is where wrapping starts and always ensure that the thread does not cross over another wrapping and if it does just unwind and repeat the wrapping process). After around 4 or 5 cycles around the loose end, use a blade to remove the loose end making sure to cut near the last wrap. After which, continue the wrapping process until you reach near the bridge of the guide to that leads to the eyelet.

Step 4. Complete the wrap

Once you're left with an estimated 4 or 5 wraps, insert a thread loop underneath your last wrap. TIP: place the thread loop at the blank side so that when you tighten the wrap, it would sit snuggly in between the wraps and not in limbo near the guide. Wrap over the thread loop, cut the thread linked to the spool and put it through the thread loop without unwinding previous made wraps. With one swift motion, pull the thread loop and your wrap is complete! Once your wrapping is done, adjust you guide and make sure to center it.

Step 5. Epoxy time.

Okay, I've read of people using 2-part 5 minute epoxy but I would highly recommend using something with a longer curing time to get a more even coating. I've been using a 2-part epoxy that comes with a dropper and the idea is to mix equal number of drops of resin and hardener. Normally for a 6 foot rod, i'll do around 30 drops of each substance (so here's a rough gauge you might use but it really depends on the number of guide foots to cover and the sizes of the guides. Just mix more if there is not enough). Mix enough epoxy and mix it well. You could use a heating lamp or a hair dryer to decrease the viscosity of the epoxy to ease the application process. It would definitely help if you have some sort of stand and a lathe to rotate the rod while you're applying the epoxy (also great for the drying process). Make sure to apply sufficient amount of epoxy and to coat every gap as the epoxy also acts as a sealant which would prevent corrosion and rust. Once you're happy with your artwork, allow the epoxy to dry overnight (if you do not have a lathe, you might want to turn the rod every few minutes or so, depending on the build of your epoxy.)

Finally, once the epoxy has cured, check if its is still sticky. If it is still sticky, allow it to cure for another night but if the problem persists, apply another thin coat of epoxy as the previous coat might have not had the right proportion of resin and hardener. And that's it for the whole process!

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

There are many different guides in the market and there are shops that do sell relatively cheap guides. However, if you're only into Fuji guides then the costs of replacing your guide might get higher. Guides rang anywhere from below a dollar to prices where you could get a cheap rod (depending on the size and make of the guides). If you're not super particular about brand, there are many suppliers on Aliexpress that sell them pretty cheap in various sizes and colors. Thread-wise, each spool of 100 yards would cost you around 5 to 7 Singapore dollars normally but if you're not too particular about color, Joe Fishing Tackle do sell quite a few of them at wayy cheaper prices.

I hope this write-up and the video help any of you out there who are trying to replace your own guides or are trying to pick up a new skill! I am not a professional rod builder but I hope this helps! That's all for now, tight lines and smiley face :D

Given the events that have occurred recently, I would like to appeal to any of you with information on the person featured in my recent video. I would like to express my sincerest apologies to the man in black. Social media has painted a half-truth version of the events that occurred (especially on one particular website) and I am sincerely sorry that my footage has fueled it. I created my blog and YouTube channel to inform and educate and allow an audience to think objectively but my actions recently has only bred hate and unhappiness. Once again, I am sorry.