The Epic brand was born out of the simple desire to “Build a Better Fly Rod” after having seen so many fly casters hampered by stiff lifeless fly rods.

Guide Spacings

Epic Fly Rod Guide Spacing Charts 

There are a few things you need to be aware of with regard to these fly rod guide spacings:

  1. These are suggested spacings based on what we believe works well on our blanks. If you have different ideas, great - go for it. 
  2. Our recommended guide sizes may seem small. We believe that (in this case anyway) smaller is better. Small light guides do a great job of preserving the crisp action of your Epic blank. (and they shoot better)
  3. And this is an important bit! You will find that on some models we’ve placed a guide close to a ferrule, sometimes this placement may seem either a little too close to the join or a little too high up the blank. Don't worry, here's why: Due to the nature of our hand crafted blanks there can be very small variances in the diameter at each ferrule. As a result, there is sometimes a slight difference in how far two sections slide into one another. This variance can put our guide spacing out at a join. The upshot of this is - if needed, shift ferrule guides to suit your blank & your wraps. Shifting a guide slightly will not effect the overall performance of your completed rod. These blanks are pretty damn forgiving!
  4. Should you wrap the ferrules? Yep, we think so. Structurally it's really not necessary. Our fit over sleeve design is internally reinforced, there is extra material rolled into each join. However, ferrule wraps look great and make a nice finish to your rod so we think you should.
Thanks for building on an Epic FastGlass blank, Good luck. Walk tall, look after the places you fish, and be Epic!
 

Fly Rod Blank Guide Spacings

 Glass Fibre Guide Spacings

Epic 370

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

Stripper

 

Guide size

4.5

1/0

1/0

1/0

1/0

1

2

3

10 mm

 

Centimetres

 

9.5

22.5

37

55

75

97.5

123

151

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Epic 476 & 376 (4 pce)

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

Stripper

Guide size

5

1/0

1/0

1/0

1/0

1

1

2

3

10 mm

Centimetres

 

9.8

21.9

35.9

51.8

69.5

89.5

111.8

136.2

162.6

Inches

 

3 14/16

8 10/16

14 2/16

20 6/16

27 6/16

35 4/16

44

53 10/16

64

 

Packlight

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

Stripper

Guide size

5

1/0

1/0

1/0

1/0

1

1

2

3

10 mm

Centimetres

 

11.2

24

39

55.8

74.2

93.8

115.3

138.3

163.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Epic 480 (4 pce)

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

Stripper

Guide size

4.0

1/0

1/0

1/0

1

2

2

3

3

10 mm

Millimeters

 

92

203

324

457

608

802

1040

1320

1635

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Epic 580 (4 pce)

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th

7th 

8th 

Stripper

Guide size

5

1/0

1/0

1/0

1

2

2

3

3

12 mm

Centimetres

 

9.2

20.4

32.4

45.7

60.8

80.4

104

132.1

163.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Epic 586 (6 pce)

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

9th 

Stripper

Guide size

4.0

1/0

1/0

1/0

1

2

2

2

3

4

12 mm

Millimeters

 

105

219

357

510

684

868

1083

1298

1562

1865

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Epic 686 (4 pce)

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

9th 

Stripper

Guide size

5.0

1/0

1/0

1

1

2

2

2

3

4

12 mm

Centimetres

 

10

21

33.4

47

64.4

84

105.5

127.5

153.5

182.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Epic 888 (4 pce)

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

Stripper 2

Stripper 1

Guide size

5.5 Lg

1

1

2

2

2

3

3

4

12 mm

16 mm

Centimetres

 

10

22

34

48.5

65

83

106.5

 129.5

 157

191.5

 

Epic 990 (4 pce)

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

Stripper 2

Stripper 1

Guide size

5.5 Lg

1

2

2

2

3

3

4

4

14 mm

16 mm

Centimetres

 

9

20.4

33.5

50

70.6

90.2

114.5

138.4

166

203

 

.

 Bandit II (4 pce, 8 foot)

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

 

Stripper 2

Stripper 1

Guide size

6 lg

2

2

3

3

3

4

 

12

16 mm

Centimetres

 

10.5

23.5

38

56.5

78.5

104

 

131.5

162

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bandit (old 3 pce)

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

Stripper 2

Stripper 1

Guide size

6 Lg

2

2

3

3

3

4

12mm

16mm

Centimetres

 

10.2

23

38.6

56.8

77.9

101.8

128.3

157.5

Inches

 

4

9 1/16

15 3/16

22 6/16

30 11/16

40 1/16

50 8/16

62

 

Boca Grande Tiptop 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Guide Size 7.5 Lg 4 4 4 4 4 5 12mm 16mm 20mm
Centimeters 13 27 42.7 60 80.3 102.2 126.5 152.0 180.0  

 

590C / 590G

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

9th

Stripper

Guide size

4

1/0

1/0

1/0

1/0

1

1

2

3

4

12 mm

Millimeters

 

85

190

312

450

 

615

812

1014

 1310

 1620

1980

 

690C / 690G

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

9th

Stripper

Guide size

4

1/0

1/0

1/0

1/0

1

1

2

3

4

12 mm

Millimeters

 

85

190

312

450

615

812

1014

 

1310

 1620

1980

 

890 C GenII

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

9th

Stripper

Guide size

lg 5

2

2

2

2

3

3

4

5

12mm

16 mm

Millimeters

 

85

190

312

450

615

812

1014

 

1310

 1620

1980

 

1090 C GenII

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

9th

Stripper

Guide size

lg 5

3

3

3

3

4

4

4

5

12mm

16 mm

Millimeters

 

85

190

312

450

615

812

1014

 

1310

 1620

1980

 

DH11 (411) Tiptop 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Stripper Stripper
Guide Size 5 Lg 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 12mm 16mm
Millimeter 115 243 388 553 730 925 1140 1365 1610 1872 2147 2440

  

DH13 (all models) Tiptop 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Stripper Stripper
Guide Size 5.5/6 Lg 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 5 12mm 16mm
Millimeter 92 224 378 558 772 1007 1282 1595 1962 2388 2878

  

Bamboo

7'6"

Tiptop

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

Stripper

Guide size

6

1/0

1/0

1/0

1/0

1

1

2

3

10 mm

Centimetres

 

9.8

21.9

35.9

51.8

69.5

89.5

111.8

136.2

162.6

Inches

 

3 14/16

8 10/16

14 2/16

20 6/16

27 6/16

35 4/16

44

53 10/16

64

 

 

Epic fly rods New Zealand