Good afternoon, friends — to everyone who lives for fishing and is always curious to try something new!
Today I headed out to the coast to finally test one idea that had been sitting in my mind for a long time: does the size of the first guide near the reel seat really affect casting distance?
The weather couldn’t be better — calm, quiet, and perfect for a fair and accurate experiment.
I brought two completely identical rods with me, both paired with a Fury 10000 reel and 0.28 mm line.
The standard Evolution X3 comes with a 50 mm first guide.
On the second, test rod, I installed a 30 mm guide in exactly the same position so I could compare them directly.
How I Tested It
The plan was simple: complete 10 casts with each rod, measure the average distance, and compare the numbers.
Before starting, I carefully marked the distance using banksticks with markers — this way, I could clearly see how far each cast travelled.
I expected to cast somewhere between 80 and 110 metres. That’s usually my range… although I was curious whether I could push further.
For this test, I used GoldenCatch Evolution X3 rods, 13 feet long with a 3.5 lb test curve. According to feedback from carp anglers who regularly use them, these rods are excellent casters — so naturally, I wanted to see it for myself.
First Rod — 30 mm Guide
The diagram above shows the individual measurements from all ten casts made with the 30 mm guide setup.
I started with the rod fitted with the smaller guide. I was curious whether its behaviour would feel any different during the cast.
The difference between the guides is visually striking, so I was genuinely excited to see how it would affect the cast.
After a few warm-up casts, I noticed something straight away: there were strange noises during the cast. It seemed the line was hitting the blank, causing extra friction. Logically, that could reduce casting distance — but I saved my final judgement for after the measurements.
The first recorded cast reached 115 metres, which honestly surprised me. I didn’t expect to go past 110 metres, especially with the smaller guide. That made me even more curious about the result from the larger guide.
And just to clarify — I’m not a carp angler. I haven’t done this kind of long-range casting in a long time. But the whole point of this experiment was to show that any angler can improve their casting distance simply by choosing the right first guide.
Second Rod — 50 mm Guide
The diagram above shows the individual distances from all ten casts made with the 50 mm guide setup.
With the first set of casts completed and all results noted, I switched to the rod with the 50 mm guide.
Everything in the setup remained identical — only the guide size changed. And immediately, I noticed there were no strange sounds at all. The line travelled smoothly and, based on feel alone, seemed to fly noticeably further.
I completed the remaining nine casts and calculated the average distance.
Final Results
After all the measurements, here’s what I got:
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Average distance with the 30 mm guide: 110 metres
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Average distance with the 50 mm guide: 120 metres
This confirmed what I suspected: the size of the first guide does affect casting distance.
A larger guide allows the line to flow more freely, reduces friction, and results in a smoother, longer cast.
Yes, this is only one experiment — but a difference of about 10 metres (roughly 10%) is significant enough to take seriously.
So if long-distance casting matters to you, guide size is definitely something worth paying attention to when choosing a rod.
Final Thoughts
This small experiment reminded me that even a detail as simple as the first guide can noticeably affect your results. The best part is that any angler can improve their casting distance without complicated modifications or expensive upgrades — you just need to understand how your gear works and what really makes a difference.
I’m glad I finally tested it myself. I hope my observations help you choose the right rod for your fishing style and bring even more enjoyment to your time on the water.
If you’d like to see more tests like this — let me know, and I’ll happily continue experimenting.
Tight lines and powerful casts!