Hi Mike,
I think it might be the line, it's on the abrasive side, but again this
is with the black finish, not the titanium nitride. I have another rod with
PacBay TN guides and they haven't grooved at all. I actually broke the rod in
question last week, 18" from the tip, but repaired it by sanding a 'scarf joint'
in either side of the break, epoxying in a plug made from the tip from an old
busted Fisher GT40, epoxying the two together and wrapping it (phew). The action
is a little bit different, but otherwise I can't tell the difference. Now I need
to go catch a 38" striper to really test it :-> I built several rods with the
'standard' PacBays for friends and they haven't grooved much in 4 years, so I'm
guessing this is a result of my love of braided mono running lines. I think I
just saw the sun - off to the marsh for a fishing lunch...
jc