Keep Fishing When Your Fly Rod Breaks

"Keep Fishing When Your Fly Rod Breaks"," I have broken fly rods more times than I’d like to admit.


Go ahead and face the fact that your fly rod will eventually break at a very inopportune time.
 If convenience has provided, you brought a spare rod that you can easily get to.
  I know how I am.
 I broke three rods in one week on a particular Colorado trip.
 I’ve stepped on them and sat on them.
 I’ve broken several tips buy trying to pull the fly line out of the tip top.
 You name it and I’ve probably broken a fly rod while doing it.
 Lifetime warranties are great but not a necessity.


One summer, I was fly fishing from a boat on Lake Ferndale in East Texas.
 The rod snapped right above the cork handle.
 I not only broke the rod but I broke my own number one rule.
 I was certainly disappointed but was not going to stop fishing.
 I laid the reel at my feet and coiled up some line beside it.
 I could cast and strip just fine without ever needing my reel.


On another summer day, while fishing deep in the San Juan National Forest in Colorado, I broke my rod tip.
 I pulled my fly line and bent the tree over so that I could reach the fly.
 Buy the time I pulled the tree over enough to reach the fly; I had gotten enough slack in my line so that the rod was now lying down flat on the rocks.
 The rod broke just bellow the tiptop.
 It was a little too inconvenient to pack a spare rod into where I was.
 So what was I to do? I broke the rest of the tip section off so that it was flush with the first snake guide.
 It was not the perfect fix but it worked well enough for me to finish the day fishing.
 You can buy them or just assemble the supplies together in a plastic zip-lock.
 The kit should include:- 1 Stripping Guide - 2 Snake Guides - 2 or 3 Tip Tops with different inside diameters- 1 Bobbin & 100 yd Spool of 6/0 Tying Thread - 1 Bottle cement (I prefer 5min epoxy) - Sharp knife or razor

So… good luck on your next adventure… and keep on fishing no matter what.