Custom rod tip section replacement??

[pearcefoulk]

Hello, does anyone know if there is a place online that would make a tip section for a rod if you gave them the length, rod weight, and taper. I have surfed around but haven't been able to find anything that would work for my situation. Thank you!

 

[jeffroey]

I think that would be a hard reach - custom build a tip section without having an original mandrel for the rod.

Do you know anytihng about the rod that could put you on the hunt of a replacement? Still a long shot but you never know. I see postings in wanted forums all the time for a specific section of a specific rod. Sometimes they can be found.

You may be able to get lucky and Franken-find a rod tip from another rod that would work. You have to be careful and make sure the ferrule fits snuggly. Any play evidenced by a clicking when you're flexing the rod is a good indication that it'll likely over stress and break eventually.

Did you lose the tip or break it? Depending on the break, there's a lot that can be done to repair a break.

If it's a factory rod you might be able to reach out to the manufacturer and see if they will sell you a replacement tip.

 

[falcon]

Epic sends a section for a broken rod. They explain how they are able to do this on their website. Douglas must do same thing. This is only on current production rods and maybe going forward.

 

[PennKev]

Hello, does anyone know if there is a place online that would make a tip section for a rod if you gave them the length, rod weight, and taper. I have surfed around but haven't been able to find anything that would work for my situation. Thank you!

What is the make and model?

Fwiw, getting a rod manufacturer to make a one-off to match a blank that they did not originally make is extremely unlikely if not cost prohibitive. Your best bet is finding another blank/rod of the same model and hoping the needed section has satisfactory ferrule fit with your rod. If you find a complete rod you are likely better off just fishing that rod instead.

 

[KeviR]

I've never heard of such a service. I can't imagine that it would even be possible to make an acceptable substitute. (At least not at a reasonable price.)
Along the lines of PennKev's suggestion, maybe buy a used rod of the same type and keep the remains of the first rod as potential replacement parts. But even that - I know that Sage and Loomis never used to supply single rod sections - they would always replace the entire rod whenever I used their "repair" service. Nowadays, it seems that some manufacturers are supplying single sections to replace broken ones. The fact that that's only starting to happen now indicates to me that there is something about the matching of sections within those older rods that made each individual rod somewhat unique. Or at least it wasn't certain that you could just substitute a section of one rod to any other rod of the same model.

 

[falcon]

Winston no longer supplies sections for the IM6 rods. They will provide at this time a appropriate WT section for a IM6 repair. There is a slight color and action difference. Orvis no longer provides repairs to their legacy unsanded rods from the 80s. They told someone I know that they no longer have the mandrils. I dont beleive that. No one throws mandrils away.

 

[Bamboozle]

Sort of makes bamboo look appealing...

 

[pearcefoulk]

I think that would be a hard reach - custom build a tip section without having an original mandrel for the rod.

Do you know anytihng about the rod that could put you on the hunt of a replacement? Still a long shot but you never know. I see postings in wanted forums all the time for a specific section of a specific rod. Sometimes they can be found.

You may be able to get lucky and Franken-find a rod tip from another rod that would work. You have to be careful and make sure the ferrule fits snuggly. Any play evidenced by a clicking when you're flexing the rod is a good indication that it'll likely over stress and break eventually.

Did you lose the tip or break it? Depending on the break, there's a lot that can be done to repair a break.

If it's a factory rod you might be able to reach out to the manufacturer and see if they will sell you a replacement tip.

Yeah, I figured it would be a shot in the dark but yeah I broke the tip. I emailed the company they said they couldn't help because the rod is not in production anymore. It's an 8 ft 6 G. Loomis imx with the gold scripted signature series 5 weight. I've been looking on ebay but I've only been able to find 9 ft 6 weights and heavier. Thanks!

 

[pearcefoulk]

What is the make and model?

Fwiw, getting a rod manufacturer to make a one-off to match a blank that they did not originally make is extremely unlikely if not cost prohibitive. Your best bet is finding another blank/rod of the same model and hoping the needed section has satisfactory ferrule fit with your rod. If you find a complete rod you are likely better off just fishing that rod instead.

That's what I have been trying to do on ebay just looking for the same rod, but I haven't been able to find anything yet. It's an 8 ft 6 G. Loomis 5 weight imx the gold scripted signature series one. I know it's pretty unlikely to have someone make me a custom one, but I'm not sure what else to do beside for look for a new rod.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

Yeah, I figured it would be a shot in the dark but yeah I broke the tip. I emailed the company they said they couldn't help because the rod is not in production anymore. It's an 8 ft 6 G. Loomis imx with the gold scripted signature series 5 weight. I've been looking on ebay but I've only been able to find 9 ft 6 weights and heavier. Thanks!

Sounds like a high-end rod. Online rod blank providers stopped buying Loomis blanks almost 20 years ago, when Loomis stopped selling them. They're all stocked out by now.
You can try Jann's, Flyrodcrafters, hookhack, and others. I know that Jann's and hookhack will quickly answer questions if you call or email. See if they sell a blank that comes close to matching the dimensions and action of your original rod. If in stock, there are a few lower end blanks for <$100 onto which you can transfer guides. It probably won't be an exact match, but you'll be able to show off a custom Frankenstein rod.

 

[jeffroey]

Epic sends a section for a broken rod. They explain how they are able to do this on their website. Douglas must do same thing. This is only on current production rods and maybe going forward.

It feels like I'm seeing more and more rod manufacturers either taking advantage of quality control process improvements or some other manufacturing consideration and offering this.

Good example is you can go to Redington's web site and buy a replacement/spare tip section for any one of their rods in production. *TAKE NOTE CT OWNERS:* a just-in-case spare tip for for my CT380-6 cost me $25 plus shipping.

Yeah, I figured it would be a shot in the dark but yeah I broke the tip. I emailed the company they said they couldn't help because the rod is not in production anymore. It's an 8 ft 6 G. Loomis imx with the gold scripted signature series 5 weight. I've been looking on ebay but I've only been able to find 9 ft 6 weights and heavier. Thanks!

Do you still have all pieces of the section? If you do there's a lot that can be done to repair it. Won't feel exactly the same but it may not necessarily be bad.

Case in point: I broke a tip section on a JP Ross blank, sent it back and JP replaced the section. I built it out and repaired the broken section with a spring steel stent and I now have a backup tip that's a bit stiffer than original but still very fishable and even desirable in specific situations.

 

[wildtrout2]

Good example is you can go to Redington's web site and buy a replacement/spare tip section for any one of their rods in production. *TAKE NOTE CT OWNERS:* a just-in-case spare tip for for my CT380-6 cost me $25 plus shipping

Yep, I broke the tip section of my St.Croix, which is five years old. They sent me a replacement tip under warranty (15yrs), I only had to pay $25 for shipping. Got it in 3 weeks. Really good packaging job for transport/delivery.

Great customer service from St. Croix.

 

[Bamboozle]

I realized a LONG time ago that warranties are pretty much worthless if you keep a rod 5 or more years and aren't always looking for the newest/greatest thing out there as a replacement IF you break something.

That's because it is totally unrealistic to expect a manufacturer to keep parts on hand for 20 year old discontinued rod models or be willing to roll a new section if they don't have what you broke or lost.

Most of my non-bamboo rods are made by Winston and NONE are current. They also all have downlocking reelseats. A LONG while back seeing the writing on the wall, I ordered a bunch of downlocking nickle silver Winston reelseats with different inserts and I ordered a matching spare mid & tip section for one of my absolute favorite 3pc Winston Retro glass rods.

I made these purchases despite being the original owner with the warranty because I knew if catastrophe struck about now, they offer me some replacement rod I really didn't want. Coincidentally, shortly after buying the reelseats they stopped offering different inserts and later discontinued downlocking reelseats altogether.

I used one of the reelseats on a discontinued WT that I found new in a fly shop with an uplocking reelseat and the spare Retro sections are stored safely in my basement, just in case...

I realize it is an extravagance but if you have a rod you dearly love, you should consider doing something similar or expect to be disappointed...

 

[falcon]

Orvis started the warranty business with their 25 year deal. Others copied Orvis and fell in line. It is unsustainable. Common sense does not prevail.

 

[Bamboozle]

What especially sucks about the whole warranty scam is when I bought the rods I own with warranty, all it would have cost me to make a claim was outbound freight.

Now I'm looking at $100 - $150 on a rod with a warranty versus $175 on one without and $100 - $275 on a rod that can't be repaired that is replaced...

To be honest, the most I paid for any was $525 however I got most at a deep discount for around $400...

If that doesn't go to show the whole warranty thing is a racket and nothing more than another way to milk money from a rod buyer...

...I don't know what does.

The good news is I don't need or want another Winston and wouldn't buy one if I did, unless they offered a NO warranty rod for a discount equal to the cost of a claim.

 

[JeffK]

One famous fly tyer made a Franken rod by just finding another tip section that fit. Ended up being a favorite rod.

 

[rancid waders]

I have a Vision 6 pc that has Fisher tip section as a replacement , It has a ton of milage on it and is a big fish, heavy fly favorite
.

 

[pearcefoulk]

Sounds like a high-end rod. Online rod blank providers stopped buying Loomis blanks almost 20 years ago, when Loomis stopped selling them. They're all stocked out by now.
You can try Jann's, Flyrodcrafters, hookhack, and others. I know that Jann's and hookhack will quickly answer questions if you call or email. See if they sell a blank that comes close to matching the dimensions and action of your original rod. If in stock, there are a few lower end blanks for <$100 onto which you can transfer guides. It probably won't be an exact match, but you'll be able to show off a custom Frankenstein rod.

That's actually exactly what I had in mind pretty much. Thank you very much I will check them out. And also I will be able to use my "Frankenstein" rod while I hunt down a new one.