Forbes Trail Chapter TU Member Needs Help With Broken Rod Tip

[Valiantly]

I need to have the tip of my fly rod repaired. Neither the fly shop in Ligonier or State College was able to help or offer any advice or a referral. I'm a member of the FT Chapter and live in Westmoreland County - Latrobe).

Can anyone give me the name and number of someone who repairs fly rods?

Thanks in advance.

Bill

 

[Fishidiot]

Bill,
I edited your title line to avoid confusion.

With respect to the broken rod tip, I don't know anyone in my neck of the woods who repairs them (although a forum member in western PA may be able to help you out).
Broken tips are very difficult to repair. If only 2 or 3 inches are off, you can just glue a new tip-top guide on the end and the rod will probably work fine but will just be a bit shorter. If more than about 6" is broken, then the rod is a total loss IMO. I build my own rods and when this happens, I just chop the rod up and recycle the seat, guides, etc. All of my efforts to repair broken tips either failed or produced such a clunky repair spot that the effort wasn't worth it.
DaveW

 

[shortrod]

Is this a bamboo rod?

A broken tip on a bamboo rod can sometimes be repaired. If the broken tip can not be repaired a new tip with the same taper as the broken tip can be made.

 

[Skip16510]

Send me a picture info@milecreekrods.com

Most CAN be repaired

Skip

 

[albatross]

I have repaired two of my rods with broken tips by re-cycling the old tip-top guide. A match or lighter will burn off the old lacquer, wraps and graphite. Use a two-part 5 minute epoxy to re-attach the old tip-top to the remaining intact rod. As Fishidiot said, this works for rods where you've lost at most 4 inches or so. More than that and you are out of luck. Good-luck!

 

[csoult]

Alby definitely knows a thing or two about broken rods. ;-)

 

[DaveS]

FI and Alby's advice is solid but you could try calling Rich @ The Angler's Room, on Rt 217 between Latrobe and Derry. There are some guys who build (and maybe repair) in the area. Waterford, I think? Some of those guys learned under Don Robb, who was a local legend, not to mention a charter member of FTTU.

 

[Valiantly]

Thanks for cleaning up the heading Dave. It's graphite.

Sent a pic to you, Skip.

It seems almost as if just the tip came off. I'll try to attach a pic here. Rod is nearly new...darn it.....really upsetting.

I'll check with Rich, DaveS...thanks.

Thanks to everyone that responded.

Bill

 

[Skip16510]

From the Picture it appears as though it did indeed break...

Is there a Piece of Graphite in the tip top?

If so it can be removed and possibly reattached... Though the tube may be too small. If it is too small just get a new tip top a size larger and use tip top cement to reattach


If that is thread and finish I see on the rod it can be removed with a little heat and scrape it with your fingernail

If it just came off it can just be heated gently till the glue softens and reattach

 

[PennKev]

Skip16510 wrote:
From the Picture it appears as though it did indeed break...

Maybe I'm seeing it differently but it just looks like the tip pulled off and there is a gob of glue left behind.

Reheat glue with lighter and slide tip back in place IMO.

This repair is no more difficult than re-gluing a tip guide and something that can easily be done by anyone. No need to hunt down a builder.

 

[JackM]

Fault of the rodmaker-- easily repaired. Several people can guide you through step-by step. You already have good advice since the picture.

 

[Valiantly]

Thanks guys....going to try to fix it myself.

 

[Chaz]

I had the exact same thing happen to my 9 ft 6 wt rod. Let's just say I did a dumb thing and leave it at that. Anyway, try light a candle or lighter if you smoke and while holding the tip top guide with pliers, hold the lighter underneath. The broken end should pop out. At this point you can very carefully remove the thread at the end of the rod and see if the tip top will slide on. If it does you can use 5 minute epoxy to put it on.
If it doesn't fit, go to a shop that has a rod building component and ask them for a tip top that fits. Then use 5 minute epoxy to fasten it to the end of the rod. It takes all of 5 minutes. I actually di it on stream, my tip fit and was back fish in minutes. But then I built the rod and knew how to fix it.

 

[Skip16510]

You should have no problem repairing it yourself...

But if you have trouble and want to spend a couple bucks shipping it to Erie I will be glad to do the repair at no cost

 

[Valiantly]

Can't believe that I fixed the darned thing myself!!!! Thanks to everyone. This is one of the reasons that this forum is so great. Any fly fisherman has to become a member!

Yes, Skip, it was broken. Thanks for the offer, Skip.

Chaz, I followed your instructions! Success!

Thanks again to everyone who replied.

Bill

 

[Skip16510]

Awesome Glad to see you got it done

So easy a cave man can do it

 

[Chaz]

Valiantly wrote:
Can't believe that I fixed the darned thing myself!!!! Thanks to everyone. This is one of the reasons that this forum is so great. Any fly fisherman has to become a member!

Yes, Skip, it was broken. Thanks for the offer, Skip.

Chaz, I followed your instructions! Success!

Thanks again to everyone who replied.

Bill

You see guys, every once in a while I do have a valid answer.