Paul Arden | Friday, 16 December 2022
I thought we had an FP somewhere on emergency in-the-field repairs for flyrods but I can’t seem to find it. I don’t have pictures so you’ll have to imagine this part.
When I was spending 6 months/year in NZ much of that was backcountry. I would carry two rods that had interchangeable sections. (We can offer that with HTs by the way, and it’s easy if you order both together!). I also carried spare tips (we can do that too!). Why? Because in NZ you fall in often, get washed down rivers, climb in and out of gorges, bush-bash and generally have a lot of adventurous fun.
Quite frankly if you’re not breaking rods you’re probably not going hard enough!
But if you do break a rod and you are three days hike into the mountains – and don’t have a spare – then this is a potential catastrophe. Even more so if replacement is several weeks or sometimes months away.
So in addition to a spare rod and tips, I would always carry broken carbon sections in my tube, some epoxy, a hacksaw blade and whipping thread for emergency repairs.
What you need do is cut a carbon section to fit inside the broken section 2-3 inches either side of the beak. Superglue or epoxy it in place and whip over the break. With sections below the tip it is best to have an insert inside the insert, making an almost solid carbon insert.
Yes there will be a flat spot in the action but you will still be able to fish. And these repairs can last for years. Certainly enough time to get a new replacement section organised - although if it’s section 2 or 3 and it’s a Hot Torpedo we will need the ferrules of the broken section for perfect fitting.
So if you have broken sections you know what to do with them – save them to your repair kit! You should also keep spare rings with you.
Of course not everything is repairable. Breaks around the ferrules are particularly difficult. But with a bit of ingenuity and some old carbon sections and you should usually be able to fish on.
Cheers, Paul