Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 14 August 2020
Last week Satu’s new reel got company from new rod. I hope that she will time to test it soon. After that I had weird dream. I tested Satu’s SL 6 by casting. I started with short line and not hauling at all. When I had 17 meter line out rod snapped from tip. I took photo and sent it to Lee who told me to that he will fix it as soon I sent it to him. I woke up and I real had to think what just happened. But this dream made me think about walk with rod. This summer I have seen some close calls to break the rod.
In my life I have broke 3 rods. Two of them was my mistake and other one kind of accident. First was years and years ago. I walked to the river and hold rod that tip was behind of me. I had set everything ready by the car and had about 100 meter to river. Suddenly rod got stuck somewhere. I made short, fast and hard pull to get line off, (as I though). It took off in pieces, tip of the rod was cut down. Branch went between line and rod, when I pulled rod was broken. That was my shortest fishing trip ever. Guarantee worked and I got new tip from shop.
Second was some years ago. I was putting line thru the rings. When doing last one, tip cut down. I hold the rod from tip ring and it was too much for rod. Luckily my friend had extra rod so I got borrow that one. I had just in case rod in my car but it was about 2 km from the river.
Third rod was broken during holding the fish. I was just about landing nice size grayling when tip cut again. In this case I know that in some point during fishing heavy bead-head nymph hitted the rod. So while landing the fish it was too much to the rod which allready had damage which you can’t see with your eyes.
After first broken rod, I have never walked thru fores or bushes that tip is pointing behind. I want to see where the rod is going. In open places it might feel easier to walk that rod is behind of you but never in the forest. After second accident I stopped to hold rod from tip when putting the line, even butt has always been on the ground. There might be too much extension for tip if you hold it from there. Third accident was just things that happens, there is not much you can do about it. Some times wind, bad casting etc might make your fly hit to rod and then in some situation, shit happens.
This week there was close call that guest is broken his rod. He was walking next to me and hold the rod behind. It got stuck and he was about to do pull but I was faster this time. We all have habbits, some are from childhood, like carrying the rod that it is pointing to sky. In fact most of old photos and drawings are like that. Kids are going to fishing and rod is againts their shoulder. Kids walk on the field or open area but that make people walk with rods like that. If you look videos about fishing, fishermen are holding rod behind or against their shoulder. Again open area or not so many trees around. It is looking cooler like that but it is not working in the real world.
There is saying which goes like this: When you do mistake first time, you didn’t know how to do it. If you do same mistake second time, you are stupid. If you do it third time, you are just the idiot and there is nothing which can help you.
I learned from my broken rods. Use the information, don’t be stupid or idiot.
Have a nice weekend
Mika the Legend