Ever since I glued up the ferrule on the butt section of my exeprimental 3 piece it "clicks" when I first flex it, like on the first cast. It then keeps quiet for the rest of the session. This only happens on the first flex, after the rod is assembled. Also, where the fibreglass ferrule ends and the rod blank begins, there is a visible strain crack in the finish.

Any thoughts? I think the taper didn't quite match so well and a little gap is still in there somewhere, and didn't get filled with RB. Rod casts and fishes great, but that click gives me the willies on the first cast.

Maybe that click is just the ferrule fully seating itself. If it was a bad fit it would pretty much have to click all the time and on every cast.

Take a pencil and run the side of the lead over the male ferrule until you have a graphite powder coating on there. Then slide the female ferrule straight down until it's snug. Now spin the female ferrule round and round a few times and pull it straight off. Anywhere that you do not have a perfect fit will show as being different on the graphite powder you laid down and you can sand the ferrule for a better fit if need be.

My experience with clicking noises on just completed rods usualy ends up being an epoxy movement at the spot where it meets the guide . The epoxy develops a small crack and when the rod is flexed , it makes a cracking noise . Those will go away in a short time . I'm just not sure as you have created a number if different joints by adding some ferrules. I don't think it will be anything to worry about if the rod flexes and hasn't broken yet . Time will tell . Good luck , John

Got Fish ?

If I remember right I was told by a manufactures rep once that what you are expierencing is a bad ferrule fit.

Kerry

Perhaps Tom can confirm this.

I've only added one ferrule. The original rod was a 5 1/2 ft 2 pce light spinner (4-8 lb, casts up to 3/8 oz.).

I chopped 4" off tip and butt, stripped off the crappy cork and reel seat (managed to save it), then made the ferrule to add another butt section (on which the new handle is mounted).

I thought a bad fit would click all the time, just like Mike said. It only happens the first time I flex it. Like I said, when I an ignore it, the rod fishes and casts pretty good. It's a shade under 6 ft now (not that much extension there, I wanted 29" sections or so). On it's first day of finished existence I caught a new species to add to my list. On the second day of it's finished existence I pulled up 15 more fish in about 1/2 an hour on plastic grubs. Last week it managed catfish to about 4 lbs.

The click comes from the new ferrule, right where the blank comes out.