I picked up a 12 wt. 4 piece spigot ferrule's (see link pic's), any suggestions on a wrap or way to hide the gap, just would like it to look better cosmetically. Lamiglas says that over time the gap will be less.


[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

You don't want to do anything to interfere with the gap! It is there for a purpose!

Through use the ferrule will wear and the gap becomes less. If you interfere with that process the sections will not mate properly over time.

Right, once that gap is gone you have no further room for wear and the pieces won't fill snugly. I'm afraid that gap is just the nature of the beast.

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I have a spigot Scott. I love it. You'll get to love the spigot system too. I don't mind the gaps in the least after using my Scott the first time several years ago.

Spigot ferrules are not bad but have been getting a bum rap due to the poor ferrules on the TFO rods. It is the WEAK link of the TFO fly blanks.

I don't think the TFO's have spigots. The grey/blue transition on the TiCrX fly rods is just paint. The ferrules are tip over butt.

Ted is right, if the TFO's have been failing at the joint it is nothing to do with spigots because they only look as though they have them due to cosmetics not construction. Good spigots as used on some models by Scott, Winston and Diamondback, to name a few, are actually very strong. Graphite spigots begin with a bigger gap than the old fiberglass ones for a good reason - graphite wears a little quicker than fiberglass and after a lot of use will eventually close. At that stage all you need to do is cut a small length off the adjacent female joint (say three sixteenths of an inch max), rebind and the joint is good as new. My Dad closed the gap on a Hardy after about 10 years solid use, so it doesn't happen that fast. I still like spigots the most because their fit is usually better and they never seem to give blanks a flat spot unlike some tip over butt joints. Joe, make sure you also do a short reinforcing bind on the male side of the joint where the spigot emerges from the blank. Enjoy the rod! Jim

TFO rods are inexpensive for a reason. junk ferrules. Stay away if you want a quality rod. You get what you pay for!