i am working on a 4 piece fly rod and am wondering should i be inserting a "plug" into the top of each section...it seems to any of my factory fly rods seem to have a little flexible plug in the top of each section so that they aren't "open ended".

thoughts on whether this needs to be done or not are welcome and appreciated ... also, if i should be doing this, what material is appropriate.

thanks

First thing that pops in to my mind... if it was required it would have been inserted by the manufacturer.
That's just my 2¢.. and not usually worth much.

Tight wraps!

It's a good idea to plug them. Use EVA, cork or even a pat of RodBond.

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I use black silicone or clear Goop - but do it.
Herb

Why is this a good thing to do?

Pesco Ergo Sum

Unless you are fishing from a boat all the time fishing rods get stood up or laid down on the ground quite frequently and filling the hole in the end of each male ferrule helps to keep dirt from falling down in to the shaft.

Many factory rods come with the ends filled already but if not then a little plug made of silicone or flexible epoxy like Rod Bond does the job nicely.

A good tube is structurally sound everywhere but on the very ends. The ends are where minute cracks can develop. Plugging the ends with a firm yet flexible material helps reduce the tendency to crack or split as the end goes oval.

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