I recently broke my favorite fishing rod. I got the blank replaced, but I had a lot of time and work in this rod, and thought I'd try to salvage it. I posted a photo series in the miscellaneous section at:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Maybe it will help someone else if it works. I'd like to hear from some of you who have repaired rods what you think. It looks great, and doesn't seem to affect the action. I guess the first big redfish will be the test. My biggest concern is whether the plug was too big or too small, or whether it will even hold right in the power section of the rod.

Your "plug inside a plug" idea was probably the worst way of making the connecting piece for the repair. The rod should flex through the repaired area and if you make the repair so stiff it can't flex you end up creating "high stress" points both above and below the original break.

See Ralph O'quinn's rod repair article in the library section of this forum...(black button above)

The rod could hold up fine and give you lots more use. I hope it does.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Yeah, I wondered about that Raymond. But I worried the single plug would be a smaller diameter and thus weaker than the original rod, and then it would just re-break at the plug. For that reason I tried to make it fairly short, to flex more with the rod. Thanks for the advice and good wishes.

The tendency when repairing a break is to make the repaired area too strong/stiff, which often results in a break at the end of the repair plug or sleeve. In your case, only time will tell.

The underwrap over the repair is not a bad idea, since you have fibers that could lift without it. The Metal Set type paste epoxy isn't the best choice in this case, but it should be okay. A gel product would have been more ideal.

................

Rich,
I would have felt a lot more comfortable with the repair if you had put an over sleeve on the rod - in additon to the plug. No real reason to add the extra plug inside the inner plug.

Good luck
Roger

Would you so kind as to describe, in detail, how it managed to break? I think I have the same blank. I have been considering extending it and wondered just how far I could push it. It would seem you have determined that. You might save me from the same fate.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Thanks fellas, good information. Hopefully it'll hold up for awhile, at least untill I get the new blank built up. It seems that it takes a lot of pressure just to put any kind of pressure that far down in the blank, so I'll just have to see. Either way, lesson learned. At least it gets a chance at a new life.

I hope you called St Croix

Bill - willierods.com

bill boettcher Wrote:
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> I hope you called St Croix


Why is that Bill?

because you may have gotten a new blank ??

That is the first thing I tell anyone who calls with a broken rod

Most - if not all - companies or suppliers will do some thing

What were you doing when it broke

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/2012 11:19AM by bill boettcher.

"I recently broke my favorite fishing rod. I got the blank replaced"

The first sentence stated that he already has a new blank, I'd doubt that he'd send it in a second time to have it replaced if it breaks again.

I did not and he did not say weather he got it from St Croix or went and bought a new blank from a supplier

Bill - willierods.com

The rod broke setting the hook on a redfish. Very strange. Some kind of blemish, flaw, or damage to the blank I guess. I've never seen a rod break where it did, right in the power section. I've never had one break on a hookset either. I sent it (with a letter of explanation) to the St. Croix warranty dept. with a check for the handling fee, they sent a new blank back with the original in a week. And no, if it breaks again I won't send it back.

I am going to against everything most stated here.

I think that far down the rod, your repair isnt going to matter too much as long as you didnt make it like a foot long plug. While I do agree that a gel type epoxy would have been the better choice, a 3-4" plug down that far on the blank should be just fine since its not an area that will bend much even when it does flex. Personally I think you'll be ok.

Caught a 25" redfish on it today and half a dozen rats. Holding up fine so far.