-
- Species
- Whitetails
- Rut Reporters
- Deer Camp
- Big Game
- Small Game
- Birds
- Special Methods
- Bow Hunting
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
-
- Species
- Bass
- Trout
- More Freshwater
- Saltwater
- Special Methods
- Fly Fishing
- Hook Shots
Presented by
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
-
- Health & Fitness
- F&S Adventurer
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
-
- Rifles
- Shotguns
- 2nd Amendment
- SHOT Show
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
Merwin: Broken Rods and High-Sticking
Recent Comments
- Cory Blevins on Do You Live in the Ultimate Fishing Town? (22)
- bassman06 on Burn, Muskie, Burn (6)
- Mibasshunter on Burn, Muskie, Burn (6)
- Drover1 on Burn, Muskie, Burn (6)
- Joe_Cermele on Burn, Muskie, Burn (6)
Categories
- Ammunition (1)
- Animal Attacks (4)
- Bass Fishing (262)
- Big Game Hunting (1)
- Bird Hunting (1)
- Bow Hunting (2)
- Camping Gear (3)
- Close Calls (3)
- Deer Hunting (1)
- DIY (1)
- Fire (1)
- First-Aid (2)
- Fishing (653)
- Fishing Gear (50)
- Fly Fishing (223)
- Gear (41)
- Guns (2)
- Hunting (6)
- Hunting Gear (3)
- More Freshwater (245)
- Other Survival (4)
- Rifles (1)
- Saltwater (223)
- Shelter (1)
- Shooting Gear (1)
- Shotguns (1)
- Small Game (1)
- Survival (10)
- Survival Gear (2)
- Trout Fishing (267)
- Trucks (3)
Recent Posts
- Burn, Muskie, Burn
- Vintage Tackle Contest: Old Dominion Sneaky Bird
- Asian Carp "Fishing" Meets Mad Max Kill Tactics
- Do You Need a Cormorant Hunt in Your Area?
- Tackle Bags and Boxes: What Kind is Right for You?
- Friday Giant Tuna Double Feature
- Vintage Tackle Contest: The Larson Fishtrap
- Tying Articulated Streamers with the Fish Skull Shank
- Hipster Fishing: The Trout Slip-On
- Do Sportsmen Buy and Read eBooks?
Archives
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
Syndicate
The Honest Angler
in your Inbox
April 17, 2009
Merwin: Broken Rods and High-Sticking
By John Merwin
So I broke yet another rod yesterday when I got distracted somehow and our spring-loaded screen door slammed shut on the rod tip. Pretty stupid. I can get the rod tip replaced okay, so that’s not too big a deal, but breaking a fishing rod is always a little traumatic. It got me thinking of other breaks at other times.
Power windows in various vehicles have been a frequent culprit. Ditto automatic seat-belt retractors. The worst one, though, is when I leave a rod sitting on top of the car or truck cab while taking off my waders. Then I forget about it and drive off as the rod crashes to the road.
Despite all that, I’d say most rods get broken by what’s called “high- sticking.” I think you’ve all seen people yarning back on a rod as they fight a fish so the rod is near vertical and there’s a deep bow in the tip and midsection. Rod butt sections can handle a tremendous amount of lifting force. Tips and mids can’t. If a rod is held too near vertical and with a heavy load, it’s apt to snap somewhere in the upper half of its length--often near the uppermost ferrule in the case of a 4-piece fly rod. Hold the rod low during a battle--not more then about 60 degrees above horizontal--and fight the fish with the rod butt.
Most of the time I remember this, and it’s been quite a while since I’ve broken a rod on a fish. All my other rod breaks, though, are just dumb and dumber....
ADVERTISEMENT
Today on Field & Stream
Loading...
Visit Our Sister Sites at Bonnier Corporation
| Enthusiast | Kiteboarding | QUAD | SKI | Skiing | Scuba Diving | Sport Diver | TransWorld Ride BMX | TransWorld Business | TransWorld Motocross | TransWorld SKATEboarding, | TransWorld SNOWboarding | TransWorld SURF | WakeBoarding | WaterSki | Warren Miller Entertainment | WindSurfing |
|---|---|
| Travel | Caribbean Travel & Life | Destination Weddings & Honeymoon | Islands | Meeting Traveler | Resorts & Great Hotels |
| Lifestyle & Shelter | Florida Travel & Life | Garden Design | Home Ft. Lauderdale | Home Miami |
| Luxury | SNOW | Spa |
| Marine | Boating Life | Cruising World | Fly Fishing in Salt Waters | Power Cruising | Marlin | Motor Boating | Sailing World | Salt Water Sportsman | Sport Fishing | Yachting | NewBoats.com | UsedBoats.com | YachtBroker.com |
| Outdoor | Field & Stream | Outdoor Life | SHOT Business |
| Parenting | Babytalk | Parenting |
| Science | Popular Science | Science Illustrated |
| Saveur | Saveur |
| Working Mother Media | Working Mother |
| Entertainment / Events | World Entertainment Services | World Sports & Marketing |
Fieldandstream.com is part of the Field & Stream Network, a division of Bonnier Corporation.
Copyright © 2012 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Comments (12)
As a kid of about 12, I broke four rod tips at once which is a personal best, if not a record. All four were in an aluminum telescoping rod case which I was given to carry as my family hiked up to a mountain lake in Colorado. I stopped to rest, leaned on the tube, and it un-telescoped, breaking all four rods.
This post reminds me of all the bill dance blooper videos. We all do dumb and careless things and if you are lucky or bill heavey you can make a living off them. I just bought his book and find it endlessly amusing.
Great advice on what angle to hold a rod while fighting fish. I got into some nice bass today with my 2wt and was holding the rod near verticle as I was fighting. It's always a pleasure to hook onto a 20 inch bass while bluegill fishing.
I have only broken two rod tips in recent memory. I broke a tip this winter steelhead fishing trying to break the ice out of my guides and last summer a case of Budweiser busted a rod just above the handle. Kudos to Thomas & Thomas service department. In both cases they took very good care of me.
Merwin, I've got the weirdest rod-breakin story ever.
I was fishing a farm pond where the horses were supposed to be in the stalls. You already know where this is going, probably. Anyways, a horse decided to set itself free and run around the pond. I was fishing with one rod and had another laying on the ground (a basspro Extreme!). Of course the horse decided to run right over my rod near the butt. The graphite in the butt was absolutely shattered. The good thing is that I took it to bass pro and they still replaced it!!! They asked no questions and told me to go get another!!!
Remember, pulling the rod horizontally to the side is just like lifting it vertically.
I was taught to fight and guide the fish with the rod held horizontally and then just bring it up when the fish got close and it's head was out of the water (easier said than done with a long leader). And also to never, never, never grab the rod above the cork.
I've yet to break a rod on a fish, but I welcome the day when I do. I just want to see the fish first - if only for a second...
yea me to j-johnson17
i haven't broken a rod on a fish (not saying that i haven't lost one fishing), but i have broken two tips off of two of mine and my dads nice rods. we were portaging in Canada, and the tips kept snagging no matter which way i held the rod.
John , I think most people who have visited the water often enough have seen first hand a rod broken. From a rod building stand point I would like to add that we put the blanks through a tremendous stress test before we ever invest into the rest of the construction . That being said,on a 1000 blank stress inspection , we may loose 5 or maybe even ten blanks. The real problem comes when rods are not spined properly during construction leaving the guides offset from that natural curve of the blank. When the rod is loaded up with a fish , the blanks twist and break. My ides of " High Stickin" ??
Grab one off the shelf , put the butt of the rod at one of your heals and and push the rod away from you from the tip assuming it would be the arch if it were in Battle Mode . Wear Safety Goggles . Builders , all of them have forgotten this . Good Luck on the Water .
DennisJBall,
Great post about spine. Why do I still find some rods with the guides put sideways on the spine? You would thinks that would be the first thing the rod builders would check.
I broke one of my rods recently by slamming the car door on it. I felt tremendously stupid after it was all over. It also suspended my fishing until I could get a new rod too. The worst thing is that rod was my favorite, and not it is out of commission.
Post a Comment
John , I think most people who have visited the water often enough have seen first hand a rod broken. From a rod building stand point I would like to add that we put the blanks through a tremendous stress test before we ever invest into the rest of the construction . That being said,on a 1000 blank stress inspection , we may loose 5 or maybe even ten blanks. The real problem comes when rods are not spined properly during construction leaving the guides offset from that natural curve of the blank. When the rod is loaded up with a fish , the blanks twist and break. My ides of " High Stickin" ??
Grab one off the shelf , put the butt of the rod at one of your heals and and push the rod away from you from the tip assuming it would be the arch if it were in Battle Mode . Wear Safety Goggles . Builders , all of them have forgotten this . Good Luck on the Water .
As a kid of about 12, I broke four rod tips at once which is a personal best, if not a record. All four were in an aluminum telescoping rod case which I was given to carry as my family hiked up to a mountain lake in Colorado. I stopped to rest, leaned on the tube, and it un-telescoped, breaking all four rods.
This post reminds me of all the bill dance blooper videos. We all do dumb and careless things and if you are lucky or bill heavey you can make a living off them. I just bought his book and find it endlessly amusing.
Great advice on what angle to hold a rod while fighting fish. I got into some nice bass today with my 2wt and was holding the rod near verticle as I was fighting. It's always a pleasure to hook onto a 20 inch bass while bluegill fishing.
I have only broken two rod tips in recent memory. I broke a tip this winter steelhead fishing trying to break the ice out of my guides and last summer a case of Budweiser busted a rod just above the handle. Kudos to Thomas & Thomas service department. In both cases they took very good care of me.
Merwin, I've got the weirdest rod-breakin story ever.
I was fishing a farm pond where the horses were supposed to be in the stalls. You already know where this is going, probably. Anyways, a horse decided to set itself free and run around the pond. I was fishing with one rod and had another laying on the ground (a basspro Extreme!). Of course the horse decided to run right over my rod near the butt. The graphite in the butt was absolutely shattered. The good thing is that I took it to bass pro and they still replaced it!!! They asked no questions and told me to go get another!!!
Remember, pulling the rod horizontally to the side is just like lifting it vertically.
I was taught to fight and guide the fish with the rod held horizontally and then just bring it up when the fish got close and it's head was out of the water (easier said than done with a long leader). And also to never, never, never grab the rod above the cork.
I've yet to break a rod on a fish, but I welcome the day when I do. I just want to see the fish first - if only for a second...
yea me to j-johnson17
i haven't broken a rod on a fish (not saying that i haven't lost one fishing), but i have broken two tips off of two of mine and my dads nice rods. we were portaging in Canada, and the tips kept snagging no matter which way i held the rod.
DennisJBall,
Great post about spine. Why do I still find some rods with the guides put sideways on the spine? You would thinks that would be the first thing the rod builders would check.
I broke one of my rods recently by slamming the car door on it. I felt tremendously stupid after it was all over. It also suspended my fishing until I could get a new rod too. The worst thing is that rod was my favorite, and not it is out of commission.
Post a Comment