Tighten Up Those Rod Ferrules

Always make sure your rod ferrules are firmly seated.

If you have spent much time with a graphite fly rod, you most likely have experienced that awkward moment when a ferrule comes undone, causing part of your rod to soar off on its own. This is especially awkward if you're casting over water, because that prompts the question: How am I going to get my rod tip back?

But inconvenient though it may be, things could have turned out worse. A less fortunate angler might find he has a busted rod.

Poorly seated ferrules are, in fact, a common cause of rod breakage. As the sections loosen, the male section starts working back and forth against the ferrule's outer wall. The action generates significant stress, causing a catastrophic failure that can sound like a rifle shot when the rod breaks.

And the problem is quite preventable with a firm seating of the rod sections. Here's how:

• Your hands should grip the pieces right at the ferrule. If your hands are far apart, you're going to cause unnecessary stress to the graphite shaft.
• When you position the rod sections for joining, rotate the two pieces so that one is turned 90 degrees from the other. In other words, give one section a quarter turn.
• As you push the sections together, rotate them into alignment. And don't be shy about twisting the sections together. You want the joining to be really firm.
• Now, give the ferrule a test tug, to make sure the sections aren't loose.

How should you take the sections apart? Reverse the process:

• Grip the sections close to the ferrule, to avoid unnecessary stress.
• As you pull the sections apart, give them a twist, opposite the direction from when you assembled the rod.

Sometimes, the sections will jam, and that's a problem. But it's not as big a problem as having a broken rod, and here are two techniques for freeing them:

• Hold the jammed section behind your back, with your hands positioned on both sides of the ferrule. Again, try to keep your hands close.
• Drop down into a crouch, so you can position your hands just behind your knees.
• As you pull the sections straight apart with your hands, push out with your knees. The added pressure generated by your legs should free the sections.

If you have a friend nearby, here's an alternative method that doesn't make you look as silly:

• Standing face-to-face with your friend, grip the rod with your hands on either side of the ferrule.
• Have your friend grip the rod with one hand on the outside edge of your right hand and the other on the inside edge of your left hand. In other words, you want to avoid having both your hands on the inside and both his/her hands on the outside.
• Pull the sections apart with a smooth motion. Make sure you pull straight, to avoid damaging the ferrule.

Note: In years past, anglers have often applied a bit of wax to ferrules to keep the sections from separating. Rod technology has made that obsolete. The better manufacturers will tell you that machining tolerances are so tight, the wax no longer serves a purpose. The fear now is that the wax can cause dirt to collect on the ferrule, ultimately damaging the ferrule.

So if you've been waxing your ferrules, don't do that anymore. If you've never used wax, forget I even mentioned it.