[KCheek]

I started my fly fishing journey in February of this year and have broken two rods. I am curious about are fly rods more susceptible to breaking?

I have been fishing for a LOOOOOOOONG time and have never broken a spin cast or bait cast rod. I should also mention I am not talking about slamming in a car door or stepping on a rod. Rather, breaking while fishing. Both of the rods I broke were trying to free a hung fly. One in a tree limb on the opposite side of the creek and the other on a rock or stick in the river.

Just curious. Also, I am not fishing with a high dollar rod, but rather a low to mid level rod from a pretty popular rod builder with a good warranty. Wonder if that's a sign...

 

[backlash]

Better to pull straight on the line on the line rather than put a deep bend in the rod to free a fly. I've broken more than my fair share of both fly rods and spinning gear over the years and all were the result of something that I did. High sticking a fish, weighted fly striking the rod due to a crappy forward cast, and using the rod to free a fly are just a few of the things that have cost me a rod.

 

[wademaster]

Haven't broken one yet. My brother has broken 2 within a couple weeks though. If I'm snagged in the water or in a bush or tree and it doesn't come loose quickly/easily I'll go unsnag it by hand to avoid the aforementioned problem. The rods I mentioned my brother breaking was due to falling or not paying attention when putting it on a rod rack. Not from fishing. I don't think you should have common problems from breaking them from fishing unless you keep doing what you did in the first place to break one.

 

[cardsfan]

I bought a nice Orvis rod 2 years ago and in my hands yes they break easier. in 2 years in has been broken 4 times and has spent more time in transit on a truck or plane then it has on a stream. I believe it is possessed with demons and may have to have some type of intervention to get them out of it

 

[ECU Daniel 14]

Ive only broken one fly rod. It was a TFO BVK 8wt. I used it to cast large heavy weighted bugs. If its windy or you make a bad cast the lead eyes can smack on the blank causing a weak spot (sometimes not noticable to the naked eye). Thats what happened to mine. It may not break immediately, but it will when you least expect it. The only way to fix that problem is buy products with lifetime warranties. I like TFO because they have a no questions asked warranty policy....Just email them and tell the rep what happened and send it in....fast turn around to get it back too. I have yet to break my Sage, so I dont know about there warranty department.

 

[mrpossumtail]

Depends on the rod. BVKs break easily. Echo Ions weight a ton, but one can slay animals with em. Smacking a tip on an aluminum jon boat seat is a great way to break one. If you are brush beating in small streams and are only tossing nymphs and flies, get a piece of glass.

 

[OptiMystic]

I think graphite rods are more prone to it, but like others the only ones I have broken while fishing had other "trauma" first.

 

[Dylar]

Graphite fly rods are typically made from high modulus blanks. They're generally designed to load quickly, which requires very stiff, and, hence, fairly brittle material.

 

[Drum Runner]

Fly rods are not the same rods you would rod and reel fish with.
Most are much thinner in material.

 

[EvBlue]

If you're fishing Clousers a lot they can ding the rod pretty hard when casting which might cause it to break later on when you put stress on it.

 

[Kev2380]

Depends on the person really. If you drop your rod alot, bounce the tip off the ground, tangle it in the trees and yank it trying to free your fly that can really stress it. (Done that) If the pieces of the rod are not put together snug it can cause stress on the individual pieces and cause one to break. (Done that) Fly rods are made pretty sturdy but not as strong as your average spinning rod in my opinion. If you are fishing weighted flies and the weighted part strikes your rod during the cast it can cause fractures that eventually make the rod break.

 

[OptiMystic]

I have broken 2 or 3 rods (only one was a fly rod) in use when snagged on something that is coming in slowly. That is my fault. If I snag on something solid, I give up and go to it or pull the line by hand is I am resigned to losing the fly/lure. But if I snag a big limb or whatever that I can barely bring in, sometimes I try a little too hard to horse it in. Not the only way I have ever broken one, but the most common in use scenario for me and something to be aware of if you want to skip the hard part of the lesson...

 

[Kev2380]

A common thing when you're snagged on a log or submerged branch is to reel in the line then stick the tip of the rod in the water and poke around to try and dislodge the fly. This may work from time to time but you can also break your rod tip really easily.

 

[OptiMystic]

A common thing when you're snagged on a log or submerged branch is to reel in the line then stick the tip of the rod in the water and poke around to try and dislodge the fly. This may work from time to time but you can also break your rod tip really easily.

That I quit doing with fly rods before I broke one mostly because my gear tends to be the lower tier stuff with the wire eyes that get bent out of shape when you do that.

 

[Chiefly Fly'n]

This may be an informative link....


http://www.americanangler.com/technique/busted

 

[backlash]

That's a great article that explains the causes of breakage quite well.

 

[KCheek]

Richard, thanks for the link. #1 and #3 I am guilty of...especially transporting in my van already rigged and ready to go. You never know when you will drive by that river/stream that just needs a fly or nymph!

Thanks everyone for your input and stories! Hopefully the warranty will be good and turn around time short.

 

[Scott Hobbs]

This may be an informative link....


http://www.americanangler.com/technique/busted

.
Good all around guide for both fly rods and other rods in general. Most breaks are user error, we just don't like to be the reason our rods break. It is easier to do the blame game