roll casting issue, rod comes apart

[thetonyage]

Im not really sure what im doing wrong here but i went out ffing the other day and, im not sure on an exact number, but a good percentage of my roll casts ended with the top 3/4 of my 4 peice rod coming apart. This has never happened to me before with any of my old rods. I just got a sage vantage 4wt and this was my first time on the water with it. Is it the rods fault? Or am i just tryin too hard with my roll cast? It even happened once on a back cast. So i dont know if im just overanalyzing my casting as i do it or if somethings wrong with the rod. I am just getting back into the sport and have been watching alot of youtube videos on casting and such, so maybe im thinkin too much while casting. I dont know. Any input?

 

[MKern]

1 of 2 things (well that I can think of).

Seat the rod tighter, as tight as you can get it. (I once was affraid of seating the rod too tight and on one cast the sections came apart and I ended up breaking my rod. So, I broke my rod by trying to not to break my rod).


Or, the rod is broken. A slight crack will lead to the looseness.

 

[caveman]

If seating the rod does not work add some beeswax to the male portion of the ferrule. It will build it up and make for a tighter fit. Check for cracks first.

 

[thetonyage]

After a thorough inspection tere are no cracks, im goin to have to try the beeswax thing.

 

[BPS]

No way its your casting. Id try the wax and if that don't work call customer service.

 

[SteelheadWhisperer]

I had the same problem. After I used wax, it hasn't happened again.

 

[PaulG]

Bees wax Works great, the one thing you might want to do is wipe the access off the male section. I had a rod that started coming apart, put on the beeswax, never had the problem again.

PaulG

 

[afishinado]

Orvis, Sage and some other major rod manufacturers recommend using paraffin wax (candle wax) on the male end of each section. I'm sure bee's wax works, but is very sticky and would tend to collect more dirt (not good).

I've been using wax on my rods for a long time and it solves the coming apart AND the sticking of rod sections.

I will say that improperly fitted sections from the manufacturer can cause you rod to come apart. If wax doesn't help, I would send it back for repair.

 

[gfen]

I know Orvis and St. Croix included a little tub of ferrule wax with every rod, just remember to periodically wipe it off and reapply lest it trap grit.

Basically, that or a a candle, can just be rubbed around the male ferrule of the rod. You'll almost "paint" on little strips, and can smudge it around with your finger tips. When you seat it down, you'll push a little up into a ring at the end, and that's OK.

It will seat it tighter, and make it easier to take apart as well. If you've been mashing ends together without the wax, you're more likely to loosen the joint by friction over the years and the wax'll help restore a little thickness to it, as well.

 

[turkey]

I use a parrafin candle on all of my ferrules. It works.

 

[Yotrout]

I used candle on a rod and it worked great.

 

[barbless]

Some people say it's best to try regular wax from a candle first, and leave beeswax as the second option, in case that doesn't work.

The main difference is that beeswax is stickier and hence more likely to pick up dirt.

I've never had a problem with a loose fitting fiberglass ferrule that beeswax couldn't solve, including for a 5-pc. 7' spinning rod that was giving me problems.

The bigger problem is incremental wear on a spigot-type glass or graphite ferrule, to the point where the tip starts closing the little gap between sections that those rods are designed to have. That has a way of leading to splits in the female end of the connection.

The best way to deal with that is to catch it before any evidence of splitting shows up.

To fix a worn ferrule spigot:

First, clean the ferrule with a bit of soap and water and let it dry off.

Next, mix up a little bit of epoxy, paint a thin layer to cover the spigot joint completely. "5 minute" set-up epoxy seems to work as well as the more long-drying stuff.

Give it a minute to get a little tacky- then wipe it off of the spigot with a paper towel or a wiping cloth.

(I like to use those little soap-saturated cloths that you can buy in packs at the dollar store- rinse the soap out of one and let it dry, and they're ideal for little finishing jobs. They also work well to get excess Mucilin or floatant off of fly line.)

Then let it dry completely. Completely. (Follow the directions.)

That's usually all it takes.

But if you find you've left a little too much epoxy on the ferrule and the fit is too tight, it's pretty easy to make a little rope loop out of 0000 steel wool (sold at auto parts stores everywhere) and buff the excess off by twisting the loop around the spigot to sand it off. Light pressure, no more than one full turn at a time, the length of the spigot.

If you find you've over-sanded, repeat the process until you get it right.

There's almost no way to screw this repair up as long as you clean the ferrule before doing it, and don't join up the rod until the epoxy layer is completely dry.

But if you find that the female ferrule joint on a section has already begun to crack and split at the end, the section will need to be sanded or trimmed to above the splits, and possibly reinforced. Most people prefer an experienced repair person to do that.