Repairing fishing rods

Gillysome

Just wondering what is the best way to replace the top eye on a fishing rod?? My dad is a bit of a frank spencer in disguise and ive 3 rods to repair:p. One of them is broken midway down the shaft of the top piece of the rod. I have a general idea how to do it but id like advice/tips for the best thread/glues to use for the job. Thanks

shamwari

I've repaired top eyes by getting a replacement from a shop that sells them (ABC off Capel St), aligning and securing the new eye in place by spooling thread around it, and then apply two coats of thick varnish. Never failed me!

Damage along the centre of the tube is probably hard, if not impossible to fix - especially on a carbon rod.

coolwings

The correct glue is epoxy, the twin component type.

The way to fix a break is to cut a smooth edge on both halves, then glue in a spigot (a tapered plug) into the wider lower one, then add glue and push the upper section onto the spigot.
Whip the join to prevent splitting of the rod at the repair.

DryFlyFishing

Gillysome wrote: »

Just wondering what is the best way to replace the top eye on a fishing rod?? My dad is a bit of a frank spencer in disguise and ive 3 rods to repair:p. One of them is broken midway down the shaft of the top piece of the rod. I have a general idea how to do it but id like advice/tips for the best thread/glues to use for the job. Thanks

top eye - just bring the top section to a shop and buy an eye that fits it and super glue it on... just make sure its straight to the other eyes. no thread needed

hope you did not lose to much off the top of your rod.. it migt get a bit stiff...

if the rod that you broak on the midsection is expesive.. give it to the manufacturer or a rod maker ... or ask them to send you a new section if its mass produced...

if they dont send you a new section tell us and we will slate them on here lol:D

Gillysome

Thanks for the advice guys. Ive fixed the two rods where the top eyes were gone. Seems to be holding up too because myself and the auld lad caught fish on them yesterday evening:). Only the 1 thats broken at midsection now. Think i'll try and get a replacement top end for it instead of trying to repair it. Thanks again for the advice

Bruthal

Gillysome wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys. Ive fixed the two rods where the top eyes were gone. Seems to be holding up too because myself and the auld lad caught fish on them yesterday evening:). Only the 1 thats broken at midsection now. Think i'll try and get a replacement top end for it instead of trying to repair it. Thanks again for the advice

Coolwings repair method will work perfect, i did it once or twice, after glue together with the internal support piece i whipped outside with ordinary thread and soaked superglue into the thread. Then varnish. I used superglue for the whole repair.

Its years since i was fishing, i must get back into it.

shamwari

Guess what: I smashed my rod yesterday in a freak accident! It's a cheapie telescopic rod, but one I enjoyed using I casted a spinner and made a pigs ear of the cast, and hooked and overhanging branch. I yanked it free and the spinner shot out of the branch, whizzed back towards me, and then sliced through the top of the rod. Both spinner and rod broken....

@Coolwings, any suggestions as to what I should use for a spigot? The rod got snapped in the middle of a telescopic section, so if I repair it properly, it should be perfectly useable again.

coolwings

For the plug nothing beats a section of similar fishing rod, hollow and thinner so as to be able to fit inside the broken section, with epoxy glue (araldite, etc).
Failing some broken fishing rod tip for the plug, arrow shafts turned down, fibreglass tent poles, radio antennas, anything flexible but strong. Avoid stiff inflexible plugs because your repair will crack at the place where the bending rod meets the straight repair section.

decdon

Hi there,
I broke the top 2 inches of my fly rod at the weekend, and lost the tip and all (but i won't go into that ). Could I just get a new top eye and attach it to the remaining tip. Would it have much effect on the performance of the rod? or am I just better off geting a replacement alltogeather. It's a greys 9ft , 5#. Any other sugestions would be greatful !! Thanks

jack01986

If you could find an eye that would fit on the wider section because of the wider taper you could put it back on with a bit if super glue. The action of the rod might be affected by the break.

I think greys have a lifetime warrenty on their rods so you may as well try them to see if they would give you a replacement tip section.

b.w.ollie

if you can, always keep your broken rods as they ar useful for making spigots for repairs to others. like coolwings says ya can't bate Araldite epoxy as a glue. most makers use epoxy now instead of varnish as it gives a higher build on the whippings, but whatever you use try a bit on the whipping thread first before doing the rod as some varnishes can change the colour of the thread and ruin it matching . most sewing thread is very light so i use cobbler/upholstery thread as it is heavier.

pathobby

I am completely new to this board but am interested in the content of this thread.

I am trying to re-furbish an old Dawsons of Bromley glassfibre rod. There is a slight crack in the 'female' ferrule. (it is not a ferrule really it is simply the tube into which the 'male' end of the rod goes.)

What is the best way to glue or bind up the crack?

If I am posting in the wrong place I would be grateful for any advice on that too.

PH

Bruthal

pathobby wrote: »

I am completely new to this board but am interested in the content of this thread.

I am trying to re-furbish an old Dawsons of Bromley glassfibre rod. There is a slight crack in the 'female' ferrule. (it is not a ferrule really it is simply the tube into which the 'male' end of the rod goes.)

What is the best way to glue or bind up the crack?

If I am posting in the wrong place I would be grateful for any advice on that too.

PH

Wrap a few turns of thread reasonably tightly around the end of the `ferrule`end, 30 or 40 turns neatly around the end spread over about 15mm from the edge up. And then put superglue into the thread so all the thread binding absorbs the glue. A very light sanding of the rod surface before adding the thread will help the glue bind to the rod through the thread. Make sure the glue is completly dry before fitting the halves of the rod together or it will become a one-piece.

pathobby

Many thanks for that. I thought I would have to go through the process of getting a fibreglass repair kit to do the job.

I appreciate your help!

PH

Bruthal

pathobby wrote: »

Many thanks for that. I thought I would have to go through the process of getting a fibreglass repair kit to do the job.

I appreciate your help!

PH

Upholstery thread was mentioned earlier which is stronger than normal sewing thread, so thats even better. But a decent amount of turns of normal thread should work well too once you get the glue well soaked in.