When you buy a fly rod, it will come with
some type of warranty. Many fine quality rods come with a "lifetime warranty". This warranty provides that "in the event of
breakage" the issuing company will repair or replace your rod. It
is meant to cover an accident, not a mistake.
Because fly rods have the uncanny knack of meeting all
sorts of destructive fates that result in unfixable breakage, this is a good
insurance policy to have. And it may well be worth the added cost of
these rod(s) that
grant these manufacturer's warranties when you compare rods. (This type of
warranty is not usually an optional item, and most likely will be priced into the cost of
the rod. Rods that do not offer this type of "blanket" warranty are,
understandably, generally lower priced.)
Caring for your fly rods . . .
Even if you have a fully warranted rod, common sense calls
for its proper care. The critical checkpoints are:
ferrules
. . . these are normally hardy connection joints that don't require a lot of attention
(see sidebar on "How to put a
rod together"). If the rod pieces become "sloppy", or the
ferrules slip, add a bit of wax or soap to the male ferrule to tighten up the connection.
(For further information, see separate section on
ferrules.)
guides
.
. . Check the integrity of your guides by "sighting" down the assembled rod so
you can see bent or misaligned guides; minor bends or twists in snake guides can usually
be corrected with careful pressure; do not use "toothy" pliers on guides as they
will leave rough areas that will damage fly lines; otherwise, keeping guides free of
debris and dirt is a periodic duty. (For further information see
guides.)
guard
against knicks . . . It is best to avoid colliding your rods with sharp
objects, such as fly hooks, rocks, split shot, etc.; these and other impacts can damage the rod's
fibers (regardless what the rod is made of) and encourage breakage at the weakened spot;
(see sidebar,
"How to carry a fly
rod").
immovable
objects . . . A fly rod is not meant to be used as a lever in a stubborn
attempt to move the immovable; if your fly or line is caught on
something, do not use the rod to jerk
on the line; rather point the rod in a straight line toward the hookup and pull steadily until the fly
or leader breaks; (a $2 fly or leader lost in the process is not nearly as costly
as a shattered rod).
rod pressure
. . . When fighting large fish, and/or strong water current, use the rod in a
sideways angle as opposed to straight upright; this lessens strain on the rod and is often
a better tactical position.
cleaning . . . Wipe your rod off after each use before storage;
if used in saltwater, be sure to wash
it off with freshwater and allow it to air dry before stowage; do
not store a wet rod in a sealed area or container, as it can mildew
handles and cause swelling of the reel seat.
storage
. . . Store each of your rods, and each section singly in (a) a cloth rod bag and
(b) a hard aluminum rod case; (we favor the tips of both the butt and tip sections of our
rods facing downward in these cases to protect them).
Do not store rods in excessive heat, e.g., trunk of your car. Do not
store away wet rods.
chemicals . . . Avoid exposing rods to harsh chemicals such as petroleum products,
insect repellent, etc.
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