# Ways to Break a Fly Rod



## Brandonssmith (Nov 21, 2020)

I'm interested in hearing how you guys have broken your fly rods.

I've broken one, a cheap Redington doing the "wiggle test" inside. Snapped the tip.


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## Outearly (Oct 20, 2015)

Let me count the ways…

tip snapped off going through a doorway (took me a while to figure out a 9’ fly rod was a tad longer than a 6’9” casting rod).

hookless practice flies get stuck harder in the grass than I used to think. Just yanking them out was a bad and expensive idea.

highsticking a redfish is a very effective way to get it done…


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## spc7669 (Apr 15, 2015)

1. Hang up in a tree while floating through a bad rapid and lose your line and tip section.
2. Leave the rod on the roof rack of the truck when you take off your waders and then forget it’s there.
3. Force a rod into a tube.
4. Slap the shit out of the water with the rod after losing a fish the would’ve won the tournament. 
5. Loan it to a new guy and don’t tell him to periodically check the ferrule connections throughout the day.
6. Suck your tippet into a vacuum cleaner.

I think that covers all my screw ups, but I could be wrong.


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## Coffeyonthefly (Mar 20, 2019)

I have a very embarrassing one. Grew up fishing in Florida and Hawaii. Saltwater fly fished for many years. Last year went to West Virginia for the first time in my fifty years to go trout fishing. While moving between streams broke my 3wt rod into two pieces and threw it in the back seat of my 4 door truck. About a mile down the road I hear the drag on the reel screaming. By the time I pulled over 30 ft of fly line, my leader, and tippet were wrapped up in the wheel and axle. It also broke the tip of the rod. 
I have done two more trout trips since then and I think I’m going to stick with saltwater. Maybe one trip to Colorado or Wyoming but I just do not get the whole brook trout thing. Not judging, just not for me.


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## Copahee Hound (Dec 21, 2017)

Ceiling fan... likely to do it again


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

Ceiling fans 
Missing the rod tube under the gunnel 
In transit 
Car doors 
Ceiling fans.


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## spc7669 (Apr 15, 2015)

Coffeyonthefly said:


> I have a very embarrassing one. Grew up fishing in Florida and Hawaii. Saltwater fly fished for many years. Last year went to West Virginia for the first time in my fifty years to go trout fishing. While moving between streams broke my 3wt rod into two pieces and threw it in the back seat of my 4 door truck. About a mile down the road I hear the drag on the reel screaming. By the time I pulled over 30 ft of fly line, my leader, and tippet were wrapped up in the wheel and axle. It also broke the tip of the rod.
> I have done two more trout trips since then and I think I’m going to stick with saltwater. Maybe one trip to Colorado or Wyoming but I just do not get the whole brook trout thing. Not judging, just not for me.


I’m with you buddy. I grew up trout fishing. After I found the salt, trout didn’t do it anymore. I go a couple times a year, but wouldn’t miss it much if I didn’t.


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## 7WT (Feb 12, 2016)

Yes on the screen door, the tree branches over the stream bank, yes on a fish, a salt trout believe it or not and it was the guides rod, whoops! Here are a few others. Well the ceiling fan of course, and then on a lake a clouser rod hit led to a 6 wt to break on a cast. But the worst one was after the airline broke a tip on my primary rod with an inspection on a trip to Montana, the next first morning with a bit too much excitement I put a fully rigged rod in the back of a suzuki jeep type hatchback and headed to Jack Creek only to have the back window slam down on my rod. Duh. Found a loaner in a closet but....


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## sjestok (Sep 17, 2019)

Only broken one luckily, and it was my first and it was cheap, but fishing off my buddy's boat, didn't have rod holders, and it was a shorter skiff, and the tip was hanging off the end ever so slightly. He went to load the boat onto the trailer, didn't get it on straight, rod tip went on the outside of the upright on the trailer, base stayed firm in its spot in the boat, snapped right in the middle as he gassed it higher up onto the trailer. Can still see it playing in my head in slow motion


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

I’m not rich, but I’m a fluffchucking fanatic. I bought a new 6 weight Recon (got a great deal on it, or couldn’t have afforded it), and took it to the Upper Laguna to break it in. Poled my buddy around some 2’ grass flats for a while, then got up into some skinnier water. My buddy got up on the platform and I decided to swap flies on the new rod. I cyt off the fly and deopped it into my vial of fresh water. Meanwhile, the leaber sucked up into the guides. I selected a new cricket and went to whip the leader back out. Of course, my buddy had the pole extended over me when I whipped the rod back, and made my 9’ rod a 7’ rod. Broke it before I slimed it.........

I’ve also broken a 10 weight trying to cast a heavily weighted fly in near gale-force winds. Those X-large lead eyes make a hell of a ‘whack’ when they hit the rod. Just before that happened I had opened a fly box and lost several flies that blew out. It’s called fun.....


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

Dog on boat


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

Some of you may be familiar with Bill Oyster of Oyster bamboo fly rods.. Bamboo Fly Rods and bamboo fly rod making classes (oysterbamboo.com) 
I was at a bamboo rod gathering and he shows up with a brand new, just out of the drying cabinet, bamboo rod. After putting it together, he sticks the tip in the ceiling fan. (not intentionally, of course) He pulls the rod back, expecting to have to make another tip. But there was no damage, none. It was unbelievable. 
Me? I can break a tip trying to line up guides, practice casting and hitting the tip with a beadhead fly, setting the hook on a 9inch trout, and getting a stuck fly out of the overhead limbs. Two of those breaks were bamboo rods.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Broke a 14wt on a spinner shark. 

Broke one fishing Tamiami. I was in a rental and had the rod out the back window and didn't know they were auto up....


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## karstopo (Nov 28, 2019)

Trout Set an Oyster Reef, 7 weight. Broke Section Below Tip Section. 
Broke one Inch off Tip of 7/8 Weight CGR LMB fishing trying to free Streamer from submerged Log. Rod is now 7‘ 5“.
Broke Tip Section of 8/9 weight G.Loomis Short Stix walking up through the surf a 2# Speckled Trout to the Ice Chest.


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## Loogie (Jul 24, 2019)

Trolling motor wrapped the leader, my TFO tip was broken in two pieces.


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## Vinny L (Oct 20, 2020)

Copahee Hound said:


> Ceiling fan... likely to do it again


Ditto


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## mwolaver (Feb 6, 2014)

spc7669 said:


> 1. Hang up in a tree while floating through a bad rapid and lose your line and tip section.
> 2. Leave the rod on the roof rack of the truck when you take off your waders and then forget it’s there.
> 3. Force a rod into a tube.
> 4. Slap the shit out of the water with the rod after losing a fish the would’ve won the tournament.
> ...


#6, but a trolling motor....


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## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

Copahee Hound said:


> Ceiling fan... likely to do it again


I once bought a spinning rod a the Miami Boat show. Took a taxi back to the hotel and it lost its tip in the elevators fan.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Let's see all the above. And once I was setting up to fish and pulled the line out of to tip and it broke. Can't believe someone has vacuumed up a leader..mine pulled the rod off the rod rack so fast..
You know, I broke a Sage that they don't make anymore so I just got a Max Catch for the interim. But it's fast and we'll made I'm just going to roll with and if it breaks I'll return it to Amazon


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## Moore Lyon and Quick (Aug 26, 2015)

TFO BVK - clouser strike on tip section
Redington CPS 7wt - clouser strike on tip section

Both times with a strong wind, the CPS was from a seated position in a kayak. Both times the tip collapsed on the next cast.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Years ago, in advance of a trip to the Florida panhandle, I had a rod delivered to my dad's house. 
UPS leaned it against the garage door.
Dad exits the house, gets in the car, opens the garage door.
Dad backs car out, smashing the rod into many pieces.
UPS refused to be responsible for their mistake.
Bears Den shipped me a new rod at no cost.

Bears Den for the win.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Ferules came loose on a 6wt Redington Predator once...picked the fly up with a water haul and tried to double haul into a stiff wind and the outer ferule just outright snapped under the load.

Now I use ferrule wax and periodically check to make sure everything is snug.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Too many ways to count..... but I will share the most disappointing, actually devastating story....

I traveled over 50 hours to eastern Indonesia for a dive trip - Papua to be exact. I scouted some maps beforehand and saw nice sandy flats, actually just off the point of the remote island where we staying. I sent a picture of a bonefish over to confirm they were nearby - in fact, they were right on the flats there.

So we arrive and have the place to ourselves - the benefit of being this remote. I look out on the flats and yes, bones. Never seen a fly. Not fished for at all.

I gear up my 8 wt - walk out on the flat and about 6 fish are moving along the flat, coming towards me. First cast, bonefish - charged the fly. I was in heaven - it was day 1 of 7 here and I have bonefish right in front of my room!

Catch a second fish on the next cast. I go to cast again and my rod snaps in two - right in the middle section. Fly didn't hit the rod (even that wouldn't break it), and it was a normal cast. Just so happened I brought a rod with me that somehow was already damaged without me knowing it. I was catching a lot of big jacks on 8 wts around this time here on the TX coast, so I could have overly stressed a rod doing that.

Let's just say that I said every four letter word in the book and cursed god himself. What are the chances of this?

Now I did bring a 10 wt with me because of larger salt water species, and I did catch more bones on the 10, but it isn't as fun as throwing an 8.

Now I pressure test the rod before any trip and give it a few passes to make sure this doesn't happen again.


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## NVswitch (Jan 25, 2021)

My friend and I did a trip to Brazil for peacock bass. In the days of three piece rods, we packed 6 rods into a bazooka rod case for shipping in luggage. After flying to the remote camp, I opened rod tube to discover three broken rod tips after custom inspectors shoved the rod case back together breaking the three tips. 
Nothing can block out that memory when I opened the case and turned it over to see and hear three rods tips come trickling out the end onto the bed.
Mike


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## TX_maverick (Oct 26, 2020)

Broke the same rod twice.

First time was in the back sliding window of my truck, I crunched it in half.
Second time my fly got hung in the grass, and I was already frustrated and just whipped the rod as hard as I could to get the fly loose. It came loose alright, broke the second section up from the butt and the fly whipped my my arm cutting me with the hook.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

NVswitch said:


> My friend and I did a trip to Brazil for peacock bass. In the days of three piece rods, we packed 6 rods into a bazooka rod case for shipping in luggage. After flying to the remote camp, I opened rod tube to discover three broken rod tips after custom inspectors shoved the rod case back together breaking the three tips.
> Nothing can block out that memory when I opened the case and turned it over to see and hear three rods tips come trickling out the end onto the bed.
> Mike


I wish I could unfavorite that one.

I used to pack a big dowel in my golf bag when traveling to keep the same thing from happening.


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

High Sticking the shit out of it on tarpon.


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## GullsGoneWild (Dec 16, 2014)

We've all seen the pics of one guy with two rods, right? Well, have you seen a pic with 3? Yeah, me neither and this is exactly how i broke my BVK.


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## Ferrulewax (Mar 19, 2018)

Dropped one coming out of the rod vault, clean snapped tip

Me and a buddy caught our first musky and left the rod hanging off the side of the boat, which a blowdown quickly destroyed 

on the same musky trip we broke another trying to get a streamer off of a submerged snag

had to break one on purpose after trying to get the ferules unstuck for two years

broke one because a ferrule loosened

Went out west with the camper and opened my rod tube to find the butt section of my rod in 3 pieces

broke a brand new clearwater test casting it

broke one falling down a muddy bank and lodging the tip into the ground

broke one after getting close-lined in the raft and doing a back-flop on it. To my amazement it was fine. It promptly broke in half at the butt section on the hookset for a 15” bass

I think that’s pretty much it, and that’s honestly no where near how many rods I should have broken


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## Outearly (Oct 20, 2015)

This thread is interesting in that fly fisherman are realistic when it comes to how easy it is to screw things up when you choose to fish with a fly rod. 

There are none of those, "I'd never make that mistake" posts. 

Btw I forgot one. Using the "behind your knees" method to pull two stuck rod sections apart, my hand slipped and I squashed one of the snakeyes on a rod I'd owned for about 48 hours...


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Sounds like a Paul Simon song...

There must be 50 ways to bust y'er flyrod.
Jam it the fan Stan, or chuck it in the truck Buck,
never look back Jack, just swing it and see.
Pup gnawed on the tip Flip, lost my grip and it slipped Chip,
Banged it once on the cleat Pete, it's all happened to me.
Got nailed on the rail Hale, then crushed in the van Jan,
sent one by FedEx Tex, showed up as debris.
Slipped and fell on my pole Joel, big AJ ran away Ray,
yanked my reel through the guides Clyde, it was amazing to see.
Cast under a dock Jock, snook slurped it up and took off, Mark,
pole just came apart Bart, shocked the heck outa me.
Y'all just take y'er time and think on this tonight,
by tomorrow morning y'all will comprehend that I am right,
I don't mean to cause y'all to fright, but...
There must be 50 ways to bust y'er flyrod.

What? It's a nasty, rainy morning.
I'm easily entertained.


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## Fliesbynight (Mar 23, 2020)

Brett said:


> There must be 50 ways to bust y'er flyrod.
> 
> What? It's a nasty, rainy morning.
> I'm easily entertained.



Disturbing but funny as hell. Thanks for the chuckle.


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

Hook a 44in+ jack in November off cape San blas on an 8wt. Chase him 3mi due south. Pull him up off the bottom doing the death spiral. Sit on the rod locker of your 23’ bay and touch his tail. Hold on for dear life and the possum playing sob heads strait under the middle of your boat towards Mexico. Cringe when you feel the rod touch the keel of the boat seconds before it explodes. Been there done that, still have nightmares.


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## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

While wading I broke a RPL Sage tip section when a speckled trout I was trying to net in the bay swam between my legs then circled around to get stuck in my crotch. I jerked so hard on the rod and didn't realize how tight the line was and I hear this snap like a firecracker. Last one the fly hit the tip on a bad wind blown cast and it parted. Didn't even look like it hit that hard.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

I was wading one summer night and the water had all this phosphorescence in it. There was a huge stingray swimming right at me. Looked like Halley's Comet, did not like it one bit. I smacked the water with my rod right over top of it and scared it off and broke the tip also.


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## kjnengr (Jan 16, 2018)

I've only ever broken one fly rod.

A few years ago, a buddy and I were fishing for redfish deep in the marsh. Nearing the end of the day, I saw a 3-4 ft alligator gar not far from the boat. Having not caught a fish yet that day, I cast a few times at the fish but did not get a reaction. Well, as the boat continued moving, we got within a few feet of the fish. I can't leave wildlife alone sometimes, so I decided to tap him on the head with the rod tip. Apparently that woke him up and he lunged up and bit the tip of my 8wt G. Loomis Crosscurrent GLX. 

The fish started swimming away but still had the rod tip and fly line clamped in his teeth. As the fish swam away, the line came tight and surprised me so much it almost burned my fingers. As soon as I started to put pressure on the fish, it got pissed off and jumped about 3 feet up in the air about 5 ft from the boat. A gar that size makes a hell of a splash coming down. 

The line and leader was still in tact, so I was able to retrieve my rod tip. My buddy and I were scratching our heads after that one, and I've never poked a fish since.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

High stick a tarpon, high stick a big redfish, drop a big reddish on the rod in the boat, car door, get it caught between the ground and the wagon you’re pulling your daughter in at a pond because she’s in a cast, Loan it to a friend and watch him try to drag a fish across a small island and snap your rod. Double up on fish with a buddy cross lines and watch as the fish change directions with your friends line across your rod. Give me time and I’ll find new ways to break them.


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## Martin4 (Apr 26, 2020)

5wt TFO Finesse, fly caught on a rock as I yanked to start my cast, broke just north of the midway point. $25 and shipped to Texas for new 3rd section, good as new


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## Ben Sheppard (Feb 1, 2020)

Nice to hear others have been abused by nasty a ceiling fan. My wife grabbed several fly poles out of the corner to better clean the floor. The fan took then from her and soon they were all spinning around the room. Until the fan was turned off.


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## ecpp14 (Jun 3, 2015)

Let's see...

Vacuum cleaner snagged the leader and sucked in the tip section - recently
High sticking my favorite 8 wt trying to clear a snag last year
Assembling a 4 pc rod in the dark and busting a ferrule


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Caught a giant Brownie. Pounded way too many beers celebrating. On the drive back to camp I didnt break my rod down. Stuffed it in the back with tip section poking out the front passenger window. And of course when I got to camp I rolled the windows up.

Disclaimer: These were remote snowmobile trails I was driving on after too many beers. Not the local 4 lane.


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## Outearly (Oct 20, 2015)

Ben Sheppard said:


> Nice to hear others have been abused by nasty a ceiling fan. My wife grabbed several fly poles out of the corner to better clean the floor. The fan took then from her and soon they were all spinning around the room. Until the fan was turned off.


lol... that would have been interesting...


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## Ben Sheppard (Feb 1, 2020)

All I could do was laugh..had to have a pole fixed/ replaced and fly line on one I think. She is very supportive of my fishing and she felt bad/silly for the oops.
My mom beat a pole to death once. She was trying to boat a large red when the leader failed. We all saw it was a huge fish. She needed to blame someone so she pitched a fit at my father and me. When that didn’t work , and because we were laughing she started beating the boat with the rod.
When she finally calmed down the rod was toast.


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

Well today is a testament that I should never ever bring a fly rod indoors. 
My heart is broken.


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

1) Ceiling fan 2x (only one was it a fly rod though).
2) Screen door at 4 am on the way to go fishing. Spent that whole day on the push pole and that evening on a bar stool. Fishing buddies can be hard sometimes. 

Ben, what was under the Christmas tree from Mom that year??


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## RJTaylor (Oct 4, 2017)

BM_Barrelcooker said:


> Well today is a testament that I should never ever bring a fly rod indoors.
> My heart is broken.


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

Absolutely GD right. Kurtz got out of the boat… …he split from the whole program


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

BM_Barrelcooker said:


> Absolutely GD right. Kurtz got out of the boat… …he split from the whole program


LOL😂😂 

They needed a skinner skiff on the set.


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## sevenweight (Sep 3, 2015)

Line got caught in a trolling motor that was on spot lock. I thought I had hooked a fish close to the bow.Rrod tip got wrapped and busted.


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## sevenweight (Sep 3, 2015)

Jason M said:


> I was wading one summer night and the water had all this phosphorescence in it. There was a huge stingray swimming right at me. Looked like Halley's Comet, did not like it one bit. I smacked the water with my rod right over top of it and scared it off and broke the tip also.


That was money well-spent.


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

I hear if you buy a Scott sector you fan break them by just gently waving them in the air. 

But if they don’t break I hear they really lay it down.


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## Miles813 (Jul 1, 2021)

Fishing for bass this weekend from a storm drain, I had one go in between my legs and I did not get the rod down fast enough and the tip broke. Still got the fish and hopefully loomis gets me a new tip quickly!


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## coloradowalt (Oct 26, 2012)

Dog. When I really want anything broken I loan it to my nephews...


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