[Autumnleaves]

Hello, and thank you in advance for your help and insight.

I need some perspective on my practice. I started spey fishing for Atlantic salmon in 2020. I was lucky, I caught a salmon shortly after I started.
I learned the roll cast, the double spey, and the snap T. I felt I was missing quite a bit of practice and strings to my bow, so for this 2022 season, I practiced hard and learned to cast single spey, and snake roll. I haven't mastered the latter yet.

That's what I managed to do in 2 years. I even took a class to better myself.

But. I've had a dark cloud over my head since last summer. My first spey rod (Chromer) broke off while fishing for striped bass, during the cast. It was very windy that day and I thought the weather conditions were responsible for the accident (strong headwinds, strenuous anchoring, etc.).
I received a Claymore in exchange since the Chromer was discontinued.
This morning, after 3 hours of fishing, the new Claymore I received from warranty broke cleanly at the second strand, and the noise was so loud that my partner on the other side of the river heard it loud and clear. That new rod has fished two whole days and has caught only one salmon (an average one, tbh).

I am devastated. To break a rod once while casting, I can understand. Random bad luck. But I don't believe in coincidences.
I've had lessons, I know how to anchor, and my casts sometimes lack consistency. Sometimes I push too hard instead of relaxing and letting go of the pressure I feel to perform in front of others.

Are my casts that bad? To the extent of breaking rods? Honestly, I can't help but wonder. I was already suspicious because I had already broken one. So I took great care of this one, I never put it on the ground, always on the supports, vertically. I don't have a rod mount so I systematically put them back in their tube for transport.

I know I'm on a specialist forum. I know there may be millions of reasons I'm experiencing all these bad lucks. I was just wondering if in your experience, a noob could break a rod while being too rough during the casts. Cause that's what I feel and it's quite humbling.

Thank you for your input. I'm ashamed to go to my fly shop and have them send it in for warranty again. I live in a small town and everything gets out so fast...

 

[Bill S]

When asked about his feelings regarding accidents in the movie "Le Mans" Steve McQueen's character responded "This is a professional blood sport...it can happen to you, and then it can happen again. Obviously we're not dealing with car racing accidents but the same applies to fly rods. They break sometimes.

One thing I would suggest is to make sure that your ferrules are pretty snug. A loose ferrule can break very easily with not much load on it. They also can loosen while casting, so check them periodically. Some anglers wax their ferrules to help get a good connection...some don't. Some tape their ferrules to make sure they don't slip under load. The common denominator is that they have to be tight.

Good luck going forward.

 

[SLSS]

Did it break at a ferrule, or mid-section? Ferrules can work loose, and then the leverage allowed with the gap, rods break. Mid section, can be any number of reasons from impact from a fly to overloading a rod to problems with materials. If possible, get someone who really knows their stuff to watch you cast.

Small town, schmall town- he who laughs at himself first avoids most of the brunt. It happened, you want to fish, just head to the shop, present the rod for repair/warranty, and move on. Giving each other **** is part of the fun of being part of the community of a shop.

 

[Sebastian Vido]

I wouldn’t worry about it. It happens. If you can afford it, I’d get a backup rod for when this happens. Echo Swing or Redington Dually, TFO Pro come to mind as great backups.
It is possible the rod broke from casting. Letting the rod unload, then over powering the rod suddenly will result it breaks. Smoothening out the cast and linking the lift, sweep, stop and forward stroke without loading and unloading the rod will help extend rod life.

 

[Nickels]

Are you trying to single spey with a skagit head and heavy tip with a big weighted fly? More details on your setup would help. If I were to guess it would be you are just over loading the load.

 

[Autumnleaves]

Are you trying to single spey with a skagit head and heavy tip with a big weighted fly? More details on your setup would help. If I were to guess it would be you are just over loading the load.

Actually, it's a compact Rage with an intermediate tip, with a #3 fly. And 480 grain for a 13ft rod #8. I am not using any Skagit heads because I'm aiming at becoming more discreet, like a scandi head for summer conditions.

 

[SimonD]

The ferrules question comes to my mind as well. Did your rods break at the ferrules (the connection point between sections)? Please let us know. If so, I highly suspect they might have come loose. Furrules are super strong when properly fitted together. When they come loose and inch their way up from casting pressure, they are more and more weak and vulnerable. We need more info about this if you want any help.

Mine come loose very regularly (probably due to my terrible technique). I systematically tape them so even if they can still rotate a bit under load, they will not come apart or start creeping up.

 

[Autumnleaves]

As you can see, it's a clean break.

 

[Marcappotto]

Hello, and thank you in advance for your help and insight.

I need some perspective on my practice. I started spey fishing for Atlantic salmon in 2020. I was lucky, I caught a salmon shortly after I started.
I learned the roll cast, the double spey, and the snap T. I felt I was missing quite a bit of practice and strings to my bow, so for this 2022 season, I practiced hard and learned to cast single spey, and snake roll. I haven't mastered the latter yet.

That's what I managed to do in 2 years. I even took a class to better myself.

But. I've had a dark cloud over my head since last summer. My first spey rod (Chromer) broke off while fishing for striped bass, during the cast. It was very windy that day and I thought the weather conditions were responsible for the accident (strong headwinds, strenuous anchoring, etc.).
I received a Claymore in exchange since the Chromer was discontinued.
This morning, after 3 hours of fishing, the new Claymore I received from warranty broke cleanly at the second strand, and the noise was so loud that my partner on the other side of the river heard it loud and clear. That new rod has fished two whole days and has caught only one salmon (an average one, tbh).

I am devastated. To break a rod once while casting, I can understand. Random bad luck. But I don't believe in coincidences.
I've had lessons, I know how to anchor, and my casts sometimes lack consistency. Sometimes I push too hard instead of relaxing and letting go of the pressure I feel to perform in front of others.

Are my casts that bad? To the extent of breaking rods? Honestly, I can't help but wonder. I was already suspicious because I had already broken one. So I took great care of this one, I never put it on the ground, always on the supports, vertically. I don't have a rod mount so I systematically put them back in their tube for transport.

I know I'm on a specialist forum. I know there may be millions of reasons I'm experiencing all these bad lucks. I was just wondering if in your experience, a noob could break a rod while being too rough during the casts. Cause that's what I feel and it's quite humbling.

Thank you for your input. I'm ashamed to go to my fly shop and have them send it in for warranty again. I live in a small town and everything gets out so fast...

Look, if I didn't break a rod in the beginning with all the mess I made (including overloading it) ... it seems exaggerated that you blame yourself like that.
It will pass, after all it is a question of emotionally elaborating "the mourning".
Rather, maybe just out of superstition, change brand! 😂
As for the small town ... I live in a small private street where everyone knows everything about everyone and, frankly, I don't give a damn about it. 🤣
Ciao,
Marco

 

[Autumnleaves]

And not close to the ferrule :

 

[fisshman26]

Most likely you didn’t have tension before you hit the forward cast also known as hitting air which leads to this kind of break. Always try to ease into the forward cast not just HIT it

 

[Autumnleaves]

Most likely you didn’t have tension before you hit the forward cast also known as hitting air which leads to this kind of break. Always try to ease into the forward cast not just HIT it

Well that's an interesting clue. I wished I had someone to oversee me so that I could avoid that kind of mistake!

 

[SimonD]

Thanks for the pics Leaves! That clears a lot up. Thank goodness for warranties. But as stated above, I thing I would 1- Be looking for a back up rod and 2- A backup rod of a different brand.
Bruce's insight is indeed very interesting. But in all honnesty, I don't understand how someone capable of doing a single spey or snake roll could be hitting the forward stroke before having tension as he says.... but I'll leave the "cast coaching" to someone else more competent. His insight is definitely worth considering.

Good luck figuring all this out!

 

[Green Butt]

A smack from a big lead eye fly hitting the rod can create a weak spot.

 

[Nooksack Mac]

I almost always tape my ferrules, which feels as Elmer Fuddish as wearing suspenders and a belt. OTOH, in several decades of casting a lot of rods, I've never cracked one. I park the tape in an easy spiral wrap on the shaft when taking the rod down, using it until there's not enough glue on the tape. It takes just a few seconds per ferrule.

 

[Autumnleaves]

What kind of tape do you guys recommend? Electric tape?

 

[gumshua]

It's a tool, not a jewel.

 

[MG Spey]

On a 13ft 8wt rod go up from 480gr to 510gr scandi or rage head and that will load your rod more and you won't have to hit it as hard on the forword stroke to get distance.

 

[SimonD]

Leaves, try the transparent hockey tape used for shin pads. The one we used to tape our hockey socks with...

 

[Concrete Angler]

I have just gotten into the habit of checking ferrules each drop I make, and if it's a loooong run, checking again halfway through. Some rods ARE jewels that I wouldn't want to gum up with tape, and it could affect the flex ever so slightly. I find that the tip-top section usually stays very firm, with the middle and butt sections slipping a bit. Very quick and easy to do on the water, or just flip the rod and run your eye down the guides to see them all still in line. Sections always loosen through rotation.

Had a guide this year who mentioned something called "horse tape" that's apparently available through veterinary supply, which will only stick to itself, not the rod blank. Still, I prefer leaving the blanks beautifully naked as they came, and just maintain the habit of checking. Even with failing tape, they can twist. It's the change of direction casts under tension - they put rotational torsion on the sections, causing them to slowly "unscrew".

In AutumnLeave's case its pretty clear that it was either manufacturer defect but most likely it got dinged with a fly, creating a weak spot. This can happen even with relatively smaller single hooks, as they get ripped out of the anchor and sent outbound with maximum force, right as the rod unloads.

Like a .22LR vs. a 5.56 NATO: same tiny projectile, orders of magnitude on the force behind them.

One more tip to AutumnLeaves: if you fish in relatively safe / remote areas I would highly recommend getting yourself a Sumo suction rod mount. Worth their weight in gold, rather that tearing down the rig (or multiple rigs) each time you move.