"bargain rod"

Yesterday I went to the Bass Pro Shop to get a new flat tube and found what I thought was a real bargain on a 2 piece fly rod, so needless to say I came home with a float tube and a new rod. Here’s the problem, the rod was assembled at the store and I can’t get it apart. I’m scared to try using heat or lubricants for fear it will damage the rod. Any suggestions?

For starters…

Two people…I’ve found it more effective at times than the…

Hands behind the knee thing…try this first though if no one is around.

The hands behind the knee thing, took a rod that was together for at least thirty years apart for me.

sit forward on the edge of a kitchen chair with your legs together put the rod on the floor under your legs.

Bend forward pick up the rod with each hand as close to the stuck section as you can, bring the rod up under your legs and while holding on to the sections start gradualy opening up your legs. I had to use sections of inner tube to get a good grasp on the rod.

The pressure put against your arms with your legs may put enough pressure on the rod to take it apart. if not is should not twist or bend the rod the way two people can and hopefully wont break it if done right.

Good Luck

Eric

Or … if you’re close to the store … take it back and let them get it apart. If it breaks, they owe you a new rod. If it doesn’t, lube up the ferrules, and go fishing!!

And! Welcome to FAOL!! Home of the best fly fishing site EVER!! and information you never knew you needed, but will find a use for! :stuck_out_tongue:

Im surprised that you walked out of the store with the rod assembled–could it be they couldn’t get apart either??? BILL

I’m more curious on how you got it home.

I like the idea of using the sections of inner tube to increase the grip against the rod. I use those rubber things banks used to give away to open jars if i have a rod that doesn’t want to come apart. I find ussually that it isn’t the rod but the lack of friction ones hands can apply to the blank that prevents the rod from coming apart. In fact I carry one of the "jar openers in my glove box just in case a rod gets stubborn while I’m out fishing. Hope this helps. rel

Thanks for all of your comments, I would never have thought to use my legs as leverage.I’ll try it tonight and let you know if works tomorrow.
Again thanks to everyone on FAOL I’ve gained more information from this site than I could from several years of trial and error.

…in the future waxing, any solid wax is fine, will allow easier
separation, but you’ll probably still need to use the rod behind the knees technique.

jmh427;
Welcome to the board. Remember to twist just a little as you pull, and after you have waxed the male end, twist one quarter turn to put it back together.

Golly, didn’t think of that… I’ve always inserted the wax in the female end…only in ND! :stuck_out_tongue:

Jmh427,

My favorite method is to take ice cubes and pack them around the male end of the ferrule and let it sit there a while. Either have the rod on the level or with the male end below the female end, to minimize the amount of cold water touching that side of the ferrule. That will shrink the male end. Then grab the rod, I prefer to use a good gripping material like the anti skid stuff used for tying ants or neoprene and pull the pieces apart with equal force and no twisting.

If that fails there is always the method of having to spray on some WD-40 onto the male end with it above the female end so some if it will soak into the ferrule. So far I have not had to do that, the ice method usually works for me.

Larry :smiley: —sagefisher—

Must be the first one i bought. I could’nt get it to come apart so when i got it apart then
i could’nt get it back together. Seem like it was to big to go back in so i had them put it back in and they could not get it to work either. So they found another one in the back
that was a little easyer but not much. I have one word for it CHEAP!!!

I tried the behind the knee method with rubber grips last night till I put bruises on the inside of my forearms, no luck.The idea of using ice on the male ferrule sounds good, I might try that one tonight.On a brighter note, I took it out and did some casting in the yard and it feels good and casts wonderfully. Thanks again for all of your advice.

Two people working together…as I said above …can really apply force.

What about heat on the female furrel? Like running hot water on a stuck jar lid to expand it a bit so it loosens up for removal.
Carry a birthday candle in your vest to use on the male furrel. It will not only lube it but can help with a loose one.

I’ve read a couple places, and I believe one of them was here in the FAOL archives, that you should NOT use heat to separate sections of a rod.

I had one rod that became stuck, and my local fly shop used the ice method described by sagefisher to get it apart. Unfortunately, that didn’t work the second time. Sent it back to the manufacturer, under warranty, and they could not separate the sections, either. Got a replacement rod, unfortunately, not the same model.

Wax on the male ferrule is recommended by at least some manufacturers, and by several independent sources I’ve run across, including the FAOL archives. Keeps the sections from coming apart while fishing, and makes it easy to take them down when through.