First, the good news. I caught my biggest fish using a fly rod yesterday day. It was a carp weighing about 6 or 7 lbs. I don’t know for sure but I couldn’t get my hand around it to land it. In the interest of full disclosure I confess I used garden hackle as bait.
And now the bad news. I broke my 10 wt. Orvis Helios on the very next fish, a small drum. The rod snapped just above where the butt and second sections join. I think the rod broke because I applied very heavy pressure to the carp to keep him from running into some debris and breaking me off. The rod bent deeply, nearly to the butt. But right where the two sections join the male part of the butt wasn’t flexible enough for the the second section and the rod developed a crack just above the joint so when I began stripping in the next fish it snapped.
Sorry to hear you busted your rod but at least it was on a fish and not a car door (guilty), overhead branch (guilty), or slipping on a muddy bank (guilty). I’ve always been very pleased with Orvis customer service; turnaround on rod repair/replacement has been quick.
Regards,
Scott
I have broken rods near a section end before. I would guess that the second section was not seated tightly to begin with or slid up the butt section while you were fishing. Did you wax the male portion of your ferrules this year?
Rainbowchaser,
Yes, I have waxed the male portion of the ferrel.
Thanks for pointing out a possibility I hadn’t thought of.
send it back. a 10 wt should not break on a 7 lbs fish.