I swear this is true, and just happened 3 days ago!
My fishin’ buggy with the rod racks inside had a flat tire, a big nail thru it that couldn’t be plugged. So we took my Ford Ranger pickup with a camper shell, and took our 4-pc rods apart, still string up with large streamers attached, into 2 sections for transport. Done it a zillion times.
The camper shell back door seals and latches just fine against the tailgate. But there’s about a 3/8-1/2 inch gap between the tailgate and body on both sides.
You get the idea. Somehow, the 2 top sections of Ralph’s home-built fly rod (a St. Croix Avid 3 wt) migrated into this gap, his leader broke, the large fly migrated down thru 5 snake guides, and the top 2 sections went out the back of truck through that tiny gap, leaving the butt and 2nd section with line attached, and a leader with fly attached, in the truck.
I don’t think we could re-produce this in a million years. There were many sections of washboard dirt road on the 75 mile drive, Ralph searched the whole route again yesterday. Of course the county road crew was grading the bumpiest sections – though they said if they saw it, they bring it back to him (nice folks that maintain our rural roads here in CO).
Anyway – next time we have to use my pickup without rod racks, I will use some masking tape to secure the broken down rod sections to each other. I doubt the entire reel could make it through that tiny slot – but after that trip, I think anything is possible.
Ralph is in mourning today. We’ll be headed down to order 2 new rod sections from St. Croix ASAP.
Danbob,
If you haven’t already you may want to consider rod carriers like this one…it’s got some modifications of mine I won’t go into…but the carriers are about as handy as it gets…break down the rods in half and leave the line and fly strung just like you did…and just slip them in…
I can never understand why people refuse to breakdown their rods and put them in a tube,especially if you have a 75 mile trip over dirt roads.Mine are protected even if im just going a couple of miles to a local pond.Just doesnt make sense to me why others dont do that.Rods come in tubes for a reason.
I always leave the cap off of my rod tubes after stowing a used (wet) rod.
The space between the tailgate and the truck bed is just enough…
If anyone know where to get the brass screw tops for rod tubes… I need a couple.
Chuck;
Sleep well, ol’ pal…
Tomorrow will be a new day and we never know what excitement lies ahead…
Snoopy;
Actually, I can’t tell one day from the other…
Two guys, open pick-up, drive off remembering one rod was left leaning against tail gate, back up on dirt trail, hear it crunch as they back over it, full length, in the tire track. Real story. I know both of them.
Everyone who has to leave rods
outside the socks and tubes to
dry or if you don’t have enough
tubes for all your rods,
or whatever…
Get some of the “cord-tamers”
(velcro tapes) from the
electronics store/department
and use them to strap all the
rod sections to each other.
That way they’ll all stay
together…
and you can lose the
entire rod.
Really though, one could carry
a towel to dry the rods off
after use so they can put them
away properly.
There’s almost nothin’ wrong with the first lie,
it’s the weight of all the others holdin’ it up that gets ya’! - Tim
[This message has been edited by MOturkE (edited 03 June 2006).]
Had a similar thing happen a few weeks ago. A buddy and I were moving a few miles between fishing spots and left our rods strung up and put them in the back of the pickup. I never knew (and certainly didn’t check!) that there was a gap at the tailgate big enough for the tip section to slide into. Sure enough my buddies rod slipped into the gap and when we opened the tailgate to get gear and put the waders back on, it got stuck and was snapped in half. We were both pretty surprised, especially since we thought we were being pretty careful with the gear (we even wrapped the reels and seats in towels to keep them from bouncing around).
A guide I know had them earlier this year…perfect when you’re moving around and don’t want to stuff a wet rod/line into your tube (though I have tubes intended for just that…).
Sierra Trading Post has/had some close out rod tubes (singles and doubles). A 4 piece rod can be tucked into a tube designed for a 2 piece rod (just break it down in the middle).
Man, you’ve got a taste of my bad luck! If it can happen, it will. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said “Man, there’s just no way that could happen” only to have it come true.
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