Sending fly rods in for repairs and hearing the stories behind them is part of working at a fly shop. After spending a decent amount of time behind the counter one almost becomes morbidly interested in how these fishing tools meet their demise. Some of the stories I have heard are exactly what you would expect.
“Broke this one fighting a toad.”
“The @!#$&! wind closed the door of my truck on it.”
“The window rolled up on it.”
“How long will this take? Because its my brother’s rod and he doesn’t know I borrowed it.”
“Dropped the boat anchor on it.”
Some admit their guilt, others claim their rod to be a victim of unfortunate circumstances, and others plead innocence possibly fearing accusations of neglecting their equipment.
I have never seen this one before and can only admire the ingenuity and perseverance of this rod’s owner. As I understand this rod was broken in the car door right through the middle of the grip. Not wanting to return home due to equipment issues, the ingenious angler found a way to stay on the water. He started his repair by finding the perfect willow branch to insert into the halved rod blank. Then used tape from his first aid kit to secure the newly formed joint together for a day of fishing.
Never, ever, give up…