By Andrew Marr
Anyone who has ever wanted to instantly turn a 4-piece fly rod into a 5 or more piece rod, here are a few easy ways to go about it!
The Superman hook set:
Much like the man in steel leaping over a tall building, the superman hookset requires lift off! The preferred method of hookset at distance is a strip set. Point the rod directly at the fish, pull hard, straight back on the line, try to load the rod to the side opposite the direction the fish is moving. If the fish is moving left, try to lay the rod to the right to burry the hook in the corner of it’s mouth. An alternative option for when a pike strikes is a “trout set” or sharp lift of the rod. The Superman hookset includes both the lift and strip but also requires the angler to literally jump in the air, applying maximum torque and pressure to drive the hook home! The goal is to try to equal the power of Superman, not only in his ability to leap over tall buildings, but also his superhuman strength, put all that pressure directly into the fly rod! The extra power generated by your own magnificent leap, extreme lift of the rod and mighty yank on the line is sure to break the back of any super villain, or knot, or line, or more likely the rod…
MAXIMUM DRAG POWER:
When fighting pike on a fly rod, especially the larger ones, they often like to take strong runs away from the angler holding the rod. Obviously this is a major inconvenience to the angler! Well luckily there is an easy solution to prevent that happening by implementing a little known strategy called, MAXIMUM DRAG POWER!! There are two ways to go about implementing this strategy. The first option is to set your drag as tight as you can possibly make it, and never back it off, ever . The second option is to wait until you have an enormous pike on the line screaming drag off the reel. At this point you want to channel your inner Nigel Tufnel and turn it all the way up to 11! To quote the great man “if we need that extra push over the cliff, we go to 11”. You see most anglers are out there and they only go to 10, but for the purposes of this article, if you want that fly rod to experience it’s own spinal tap you need to crank the dial, ALL THE WAY UP! You might even turn your rod to 11, pieces…
Two Minutes for high sticking:
What do Fly fisherman and hockey players have in common? They both get in trouble for high-sticking! While a hockey player goes to the penalty box for two minutes to feel shame, fly anglers get to go home with a broken rod, and the same shame. When fighting a big pike close to the boat, the more the rod goes straight up, the more likely you are to say good bye to the top 18″ of of your rod tip. A rod straight up, and a pike going straight down, is a sure fire way to end up in the penalty box! Always maintain a bend in through whole rod, especially in close quarters. Remember, when a rod goes straight up, so will a referees arm, or a guides level of concern! Never put a rod straight up in the air with a fish at your feet and your sure to stay out of the penalty box!
Touch the blank under pressure:
When fighting a fish, make sure the rod is fully loaded under as much pressure as possible, then simply reach up high on the rod, and touch it, firmly. This is an easy way to add new segments to your favorite fly rod. Better yet is to have a big pike double the rod under the boat and simply lay the rod against the gunnel to help ease the strain on yourself. Allow the boat gunel to take the pressure, your rod will have instant relief, from being useable…
Bouncy Bouncy:
When travelling across the waves in a boat, take your fly rod and lay the rod-tip toward the bow, do not strap it down. This way the wind can easily pick it up while travelling top speed and send the rod strait to Davey Jones locker. The other option is to lay the rod-tip towards the transom against the fish finder bracket. With every wave the rod can now bounce against the hard plastic or metal, repeatedly in the same spot over and over, bigger waves really help maximize the level of impact! Now this last technique may not produce immediate results, but when you next go to cast or set a hook, the exact spot that was resting and bouncing will surely be ready crack. Rod holders, cases and proper storage are the enemy when trying to break a fly rod while travelling across rough water at breakneck speeds, instead just lay the rod wherever…
Ceiling fans and Car doors:
This is considered by many as entry level rod breaking, for beginners if you will, self explanatory really….
The staff here at pikeonfly.com have personally tested each and every one of these techniques for breaking fly rods and will attest to their high rate of success. While there are many alternative methods and techniques for breaking fly rods, the ones discussed here have very high rates of success. If for some reason however, you want your 1-piece to stay a one piece and your 4 piece to stay a 4 piece, avoid trying these methods, and invest in a proper travel case for in and out of the boat.
We would love to read your comments on any method of breaking a fly rod we may have missed, no matter how creative!
Several rods were harmed in the writing this article…
