Broken Rod Tip While Trout Fishing

I was fishing last weekend in the backwoods of the Tobiatic and Medway country on land owned by the Bowater Mersey Paper Company. The weather was lousy but the howling wind did keep the black flies away. There were lots of trout around and they were fussy enough to make the fishing quite challenging.

I was using a five weight rod and somewhere between stopping for a sandwich and starting fishing again I managed to break the tip. Not quite sure how it happened but now I have to fix it.

The good news is that the repair won't effect the action of the rod.  I base that judgement on the fact that I fished the rest of the day with the broken rod and had only slight problems with the line wrapping around the stub of the blank between the last guide and the missing tip-top.

It still cast well and could handle a feisty Speckled Trout.


Usually you can fix a broken tip right in the woods. The glue that rod builders use to secure the tip-top is a heat set glue so you just need a Bic lighter to heat the tip, pull out the old piece of the blank and slide the tip onto the remaining unbroken section. That will get you through the day until you can do a more permanent job.

This one broke flush with the base of the tip-top so I couldn't get the piece out to slide it on in a new position. I've ordered a new tip-top from Cabela's which puts my favourite rod out of commission until the new part comes.

Shad fishing has continued to be great. This is the best year in a long time for me with loads of fish each time out. Because my good rod is busted I've borrowed a rod from my daughter.

It's a 5 weight I built for her this spring.

The other day I found myself landing a whack of fish using a fly I designed and tied and a rod I built. Have to admit to feeling a bit of self satisfaction. There really is a lot more to fishing than the fish.