As a follow up to something I posted In Reels truths expensive gear post, Its fun to talk about times that you have broken a rod or seen one busted by someone else.

Heres a starter. We were driving on a dirt road that follows the little wood river near sun valley trying to get to a lesser known spot for some evening dry fly fishing. At one point you have to cross a small creek with a bunch of overhanging tree branches. Coming off of one of the limbs we see two bright green cortland 444 fly lines stretching up the road. We followed it and next we are following backing which of course is finally hooked too a couple of really nice fly rods. Best we could figure, somebody had them hanging out the back of a truck and when they went thru the creek the flys on the tips got hooked on the branch and when they ran out of line on the reels got jerked right out of the truck. After we pick up the whole mess we continued on until we came upon a couple guys standing next to a truck. We stopped and asked them whats up. " SOMEBODY STOLE OUR RODS !!!" They got them back.

Another time, I drove some 200 miles to fish a very remote high desert lake in S.E oregon. I had a brand new 5wt Sage III rod "The only one I brought with me".. Got the rod all rigged up, then put my waders etc on. Ready to go !!! Close the tail gate !!! Now where did I set that rod ??? Drive home really pissed off...

i once heard from a guide i fish with once in a while on the quinault that her husband broke a big king off and broke his rod over his knee and threw the whole pole and reel in the water and sat there and pouted all day. it was like a rerun of that tnn stren commercial' whose sorry now'.

Ok there i was on the Satsop river fishing for coho there just also happen to be a ton of chum in at the same time. I was throwing a wiggle wart and as i was reeling in i ran it over the back of a big buck chum. Well the fish went balistic and the top half of the rod was bent damn near double when it snaped and the butt section snaped back and nailed me right between the eyes. It hurt like hell everyone got a good laugh out of it as i did. I walked around for a couple days with a welt down the middle of my face. This is only one of the crazy things that has happened to me on the river over the course of many years.

One afternoon I was up on the Firehole River in Yellowstone Park and had just completed lining up my 5 wt Winston. The sky let go about that time with a heavy thunder shower so I layed the rod on the hood of my truck and I climbed in behind the wheel to wait for the storm out. About 5 minutes into the shower it started to hail pea size pellets. I sat there and watched them bounce off the hood of the truck and noticed an occasional hail pellet hit the tip of the rod which was hanging over the front the truck. Was curious as how often a piece of hail would hit the tip and make the tip bounce,( I don't think I was stoned ). Sat there watching the tip bounce on occasion for about 3 minutes when the last 3 inches of the tip went down and did not come back up.
I couldnt believe my eyes that a pea size piece of hail could snap the tip right off a 600 dollar fly rod but it did.
About finding rods on the road. I worked for the park service for 7 years at Madison Junction in Yellowstone and every Summer my road crew would bring in about a dozen fly rods that had fallen off the roofs of moving cars. About half were claimed at the rangers office but the other half went unclaimed. And believe it or not most stayed intacted with just a few scratches.

A few year back, I was fishing at Hoodsport, along with about a gazillion other people during the highth of the the chum run. A guy next to me was using a pretty light spinning rod. He hooked up and the chum broke that rod in three pieces faster than you can say "fish on." After a moment of reation time, we saw that the fish was still on the end of the line. He asked me to hold on to the handle, he grabbed the middle piece, and another guy grabbed the end piece. After a little bit of flogging the dog , we were able to pump and reel in a coordinated fashion and finally landed the fish.

Howdy B-Run. I've seen so many rods broken over the years but I can't think of a funny one off hand. Back in the 80's I snapped my expensive Sage casting rod right by the ferrule, breaking off the upper 4" of butt section. Sage bought my story and repaired it but the two sections didn't color match. Can't complain though as my story didn't match the facts either. If you want some funny stories contact the rod manufacturers for some of the "stories" of why their rods broke. - I hadn't broken any for a number of years until Y2K. Broke 2 tips off while the driftboat was moving thru fast water. Both times I momentarily slacked my braided line and when that happens that type of line becomes a live snake! It always seams to want to coil around anything near it. Before I could unwrap them the line deslacked and snapped the tips like a twig.- Also this year, I left 2 rods/reels (including a newly purchased Curado reel) on top of the truck as we were tying down the boat. Of course they flew off in a ditch somewhere and I didn't remember leaving them there until I got back to Cedar Mill (80 miles from the take out up the Trask R.). Well I jumped in my SS Camaro and drove an angry 90 mph down Sunset Hwy. toward the coast and got my first ticket in many years. Found the 2 rods unscathed in the ditch, thank God, but the citation cost me a couple hundred bucks. - Steve

I know a local guy that fished so much one year that he was canned from his job at a local plywood mill. When his wife found out the reel truth a month or so later, she broke 3 Loomis rods and tossed all of the reel over the bridge on 101.

TH

How many broken rod stories are from chum fishing? I'm sure there's a lot but here is one more for you.

Many moons ago I was bank fishing on the Skykomish near Lewis Street bridge for chumkins with my neophyte fishing buddy, Dave. He was having a blast catching and releasing fish and being very vocal about the whole thing. One guy next to us hooked a big one pushing 20 lbs. and when he went to land it the top half of his rod broke right at the ferrule. Dave proceeded to laugh out loud at the poor guy and to add insult to injury, Dave started taking pictures of him. I told Dave that as funny as it may have seemed you don't laugh at people for breaking rods and you sure as hell don't take pictures.

The guy with the broken rod was actually happy that Dave photographed the whole process and gave us his address to send him the pics. He said that he wanted them as proof for the manufacturer that he broke the rod on a fish and not in a car door.

A few years back I was flyfishing at Steven's Creek on the Hump. After stripping off my waders and stowing my gear (or so I thought) I jumped in my truck for the ride back to North River. Somewhere in South Aberdeen I noticed that my rod case was lighter than normal. I drove back to Steven's Creek and proceeded to check the area where I was de-rigging. No luck. I checked the access road back up to 101. No luck. I returned home severely bummed and started making Reward signs. The next day I posted signs in most every bar and convienience store in Grays Harbor. About 3 days later a guy called to tell me he had found the rod and reel on 101 near the Red Rooster. The rod tip was run over a few times but the reel and butt section were fine. I paid him $50.00 to get back my Sage RPLX 9' 9wt that I had built from scratch, and Lamson 3.5. That was $$$ well spent, as both are still in service and performing fine. The whole episode kind of restored my faith in humanity. PS. I now either break down my rod BEFORE stripping out of my waders, or I place my rod on the HOOD of my truck if I am just making a pit stop at the rig. Piscator.

My buddy an I drove down to the Nestucca River for the weekend. We started at three rivers on Saturday, and both hooked and landed a couple steelies. That night we stopped off to clean the fish at a spot along the river. As we pulled the fish out of the trunk, my buddy commented to watch out for his rod, and not to slam it in the trunk. Of course after we cleaned the fish, I put mine in the trunk and slammed the lid on his rod. It was a Sage 286. Man was he pissed especially after he already told me to watch out. I told him that he could use my rod the next day, and that I had a friend in town that probably had something I could borrow. I went to my friends cabin and the only rod he had was an old boat rod that was as stiff as a broom handle. It was only about 4 feet long, had 2 guides and a tip that were corroded beyond belief, and had an all wood handle. I was not to enthusiastic about using it, but it was my only option. I figured worst case I could plunk and maybe hook a fish or two. Long story short I ended up having one of my better days on the Nestucca hooking seven and landing 5 the next morning. Of course my buddy was fishing another hole and was not very happy to hear how I had done especially considering he hadn't hooked any with my rod. I told him he could use my boat rod if he wanted and we both had a good laugh.

I am never happy to break my own rod, but was elated to see one break.
I was fishing cohos on the peninsula and a tribal member was snagging the top end of the hole. Well he is using 60 lb line and just walking straight back up the beach. Kerrpowwww.....hehe. Well he got the fish. Shows back up a hour later all ready to go again. Fish on.......back up kerpow!!!! I was laughing my ass off. To top it off he shows up again and does it one more time......I had tears rolling this time roflmao...so much for his profit margin.... lol. If he had let them run even a little he could have got them easily with out breaking his gear.

Fishing kings in Ak. a few years back, and watched a guy in another boat who was ecstatic about hooking the big one. As we were about 30 feet away we decided to watch the battle. He was gaining line, but his fish didn't seem to be taking much line. After a few minutes we saw he had hooked about a twenty five lb. sunflower starfish. The idiot then proceeded to try to lift his catch into the boat with the rod, and as I started to yell DON'T, that graphite rod snapped into 3 pieces. You've never seen anyone throw a fit like he did then, as every bit of tackle was scattered around the boat, reel and what was left of rod went in the drink, and the cussing was probably heard clear down to the lower 48.

I can't really recall a good rod breaking story, other than watching Saukit2em bust is GL3 in half last year on a snag

Back in the 80's when I first began running clients on the Columbia for the upriver brights, I lost 2 Berkley "Ugly Stick" rods and ABU 6500's in on week.

The first lost rod award wen to the client that just outright let go of the rod during a morning of jigging. It happened so fast, that the client had no idea what had just happened. The fish grabbed the jig on the downward trend and I could see their line spooling on the surface. As I was just about to mention to them to set the hook, they put just enough pressure on the jig to piss the fish off. The fish took off at about the same time the person was going to start raising the rod. I guess the fish won. Next thing I saw was the rod flipping over the boat and in to the Columbia. D'oh.

Later that week, I was backtrolling some magnum wiggle warts for the brights. Back than, I wasn't that insistent that the rods must be kept in the rod holder. This client insisted on holding the rod. Late in the afternoon, on a nice sunny day, his rod was hammered by a big king. To this day, I remember watching the rod fly out of his hand, hit the water on a run and scream past the boat downstream. All I could do was chuckle.

Parker

A few years back i was fishing the Humptulips up around 101 bridge when a guy came into the hole. He rigged up threw out clear across the river and his gear hit right at the waters edge.Right away he set the hook and yelled fish on as i looked across the river i noticed his line wasnt moveing up or down river so i looked at where his gear went into the water and i could see his pink corky and yarn was hung up on the rock shelf. I proceded to tell him this and he still was clamming fish on so i stood and watched him play the shelf for about ten to fifteen minutes when he gave a big jerk on his rod and it snapped into three peices. He still was clamming it was a big king......lol

I've been lucky and never broke a rod but I heard a funny story about a poor guy who's wife found out he was getting a little on the side and took all his Loomis rods and laid them in the driveway and proceeded to run them over with her car. It broke my heart when I heard it.

I want to warn Jigman and others who 'Have never broken a rod' that by writing this on the Board they have doomed themselves. If I were you, right now I'd be killing chickens and sprinkling blood over hex marks. Let me explain how I know. A couple of months ago I wrote in a post on the Board that I've never had any problems shipping my rods back and forth across the Pacific (or down to Oz) on my far-flung fishing trips. I suspected when I wrote it that bad karma would follow, and it did at the earliest opportunity.

Three weeks ago en route to Alaska I waited for 30 minutes for my rod cases (two taped together) to arrive at Sea-Tac. When they appeared, a full THREE FEET of extra thick PVC pipe had been run over and smashed into hand-sized pieces. There were tire marks on one rod case. (The other case was spotless . . . clearly the supernatural at work.) Inside the crushed tube were three rods worth some major dough. With trembling hands I took this mess through Customs and over to the EVA Air (Taiwan) claims counter. I cut through all the electrician's tape and picked shards out of the rod bags, and gingerly unwrapped my babies . . . each of which was intact.

I have no idea how a baggage wagon or forklift (or M1 Tank) runs over and scrunches a rod case and the rods are OK but that's what happened. I think the rods toughened up as a result of living on top of my bed at home. Maybe all the vibration . . . or lack of . . . or something. Then again maybe it was the goat I sacrificed to ensure good luck (learned this from Robbo). Anyway, I was lucky.

The airline offered me $10 to replace the rod tube since it was only PVC pipe. I asked them if they knew what three top end fishing rods cost and that they were damned lucky I was only going to ding them for a new Plano rod tube ($33). (Still exchanging correspondence about this one.)

So if you don't want a puppy to chew your buddy's new Lami or your brother to jam a choice rod into a ceiling fan, or the baggage gorillas to practice fencing with your sticks, then DON'T BRAG about not breaking a rod (or a rod case). You've been warned!

A good friend of mine (and an excellent fisherman)was fishing at the Wind last Monday evening. Two friends in his boat had just hooked and landed a double, completing their mission right at dark. After high fives and rinsing the net, my buddy places his rod on his lap. He gooses the throttle on the outboard and in less than a heartbeat, his plug digs into the water and the rod sails into the drink. Before he could do anything, the rod sinks out of sight. Needless to say, ecstasy quickly turned to agony. Hang on! Piscator.

I have two good rod stories. The first is mine. Several years back I had just bought a new pole and was heading out camping on the Cowlitz river. I had my 12 dingy on the top of the truck and my 9.9 motor in the back secured to the side. Also in back was my new pole. So anyway we decide to go fish Skate Creek. I drive to the creek and stop to fish. I open the back of the truck and see my 9.9 rolled over to the other side. How it came free is anyones guess. I then see my new pole is in three pieces instead of two. After a loud expletive I picked up my rod. I was HOT. But after venting my anger in words I decided to try and fix my rod. I found a drill bit in my glove box with some electrical tape. I jury rigged the rod and it caught one fish. The only fish between three guys. The next day we return and I open the back up to see the damn motor had got free again. I still can not figure out how. Needless to say my three piece is now a four piece. I fixed the rod with a piece of thin wire I found in the truck, yes I have all kinds of crap in my rigs. I catch only one fish. Again the only fish between three guys. So after I returned home a fixed the rod a bit better then wire, but left the drill bit in as it was in the lower section. I go lake fishing and catch a ton of trout on it. Then one day I set the hook and POW the drill bit snapped. I fixed the rod later the right way. Then I go fishing one day and after landing a bunch of trout I catch a state record brown bulllhead cat fish. Needless to say I have now retired the rod and that is my rod story. the other is just a short one. My backdoor neighbor, who was a real A**HOLE comes home from work one night to see his wife smashing the crap out of his really nice Lamiglass S-glass rods. All six of them. Played driveway drums with those babies. I never did get the truth out of them on that. I wathced from the window and laughed so loud they heard me. Maybe that's why they moved?

------------------
Just because I look big, dumb, and ugly, doesn't mean I am. It means I can stomp you for calling me it!

About three weeks ago I was fishing the lower Bogy with a local guide, Bob (different Bob from this site). A couple of miles down river we catch-up to his guide friend/partner Mike, who is fly fishing with his clients, so we stop to watch and B.S. We get out of the boat and walk over behind Mike, who is spey casting with Bob's 14' Sage spey rod, that Bob didn't he was borrowing. Right in the middle of the discussion/teasing that Mike should buy the rod from Bob; mid-cast, and mid-sentence we hear the loud "pow" and the upper three feet of the rod lay in the water at Mike's feet. Bob and I were laughing so hard we could'nt talk, and Mike could'nt think of anything to say for at least 20 seconds. He just stood there and took the laughing. Needless to say, I think he bought the rod.