Mike G

Jim, So it sounds like you could canabalize one to repair the other two. In the process you could install ferrules to make them into travel rods. What Brand or Brands are they?

Jim, I hope this is a better answer. A professional can fix the break you described. Say you break a 3' section of your rod right in the middle. You are left with 2 pieces 1.5 feet long. Assuming it is a clean break, there are three fixes I can think of. First, a section of a graphite rod 2-4" long could be used as a sleeve to attach the two parts together. The sleeve goes over the broken ends and is epoxied in place. Second, a thinner section of rod could be used as an insert. The broken ends go over the insert in this case. Either way there is a lot of hand work to match and fit the broken ends and to finish the splice so it blends in with the rest of the rod. The cost could be prohibitive unless you do it yourself. Third, install a ferrule at the break if you do not mind having your 2 piece rod become a 3 piece rod. Inexpensive repair ferrules cost $2-3. This one is the easiest though it lacks the cosmetic look of the first two. Of course all three of these are going to leave a flat section in the rod when it flexes. The rod will not be the same, but it will be better than loosing over a foot off of the tip. Don't throw the rods away just yet.

Thanks for coming back. I vote for figure eight also. The "eight turn knot" is a rare term. The only hit on Google was the site for this leader. Since Germans are involved, I figure the "Eight Turn" is a literal translation of their words for the Figure Eight from ice skating.

Come back. There are stranded wire leaders where you use the Haywire knot. There are tyable materials like Tyger Wire where you use a reduced version of the Uni Knot. Untying and retying does not sound like a real answer. But it depends. Come back and tell us what product you are talking about.

Bohemian Chenille Assortment There are none left.

Terry, You have some choices: 1. Mike has the simplest solution if your rod broke very near the tip. Installing a new tip guide or reinstalling the old guide will get your rod back in service in a slightly shorter length. 2. If the manufacturer still makes the model you might be able to buy a new tip section. For a beater rod, however, this could be hard to cost justify. Yet, "the heart has its reasons..." 3. But what if the section is broken off 2 feet from the tip and the manufacturer cannot help you? There is still hope if you are handy with epoxy and other tools. The process involves using a section of another cheap or broken rod as a sleeve to mend your rod where it is broken. Here is a link to the process. http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/r...pair/index.html IMHO there would have to be quite a bit of sentimental value or cash value in the rod to go to all the trouble. But maybe there is. So take a look. I have done some of this kind of work which is within the range of someone who is moderately handy with tools. P-mail me if you have more questions.

I thought that was a limited edition.

Eric got that right! Even the ones sold at Costco or Dick's for $200 - 400 wil get you into fish. Just be sure to wear that life jacket or sospenders. A kayak is not untippable. I had a lot of fun in Islamorada in a 9' Heritage Featherlite that the resort had for guests. I use a solo canoe frequently. The canoe is good because I am a gear freak, and it has a lot more capacity.

Law #28 (This law applies even when you are not fishing.) Do not pronounce names on the map the French way. We all know Joliet, Lemont, La Grange, Des Plaines, Du Page. ... some of us know Marseilles, IL. More advanced students know thad Danada Forest Preserve is named after Dan and Ada Rice and is pronounced accordingly. They also know that Schmale as in the road is a one syllable word that rhyms with snail. It was named after the Schmael family farm which was at the intersection of Schmale and Army Trail. The post office changed the spelling to make it easier for those not skilled in German. Only the most advanced students know how to pronouonce that town just north of Kankakee, Bourbonnais. Since 1950 the area has been so overrun with college graduates from the city that the correct pronunciation survives only in the agricultural community. Anybody?

Too late! The hook will be in your head before you can duck. Sorry!

In Illinois, "We all live downstream." If we can agree that clear does not mean pure, the difference between urban and rural waters starts to fade. Sure the Fox has its treatment facilities. But find me a rural Illinois river that is not currently receiving runoff from septic fields, outhouses, cattle yards, and fertilized fields. Go for a swim in crystal clear Lake Michigan and you are at risk of being infected by a bug from the Milwaukee River. So relying on the antibodies that I have built up over years of slopping around in Illinois waters, wet wading in hot weather makes sense just about anywhere. Besides we have to remember the rule, "All brands of waders eventually leak."

Here is a quick review. I have had one on the den wall for about 3-4 years since I got it as a present. It is a simple black and white map with streams traced in black. No roads or towns. As you can imagine the scale is minuscule in order to get the whole state on one panel. It is decorative, but it really will not help you find a hot spot. This would be an ideal present for one who is head over heals in love with Cheeseland.

Rich, Edgewater is the company. I have the catalog which features mostly foam heads for flies along with finished flies and the rat tail you are asking about. The catalog took me a while to get and I never found a web site for the company. That is very unusual these days. As mentioned it looks like a piece of tapered chenille. I will check the price if you want to know. I checked anyway they want $3.50 + shipping for 6 tails. edgewaterflies@aol.com 801-825-8982

Another question. Where on your site?

Thank you Michael T and others who have replied. Thanks for the notice on the session. Too bad I will be out of town on business Monday. Nashville, someone had to go

“My name is Mike, and I am a fly-fishaholic.†By now I think that ISA has the check for my dues. Though this makes me legit, I should introduce myself before I get into the great looking topics on this forum. As I say in my statement, I am on a mission to do more fly fishing and I think this is the right place to come for that. The sequence on my resume is correct. I caught my first fish on a fly when I was 5. I started tying flies when I was 12. I started fly fishing when I was 15. When I was 5, my father tied a Black Gnat on the toy pole I was using and showed me how to catch the Bluegills that swarmed under the dock. By the time I was 12, my room was filling up with model airplanes. My father thought that my dexterity would be better used if I tied trout flies and bass streamers for him. Finally at 15 I started casting my own flies. I should have kept at it better than I did. However, like Rip Van Winkel, I slumbered through many years. Over the last 15 years I have been getting back into bass fishing, tying, and fly fishing. I now have 2 of my father’s bamboo fly rods, three of my fiberglass rods, and a starter collection of 2 graphite fly rods. I hope to be a rare percent of a percent. Only a small percentage of fishermen own fly rods and only a small percentage of those use them. PS I was wrong. The last estimate I came across said that 60% of anglers owned fly rods. But only 1% used them regularly. This would say that 0.6% were regularly fly fishing while the rest of the fishing is done some other way. Now I feel ready to get into the forum topics. Mike