Taking a cane rod apart with cold hands

[Tom Smithwick]

To what John said, I would like to add a couple points, plus an additional technique for a really stuck rod. When putting a bamboo rod together, your hands should be close together to avoid bending the sections. When pulling the rod apart, it is better to keep your hands separated. The easy and safe way to do that is to tuck the rod butt into your right armpit, and grasp the butt section with your right hand. Your left hand then grasps the tip with your hands comfortably apart. Apply gradually increasing force until the ferrule releases. The safest way to apply extra force on a stuck ferrule is to get a second person to assist. With the rod held as above, the second person faces you, tucks the rod tip into his right armpit, places his left hand near your right, and his right near your left, avoiding guides, of course. The two people can then apply a greatly increased force safely. As noted before, avoid any twist and pull straight.
If you are at a fishing camp with a convenient rod rack, it's tempting to leave a rod jointed for several days. It's not a good idea...

[letumgo]

Tom - Can you elaborate some more on that last point? Reasons. Things to avoid and why. That sort of thing.

[Mataura mayfly]

Okay, seeing as how we all seem to be reiterating the same kind of info in slightly differing ways and there has been a dedicated cane user here for the last few days and he has experienced all four seasons (including snow ) with metal ferruled rods and a couple of sliced ferrule rods.
At least three of the last few days he has arrived home here with one stuck metal ferrule that required the two man opposite pull that Tom describes above. Only thing I will add to that is for both parties to ensure the immediate area behind each of them is free from solid obstruction. You think about it- two guys pulling in opposite directions with a fair bit of force and the ferrule pops- odds are the tip end is going to travel at least a couple of inches once free- make sure there is nothing in the "zone" behind you to cause the tip to come to an abrupt stop.......

[Tom Smithwick]

Ray - I think there can be several reasons for a ferrule to get stuck, and leaving the rod jointed, especially when you are using it heavily only invites the problem. The first problem is what Jeff just said. If you expose the rod to a regimen of changing temperatures and atmospheric conditions, the swelling and shrinking cycles seem to cause a problem. I also think that you might be inviting some chemical action inside the ferrule that might cause some oxide to form. However minute it would be, it might cause excess friction. If there is any contamination on the surfaces, so much the worse. Finally, the ferrule does flex very slightly when used. Metal surfaces that slide over each other can produce a condition called galling, which is the production pf tiny particles, which can also cause friction. All of the above IMHO, but anecdotal evidence seems to bear it out.
Rodmakers would all sleep better if people would pull their rods apart and put them in their tubes as soon as they stop fishing. That way, they would not get slammed in doors, be lost by being left on top of a car which then drove away, chewed by dogs, etc.

[PhilA]

I'll add one other tip for care and maintenance of ferrules on bamboo rods. Fishing in the slightly alkaline, mineral rich water of limestone spring creeks, causes a build up on the ferrules that progressively makes the ferrule fit tighter and tighter over time. I'm unsure what the material is (oxidation? calcium carbonate?), but the male ferrule develops a bronze-ish sheen which, together with a presumably similar effect on the inside of the female ferrule, causes very tight ferrules that can be difficult to assemble and, especially, disassemble.

The solution is a small piece of 0000 (4-ought) steel wool. Gently rub the bright silvery surface of the male ferrule (and not the thread wrappings or bamboo) with the steel wool. The sheen is easily removed, and the ferrule fit is back to normal. Use gentle pressure. You're not lapping the ferrule; you're just removing surface material and oxidation. I've done this for years on my rods, and the ferrule fit after cleaning is just as smooth and tight as when the rod was new. I don't usually have to do this on the inside surface of the female ferrule unless it's a really stubborn case of tight ferrules.

In Wisconsin's Driftless area, where all the water is limestone spring creeks, I do this whenever the ferrule fit seems unexpectedly tight when assembling the rod. That's usually every 3-4 outings. The problem doesn't happen much in rivers with soft water, such as those out west (Montana, Wyoming, etc.), but it is a perennial issue in my home waters.

[letumgo]

Tom - I made a one of your wooden dowel sets this week, along with some of the foam drawer liner sheets. I threw them into my fishing bag, so they are handy the nest time I need them.




Thanks for the idea!

[NedZeppelin]

Bob Lancaster included a pair of split rubber tubes in his rod tube which I have used to great success. I also bought a pair of those gloves housewives use to clean ovens, also effective. And I have to agree on the use of 0000 steel wool to remove oxidation as standard maintenance. Care and feeding.