repair of a Fenwick PLB83

Question
Hi Joe,

I have a Fenwick PLB83(8'3",14 1/2 oz.,two piece) spinning rod that has two splits on the tip section at the feral(Feralite). One split is about four inches long and the other is about three inches long. I was planning on taking it to Alaska and catching some monster Chinooks. Should I get another rod or is this one repairable? And if it is repairable how would you do it? I've built a few rods so I would attempt repairs myself if it is feasable. I will replace all the guides and the tip if I use it so I could slide some sort of a reinforcing piece down the section to the feral(spitballing here)if you think that might work.
Thank you for your consideration, LeRoy

Answer
Hi LeRoy,

Yes, it can be repaired.  I'll leave it up to you whether it is worth doing or not for your Alaska trip.  You have two choices.

Choice One...this is the least effective choice of the two, but I have had success using it on rods that get worked pretty hard.  You can apply a thread wrap starting at the end of the ferrule and extending about 1/2 inch beyond the longest of the splits.  When you wrap the female side of a ferrule you should have the male section inserted to avoid deforming the female ferrule.  Coat the wrap with epoxy finish and you will be able to use the rod again.

Choice Two...you are on the right track in your thinking with an oversleeve.  You will need to find another piece from a scrap fiberglass rod or section of fiberglass cylinder that matches the taper of the female ferrule.  This may be a problem for a large rod.  Hopefully, you can find one and salvage a piece large enough to extend beyond the longest split by 1/2 inch or so. Once you have the oversleeve cut to size (sounds like about 4.5 to 5 inches), square off the end that will match up to the end of the tip section by lightly sanding or using a mill file.  Then taper the end that will rest against the rod blank above the split.  Make this a gentle taper like you would for a guide foot so it is easy to wrap thread over it.  You should be able to dry fit the oversleeve and have it add thickness to the ferrule, taper nicely against the blank and completely cover the split.  The fit should be snug.  

When you are happy with the fit, glue it in place with an epoxy glue of your choice.  When the epoxy dries, wrap thread over the entire length of the oversleeve starting about 1/2 inch above the end on the blank and wrapping until you reach the end of the ferrule.  Apply a coat of epoxy finish and you should be ready for Alaska.  It is best to choose a thread color that is close to the color of the blank to make the repair less obvious.  It's going to look like a wide spot in the rod anyway, but there is no need to make it too obvious.

Then put the new guides and tiptop on the rod and you're done.

Thanks,  Joe


Interested in learning to build rods?  Ask me about rod building classes:[email protected]