I've been building fly rods now for a couple of years and have wanted to include an extra tip with every rod and it's very difficult to impossible to get one. Roger offers extra tips on some of his blanks. On @#$%& nearly every blank maker offers no extra tips. In my head I can imagine racks of blanks for the different lengths of rods and wgts and bagging each rod with an extra tip. At least fishing in a remote area as an example with an extra tip when a tip gets broken the trip wouldn't be over. I'm sure I'm not the first to broach this topic so if there is a place in past postings to find out why or why not extra tips are available or not.

Call the manufacturer. I know for a fact that at least some of them will sell any piece you need.

Providing an extra tip on most graphite rods would cause the cost of the rod or blank to increase substantially. Most people worried about rod breakage on a trip simply take two rods.

..............

2 tips are more frequently provided for bamboo rods where the thinking is not that bamboo is more fragile (it is not), but is associated with taking a "set" which is not an issue for graphite. By alternating the use of bamboo tip sections the risk of set is reduced / delayed. And it is not uncommon for the purchaser of a bamboo rod to request 2 tips where one is a bit faster or slower than the other. I've 8 and 5 weight bamboo rods built with 2 tips each with different tapers. I've not seen such an option offered for graphite blanks.

Another reason is so many blanks are now covered by generous warranties. If a section fails a new rod or section is provided to the purchaser for little or no cost.

Plus, as Tom K noted, the manufacturing cost would increase significantly for 2 tips.

Thus there are limited arguments in favor of 2 tips for graphite blanks and strong arguments in favor of single tip sections.

I have been building fly rods for years and never had a request for an extra tip. Most of the fly fishermen I know take extra rods, especially on remote trips.

MHX has extra tips for all their two piece and multiple piece rods. They are not listed in the catalog, so call mudhole to get information. I came across this when I was registering an MHX blank and notice that tips where listed. I needed a new tip for a broken two piece MHX rod and called Mudhole and they had it. I do not know of another manufacturers that sell tips separately.

Norm

I will take an extra rod if I have one. I will always take an extra tiptop of a slightly larger size than the original.

Michael, could you explain the tip of a slightly larger one than the original. I'm curious as to what sort of tip that would be and I don't really know how to figure out who and where I would get such a tip. I'm just curious ???? about how you would go about it. A number of posts have said just contact the rod maker but I did that with the rod that I broke and they there were none available. Frankly I don't think the guy left his desk to actually check to see if an extra tip was available. Thank you sir

Robert,
Michael is simply saying that if you snap a tip off a rod that has a typical taper, the location of the new tip will be down the rod to the point where the break occurred on the rod.

Michal is simply saying that if the blank at the location of the break is larger than the current tip of the blank you will need a new tip top that is somewhat larger to be able to fit over the now, new larger sized tip of the shorter rod.

Many folks just bring along a box of tip tops and a stick of heat activated glue when they go fishing. That way, if a tip gets snapped off and the rod is now shorter with a larger size end of the rod, the appropriate tip top is selected that will allow the rod to be restored to service.

No the rod will not be as good as it was before, but if the fish are active, the fish will still be caught. If the fish are inactive, then the stiffer tip of the rod could mean that the fish in the boat on the creel will be less because you are now fishing with a lesser rod.

In today's society, most folks just make a point of bringing along a very similar or identical to a given favorite rod to deal with just such an eventuality - i.e. a broken favorite rod on a remote fishing trip.

Then, the broken rod can be dealt with when the person returns to his shop where he has the resources to correctly deal with the issue.

It may very well be that the way that the person will deal with the rod is to strip off the guide, scrap out the rest of the rod, and then build a new rod with new reel seat and grip and just retire on the original guides and tip top on the new blank.

This is likely the way that the bulk of broken rod issues are resolved.

Be safe

p.s.
I think that the point is pretty simple.

if there is room in a persons luggage that allows one to bring along an extra tip for a rod, it is no doubt possible to just as easily bring along an extra rod that breaks down to the same size as the original rod. So, bring the spare rod, and don't worry about an extra tip.

I hope I didn't come off as being unfriendly but I just couldn't get my head around what was being said. After reading your explanation I snapped the tip on a rod and replaced the tip top and the rod cast just fine all be it slightly stiffer. I do appreciate the responses thank you ????

Robert Kelsey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
A number of posts have said
> just contact the rod maker but I did that with
> the rod that I broke and they there were none
> available. Frankly I don't think the guy left his
> desk to actually check to see if an extra tip was
> available. Thank you sir


What brand rod is it?

Robert,
Many of the rods that I use for the fish that I catch often have a very soft tip on the last 3 or 4 inches of the rod blank at the tip.

So, if I have the misfortune to snap 3 inches off of the tip, I use the words that I have transformed a formerly wonderful rod into a pool Cue!!

For rods of this type - I never do a tip top replacement in the field.

If I will use the rod again, I will generally cut the tip back an additional 3 or 4 feet and replace that 3 or 4 feet of rod plus tip with a new blank section. since I will often want to save the grip and reel seat I will often just buy another identical blank and then chop it at the appropriate location and splice it into the former rod. When the break is 1/2 way down the rod, there is virtually 0 penalty in rod action and feel by replacing the upper half of the rod with a new perfectly matched section.

Be safe

The brand was American tackle matrix fly rod . It broke just below the first guide. I put another tip and the rod still casts well. In fact I will continue to fish the rod just the way it is. I sure would like to see the process to restoring the rod back to the way state you described. I've been building for a couple of years and never thought that method of repair.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

"" Anglers workshop "" did sell a blank with 2 tips , [ it was one of there blanks] , the last time I ordered it was that way, still sell them with 2 tips the IM6 rod if that helps just looked it up

William Sidney
AK



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2017 03:09PM by Bill Sidney.

I understand all the reasons for no extra tips and taking an extra rod or two just in case. I guess it's a little more difficult to get one than just to include one as an option to the builder. I would pay the extra money but that is just me.