Broken fly rod question

[AKbruin]

This weekend I snapped the top 5" off of my fly rod fishing for sockeye. It's an Echo rod and warrantied, but it'll take about two weeks of turnaround between sending my rod in and receiving a new one. This is a shitty option because I've only got another five weeks or so in Alaska and the fishing is hot right now.

The good news is that I can (and have) continue(d) to fish for sockeye because it only requires a short flip cast with a weighted fly. I just clipped the excess rod up to the second (and now first) guide from the tip.

But I'm not sure how just how badly this will affect other kinds of fly casts. Basically, I'm wondering whether it's worth even trying to fish for trout with a non-weighted line. Any thoughts on the matter, as always, are appreciated.

[cj001f]

Buy a tiptop for $1 and find out yourself.

[AKbruin]

Okay, so one answer to my question is for me to simply get out there and try some casting with yarn. Of course, this is something I'll try in the next day or two. But I'm just curious to see how critical people think the top 5" of a (7-weight) fly rod are.

Oh, and here are a few crappy pics from the aforementioned weekend.

http://pics.livejournal.com/divisadero/pic/000hec6d/s640x480
(1) Combat fishing on the Lower Kenai around midnight. (Slow.)

http://pics.livejournal.com/divisadero/pic/000hfd3d/s640x480
(2) Combat fishing on the Middle Kenai at 6 a.m. (Hot.)

http://pics.livejournal.com/divisadero/pic/000hgzxt/s640x480
(3) Food.

http://pics.livejournal.com/divisadero/pic/000hk68p/s640x480
(4) Lake Skilak.

[AKbruin]

Buy a tiptop for $1 and find out yourself.

What's a tiptop? Google didn't really provide an answer.

[cj001f]

a tiptop is the metal loop at the top of a rod
http://www.jsflyfishing.com/mas_assets/full/GT-010580-0000.jpg


I'd sooner shoot myself than fish in that shitshow

[warthog]

I had that happen on a trip- I bought a nail that fit inside snuggly. I then tapped it in lightly, and joined the two sections. Then sealed it with electrical tape. It worked really well, and it got warrantied. Be careful, and buy a long enough nail(brad type) to give it some support.

[Jer]

I've also heard of a fix it kit where you can graft a 4 or 5 inch section of graphite with a tip-top onto the broken rod. It slips over the broken part, then you tape it or epoxy it or something. Kinda like what Warthog was saying, only with graphite in liew of a nail.

I'm with cj - nice fish, but I'd rather snap a few off on a quite river than catch a bazzillion fish like that. The lake pic is freaking beautiful.

[AKbruin]

I'd sooner shoot myself than fish in that shitshow


I'm with cj - nice fish, but I'd rather snap a few off on a quite river than catch a bazzillion fish like that. The lake pic is freaking beautiful.

You guys would definitely hate fishing at Ship Creek in downtown Anchorage.
http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/Fisheries/archival_tagging/images/combatfishing.jpg

Of course, I'd prefer fishing in a more intimate environment, but I've come to appreciate combat fishing in AK. As somebody who had never caught a fish before moving here, I'm just stoked to catch anything, let alone a delicious 10 lb. sockeye. It's also a good way to hone one's skills and learn from others.

[Lonnie]

http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/Fisheries/archival_tagging/images/combatfishing.jpg

Stab me. In the eye. With a pencil.

[warthog]

Ariver runs through it.

It being HELL.