Matthew Nightingale (ACA)
Well-known member
Anyone know a good source of replacement butt caps for a fly rod?
New butt cap.
- Thread starter Matthew Nightingale (ACA)
- Start date
E
Evan
Guest
Ummmm basically you can't in my experience, assuming you mean the sort of butt cap that incorporates the lip for the reel seat.
For rods with uplocking reels you can easily bodge together some sort of flat metal / polished wood / rubber bung insert to protect the butt end.
I had a downlocking butt cap come off a few years ago and tried to source a cap but found that basically they are sold as part and parcel of the whole reel seat / screw fitting bit. All very well if you can get the original reel seat and fitting off but not much help if the original manufacturer used araldite or similar rather than a heat activated glue gun.
If Araldited then hand it over to a professional rod repairer, otherwise be prepared for hours of cutting and sanding with a Dremel or similar trying to get the original off without damaging the blank. You'll probably end up having to take the corks off as well as they are liable to get a bit chewed up in the process. Look on the bright side tho, you can fit highest quality replacements !
If heat gun glued then you might be lucky and be able to melt it sufficiently to slide the fitting off by using the old saucepan of boiling water trick (but make sure it is an OLD saucepan before any distaff side wants my guts for garters).
Good luck.....
For rods with uplocking reels you can easily bodge together some sort of flat metal / polished wood / rubber bung insert to protect the butt end.
I had a downlocking butt cap come off a few years ago and tried to source a cap but found that basically they are sold as part and parcel of the whole reel seat / screw fitting bit. All very well if you can get the original reel seat and fitting off but not much help if the original manufacturer used araldite or similar rather than a heat activated glue gun.
If Araldited then hand it over to a professional rod repairer, otherwise be prepared for hours of cutting and sanding with a Dremel or similar trying to get the original off without damaging the blank. You'll probably end up having to take the corks off as well as they are liable to get a bit chewed up in the process. Look on the bright side tho, you can fit highest quality replacements !
If heat gun glued then you might be lucky and be able to melt it sufficiently to slide the fitting off by using the old saucepan of boiling water trick (but make sure it is an OLD saucepan before any distaff side wants my guts for garters).
Good luck.....
Matthew Nightingale (ACA)
Well-known member
Evan,
Its actually just the cap that fits into the end of the handle. The seat is an up-locker so its just a threaded tube with a ring and a screw ring. Its just that last outing the end must have fallen out. Could make do with a simple rubber bung but its a good rod and I'd like to get something better.
M
Its actually just the cap that fits into the end of the handle. The seat is an up-locker so its just a threaded tube with a ring and a screw ring. Its just that last outing the end must have fallen out. Could make do with a simple rubber bung but its a good rod and I'd like to get something better.
M
E
Evan
Guest
Suggest you stick a rubber bung in there to stop any damage in the meantime, but for a long term replacement a decent rod builder / repairer should have something lying around to fit and match....
The one I replaced I took the opportunity to get a reel seat with a threaded hole in the middle of the butt cap, which cheerfully took a 9" home made screw in fighting butt (a length of stainless steel tube with a male threaded ferrule araldited into it and cork rings on the outside then sand to shape.... job done !). When not using the long butt I screwed in a shortie mushroom head type bit of cork.
Not an original idea, pinched it off of a Fulling Mill rod.....
In passing does anyone else own one of their rods and find it difficult to cast with ? Seems very very stiff (the 10 footer). Possibly not the rod's fault, just that it is beyond my arthritic and limited casting abilities....
The one I replaced I took the opportunity to get a reel seat with a threaded hole in the middle of the butt cap, which cheerfully took a 9" home made screw in fighting butt (a length of stainless steel tube with a male threaded ferrule araldited into it and cork rings on the outside then sand to shape.... job done !). When not using the long butt I screwed in a shortie mushroom head type bit of cork.
Not an original idea, pinched it off of a Fulling Mill rod.....
In passing does anyone else own one of their rods and find it difficult to cast with ? Seems very very stiff (the 10 footer). Possibly not the rod's fault, just that it is beyond my arthritic and limited casting abilities....
Matthew Nightingale (ACA)
Well-known member
Thanks Evan.