FINALLY MANAGED TO SEPARATE TWO ROD HALVES AFTER TWO YEARS

Two years ago I jammed the dolly section onto my Shimano Antares and there it stuck. I've tried everying (including using the good advice received here) but the two pieces remained firmly welded together. Yesterday, in preparation for a trip on the Ribble I thought I had 'go' number 100.

Just for the chance I Googled 'stuck rod sections' and came across an American forum which gave me the advice to leave my rod out in the cold over night! Well up in Lancashire it was minus 4 or similar so I left the stuck sections out in the graden for the whole day. When I came to try pulling them apart there was a gentle 'pop' and there were the two halves separated; I almost cried!

I'm sure it was the cold that did it but they also recommended a way of pulling the two halves that made sense. Put on a pair of rubber gloves for the extra grip. Sit on a kitchen chair and put the rod behind your legs (under your knees) and grasp on either end outside your knees. Then apply outward pressure, in a straight line, by opening yourknees. Clearly your legs are much stronger than your arms so I can see how this would help.

Anyway, happy me with my favourite rod back as it should be. Hope this helps someone else.

M

p.s. If this happensto you in the Summer suggest chatting up your local butcher for the use of his cold store.

Alternating cold/heat (can of freezer spay and a hair dryer) was always agood way to separate the two parts of a video head drum assly when I was working.

As for the strongest muscles, I read that the tongue was the strongest. Find a good woman with a long one and it's job done /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Lol, excellent mate !

Now, how to stop it sticking again?

Give the joint a light clean with a new scouring pad and then rub it with candle wax.

To stop them sticking make sure the halves are clean rub your fingers on your forehead and then on the rod this works for me. Have also been told a little earwax works.

Its less stuff to carry.

The old trick for brass ferrules used to be to rub the male one down the side of your nose - similar to Barry's forehead tip. I reckon earwax might dry out and set solid in time, making it worse.

I guess the modern high-tech method of preventing it happening again would be to spray the male joint with the carbon spray that's sold to stop pole joints sticking. No more effective, probably...

I think this problem is quite commen to Shimano Antaires. Only got mine in the summer and had exact same problem, came apart after I left in the garage over night.

I apply candle wax to the ferrals on my fly rods to stop them comming loose.

I think the problem is that the male part of the Antares, on the butt section, is almost three inches long..../forum/smilies/i_dont_know_smiley.gif

I wouldn't want 3 inches of male part in my butt section.

Oh the old rod gag. Dont gag