by Harrison Hilbert formerly of Jimmy’s All Season’s Angler of Idaho Falls, ID

Fishing rods are the single most expensive investment made by today's angler. Prices range from $75 to nearly $500 for modern graphite fly rods. And they are also about the easiest to break piece of angling equipment.

The following information is offered to help anglers care for and maintain their rods and to suggest simple steps to avoid breakage.

• Store rods in a rod sock inside a metal tube. Put the butt section in the rod sock with the handle toward the open end. The tip section should be placed in the rod sock with the tip toward the opening. That way the large handle will help protect the delicate tip section of the rod.
• Rod and reel storage cases such as D.B. Dunn's require the same method of insertion. Keep the tip section pointing up in these cases. If you put the tip down it can jam against the bottom of the case and break.
• Thoroughly dry rods after a day's fishing. This will prevent mildew on the rod sock and will prevent any damage to the rod's finish from water standing on the rod.
• Use the rod only for its intended purpose and know its limitations. Light line weight rods are engineered for use with light leaders. Using heavy leaders on light rods can stress them beyond their design and function.
• When stringing a rod, place it on a diagonal with the butt and reel on the ground. Pull the fly line through the guides. Avoid bending the tip section over to put the line through the final 2 or 3 guides and tiptop. Many rods break while being bent in this manner.
• During the course of a day's fishing, check the ferrules to assure they are mated and haven't worked loose. A savage strike on a rod with loose ferrules may result in the breakage of one or both of the ferrules. This sort of splitting break can make the rod a total loss.
• Ice in the guides will impede casting and prevent the line from running through the guides smoothly. Ice may cause the line to jam in the guides, especially the smaller tip section snake guides. If icing is a continuing problem, it may be necessary to briefly submerge the rod in the stream or lake. A light spraying of Pam (a non-stick griddle product) may help prevent icing in rod guides. If icing continues it may be too damn cold to fish.
• Weighted flies and split shot can cause damage if they hit the rod during a cast. The rod may not break at that time, but the damage to the rod's fibers will cause it to weaken and break later.
• Metal handrails on boats may damage graphite rods rested against them. If the rod is not in ase in a boat, the best idea is to case it. Other options include holding the rod upright while the arsman moves the boat to the next fishing spot or stowing the assembled rod with the tip under he line deck of a driftboat and the reel in the seat pocket. Be sure that spare oars can't roll over n the rod.
• Drift boats were designed to fish one fly caster at a time from the downstream end. The angler should be positioned in the knee braces over the line deck while the second angler is seated in the center of the forward seat. When multiple anglers are standing and casting there is a good chance that the rods will strike each other. Take turns casting, rowing and resting—it's more enjoyable and only one hook must be watched on the back casts.
• Don't leave any rod set up for a long period of time without taking it apart.
• The correct way to join graphite rods is to put the tip on the butt and slide it down until it stops easily. Line up the guides and push the sections together firmly. The ferrules should fit together snugly.
• If tree limbs are hooked from a moving boat or while wading, NEVER rear back on the rod to try to pull the fly loose. Instead, point the rod directly at the hooked limb and let the tippet break with the direct pull. Flies and tippets are far cheaper to replace than a prized rod.
• When changing fishing locations, never carry rods inside vehicles with the tips extended through an open window.
• Remember, any time a rod is out of its tube, it is in danger. Rigging-your rod should be the last thing you do before fishing and taking it down should be the- first thing you do when quitting.