Rob...something we won't argue about..I have a graphite rod that is old. It has a marking from the man who custom built it in the 80s and says "Clearwater 904".....This rod is 9' long and is black graphite. I have never really fished with it because it has broken so many times before getting it wet. I kept replacing the tip section. I kept doing this because it was given to me as a father's day gift and therefore has sentimental value. The latest break is a 6-7" long shatter type break near the bottom of the tip section. I had the rod sitting in the back of the car with other rods and I suspect one of the other rods rolled over on it. It doesn't take much. It actually broke once on a 3# cod hoisting it out of the water to release it.

I have another 9' Clearwater blank custom rod that was given to me by my favorite tackle store owner. It is my favorite salmon rod and has endured years of hard fishing with only the tip guide failing a couple of times. I had Greggs Custom Rods in Lake Stevens redo all the guides and I was good to go for a few more years. My question is: Is Clearwater the company over by Kingston or somewhere over there that went out of business? Is it possible to replace the tip section with something compatible to the butt section and have it look right and actually survive a fishing trip? Any of your thoughts would be appreciated. Why do you suppose the rod is so brittle and breaks so easily?
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