My condolences. To break a rod while fishing is one thing, to break it under peace-time conditions is a crying shame, particularly an old reliable.

I haven't broken any rods at home (yet), despite having two boys under age 6 who like to mess with my fishing gear. I think it's because I store the rods in a safe place -- above my bed. My wife bought a fancy canopy bed a few years ago. The canopy got dusty/ moldy so she took it off, leaving a wooden frame. I talked her into letting me put my fishing sticks up there.

It's not quite as stimulating as a mirrored ceiling in a low-rent motel, but I find that staring at a favorite rod can sometimes put me in the mood . . . usually for fishing . . . . Anyway, the kids haven't been able to reach high enough to break a rod.

The best broken rod story I've heard lately happened to one of my Hong Kong-based buddies. Jeevan stopped in Singapore en route to see his family in Sri Lanka and bought an 8' graphite light action offshore trolling rod. He couldn't wait to show the rod off to his brother, a notorious heavy tackle angler who used broomstick rods and cable line.
Brother 'X' (don't know his name) no sooner had the rod in his hands when he did what we all do when we handle a new rod: he made a casting motion to flex it. Bro' 'X', used to 6' boat rods, forgets there's a ceiling fan overhead and THWAPP!!!, a graphite dart goes hurtling across the room.

Without saying a word, he hands the now-six inches shorter rod back to Jeevan (who is turning purple) and deadpans "Too soft in the tip. You should shorten it by 6" or so."
Jeevan didn't kill him as he's his only brother, but it was a close thing.

I don't think I'm going to kill Max or Bart if I find out (nightmare scenario) that one of them grabbed a handfull of Loomis mid-sections while jumping on Mom and Dad's bed, but I might put them up for adoption or sell them to a Pakistani child labor rug maker.

Depends on the rod, I guess.




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