I want to warn Jigman and others who 'Have never broken a rod' that by writing this on the Board they have doomed themselves. If I were you, right now I'd be killing chickens and sprinkling blood over hex marks. Let me explain how I know. A couple of months ago I wrote in a post on the Board that I've never had any problems shipping my rods back and forth across the Pacific (or down to Oz) on my far-flung fishing trips. I suspected when I wrote it that bad karma would follow, and it did at the earliest opportunity.

Three weeks ago en route to Alaska I waited for 30 minutes for my rod cases (two taped together) to arrive at Sea-Tac. When they appeared, a full THREE FEET of extra thick PVC pipe had been run over and smashed into hand-sized pieces. There were tire marks on one rod case. (The other case was spotless . . . clearly the supernatural at work.) Inside the crushed tube were three rods worth some major dough. With trembling hands I took this mess through Customs and over to the EVA Air (Taiwan) claims counter. I cut through all the electrician's tape and picked shards out of the rod bags, and gingerly unwrapped my babies . . . each of which was intact.

I have no idea how a baggage wagon or forklift (or M1 Tank) runs over and scrunches a rod case and the rods are OK but that's what happened. I think the rods toughened up as a result of living on top of my bed at home. Maybe all the vibration . . . or lack of . . . or something. Then again maybe it was the goat I sacrificed to ensure good luck (learned this from Robbo). Anyway, I was lucky.

The airline offered me $10 to replace the rod tube since it was only PVC pipe. I asked them if they knew what three top end fishing rods cost and that they were damned lucky I was only going to ding them for a new Plano rod tube ($33). (Still exchanging correspondence about this one.)

So if you don't want a puppy to chew your buddy's new Lami or your brother to jam a choice rod into a ceiling fan, or the baggage gorillas to practice fencing with your sticks, then DON'T BRAG about not breaking a rod (or a rod case). You've been warned!