15 Ways to Break a Fly Rod, with Charlie Robinton

Besides breaking your fly rod in those boring old ways like car doors or ceiling fans, there are other, less obvious ways and most of them are preventable as well.  This week I chat with Charlie Robinton [49:00], rod repair expert on the Orvis Outfitter Team, and we'll explore other ways fly rods are broken—including some unusual ways they have been broken over the years, thanks to stories from our terrific rod repair team.  True, if you break an Orvis rod we can usually have it back to you in about five days—but a broken rod is still not a fun way to start (or end) a fishing trip.   In the Fly Box this week, we have some perplexing questions, tips from listeners, and some listeners who take exception to some of the things I've said in the past, including:

• Where can I take my sons and granddaughter on Route 20 in Idaho where they can easily catch trout?
• What is a good rod manufacturer?
• A listener describes a perplexing day on a difficult river and analyzes his day and asks Tom if he agrees.
• Do you take all of your fly boxes when you fish or do you determine what you will likely need for the day?  And where do you put your lunch, sunscreen, and raincoat?
• Last year I had great luck for pre-spawn brown trout and this year I can't hook them.  Should I keep trying different streamer patterns?
• A caution from a listener on serious reactions to UV resins
• A suggestion from a listener on sliding beads down your leader if you want to make any nymph a bead head.
• A listener says he has never had fly-tying threads weaken over time and disagrees with my suggestion that they can weaken after a few years.
• Are beaded or non-beaded flies more successful?
• How can I use adhesives to keep the dumbbell eyes on my Clouser Minnows from rotating?
• You have said trout eyes are designed to look up.  When I catch trout they are always looking down.  Why?
• You recommend using a throat pump.  But what good does it do you when you have already caught a fish?  And then you take their food away?
• Does gel flotant on a hook have a negative effect?