Streamside Repair

by Walter Ayers
(Auburn, WA , USA)

On my second outing with my Tenkarabum 36 I managed to snap off the tip through an act of clumsiness. It was getting late and we were a few miles from my truck and a replacement rod, so a quick fix was needed. I was using a level line leader so I attached it to the tip with a uniknot. The first few attempts slid off. My wife suggested a duct tape repair, she never goes out in the woods with out it. So a half inch strip of duct tape was wrapped on the end of the rod tip. The tape worked as a stopper to prevent the uniknot from sliding off and it worked flawlessly. Numerous fish were caught and landed including a 12 inch bull tout. In the future a strip of duct tape will be added to my fly box.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.