Posted on January 21 2014
If you’ve fished long enough, after a long day on the water you have experienced the sections of your rod stuck together at the ferrules. This can happen for several reasons, but regardless of the reason, it can be rather frustrating. However, nothing is more frustrating than cracking a ferrule or breaking off a stripping guide while attempting to separate them.
If you’re fishing with a buddy, it is very simple to safely separate the two “stuck” sections. In fact, our friend Louis Cahill of Gink and Gasoline and our very own JEB Hall have demonstrated this in the past via this video.
However, if you are fishing alone, and find your rod stuck together at the ferrules, try this quick tip to safely separate them without damaging your rod.
Grasp the rod on each side of the stuck ferrule with the rod behind your back (see photo above). With the rod lower than your butt, simply pull the rod in opposite directions to separate. Doing so allows you to pull only in one direction, reducing the chance of torqueing the rod in the wrong direction and cracking a ferrule. Also, while braced against your legs, you are far stronger pulling in this fashion than when awkwardly pulling in front of your body.
Still stuck? Lower the rod to behind your knees and use the outsides of your legs to push against your arms to increase pressure.