Throughout the fishing season each of us should periodically give our fly rod, reel, fly line and other gear a thorough inspection to check for damage or indications of premature wear. Â At the end of the season I like to cast, clean, thoroughly dry and visually inspect my fly rods before I store them for the Winter. Â I clean the fly rod including the guides, ferrules, blank, grip and reel seat. Â Check for loose guides and ferrules. Â Check the grip for damage. This simple inspection/ maintenance can save countless hours of down time next season.
While doing this, I found that our Scott ARC957 Fly Rod’s ferrules are a bit too worn for another season. According Scott Fly Rods chief rod designer Jim Bartschi, the internal spigot ferrules should have a gap between 1/8″ to 1/2″ when the two pieces are put together like you are ready to fish.
The fly rod in these pictures has been used well over 100 days per year for the last 10 years and the last time I sent it back to the Scott Fly Rod Company for ferrule work was three years ago. Â It is at Scott right now for another ferrule rehab.
Something that many anglers overlook is the fact that ferrules do wear and if you forget to apply ferrule dressing periodically they can wear rather quickly (watch Harry’s Ferrule Dressing video).  This wear occurs with sleeve (overlapping) ferrules but is not as obvious since there is no constant reference point. The rate of wear depends on a variety of factors such as; frequency of use,  are the ferrules clean,  do you apply ferrule dressing, etc.
What happens when the ferrules get too close/ wear out? Worse case scenario is that you break your fly rod on the fish of a lifetime. Â The reason it breaks is that a worn out ferrule will slip, allowing the thinner part of the ferrule to absorb all of the stress of casting or fighting a fish or pulling your fly out of the bushes.
What should I do if  my ferrules are worn out? Send your fly rod back to the manufacturer and ask them to repair your ferrules.  If you rod has a lifetime warranty this is covered by that warranty.  If you have no warranty, most manufacturers have their own in-house repair shop which can handle the repair for a nominal fee.
If you have any questions about your fly rod and fly rod care, please email us or give us a call (540-984-4212)
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