What is a Fishing Rod Ferrule?

The ferrule is the friction connection between the parts of a multi-piece fishing rod.  Most longer fishing rods are 2 pieces, but there are traveling or special purpose rods that can have 5 or more pieces and a ferrule connecting each one.  If rod ferrules are not maintained properly, they can be a point of failure and cause the rod to break or get stuck together.

Learn how to build your own custom fishing rod in our article Building Your Own Fishing Rod.

Learn more about Rod and Reel Maintenance in our article – Fishing Gear Preparation and Repair.

How to Maintain your Fishing Rod Ferrule?

It is important to inspect and clean your rod ferrule to prevent it from getting stuck.  Use care to remove any grit, sand, or dirt from the ferrule as it will weaken it over time and cause it to break or become loose.  Clean both the female and male parts of the ferrule.  Clean the ferrule completely using a soft rag, cotton swabs and a Windex type cleaner.

Once the ferrule is cleaned, it should be lightly coated with candle wax on the male end.  You can also use pure car wax such as Carnauba, but not waxes with cleaners or abrasives.  This will seal the ferrule and minimize any breakage or stuck ferrules going forward. Do not use any lubricants or grease as this will cause the ferrule to slip and they also attract dirt and debris.

When reconnecting the ferrule use a gentle twisting motion to align the guides and do not just jam the pieces together.

What if the Ferrule Gets Stuck?

There are two main ways of freeing a stuck fishing rod ferrule:

• Twisting pressure with gloves and/or double sided tape
• Freeze and twist using ice. 

You can see these methods illustrated here Surf Fishing Rod Care – Stuck Ferrules – taking apart 2 piece rod and also here How to Get a Stuck Fly Rod Apart.

DO NOT USE THE GUIDES AS LEVERAGE WHEN TRYING TO UNSTICK YOUR FERRULE! 

They will possibly break.  Its better to have a stuck ferrule then a broken rod.

Salt Strong also has a nice video on rod ferrule tips – 5 Tips To Make Sure Your 2-Piece Rods Don’t Get Stuck Together.

How to Fix a Broken Ferrule

You can retrofit a broken rod ferrule with a metal ferrule sleeve.  The metal ferrule can be epoxied over the broken ferrule.  This will make the rod stiffer in the metal section but could save your rod from the land fill.  You can find a selection of metal ferrules and other rod building parts at Mud Hole.

SUMMARY

Anglers typically perform regular maintenance on reels, but fishing rods are often overlooked.  Fishing rod ferrules are not considered a components that require maintenance, but proper attention is needed to assure your fishing rod does not break.  Keeping the ferrule clean, adding a light coating of wax and being careful with how you assemble the rod are all key considerations to keeping your fishing rod in the best condition so you can catch the big one.

Tight lines …  Captain P.