Accidents do happen in fishing and bait finesse rods are very delicate.

Trout bfs requires hiking long distances in the field and often, without a spare rod.

The risk of rod breakage is much higher in this method of fishing, where anglers hike along mountain trails with many obstacles, compared to other types of fishing.

The most common causes of rod breakage are angler mishandling and lack of knowledge.

To enjoy trout bfs to the fullest, it is essential to have prior knowledge.
Here’s some information to share.

Selecting right model:

Rods are designed to bend and all fishing rods have their limits until the blank fractures.

Selecting an appropriate model for the target fish size, line strength and lure weight are obvious but important since trout bfs rods are delicate in construction to achieve finesse-fun.

Scratches and impact:

Scratches and nicks on the blank trigger the blank to break at a value lower than its original limit strength.

Trout bfs rods have higher chance to contact hard objects than other fishing.

Most every angler places rod on river rocks next to the fish for the photogenic fish photo.

Place the rod gently on any hard surface that may scratch blank surface.

It’s a good idea to hike and climb with the rods in cover or case and store in sling bag or backpack for a long hike, if the rod is multi-piece.

The ability to use both arms protects the angler from fall injuries and minimizes damage to the rod.

Painted and/or coated blanks offer a layer of protection which is more important than reducing rod weight slightly or reducing cost in production.

All of the Barva Kopel trout bfs rod blank will have paint or coating for this particular reason.

Drag setting:

Ensure that the drag setting is suitable for the fish size and consider the current force when using the PE line.

Loosen the drag when bushwhacking through a branch jungle as the line can be caught by branches and pull the line to break the tip as you walk.

The basic idea is to loosen the drag at all times when you are not casting with finesse rod.

Releasing snags:

Delicate tip of trout bfs rods are not ideal to poke the snagged lure to remove it from submerged wood and between rocks especially in the current.

This is a common tactic for bass anglers, but with much bigger and stronger rods.

Thin diameter supple tip of trout bfs rod will break easily against pushing force.

In the worst case scenario, the lure’s hook could catch the rod guide, then a snagged large wood becomes loose to drift with the current.
Yep, we experienced that.

If it is too deep for the arm to reach, try using the sole of your wading boots or a wading staff to free the snag, if no luck, then it’s wiser to cut the line and lose the lure rather than break the rod out in the field.

During transportation:

Store rods in hard case or secure in higher position to protect against things falling over during bumpy offroad drive.

PCV pipe is simple and effective as an alternative of the dedicated rod case.

Storing:

Avoid air bubbles to form on the blank.

Storing rod in the high temperature car or storing while wet in an enclosed bag/case do create bubble on the blank.

Fiberglass rods have higher tendency to memorize the shape to deform, avoid leaning when storing for a long time.

Free the arm on ground side when walking down the angled hill to protect yourself for slip and fall. The rod should be carried by the far side arm.

Loose gravels, dirt and rocks are part of the game, safety first and protect equipment wisely.

All the above may sound obvious, but we wanted to share in case if anyone is starting trout bfs without prior wildness experience to avoid unwanted incidents.

Industry data suggests that a significant percentage of broken blanks are caused by careless actions.

Disposing of fishing rods without harming the planet is difficult.

Our hope is that this note prevents someone from breaking a rod while fishing in a field with abundant good fish.

And in fact, manufacturing errors do occur since the majority of rod production is done by human hand.

Common manufacturing errors include bubbles in the blank caused by winkled prepreg rolling before the oven process, excessive use of reinforcement patches that concentrate stress force on a smaller section of the blank, and so on.

It is crucial to have experienced roller, engineer, and machine handling skills, particularly for a finesse rod that bends extremely with thin blank wall construction.

We ensure that we do our part with complete caution at all times.

The priority is to avoid bodily injury and have fun.

Protect the crucial equipment for ultimate fun 😀