Above, I said I used a 5 1/2 foot rod. I prefer a longer rod, but I carry the smaller one because I can lash it against the thwarts when it is not in use. I try to have no items that need to be hand carried on portages. Longer rods, when lashed against the thwarts, do not snuggle to the gunnel as well as the shorter rod.

As for the long handle, the principal advantage, in my opinion, of the long handle is that it permits two-handed casts. Two-handed casts are much more accurate than the single-handed jobs.

Many years ago, ferrules were weak spots in rods. No longer the case. If you can find a two-piece bait caster, go for it. Bass Pro Shops has some two-piece bait casters. I have a two-piece Bass Pro Shops Pete Maina rod (no longer sold under that name) and a two-piece St. Croix. If I were going to go to a two-piece rod, I would make a rod tube of PVC pipe and lash the rod tube to the canoe, backpack, or stuff the tube in a backpack.

Ancient_Angler wrote on Nov 12^th, 2010 at 7:29pm:


That's helpful.  I see where St. Croix makes a 2 piece in their Premier line and I know that Shimano has a 2 piece in their Compre line, both around 100 bucks.  Has anyone used either by chance? But I'm looking again at that G Loomis rod and licking my chops but I don't know if I can justify it.  Do I have to?  The curse of the bait monkey!

Been years since I made a rod from a blank, but it's easy to do. Fenwick used to provide a set of instuctions to all who bought a Fenwick blank. Cabela's sells blanks in various dimensions. Lot of satisfaction in using a rod you made yourself.

Sounds like a nice system old salt. 

I mean that it holds the tip ends of the rods, with the butt ends sticking out. The case and the butts are lashed into the canoe. The rods go with the canoe on the portages. When I'm ready to fish, I just remove the strap holding the butts, and draw it out of the holster.