In the wake of a coment on another thread, I'm mildly concenred about storage of cane rods.
I have quite a few, as many as possible will continue to be used. They are curently hanging in a purpose built cupboard in our hallway. The house is centrally heated, and this is my area for concern.

Since I spent a **** load of time building the cupboard I'd rather not have to find somewhere else to store them, but realistically they can only be stored in a centrally heated house.

Comments ...

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Missing: presumed out to lunch.

I tend to keep mine in a damp shed, or in a cupboard, or hanging on the sitting room wall. They are very resilient - I wouldn't worry. If something does happen, blame it on the workmanship, not the storage.

That said, avoid the damp.

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Wanted: A polarised monocle.

The killer on all cane rods is the external varnish - if it is chipped , deteriorated , aged etc to the point at which any form of moisture can get to the surface of the cane beneath - it inevitably will .

Most canes were built with White Cascamite as the glue sticking the strips together and if this gets damp the strips quietly come unglued and this manifests by the section taking a positive set if gently flexed and held in flex for around 30 seconds . You'll see the new set very obviously !

Also prolonged exposure to damp can effectively untemper the cane itself .

If either of these evils happens you get to take the six sections apart , retemper each and reglue and then straighten under heat and totally rebuild and this is exceptionally expensive to do - it is highly skilled work !

Critical job one is to make sure your surface varnish is good and sealing the rod .
After that a dry environment is very good indeed and better if there isn't too much temperature variation because that generates moist air at times !

Over to you but don't panic . And if your rod is an Impregnated cane ie having had varnish pressure-forced into it at the strip or blank stage - your problems will be far less - but of course the rod is heavier in the hand ! ( I digress.)

Best wishes

Steve P

The other thing to watch out for is dry climates.

I had a lovely little Sharpes Scottie impregnated 8 foot rod that did me well for over ten years. Then one day whilst fishing the Umzimkulu in the Drakensberg of Natal, the rod snapped like a matchstick on the backcast.

The cane had become brittle due to being stored in the dry air of Johannesburg for nearly 8 years.

Do not think that should be much of a problem in the UK

Storage: Hung up in a division rod bag from the loop with butt/ferrule ends downwards in a cool place I would think would be the right way to go.
Tight Lines

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"The Future's Bright The Future's Wet Fly"

(Breathes a sigh of relief!)

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Missing: presumed out to lunch.

Hi
There is some info on my site here.
I would always recommend you store the rod inside (in a warm room).
Not anywhere damp or cold.
If you store the rod in its bag always undo the ties and hang



Looking After Your New Rod

Thanks Gary

I've just read your advise on storing cane rods! Thanks for the link!

Easy to follow instructions! Thank-you Gary! Cheers.

Regards

Mostyn

. . . . I have 2 old (75+ years) split cane rods which spent half their years leaning in the corner of a room, and the other half, laying flat on top of large cabinet.
Most of this in an old house which went from cold and damp to hardly able to breathe when fires were going full blast, and eventually central heating - my grandmother's house.

The rods are fine, no set, and still used occasionally

Brian

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“Let’s TACKLE Cancer” supporter

This thread is putting me right off of cane, I am in the early stages of getting a Harris rod (spoke on the phone and looking to order once I have had a go with a couple of his rods) but I am not sure I can be ar5ed with bothering with the hassle now

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