By Justin Haag
Slamming car doors, shifting cargo, stumbling feet. Each has been unkind to my fishing rods more times than I care to admit. After a fly rod somehow broke while riding freely in my truck bed this spring, it was time to take action to keep it from happening again. Of course, many excellent rod cases are available from retailers. After some research, though, I found a simple design created from a favorite inexpensive building material – PVC pipe.
Not only is two-inch PVC likely able to withstand your abuse, it can simply be cut to whatever length your rod’s sections are. After cutting to length, just add end caps – one affixed with PVC glue and one not. Some use screw-in caps, but I found the slip-on variety to be adequate.
Foam glued inside each end cap will absorb shock from the rod moving back and forth.
Finally, consider some finishing touches. A plain white case will protect just as well as one with a fancy paint job but might not suit your tastes. I aimed for a natural look. To do so, I scraped the pipe with a coarse rasp and gave it some sanding to simulate wood grain. A coat or two of wood stain finished the job. Maybe you want to add handles and a strap to ensure the end cap doesn’t get lost.
As long as the case protects the rod, it’s beautiful in my book. ■