Broken Egrel Most Likely Angler Error

[Goldfinch]

As a follow-up to my "PB Snapper And An Esky Full" post where I talked about my mate Pete's Egrell S10 breaking during the session, I thought I should post the developments. Sorry if it's in the wrong section.

At the advice of Frank OO my mate Pete called Eric and had a great chat to him about the rod and what happened. Pete has asked me to let you guy's know that after talking with Eric, Pete is happy to take the rap on breaking the rod - so there you go angler error (remember Pete used to sell the gear!!) If you snag up, point the rod towards the snag and have the frustration of losing a
jighead and re-tying . . . far cheaper then forking out cash for a new rod!! It's pretty obvious that if Pete had already caught a 10kg+ fish on the Egrel, it would have decided to kick the bucket on that fish if there was a fault in the blank. As Pete had some great sessions on the rod and loved using it, he's going to grab another S10 and get back fishing . . .will let you know how it goes.

Big thanks to Eric for taking the time to explain more about his rods, how they should be used correctly and what their limitations are. His wisdom when it comes to all things fishing is infinitely beyond Pete and myself.

See out there on Saturday.....well....hopefully not in my spot !!!

Cheers
dave

[PinHead]

amazing..and no offer to replace it ?
so the rod was straight when it broke ???

[marty+jojo]

amazing..and no offer to replace it ?
so the rod was straight when it broke ???

You need to read the post again Pinhead, angler error, not a fault with the rod. Why should Eric offer to replace the rod when it was broken by the guy on the end of it?
Marty.

[Chamelion]

It's always seemed common sense to me to avoid putting pressure on the rod whilst trying to break free from a snag... I know people who still do it (with graphite rods) and I get chills down my spine every time.

[PinHead]

no need for me to read it again..it said the rod was pointed towards the snag...I take that to mean it was straight...how does a rod snap if it is straight?

It could be good marketing for Eric...after reading that I for one would not buy one..where does "angler error" end ?

[Greg P]

no need for me to read it again..it said the rod was pointed towards the snag...I take that to mean it was straight...how does a rod snap if it is straight?

It could be good marketing for Eric...after reading that I for one would not buy one..where does "angler error" end ?


My interpretation of whats posted is that is the advice of what to do (as Duncan @ Fishead told me) from Eric and not what happened when this rod broke :-/

The S-10H I have is a bloody great rod amazing just how big a fish you can land on them. Whether you think it is hype is up to you but if you are just catching bream and squire I wouldnt outlay the money for one either. Offshore when the cobes, ambos and kingies are playing hard there is no other rod I would rather have.

[SNAPPERCOFFIN]

I have given heaps to graphite rods heaps when snaged up not anymore thanks for the heads up.

Mark

[hangar]

high sticking ?broke a rod on a snag by given it the old heave hoe first time out.i took it home and rebound it, my fault still a great rod

[deepfried]

My interpretation of whats posted is that is the advice of what to do (as Duncan @ Fishead told me) from Eric and not what happened when this rod broke

Dont know how it could be taken any other way really.


If you snag up, point the rod towards the snag and have the frustration of losing a
jighead and re-tying . . . Far cheaper then forking out cash for a new rod!! It's pretty obvious

[PinHead]

My interpretation of whats posted is that is the advice of what to do (as Duncan @ Fishead told me) from Eric and not what happened when this rod broke :-/

The S-10H I have is a bloody great rod amazing just how big a fish you can land on them. Whether you think it is hype is up to you but if you are just catching bream and squire I wouldnt outlay the money for one either. Offshore when the cobes, ambos and kingies are playing hard there is no other rod I would rather have.

you are probably right but I don't go offshore (no idea where to go if I got there so no point even going..LOL )..not interested in that.
But..$400 for a rod and not too much back up is a bit much to ask.
You could probbaly state that any warranty claim on any item can be partly attributed to the operator but as long as the owner is happy with the result then all is good.

[Billy C]

Goldfinch that's the biggest u-turn I have ever seen. One minute you're blasting the rods saying you'll never own one and the next minute, after a conversation you weren't involved with your flying Eric Grell's flag......!!!

[Horse]

Can you explain what was the angler error?
I give my rods a fair bit of curry at times as it is the best way of saving valuable jigheads and SPs. I don't highstick but do put a lot of pressure on my rods. As most people who have fished with me would agree I'm not a finesse sort of fella and yet my blanks have held up so far.
I have no doubt they are great rods but its not the first one I have heard of self destructing under normal conditions and a fair few complaints came from the guides that were showing a great deal of corrosion. (This issue has been fixed in recent times)
I have to admit I have not heard of these sorts of problems with rods such as G loomis as any issues are fixed quickly.

[hangar]

i didnt insert my 10'.2 piece rod spigot fully because i thought it was too tight it cracked the connection angler error

[addobaz]

Goldfinch that's the biggest u-turn I have ever seen. One minute you're blasting the rods saying you'll never own one and the next minute, after a conversation you weren't involved with your flying Eric Grell's flag......!!!
I totally agree wiyh Billy C. Whats going on with you Goldfinch?Did Eric offer you a cheap rod to promote his gear?

[Steve B]

As a follow-up to my "PB Snapper And An Esky Full" post where I talked about my mate Pete's Egrell S10 breaking during the session, I thought I should post the developments. Sorry if it's in the wrong section.

At the advice of Frank OO my mate Pete called Eric and had a great chat to him about the rod and what happened. Pete has asked me to let you guy's know that after talking with Eric, Pete is happy to take the rap on breaking the rod - so there you go angler error (remember Pete used to sell the gear!!) If you snag up, point the rod towards the snag and have the frustration of losing a
jighead and re-tying . . . far cheaper then forking out cash for a new rod!! It's pretty obvious that if Pete had already caught a 10kg+ fish on the Egrel, it would have decided to kick the bucket on that fish if there was a fault in the blank. As Pete had some great sessions on the rod and loved using it, he's going to grab another S10 and get back fishing . . .will let you know how it goes.

Big thanks to Eric for taking the time to explain more about his rods, how they should be used correctly and what their limitations are. His wisdom when it comes to all things fishing is infinitely beyond Pete and myself.

See out there on Saturday.....well....hopefully not in my spot !!!

Cheers
dave

Dave,

Thanks mate for getting back to us with some feedback. You didn't have to, but you did and I for one appreciate that as I made mention of a few things in your post.. Dont worry about the 'backflip' comments being posted. They dont help anyone. Your quote about his wisdom is infinite is so true. Not only is he an exceptional rod builder, but one of the most knowledgeable fisherman I have ever come across. I enjoy fishing with Eric for the barra here every chance I get, and learn more of him than I would ever learn here. What he doesn't know about rods and their composition isn't worth knowing.

There is some good info on the Egrell website regarding what to do/not to do with graphite rods..its well worth a read for anyone with a graphite rod...which ever brand you use. I have broken one, and it was my fault, and the barras for swimming straight under the boat>:(. I high sticked it under the boat, and the blank hit the hull if that makes sense!! Sad sad day. I can understand what pinhead means about $400 for a rod that can break if not used properly...unfortunatly if your casting all day long a big heavy fibre glass rod will make your arms fall off, cast about half the distance, and feel like you useing a telegraph pole. Same for offshore with plastics etc.

But thanks again mate. Its good to find out what happened, as sad as it is to have a rod break, I know the gut wrenching feeling!!

cheers Steve

[the gecko]

I also give my rods a fair bit of curry when snagged up. Give em some bend, and put the body wieght behind it, then even wind the reel to pull the boat closer, lotsa tension on 30lb braid - so I do everything you shouldnt do.........

Now that might sound like a good ad for my rods (not egrell, tho I reckon egrell are tops) BUT, Ive now broken 2 roller bearings on the bail arms of my reels from the said pressure. A 2 yr old Sustain and Stradic have both failed at the roller bearing, and no warranty from Shimano either. My reel technician said dont even bother asking Shimano!

Erics advice to point the rod at the snag will save me replacing roller bearings in the future, thx eric. Much cheaper to break the line than the rod.

Its a very difficult choice when a 50cm+ jack has wrapped your line around a sunken tree and you can still feel him pulling. Sure, I let out some line and play him for 15 mins, but after that, Im gonna wrestle him out or break the line. Decisions, decisions.

Dont forget to save yourselves from some reel damage too guys.

cheers
Andrew

[GPB]

no need for me to read it again..it said the rod was pointed towards the snag...I take that to mean it was straight...how does a rod snap if it is straight?

It could be good marketing for Eric...after reading that I for one would not buy one..where does "angler error" end ?

PinHead, if you read it properly it is general advice what to do, not what happened

"If you snag up, point the rod towards the snag and have the frustration of losing a
jighead and re-tying . . . Far cheaper then forking out cash for a new rod!!"

[Billy C]

Steve B,

backflip comments were not for the sake of a post mate.

I own an S10. Wrote to Eric prior to buying it buying it asking for advice on rod choice, then once I purchased it spent a good amount of time with a friends who fish graphite rods working out the do's and dont's with high modulus graphite rods. Also read Erics website countless times reagrding his rods and techniques.

So when someone posts a thread blasting a quality product when they dont understand how to use it I cant but help to have a dig.

That all aside, good fishing boys, enjoy your reports.

Cheers,

Billy C

[Steve B]

Steve B,

backflip comments were not for the sake of a post mate.

I own an S10. Wrote to Eric prior to buying it buying it asking for advice on rod choice, then once I purchased it spent a good amount of time with a friends who fish graphite rods working out the do's and dont's with high modulus graphite rods. Also read Erics website countless times reagrding his rods and techniques.

So when someone posts a thread blasting a quality product when they dont understand how to use it I cant but help to have a dig.

That all aside, good fishing boys, enjoy your reports.

Cheers,

Billy C

Billy,

I know what your saying mate, and I agree. you obviously know what your doing with a graphite rod. But, you have to give a bit of credit for anyone who is admits to an 'error', especially when the info that he has provided might save someone else from the heartache of a snapped rod.. I have ample respect for Dave for doing this, and if it saves someone else from the same fate, well its worth while. Good on him, Dave didn't have to tell us anything and could have left the blame on the rod...but he didn't...he gave us some facts and truth.

cheers Steve

[Goldfinch]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all your comments and replies. It makes for an interesting debate. I'm just going to clarify a couple of things.

I don't own an Egrell S10 and personally, I don't think I would ever spend that sort of money on a rod because I don't look after my gear as well as my fishing mate Pete does. I use my gear a lot more and other people use my gear and some of it gets pretty punished. Most of my rods are in the $150-$200 range.

Pete rang Eric Grell and spoke with him about the rod for well over an hour. Whilst talking to Eric about what happened when the rod snapped, Pete soon realized that it was his fault and not the fault of the rod. Pete said Eric was extremely informative, polite and diplomatic about the situation. Because I criticized the Egrell rod in my original post, I thought it only fair to Eric that I post a statement on behalf of Pete, stating the fact that it was "User Error" that caused the break.

Eric runs a business, like I do, and there is nothing worse for small business than misinformation. I would hate to have a negative impact on Eric's business because of a false criticism of his product. That's just common courtesy.

I hope this clears things up a bit.

Cheers
Dave

[LostNearBribie]

Well said mate.
I have a couple of Egrels in the Bear range.
So I just wanted to add my 2 bobs worth.
While over at Moreton Saturday morning things were a bit lumpy.
I'm not the most stable guy around and while getting from one end of the tinny to the other, a wave hit my boat side on.
I stumbled and put a foot on my S2!!
The tip was on the casting platform at the front of the boat, the grip end on the floor of the boat.
All that happened was I bent the first runner.
I was able to bend it back and you wouldn't know anything has happened.
I come in at around 120kgs. I'm sure the little rod isn't meant to take pressure like that!
Great rods.... I want more.