Protect your weapon... on the cheap.

I was getting things ready for my Lake Erie steelie trip at the end of next month and realized that I don't have a tube for my rod, just the sock. It's a 4 pc, 9' 8wt from a big-box store.

So I did what I did for a few of my other rods that are shield-less. I made one from PVC!


I think that there are a few different instructions online for how to do this, but here is how I do it.

If the rod has a sock this part is easy, but can be a little more of a pain if you don't even have a sock. Break your rod down and place it in the sock(or not as the case may be.) Roll it up like your going to stick it in the tube. Now measure the diameter of the bundle made by the rod. This will usually be between one and two inches but you want a snug enough fit so that the rod isn't rattling around.

Next measure the length. I usually then add an inch or two so that I know that I will have enough room once the tube is finished.

My 8wt was roughly 2" in diameter and 29.5" long.

Now head to the hardware store. You will need a section of PVC pipe, a slip on cap, a male coupling and then a screw on cap. If your lucky your hardware store will cut the PVC to your specifications. I'm not so lucky so I had to by a 5' section.

Got home and cut the PVC pipe down to a 31" section. This was especially good because my cut was a little crooked. Oops....

Next slip on the cap and the coupling. You can use an adhesive to keep these in place if you want to but I don't. One time I was in a rush and didn't line up the threads on the cap when I went to close the tube. Next time I went to open it I couldn't! But I was able to muscle the whole cap section off and get to my rod, so at least the day of fishing was shot down before it could begin. That is the only time a section has came off for me.

So, for about $10 I made a PVC rod tube that is near indestructible and have enough PVC left over to make another tube for a 4 pc. Not too shabby, I'd say.