Building Fly Rod Holders for My Boat

Breaking a fly rod is an awful feeling.  If you've ever broken one, you know the pain.  If you haven't broken one, your day is probably coming.  I have been unfortunate enough to break three rods in the last year and I'm tired of it.  But out of frustration can come motivation.  You know what I mean, probably.  If you've ever gotten fed up and sick of a situation, maybe you thought, "I'm done!  I'm not doing this anymore."  That's where I was, mentally, when I started this project.  

My last rod was broken when Waylon (my dog) sat on one of my 6 weights and snapped it like a twig.  From there, I decided that I needed a better method to store and transport fly rods in my Jon boat.  I wrestled with some designs but then saw a rod storage system that a guide in Wyoming used.  A light bulb went off and I knew what I wanted to do.  I decided that I was going to use some PVC pipe to store my rods and my inspiration directed me to cut the tube in half approximately 1/3 of the way up the pipe.  I didn't know how I was going to secure the system to the boat or how I would incorporate a locking system near the reel and handle.  I decided to throw caution to the wind and just dive right in.  I planned to problem solve as I went along.  

I cut the PVC, and then started making brackets to attach to the pipe and to parts of my boat.  I made a bracket for the last bench seat in my boat, a bracket for the middle bench seat, and then a bracket for the front platform of my semi v bottom boat.  Aside from the PVC, I used some 2 X 4's, 1 X 2's, some perforated plumber's tape, and even some paint stir sticks.  The rear bracket has some slots for the reels and reel seats to fit.  I also included some small, swingable pieces of wood to secure the rods during transportation on or off the water.  The middle section attaches the PVC to the wood with the perforated plumbers tape, and the end is constructed in a similar fashion.

I'm happy with how the construction turned out and after one morning of field testing, I see this tool as being a viable option to protect my rods.  I'm going to need to cut the channel in the PVC a little further as the current channel creates an awkward angle and motion to load the rods from the back of the boat but I will get to that this weekend.  If you're interested in creating something similar, feel free to shoot me an email.  I would be happy to give more detail or help with a brainstorming session.  My email is showmeflyguy@gmail.com.  Have a fun and safe weekend.  See you next week!