Do any of y'all have a problem with your rods loosening up at the ferrule joints while you are casting? I have noticed that my cabelas Cahill does after about 20 minutes of practice casting in the yard.

Try ferrule wax!

I use my nose wax.......

If your rod has a tendance to loosen up, be sure to check it often. Loose ferrules can cause a rod to break.

I just use regular parafin candle wax. I have a small piece of a white candle that use when I get a new rod. It doesn't take much.

a birthday candle is always somewhere in my bag; a little wax will save a rod; I've repaired several whose owners are now believers-p-

Nose may be a little much, but back of the neck can be about right. Always twist them together in the same direction and apart in the opposite direction.

Loose ferrules are no fun. I've lost rod sections in the midst of fighting a fish and it can be pandemonious. I know that some Spey casters, who put lots of torque on their rods, will tape together the sections with electrician's tape before they start casting.

Stuck ferrules are no more fun. Two years ago I had ferrules stick on a bamboo rod I was fishing in New Mexico the day before I was to fly back home. I had to leave it for my buddies at The Reel Life in Santa Fe to pull apart and ship to me later.

There are lot of old wives tales about what should be done to keep ferrules in good repair. I won't go into detail, but it's worth an internet search and a half hour's reading.

To repair a fit that's loose at the tip or base of a connection, (which is prob your prob) I've put coarse automotive paint cutting compound on tapered ferrules then reassembled and gently spun them back and forth under pressure so's to even out the fit.

This is the old school technique used to create ground glass stoppers that were so high tech, oh, about 400 - 2400 years ago...

You can do it by hand or chuck one section into a cordless drill, then just 'spin and pump', but the second technique increase the chances for a fubar by at least two orders of magnitude. (Too much coffee and/or shinner bock will triple even that.)

Its important to keep the pressure and alignment critical as we're aiming for depth, not reaming... just depth...

Anyway, after a few grinding sessions, each done with with fresh compound, cut the tip of the male back a bit, ( A CIRCUMCISION, NOT A FULL CASTRATION !) just a little, like a 1/16" or 1/8" or so will do, and really, just a bit of beveling is enough.

The point being, to let the newly matched taper seat more deeply.

Hahaha; we now have the perfect host for a new PBS show! Wouldn't a "STEVE'S ROD REPAIR" actually compete favorably with Red Green's Fix-it-shop!!!!!Visualize the above conversation with some empty shiner bottles laying around and one in his hand while he demonstrates these techniques!!!-p-

I think Steve needs to stick to doing Sonic commercials!!!

Do you melt the wax in to the female part of the ferrule or rub it on like a crayon to paper?

No, go easy with the wax. Ferrules are already a tight fit, so very little wax is needed.

Just put it on the male ferrule. I just lay the rod against the candle and make one pass while spinning the rod, using very light pressure. You can always add more if needed, but start with just a little bit of wax.

Thanks for the advice.