Those of you who use spigot ferrule fly rods face the possibility of the male ferrule getting worn down after a few season's of repeatedly assembling and disassembling the rod. Unlike a tip-over ferrule connection, the spigot is not self-correcting.

There should be approximately one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch of the male ferrule still visible when the two sections are joined. If the sections meet, it means the male ferrule has worn down, you no longer have a firm connection, and the tip section is liable to either twist or even come flying off on a cast. Even if the condition is not that drastic, you may detect a funny-feeling click on a cast as the two sections bump and rub against each other. Not good.

You can start carrying around a piece of candlewax to rub on the spigot whenever you assemble the fly rod, but this is a temporary solution at best. You may re-wrap the female connection with thread under tight tension in order to compress the inside diameter of the female ferrule, but you also run the risk of fracturing the graphite.

There's a better method. It's a fairly simple and straight-forward process that lasts longer than candlewax and is infinitely safer than re-wrapping.

Get thee to the paint shop and pick up a can of clear lacquer spray. Mask the fly rod below the spigot to guard against over-spray.

You want the coating to be even, so if possible, mount the rod section in a drying motor and let it rotate as you work. If you can't rig some sort of rotating device, call on a friend to turn the rod slowly as you spray the spigot with the lacquer.

Don't get carried away. We're talking about a terribly small increase in the diameter. Give the spigot a single, light spray, let the lacquer dry thoroughly, and test fit the connection. Keep adding light coats until the ferrule connection is back to normal. If you make the lacquer coat too thick, you can always remove some with extra-fine, wet sandpaper or extra-fine steel wool.

The lacquer coating should last you throughout this season, and maybe into the next. If not, it's a simple repair procedure that won't lead to a lot of down time for your fly rod.