Ned Poulos-Boggis

Great suggestions! And thanks for the first-hand report on the epoxy. I was wondering if that would happen. I'll probably give the Dremel method a try first.

Hi guys, Thanks for all of the input. I realize that is recommended, but if I have to toss the old eye out then I figure I might as well experiment. That's what brought me here. I have tons of experience replacing the tip guides, but the ones in the middle are new to me. I've watched videos and I'm not intimidated at all though. I fly fish too, so I have plenty of thread, bobbins, and various adhesives. I figured that there might be a better way to lifehack this issue though. Despite your recommendations (which I may still follow) I'm going to experiment a bit. If I buy a $10 adhesive and can fix 20 rods with it, I'll let you guys know. It's an Abu Garcia Vigilante. It's a $30 rod, but I do like the action of it a lot. I mostly buy throw-away rods, but I shop very hard for them when I do. I won't order them online. I need to feel them in person. I'd prefer to fix it, but is it worth the $10 to replace the guide?....definitely a good question! Forgive me, I'm a marine/aquatic biologist and experimentation has it's own allure.

Hello, It's my first post so I have to say hello. I recently lost an insert on a rod guide (not the tip) and it's 100% gone. Not exactly sure when I lost it. Gluing it back in is not an option, and I know that replacement is recommended. My question is, since it's one guide in the middle, can i just coat the metal eye with some epoxy or something to smooth it out? I imagine it won't be as slick as ceramic, and I do use braid so it could wear over time, but I imagine it would solve the abrasion issue. Has anyone tried doing something like this? I've found lots of information on replacement, but I travel with 3-8 fishing rods (spinning and fly) and this isn't my first time losing an eye insert. I'm wondering if there's an easier method. I once repaired a pair of glasses with some JB weld (popular in aquaculture, which is my realm of profession) and it had a ceramic-insert-like texture when hard. I imagine there's something out there that can make this simpler. Thanks!