beware the tippet hanging outside of the window or car door - rod nestled safely inside on the trip between beats/rivers, you think, but even a spider thin 6x tippet hanging outside of the car door can get caught on wheels or bushes, and the first thing you know is that a serious tug is given and a rod goes flying across the car with resounding snap at the end. Been there, seen it with a few western rods from mates, and, despite supposedly knowing what not to do, last season very nearly did it myself with the tenkara, because I was lazy and just dumped the lot in the footwell when moving between rivers instead of winding back on the EZ keepers or line holder - somehow the tippet end (sans fly) was hanging outside of the door; I just noticed it in time as I was pulling out to the road. der and doh.

#3. Got the tip of the pole snagged high up in a tree hanging over the river. It's so hard to watch the line and the end of the pole at the same time.
All I could do was pull back until something gave. I was lucky and the branch gave away. I had pulled so hard on the pole that It was very hard to get each piece to come apart. When O got to the 2nd from the last section I bent it over. 1 week later I had my replacement parts.
I did end up with 5 extra flies that came with the branch that gave away
I'll try to watch the end of the pole when I'm in the trees.

Pieguy56 -- Your story reminds me of a story that Al Troth, the guy who designed the Elk Hair Caddis, told me. One day he began a float of his local Montana river and discovered he'd left his flies at home. He fished all day anyway, using only the flies he picked out of tree branches and bushes. ~Paul

Definitely guilty of trying to free my fly by just whipping the rod around. I need to shake that habit before I buy my Tenkara rod, otherwise I just know my first day out will not be a pleasant one.