Replacing broken fishing guides is a common problem that most anglers will face sooner or later. This video is a quick guide to replacing them at home using some basic tools. If you've never replaced a guide before, I'd say practice on a rod you don't care about too much, just to gain a little confidence and see if you can do it. If you have a high-value rod to repair, or something with some sentimental value, it might be worth contacting a professional rod builder and letting them work their magic. Things generally look easier on the internet than they should be.

The hardest part of the whole thing is finding a guide that fits, especially if you've never bought a guide before. The easiest way to do this is to go to the tackle shop with your fishing rod and see what they have in stock. You can physically compare the guides and maybe get a little help from the staff. Another good way is to take some good close-up photos with your phone or camera, take some measurements and post them to an online fishing forum or Facebook group. There are usually groups there for rod repair or custom rod building and often people are more than happy to help you. And if you're brave, buy a selection box of guides online and see if one fits. I did that and got lucky.

For the thread I used a black nylon grade D rod wrapping thread, which you might get at a fishing shop or cheaply online.

I used a two-part epoxy for rod finishing that has a working time of about 40 minutes and hardens in about a day. Small pre-filled syringes instead of large bottles are also available online or in good tackle shops.

I used homemade rod rests made from 3" x 1" softwood to make working on the rod easier. You can also just tie rods in your hands and coat them with resin, but it's much easier to have some sort of rest.

The second and third layers of resin need to be rotated so the resin doesn't sag and pool on one side of the rod. Again, this can be achieved by hand rotating the rod every few minutes, but it will take a few hours for the resin to thicken enough to stop running. You can buy rotating rod racks online, but again I made one out of a microwave motor I bought online and attached it to the rod with a piece of pipe.

I used 600 grit wet and dry paper for sanding between coats and masking tape for covering.

Have fun

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