[kurtisb]

Last winter I bought a super cheap surf rod reel combo at a show because I knew I would be camping on the beach in Delaware in August.

Come August in Delaware, I pull the rod out of the camper and find the insert in the first guide is missing, no where to be found.

I fished with it anyway because all we caught were croakers that didn't bend the rod.

When I got home I bought the closest looking 40 mm guide I could find on ebay, $3.99 including shipping from Shanghai. Three weeks later it arrived.

I cut the metal ring with a dremel hoping to salvage the ceramic ring and bing it popped right out. It is press fit, only held by friction. Is this how they are all made. I was amazed. Looking at my $20 rods and my $200 rods, the guides are all made the same except for my fish poison rod.

With a little grinding with the dremel I got the ring to fit and epoxied in place. Fixed my $20 rod for $4 and an hours work.

Hope I get to use it again someday.