stretching out rod sleeves?

[jbmaine]

I picked up some McCoy brand rod sleeves ( they call them shields). These are the nylon mesh kind. The end you start the rod in is bell mouthed with the end folded back inside. The casting ones work fine but the spinning ones are not quite big enough for the largest guide. I have to work it over the largest guide to get it on, and taking it off the inside fold catches on the largest guide.

 I was thinking of maybe trying to stretch the bell mouth to make it a bit larger. Possibly something like squeezing a tennis ball in the bell mouth and setting it in boiling water for a while to soften and stretch it out.

 Has anyone tried something like this or have any other thoughts on how to make the end a little larger.

                                               Thanks

                                                            Jim

[MickD]

Never tried it.  How far into the sleeve do you want to pass the guide?  That depth will have to be stretched.  I found some Chinese sleeves on Ebay that come in two sizes; the larger working OK with my spin outfits.  For the taller Fuji KLH first guides I have to untuck the bell shape to get it easily over the guide.

[tander]

I believe I saw some at BP just for spinning rods.

[moguy1973]

McCoy does have spinning specific ones.

[jbmaine]

The ones I'm having trouble with are the ones made for spinning rods. Once I get it over the guide it slides the rest of the way fine, the same thing getting it off. I'm thinking I'll call McCoys on Monday and see if they have any thoughts on this. If the bell mouth was a little bigger or they sealed it at the end of the inside fold they would work fine.

                                                           Jim

[iabass8]

The Rod Glove ones go over the larger guide pretty well on mine. 

[DINK WHISPERER]

I use rod glove spinning specific ones for my son and had the same issue. I had the wife sew the very bottom lip so it wouldn't keep catching and unfolding. Works good enough.

[rippin-lips]

Dip the first 2 inches in plasti dip you get at Lowe’s or similar.