Bamboo Fly Rods Today

[RMorrison]

I was 24 when I first got the cane rod bug. Cost was a factor so I thought making a rod would be cheaper. One of the biggest and best errors I made in my life.

How hard could it be, right??

Ha! Good one! It never ceases to amaze me how much meticulous work goes into building a bamboo rod. As I’ve said before - cane rods really are a sublime marriage of form and function.

[Chased]

I was 24 when I first got the cane rod bug. Cost was a factor so I thought making a rod would be cheaper. One of the biggest and best errors I made in my life.

Pretty similar to how I got in to bamboo/building as well. Grew up spin fishing with grandpa, but always watched the guys in the local tail water do much better with a fly rod. About 10 years ago I decided to give it a try and teach myself and I was hooked. The latest greatest graphite craze got old in a hurry so I turned to fiberglass. Natural progression led me to bamboo 6 or 7 years ago. About 5 years ago I set up shop in my tiny 2nd story apartment and built my first rod, doing most of the work on my 8x5 deck with tools that frankenstiein would laugh at. But they worked!

When looking to buy a house 2 years ago I bought the house with the biggest garage I could afford. Now I’ve got a all sorts of rod building stuff and enough culms to probably last me a lifetime.

Yeah, I’ve saved a TON by building instead of buying

Most guys my age drive fancy new cars, have the latest and greatest tech, and spend more on alcohol in a month than it costs to feed my family of 4. I drive a cheap old Hyundai, build bamboo rods, and shoot film. It’s all about the feel. I like the analog process. I’m 26.

[ARTHURK]

Thanks for sharing your journey Chased. It is exactly that ‘focus on the craft & history of canerods, simple yet meaningful lifestyle with family & friends , love for bamboo for specific use, etc’ that, IMHO is the reason for this amazing forum. Yes, we do push some boundaries & challenge some classic norms (just like how the Golden Age of Bamboo masters innovated) but we keep the core ‘feel’/‘aesthetics’/ ‘settings’ (including historical settings where we experienced this art) close to our hearts as ‘foundations’. That is why this is a Classic Fly Rod forum. Something is only considered Classic when it has gained a level of perfection ( for its intended use), aesthetics and a degree of ‘timelessness’.

Allow me to clarify again that this Classic foundation does not mean we cannot innovate in design/ add more use to the bamboo fishing rod/ change the aesthetics etc. It merely means we have something precious to hold onto and promote as ‘Classic’. Many might not agree due to various reasons like bamboo’s limited performance, weight or even the focus on fly rods but so be it. We just hope others are patient enough to try cane fly rods out, read the history, listen to the many stories & if they like them, good! The question of market value is secondary to what we as a community consider as Classic as money often muddles things up and detracts from the qualities we find important in Classic tackle.

I did not say non bamboo users are bad casters/anglers or the other way round that cane rod users are somewhat better. I just mentioned that Classic cane is like a Strad violin... best used for certain situations and those who use them need knowledge/ experience about these cane rods to extract the best experience. You don’t use a Strad to play rock;-)

Yes we have ‘wasted’ lots of money, time, grey cells etc on Classic Fly Rods but man... what a ride!

Cheers
Arthur

[Seabowisha Salmo T]

Thanks for sharing your journey Chased. It is exactly that ‘focus on the craft & history of canerods, simple yet meaningful lifestyle with family & friends , love for bamboo for specific use, etc’ that, IMHO is the reason for this amazing forum. Yes, we do push some boundaries & challenge some classic norms (just like how the Golden Age of Bamboo masters innovated) but we keep the core ‘feel’/‘aesthetics’/ ‘settings’ (including historical settings where we experienced this art) close to our hearts as ‘foundations’. That is why this is a Classic Fly Rod forum. Something is only considered Classic when it has gained a level of perfection ( for its intended use), aesthetics and a degree of ‘timelessness’.

Allow me to clarify again that this Classic foundation does not mean we cannot innovate in design/ add more use to the bamboo fishing rod/ change the aesthetics etc. It merely means we have something precious to hold onto and promote as ‘Classic’. Many might not agree due to various reasons like bamboo’s limited performance, weight or even the focus on fly rods but so be it. We just hope others are patient enough to try cane fly rods out, read the history, listen to the many stories & if they like them, good! The question of market value is secondary to what we as a community consider as Classic as money often muddles things up and detracts from the qualities we find important in Classic tackle.

I did not say non bamboo users are bad casters/anglers or the other way round that cane rod users are somewhat better. I just mentioned that Classic cane is like a Strad violin... best used for certain situations and those who use them need knowledge/ experience about these cane rods to extract the best experience. You don’t use a Strad to play rock;-)

Yes we have ‘wasted’ lots of money, time, grey cells etc on Classic Fly Rods but man... what a ride!

Cheers
Arthur

cheers, arthur; quote: "don't use a quad (hee-haw---that is a freudian slip of the tongue! should be STRAD!) to play rock", but howdy used roy's to play the the great speckeled bird and tennessee central no, 9 and wabash cannonball, blue eyes and many other country music songs. quite a few country performers warm up with rock, one of my friends warms up his amati with tucker and allman brothers tunes. regards, jim w

[ARTHURK]

Yer got me there Jim!

[Rolf Jacobsen]

I was 24 when I first got the cane rod bug. Cost was a factor so I thought making a rod would be cheaper. One of the biggest and best errors I made in my life.

I for one am glad you did........

[Bill T]

Rolf that's why I like making rods for you...

You take much better photos than Andre

Bill

[andre49]

Just when I was going to compliment you. Never mind.

[baughb]

While I'm sorry for the modern makers, I'm not holding out much hope.

I started fishing Bamboo in my early 30's (90's), and have bought a few but not a lot. I chose poorly earlier but have since found a builder I like (Joe Bradley) and I have 2 of his rods that fit 75% of my fishing. And since they are superbly made, they won't need replacing for... ever as far as my life is concerned (although I have to send Joe a tip I broke in a fall this past July....). So the flow of money from me to the "bamboo industry" is pretty much tapped out.

Now the younger fly fishers IMHE, while hashtagging, and influencing, and repping their water, seem to be on a different level of values with regards to flyfishing. Bamboo makers are not gonna sponsor anybody. No freebies there. Moving on.

That said, I've never met a cane rod artist that does this for the money. But if WE want then to survive, buy their rods, fish them well, and share and toys with others.

Bob

[billems]

I've heard much about the impending doom of the bamboo rod. Some of us boomers believe we'll die off and none will pick up the torch (or the beveler). But the rods, I believe, will be the key to this niche's survival. For general trout fishing, no other material supersedes--my opinion, of course--the sensual response that split cane delivers. And with quality graphite now hitting the $1000 mark, bamboo, in my opinion, resides in good position for thriving in the future (NOT "thriving, going forward").

[Flykuni3]

Bought a pal a 7' rod for stream fishing, fiberglass. It comes in 3/1, good tube, pretty blank, nicely done wraps and quality fittings. Thing felt and cast nicely. It cost $79....

[Canewrap]

Bought a pal a 7' rod for stream fishing, fiberglass. It comes in 3/1, good tube, pretty blank, nicely done wraps and quality fittings. Thing felt and cast nicely. It cost $79....

Ah, but do you suppose it will ever be handed down and lovingly restored? To me it's like the difference between a run-of-the-mill knife and a benchmade knife. They both cut and get the job done, but at the end-of-the-day which one would you rather have?

[Flykuni3]

Bamboo, of course, but was making the point that today's fisher is faced with money concerns from student debt to housing/rent prices that are unbelievably high -- 70. for a well-made, durable and fishable fly rod is a very good deal.

[BlueDunn]

I believe that there will always be some folks who will feel the need to experience things the way they were "a long time ago". Bamboo rods, like the old Parker, Fox, Lefever, etc. American SxS shotguns, will always be sought out long after they are no longer made.

[Flykuni3]

Agree with you, BlueDunn, but if we Who Remember The Beatles pass, as we will as all things must pass, heh, there will certainly be the antique fan. But far less than today, which is less than a few years back when Garrisons and Gillums were fetching those huge prices. Or the Haskell Minnow.

Younger types just don't collect the way Boomers do. Some seem to carry their whole lives in their phones....

[Stuckeysflat]

I bought my first bamboo in 1972 at age 18 because, at the time, they were state of the art (in my circle of friends, anyway). I had not cast a bamboo fly rod before, only fiberglass, but the Orvis catalog that arrived in my mailbox a few times a year convinced me I needed one, so I got one, and then another one, and another one, and so on. I still do my best to show them off a few times a month on our local streams but none of the younger folks on the river seem to take notice of a bamboo rod, they're all sporting the latest graphite 10'/ 3wts. That seems to be what they're interested in, and I guess I can live with that. They don't know what they're missing.

[jrpaquatics]

Cost is what always kept me away. I’m 30, only a few years ago I learned I could buy old beat up rods cheaply and restore them while still having a great rod. Had to go through some bad ones before I learned which brands and models I liked.

Younger people live on the internet and this is an outdoor hobby. So the two need combined to get interests from younger people. They need to be inspired. Often I see this in YouTube videos, instagram posts. It helps to have an open and welcoming online community like forums or Facebook groups for questions to be answered.

I think mentoring can be good too. I didn’t have a great experience with that kind of thing (I was ignored at fly fishing camp my only guess is cuz I dress in all black, very goth at times)but maybe others can.

[60InchDV8]

I fished with my Grandad and he let me use his cane and greenheart rods which I later inherited. My path to cane seemed to be preordained by higher powers and I just grew up in a Palakona universe. What I have noticed is that when I meet young anglers a stream these days, they are very interested in my cane rods. Likewise when I attend my local fly shop or club which features mentoring of young anglers, I notice the interest and fascination with cane and classic reels and accessories. There is a misconception that cane rods are fragile and prohibitively expensive. These anglers are often fishing modern rods that are much more expensive than my Zietak, Hardy, Ciemiega,Sharpes or Partridge.I feel that if we mentor young anglers, they will naturally progress to flyfishing and cane rods as we did. Perhaps we should organize a post on this board to meet and mentor newbs in our communities by fishing with them and introducing them to cane. This can benefit our older members who may gain a younger fishing partner who will be taking us out in the future.

[DaveNJ]

Jeez.... am I the only one here who is/was crafting a response regarding the influence of climate change? The next 30 years are going to change a lot more than the materials used in fishing rods.

Part of me feels provocative for posting this, but then again it's honestly not talked about enough.

[ARTHURK]

I will jump in with you Dave.

I do see the trend that plant based organic materials that sequester carbon (while being regrown in nature) & cultivated protein based materials, that can either degrade naturally or be up-cycled like Bamboo, silk, cork shellac ... will take over most plastic materials in future. It is already happening in the construction industry with Mass Engineered Timber structures. I also see activism to save Gaia & restore habitats for wildlife (starting from just planting a tree) being important to the new generation... or at least to those who agree with the effects of climate change. For those of us who believe that something needs to be done,...Let’s walk the talk and encourage/ fund: planting of more bamboo, mulberry, cork oaks ( just found out that cork skinned trees can resist small fires) plus renewal/ revival of important functional & lifestyle crafts and culture that go with them. Foraging and home dining (with chefs planting their own key ingredients) is also going strong.... cultivate and custom your own. It is meaningful & fun! This is not to say plastics don’t work or are not important as an affordable way to pursue this sport.. it just says some of us believe we can do better... and yes, as proven by mass bamboo rod producers of the past, maybe cheaper than quite a few high end plastics;-)

Like home dining, techniques and the way we pursue our sport is gradually but surely changing... we take care of our home waters and travel less, invite our families as part of ‘nature education and forest bathing’, catch the smallest and rarest fish ( which we protect & fund because of our sport), use less heavy & more refined tackle focusing on feel, combine restoration/ wildlife data collection & cleaning efforts with fishing etc. It’s happening and cane will find its places due to its unique organic origins. Enjoy!

Cheers
Arthur