What's your favorite bamboo rod?

[Oxbow]

I'm pretty much with Scott.

Yep - Ditto

[thegreek]

My favorite rod is my Maurer Starlight Creek Special 764~3/2. I think George had the Driftless in mind when he made that rod!

[OldCane]

I guess there's several that I'd be hard pressed to dispose of, but my favorite not because I fish it the most, but because I just enjoy looking at it, is my early 7'6" Montague Redwing (3/2) 2 wt. It stumps most bamboo people when I cover the markings and ask for the maker, I don't believe a single person has guessed Montague without a hint.

[Trains&Canes]

I also have to share two rods that I love to fish. My Bob Summers 856 does it all, wets and dries, and I landed some nice fish this summer with this rod. But for the smaller streams I frequently take my Tufts and Batson 7'9" 3 piece for #5, (Fifteen Fifteen) which can handle tiny emergers or big terrestrials with a Wulff TT. This rod is not simply a fine fishing tool, it is supernaturally blessed to catch fish. Here is a 24' brown taken on a Fat Albert with the 856.

[Flykuni3]

Ok, now I feel the spirit -- I have some favorites, though I love them all. The 7' T&T TTT for DT2, impreg'd, flamed, blued, med fast, is hard to beat.



If I had to run out the door this is the tube I'd grab. But I wouldn't feel bad to look down and see the 4-pc 7' Duracane Appalachian in my hand -- it is med fast but gentle, with power, and it's one of those rods that casts precisely where your eyes look. And the tube is so small it looks weird.



But last week I put my 8' DT3 Akimaru through some tough paces on a stream where the fish ranged from 6" -- 16", and the flows were placid to roaring, and it fished beautifully. The big brown was a scary thing, and I babied the rod, turned it over and over, kept the angle low as I fought the fish with the rod's mid section and butt, and the fish finally moved into the shallows, to my net. Whew. Sorry, no pic right now.

But it's a beaut, first, given the legendary Japanese craftsmanship, the attention of the smallest of details. The whole concept is quite a nice package: a subdued look to it, watake cane with its soft amber yellow; unusual male bamboo ferrules that fit into a hex female ferrule, and a very attractive tube with a hand-tooled, sliding leather cap. The rod is hollow-built, with a med fast action that works into the middle of the taper. The grip is a gentle Full Wells, perfect corks sanded smooth, and it is the lightest and most versatile 8' rod I have ever fished.

But if I were escaping in an emergency and did not grab this rod I'd feel truly bad. Pal George, my great but hypochrondriac, bitching, complaining fishing buddy, rest in peace, George, made only one 3/2 rod. Before colon cancer took him he handed me the rod in his workshop garage. "Here, you should have it, you're the only one who likes it." I think it's a great rod: George made everything except grow the cane and cork, the guides and silk and varnish. He took all those things and with his hands turned the raw metals, and planed the cane, and he made a magnificent fishing instrument.

It's 7' and casts a DT3, it is medium, and I kept telling people how it's just like an old Leonard, a sweet and gentle Catskill, and perfect for the small stream. But yeah, I was the only one who liked it. Now I love it, as I love the memory of that impossible, difficult, great pal o' mine. When I fish alone, which is often, I'll be putting the rod back into the case and I'll say out loud, "Fished with you George, your rod was great. Thanks."

[Canewrap]

Flykuni3, that is one beautiful rod in your last photo. It is exactly the kind of look I am trying to get with some of the rods I make. You are a lucky man to own such a 'soulful' rod.

[Flykuni3]

Thanks, the stick has meaning to it.

[headwaters]

Flykuni--

Wonderful tribute to your good friend and the rod he gifted you!

[PT48]

If I was to be restricted to one rod to meet my bamboo needs it would have to be a Payne 98 for a four weight line.

[Flyfishbill]

My Summers 735 gets top billing.

[123dooclimber]

On big water: Rick Robins 8' 3/2 6 weight....Small, tight streams: Bogart "Yellow Rose" copy. These two rods are my favorites depending on what size water I'm fishing. If I had to pick only one rod with regard to only what I really like, just because the rod makes me feel really good, it would be the Rick Robins. But I couldn't do without a small stream rod for up in the Smoky Mountains...Isn't a really nice bamboo fly rod just wonderful?

[wb4tjh]

For most of my fishing these days, I grab my 7.5 foot Battenkill, 3 7/8 ounce, 2/2. it's just a nice all around fly rod, tough and easy casting and shrugs off bad weather and a 5 weight is a good trout choice.

[SpringCreek]

On the water, a Summers 275 that I owned at one point.

Favorite Rod: The first rod my dad gave me. Still have it and never intend to let it go. It isn't bamboo, but holds a special place with me

[Bethabara]

Well, I would love to jump in here and talk about favorite bamboo rods
But in what context is the question asked? Are we referring to vintage rods, modern rods, 2-piece, 3- piece, functionality, or cosmetics?
In the past, I have been very fortunate to have worked on, handled, and fished 1400 bamboo fly rods, they all cast well and catch fish.
So, my first answer is [all of them], my motto on my old website was: I never met a bamboo rod I didn't like or couldn't fix.

I never did learn how to post pictures directly onto this forum and I use Postimage so I can only supply a link to photos of my rods.
If these photos can not be viewed I will need to try something else.

The top rod I call the natural, 2 pieces 2 tips, 7.5 ft., 5 weight, with intrinsic wrapped ferrules, first day on the water landed a 7 lb Rainbow.
Number 2 rod is my Quad-Four / 2 piece 2 tips, 4/5 weight, Quadrate I built in 2002, and I seriously like the feel of it on the water.















Mike