What’s so great about bamboo?

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davemaine
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#61

Post by davemaine »

This is getting needlessly complicated.

A fishing rod is a tool. No rod (made from any material) does all things well.

For the trout fishing I do, the bamboo rods I own do the things I want them to do as well as the graphite rods I have owned.

On top of that, there are all the other factors beyond performance that contribute to my enjoyment and pleasure.

I do not feel handicapped fishing bamboo trout rods. And I enjoy fishing them more than I enjoy fishing graphite rods.

That's it.

davemaine
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#62

Post by davemaine »

One last point: the skill of the angler is by far the biggest determining factor in how many fish anyone catches.

The two most exceptional anglers I know use different gear. One uses 30 year old graphite rods and doesn't obsess about gear at all. He consistently catches more large trout on one famous New England trout stream than anyone else I am aware of.

The other is bamboo-obsessed and uses only rods he made himself.

Both are exceptional casters (through long study and experience) and know the rivers they fish inside out.

Neither one would particularly enjoy fishing with the other, due to temperamental differences and fishing preferences. One will stalk a large trout for days until he catches it, casting only occasionally. The other fishes like it's combat.

Both have found the tools they enjoy using and that work well for them.

Oh, and both fish circles around me. :)

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tomimc1
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#63

Post by tomimc1 »

Douglas Upstream models are pretty dang awesome to fish with and have a very similar feel to a lot of the cane rods in my quiver. Especially nice is the 6 pc 7.5'/3wt for backpacking...make that out of bamboo and you'd have more metal ferrule than grass fibers. Not all graphite fishes or casts like a broomstick like many here seem to imply.

RSalar
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#64

Post by RSalar »

BDNGRD wrote:
05/10/21 19:16
The first time I ever tied a fly it was a very large Pheasant Tail Nymph. It was a mess. The first time I used it, I caught a very nice rainbow on it and my sense of connection was very satisfying. I kept the fly in a small glass jar and I grin every time I see it on the mantle. I decided I needed to always tie my own flies. There have been a few exceptions, but in general, I tie all winter for the summer season. I recently finished my first bamboo rod and have now caught fish on it, and again the sense of connection runs deep. I spent almost the whole winter working on it in the evenings, and like the nymph, it is far from perfect, but I am going to have a hard time fishing any other rod in my collection this summer!
That sums up pretty much how I feel about it. Catching just any fish is not the goal anymore— catching lots of fish isn’t the goal anymore. Catching any fish on a fly I personally tied is really cool. Catching any fish on the split bamboo rod I made is incredibly amazing. To me the ultimate fishing experience would be catching a really big hard to catch fish on the fly I tied and on the rod I made. No guide, no help — just me and the fish.

Handmade bamboo fly rods are super cool and great in almost every way but let’s not forget that the experience of being out there fishing and enjoying the day is the ultimate experience. And each of us gets enjoyment from fishing in different ways — that’s ok. There is no one right way that everyone has to adhere to.
Testimony is like an arrow shot from a long-bow; the force of it depends on the strength of the hand that draws it. Argument is like an arrow from a cross-bow, which has equal force though shot by a child.” Bacon.

RSalar
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#65

Post by RSalar »

Perry Palin wrote:
05/11/21 09:16
Rsalar,

I don’t really want to be argumentative, but you wrote that “ . . . as far as casting a fly goes in terms of distance, accuracy, and delicacy of presentation (bamboo) comes in second place to graphite.” But earlier you wrote that “you haven’t fished with bamboo enough to know. . . .” So, how do you know?
This has been tested and proven over and over again — it’s exactly why I brought up tournament casting early on. Bamboo is inferior to graphite in distance casting. Accuracy? I doubt bamboo has any advantage— but I’m open to any evidence to the contrary that you can present.

It’s clear to me that at shorter distances an experienced fly caster can do very good things with a split cane fly rod. And if that’s what he enjoys he should do it. But it’s a very difficult thing to prove that a bamboo rod of equal length and weight can surpass a graphite rod in casting a fly accurately and delicately at any given distance.
Testimony is like an arrow shot from a long-bow; the force of it depends on the strength of the hand that draws it. Argument is like an arrow from a cross-bow, which has equal force though shot by a child.” Bacon.

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Flykuni3
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#66

Post by Flykuni3 »

Wallll, you can drive a Yugo or a fully restored Steve McQueen-Bullitt-Mustang in cool green while wearing a turtle neck and blazer. Both vehicles will get you to yr destination. Am with McQueen.

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Tim Anderson
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#67

Post by Tim Anderson »

RSalar wrote:
05/11/21 17:10
Bamboo is inferior to graphite in distance casting. Accuracy? I doubt bamboo has any advantage— but I’m open to any evidence to the contrary that you can present.

It’s clear to me that at shorter distances an experienced fly caster can do very good things with a split cane fly rod. And if that’s what he enjoys he should do it. But it’s a very difficult thing to prove that a bamboo rod of equal length and weight can surpass a graphite rod in casting a fly accurately and delicately at any given distance.
And why should anyone try to prove to you that bamboo has advantages. You have apparently already made up your mind.

The people on this forum like bamboo for a number of reasons. Those are their reasons and many of us get it that you don't need to accept them.

For me, there is a significant reason to favor bamboo over graphite. I can build a rod from a graphite blank that somebody else makes. I can make a blank from bamboo and that blank can have characteristics I want to have. If I don't like the result, I can change my taper to better match what I want. I can also make a blank with casting and fishing characteristics that a friend wants. And I can do that on a one-off basis without any additional investment in equipment.

There are many fine graphite and fiberglass blanks on the market, but I am limited to what I can buy. I can make anything I want out of bamboo. Of course, you might not want it!

Tim

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thegubster
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#68

Post by thegubster »

RSalar............welcome to the "innernet"..........................

Movin' on.....

RSalar
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#69

Post by RSalar »

Tim Anderson wrote:
05/11/21 19:21
And why should anyone try to prove to you that bamboo has advantages. You have apparently already made up your mind.

Tim
Tim — That’s not true. I haven’t made up my mind. I’m not knocking bamboo fly rods— on the contrary, I love bamboo fly rods but I haven’t seen any evidence that they cast farther or more accurately or with more delicacy than graphite. If all you care about is objective scientifically provable performance by the numbers then graphite SEEMS to be the way to go. But if you know of some evidence that can show otherwise I would be very interested in knowing about it.

I wouldn’t be spending hours and hours working on crafting a split bamboo rod if I didn’t think they are very special casting instruments. I think they are amazing rods to look at and to cast and to enjoy but that enjoyment is not caused by how far they’ll cast or how accurate they are — it’s about owning and using a very fine hand crafted fly rod. I just hope someone doesn’t figure out a way to mass produce them — but that’s another sticky subject... for another day
Testimony is like an arrow shot from a long-bow; the force of it depends on the strength of the hand that draws it. Argument is like an arrow from a cross-bow, which has equal force though shot by a child.” Bacon.

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Brooks
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#70

Post by Brooks »

A bamboo rod is like a beautiful lover, a companion, a spirit.

A graphite rod is like a blow-up party doll.

(OK, yes, I’ve been drinking)
😎

davemaine
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#71

Post by davemaine »

I still don't understand what you're looking for here, RSalar. I have seen good casters cast entire fly lines with a variety of bamboo rods, including the old 8 foot Orvis you mentioned. How's that for distance? As for accuracy, a good caster who is experienced with the rod they are using can hit the targets consistently with a rod of any material.

Is your argument that graphite is "objectively" superior to bamboo for fly rods because that is what tournament casters use? We've already agreed graphite rods may be "objectively" better for distance casting competitions.

As a fishing tool, how could anyone possibly establish "scientifically proven performance?" There are far too many variables and far too much subjectivity.

All any of us can decide is what is "best" for us.

snorider
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#72

Post by snorider »

:skoal :rollin Brooks thanks that about sums it up. Hope you’re doing well this morning.
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it. T.R.

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tomimc1
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#73

Post by tomimc1 »


... on the contrary, I love bamboo fly rods but I haven’t seen any evidence that they cast farther or more accurately or with more delicacy than graphite. If all you care about is objective scientifically provable performance by the numbers then graphite SEEMS to be the way to go. But if you know of some evidence that can show otherwise I would be very interested in knowing about it.
Well, personally I haven't seen any evidence to the contrary that graphite casts further, more accurately or with more delicacy than bamboo.

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GerardH
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#74

Post by GerardH »

Brooks wrote:
05/12/21 02:06
A bamboo rod is like a beautiful lover, a companion, a spirit.

A graphite rod is like a blow-up party doll.

(OK, yes, I’ve been drinking)
😎
70 posts into the thread and this one puts a ribbon and bow on it. Well played, sir.

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CDCdun
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#75

Post by CDCdun »

Wait a second...does that mean blow up party dolls can’t have a soul?

Bamboo is great, fiberglass is great, graphite is great. As long as it can cast a fly line I’m all for it!

Jake

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Brooks
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#76

Post by Brooks »

CDCdun wrote:
05/13/21 20:07
Wait a second...does that mean blow up party dolls can’t have a soul?
Rubber soles at the bottoms of their little feet.
(Depending on the model.)

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Kenneth
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#77

Post by Kenneth »

Coming late to this conversation, but I thought I'd say that we've had several analogous discussions in the past. Here's a good one from 11 years ago, with a memorable contribution from Sante, rest his great soul:

- viewtopic.php?f=65&t=34728

Kenneth

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Gnome
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#78

Post by Gnome »

tomimc1 wrote:
05/12/21 20:49

... on the contrary, I love bamboo fly rods but I haven’t seen any evidence that they cast farther or more accurately or with more delicacy than graphite. If all you care about is objective scientifically provable performance by the numbers then graphite SEEMS to be the way to go. But if you know of some evidence that can show otherwise I would be very interested in knowing about it.
Well, personally I haven't seen any evidence to the contrary that graphite casts further, more accurately or with more delicacy than bamboo.

Wow!!
Ask Steve Rajeff if Graphite cast farther than bamboo. It is A proven Fact that the world records fly casters ( I.E. The top-level fly casters in the world!!)
use graphite and not bamboo, just shoveling some of the misinformation aside, graphite will and can cast farther than bamboo Period!

In 1997 in Pretoria South Africa Steve made a cast with a single hand rod of 248 feet If there is anyone who can do this with bamboo I would like to see it!

Recurve1
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#79

Post by Recurve1 »

I have very little experience with bamboo but i like fishing with the rods and appreciate the craftmanship involved in making them. I have never felt a soul in any of my rods though. The biggest problem for me is the twisting and turning of the rod while playing a fish to avoid sets. For instance a couple days ago I got into a heavy hatch and was catching quite a few fish but they were in fast heavy water. after hooking them I was more concerned with getting them into soft water and not falling in myself. If I also had to think about turning the rod over, the angle of the tip, trying to net a fish that was 8 feet away, etc it would have made things a mess. With my graphite or fiberglass rod I can just lay into the fish, put that rod into a U-shape if needed, and get it into position to net it quickly without worrying about putting a set in the rod. If I landed/netted fish as shown in the middle photo in the Per Brandins care of bamboo page
https://www.brandin-splitcane.com/care.html I would have to have 6 foot long arms.
I could never cast 200' so that part does not matter - the convenience of not having to worry about putting a set into a graphite or glass rod makes them a more attractive tool, even though I like the feel of casting bamboo. But again I have markedly limited experience/knowledge of bamboo rods
Last edited by Recurve1 on 05/15/21 08:53, edited 1 time in total.

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Titelines
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Re: What’s so great about bamboo?

#80

Post by Titelines »

I have to wonder just how many fish have been caught on a 248' cast.

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