maintenance and care

This board is for discussing the collecting of bamboo fly rods, both classic and modern. Remember that respect and civility is the goal of this board.

Moderator: TheMontyMan

stumpstalker
Member
Posts: 15
Joined: 01/10/20 06:15
Location: Massachusetts, U. S. of A.

maintenance and care

#1

Post by stumpstalker »

Is there a permanent thread on this forum that lists the regular care and maintenance measures that a good steward should take with his bamboo rods?

I am a new acquirer of a bamboo rod and have seen or heard random advice, such as that a rod should not be stored but in a tube, but nothing organized or condensed on the subject. (Is it that a tube prevents harmful drying out?)

Also, in the thread that links to an old movie of John Voelker fishing, there is a comment posted about the potentially injurious way the man removes his rod from it's tube. I have viewed that section of the movie a few times, and it still eludes me what Voelker is doing that puts his rod at risk.

I am a novice at fly-rod fishing, tying, et al, and old enough to never get very advanced. I should at least gain some skill and knowledge in the fundamentals of “doing no harm”.

samsonboi
Master Guide
Posts: 711
Joined: 09/25/18 08:17

Re: maintenance and care

#2

Post by samsonboi »

First, do not put the rod in its tube when it is wet (i.e. whenever you fish) Always dry it first, then put it away in the tube when dry. Also, do not yank flies out of trees/snags using the bend of the rod. always point the rod straight at the snag and use the strength of the line to pull.
Last edited by samsonboi on 04/24/20 12:06, edited 1 time in total.
"Car ce n'est pas assez d'avoir l'esprit bon, mais le principal est de l'appliquer bien.”- Descartes

Gimmeslack
Sport
Posts: 44
Joined: 03/09/20 09:10
Location: Virginie

Re: maintenance and care

#3

Post by Gimmeslack »

Several makers have 'care and feeding' on their websites. Just using google, I see Rick Robbins, Sweetgrass, etc.
https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... bamboo+rod

samsonboi
Master Guide
Posts: 711
Joined: 09/25/18 08:17

Re: maintenance and care

#4

Post by samsonboi »

Stumpstalker: what thread do you mean with Voelker? There are several.
"Car ce n'est pas assez d'avoir l'esprit bon, mais le principal est de l'appliquer bien.”- Descartes

wrong66
Bamboo Fanatic
Posts: 3986
Joined: 09/01/09 18:00
Location: S.F. Bay Area

Re: maintenance and care

#5

Post by wrong66 »

I never let my rod dry "in" the bag. I dry it before bagging it and putting it in the tube.

User avatar
cwfly
Bamboo Fanatic
Posts: 3013
Joined: 02/24/06 19:00

Re: maintenance and care

#6

Post by cwfly »

wrong66 wrote:I never let my rod dry "in" the bag. I dry it before bagging it and putting it in the tube.
Same for me. I never dry my rod in the bag. I dry it and then put it in the bag and then in the tube with my fingers around the neck of the tube so the guides do not catch on the rim of the tube when the bag descends.

User avatar
roycestearns
Bamboo Fanatic
Posts: 1826
Joined: 06/10/08 18:00

Re: maintenance and care

#7

Post by roycestearns »

As it was 130 years ago, so it is today.
Image

User avatar
Brooks
Bamboo Fanatic
Posts: 1645
Joined: 04/07/19 15:58
Location: Idaho

Re: maintenance and care

#8

Post by Brooks »

I like many of the old words of wisdom such as:

-Hands together to put the rod together, hands apart to pull the rod apart.

-Form a small 'o' with thumb and forefinger to take rod out of and put back into the rod tube (to keep it from hitting the sharp edge of the tube).

-The old, "do not try and snap the fly free with your rod" is so important, because you are usually pissed when you snag a branch behind you. The 'snap free' might not be the fly ;-)

-Question though, the old wisdom above in the photo: put tips down? I have always, with my 2-piece rods, put cork down, put my tips up, so as to not be forced into a bend by the width of the cork handle (in-other-words, I put the tip at the opposite end of the tube as the cork). Because I store my rods standing up. Anybody else?

-I definitely do not snug up or tie the rod sock string.

-Drying rod before putting away is so important, especially when fishing in wet climates, but true in the arid west too.

-We're all stuck indoors a lot now. Watch out for those ceiling fans!

-I'll add one more from personal experience: do not walk thru a spring loaded door into a backcountry hut in the dark by headlamp, with your rod pointing behind you. After the sound of the mouse-trap-like "snap!" behind me, my scream could have caused an avalanche ;-)

wrong66
Bamboo Fanatic
Posts: 3986
Joined: 09/01/09 18:00
Location: S.F. Bay Area

Re: maintenance and care

#9

Post by wrong66 »

cwfly wrote:
wrong66 wrote:I never let my rod dry "in" the bag. I dry it before bagging it and putting it in the tube.
Same for me. I never dry my rod in the bag. I dry it and then put it in the bag and then in the tube with my fingers around the neck of the tube so the guides do not catch on the rim of the tube when the bag descends.
The statement I was referring to regarding drying your rod "in" the bag was changed by the poster samsonboi.

samsonboi
Master Guide
Posts: 711
Joined: 09/25/18 08:17

Re: maintenance and care

#10

Post by samsonboi »

Yes. I realized my typo.
"Car ce n'est pas assez d'avoir l'esprit bon, mais le principal est de l'appliquer bien.”- Descartes

samsonboi
Master Guide
Posts: 711
Joined: 09/25/18 08:17

Re: maintenance and care

#11

Post by samsonboi »

Just saying, I never actually dry my rods in the bag. I put them ON the bag.
"Car ce n'est pas assez d'avoir l'esprit bon, mais le principal est de l'appliquer bien.”- Descartes

Minnesota
Guide
Posts: 112
Joined: 12/02/19 15:38

Re: maintenance and care

#12

Post by Minnesota »

Here is what can happen if you do not dry the rod completely before storing it in it’s tube. BTW, it is a 7.5’ 4 wt.Gillum! The previous owner who is responsible should be severely admonished if not banned from fly fishing ever again.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/147229514@N08/buk6hr

samsonboi
Master Guide
Posts: 711
Joined: 09/25/18 08:17

Re: maintenance and care

#13

Post by samsonboi »

That way they don't pick up dust or get scratched. The unused tip stays in the bag. That said I do bring them home from fishing in the bag, then put them on that shelf to dry. The rods that don't fit in the shelf go in a big steamer trunk.
Image
"Car ce n'est pas assez d'avoir l'esprit bon, mais le principal est de l'appliquer bien.”- Descartes

stumpstalker
Member
Posts: 15
Joined: 01/10/20 06:15
Location: Massachusetts, U. S. of A.

Re: maintenance and care

#14

Post by stumpstalker »

This advice and these links were just what I was looking for.

Thank you.

As for the short John Voelker film: I have not been able to relocate the one I had viewed on here, but will let you know if I do.

NewUtahCaneAngler
Bamboo Fanatic
Posts: 2382
Joined: 01/22/17 17:05
Location: Utah

Re: maintenance and care

#15

Post by NewUtahCaneAngler »

I believe that I may have been the poster to whom you refer. I don't recall what he did, but it probably had something to do with him not forming an "O" with his fingers when inserting and removing the rod from its tube. I dont recall seeing any comments about not twisting during assembly/disassembly
Last edited by NewUtahCaneAngler on 04/28/20 09:23, edited 1 time in total.

stumpstalker
Member
Posts: 15
Joined: 01/10/20 06:15
Location: Massachusetts, U. S. of A.

Re: maintenance and care

#16

Post by stumpstalker »

NewUtahCane:

That was it. It was at the point of removing the rod from the tube.

So noted.

Thanks.

User avatar
fragmentum
Master Guide
Posts: 599
Joined: 02/21/15 11:50
Location: Missoula, MT
Contact:

Re: maintenance and care

#17

Post by fragmentum »

stumpstalker, just to be clear. Dry your wet or damp bamboo rod with a clean, new microfiber cloth THEN you can store it vertically in it's rod sock and hang in a dark dry closet on a hook.

Don't store your fly rod in a rod bag in a rod tube. Rod tubes are for transporting your rod to and from your fishing location only. Also, never store your rod horizontally.

samsonboi
Master Guide
Posts: 711
Joined: 09/25/18 08:17

Re: maintenance and care

#18

Post by samsonboi »

Why should you never store them horizontally??? I have never had a problem doing so.
"Car ce n'est pas assez d'avoir l'esprit bon, mais le principal est de l'appliquer bien.”- Descartes

DUCKMANNM
Master Guide
Posts: 656
Joined: 05/11/18 16:32
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico USA

Re: maintenance and care

#19

Post by DUCKMANNM »

I thought the most important thing in all of the previous posts was about not tying the bag too tightly! If your rod does not have a set, tie it in the bag too tightly, and sooner rather than later, it will have a set. Especially if it gets hot where you store the rod! I really don't know why they put the strings on the rod bags? Tying the pieces up tightly in the rod bag will cause a set quicker than anything else!




Carpe Diem does not mean "fish of the day!"

User avatar
Shrimpman
Bamboo Fanatic
Posts: 1552
Joined: 06/28/14 15:38
Location: Wet Coast of Canada

Re: maintenance and care

#20

Post by Shrimpman »

Minnesota wrote:Here is what can happen if you do not dry the rod completely before storing it in it’s tube. BTW, it is a 7.5’ 4 wt.Gillum! The previous owner who is responsible should be severely admonished if not banned from fly fishing ever again.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/147229514@N08/buk6hr
This looks like a nice rod; what am I misssing in the picture?

Post Reply

Return to “Collecting Bamboo Fly Rods”