The 0.1% that I disagree on is the average income level. I’d tend to think it’s higher than $50,000 — probably over $75,000.
To be fair, I hedged with the $50K figure and gave it as a minimum rather than average...not really what you were asking. I wouldn't be shocked if the true average was quite a bit higher.
Anecdotally, I've had classifieds deals here with attorneys and doctors, so I know we've got some high earners on the board. Whether the board reflects the typical bamboo owner is hard to say. When I see classic rods selling regularly for $3-10K on the vintage gear sites it tells me a lot of cane enthusiast have some real money. When I see the top makers having 5+ year backlogs for rods that are $3K+ it tells me the same thing. How many people out there are willing to drop thousands and thousands of dollars on a rod or reel? Obviously, quite a few!
I suspect the average will be lowered by folks who are retired/fixed income with many years in the sport more than younger folks who aren't making as much, but that's just a guess. I hope there are young folks interested, but I don't think it's as widespread now as it was in the past.
Which rod will you take? The beautifully varnished hand crafted $3000 bamboo or the $150 4 piece Reddington 9wt?
I'd take the rod that's best suited for the job.
Your answer begs the question. Which rod is best suited for that particular set of circumstances? And what makes one rod better suited than the other? Better how? If I had unlimited resources I’d take the $3000 bamboo rod because I really enjoy fishing with it — is it better than the $150 graphite rod? It’s better at making me happy … and isn’t that the reason we fish? But from a purely pragmatic reason (I don’t have unlimited resources) I’d take the $150 graphite rod because it will adequately get the job done and I don’t have to worry about damaging my beautiful custom bamboo fly rod. And the next time I’m on a quiet salmon river alone in the woods I’ll still have my treasured bamboo rod to enjoy.
Taking a nice bamboo rod on a bouncing salt water fishing trip with a bunch of beer drinking buddies is almost as bad an idea as taking a beautiful woman out for dinner to a unlit inner city back alley McDonald’s at 2:00 AM.
“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.
The 0.1% that I disagree on is the average income level. I’d tend to think it’s higher than $50,000 — probably over $75,000.
To be fair, I hedged with the $50K figure and gave it as a minimum rather than average...not really what you were asking. I wouldn't be shocked if the true average was quite a bit higher.
Anecdotally, I've had classifieds deals here with attorneys and doctors, so I know we've got some high earners on the board. Whether the board reflects the typical bamboo owner is hard to say. When I see classic rods selling regularly for $3-10K on the vintage gear sites it tells me a lot of cane enthusiast have some real money. When I see the top makers having 5+ year backlogs for rods that are $3K+ it tells me the same thing. How many people out there are willing to drop thousands and thousands of dollars on a rod or reel? Obviously, quite a few!
I suspect the average will be lowered by folks who are retired/fixed income with many years in the sport more than younger folks who aren't making as much, but that's just a guess. I hope there are young folks interested, but I don't think it's as widespread now as it was in the past.
As to the retired people who are buying expensive bamboo rods I think it’s fair to say that although their income may have dropped some from their peak earning years they are still people of means. Instead of income they have net worth.
If I were to draw parallels between fishermen / fly rods and shooters / guns, I would put the high tech latest and greatest boron / graphite fly rods in the AR15 / polymer handgun / Cerakote finish category and bamboo fly rods in the walnut stocked English side by sides and single shot rifles / blued steel model 1911s and Colt single action handgun category. I’ve been to enough gun ranges to see the difference in the people who one category or the other. It’s the seasoned shooters, generally with substantial means, that bring out the fine English side by sides and it’s the young new shooters that bring the ARs. There are exceptions, obviously… but by in large my categorization is accurate. And that’s why old guys with gun collections worry that their will not be a market for their guns in the future. But if recent auctions of bamboo fly rods and classic reels are any indication they have nothing to fear.
“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.
The 0.1% that I disagree on is the average income level. I’d tend to think it’s higher than $50,000 — probably over $75,000.
To be fair, I hedged with the $50K figure and gave it as a minimum rather than average...not really what you were asking. I wouldn't be shocked if the true average was quite a bit higher.
Anecdotally, I've had classifieds deals here with attorneys and doctors, so I know we've got some high earners on the board. Whether the board reflects the typical bamboo owner is hard to say. When I see classic rods selling regularly for $3-10K on the vintage gear sites it tells me a lot of cane enthusiast have some real money. When I see the top makers having 5+ year backlogs for rods that are $3K+ it tells me the same thing. How many people out there are willing to drop thousands and thousands of dollars on a rod or reel? Obviously, quite a few!
I suspect the average will be lowered by folks who are retired/fixed income with many years in the sport more than younger folks who aren't making as much, but that's just a guess. I hope there are young folks interested, but I don't think it's as widespread now as it was in the past.
As to the retired people who are buying expensive bamboo rods I think it’s fair to say that although their income may have dropped some from their peak earning years they are still people of means. Instead of income they have net worth.
If I were to draw parallels between fishermen / fly rods and shooters / guns, I would put the high tech latest and greatest boron / graphite fly rods in the AR15 / polymer handgun / Cerakote finish category and bamboo fly rods in the walnut stocked English side by sides and single shot rifles / blued steel model 1911s and Colt single action handgun category. I’ve been to enough gun ranges to see the difference in the people who one category or the other. It’s the seasoned shooters, generally with substantial means, that bring out the fine English side by sides and it’s the young new shooters that bring the ARs. There are exceptions, obviously… but by in large my categorization is accurate. And that’s why old guys with gun collections worry that their will not be a market for their guns in the future. But if recent auctions of bamboo fly rods and classic reels are any indication they have nothing to fear.
“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.
The idea that bamboo requires any extra expertise to cast or to be able to land a big fish is just goofy .
Seriously?! So you don’t think it takes more skill to hook, play, and land a really big fish — say a 100 lb tarpon — on a bamboo fly rod than it takes to land that same fish on a modern high tech graphite fly rod? Talk about goofy — you nailed it!
“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.
Hi Guys, Marty Keane described salmon fish to me by saying " You hook the fish, and it runs and jumps all over, and then it goes to the bottom and you have to reel it in." He was advising to use a bamboo rod so it wouldn't break. I've fished for salmon in Alaska one time. I broke a bamboo rod on the first fish. It was a WM 9050, too, too light. I used mostly an 9 1/2' Edwards Quad after that.
Jay Edwards
Last edited by bluesjay on 11/23/21 15:26, edited 1 time in total.
Nirvana is a state of mind that can be experienced with a rod owned by lee Wullf purported to have landed a trophy salmon on a size 20 dry fly or a 30# Carp on a leech in a drainage on an old beat to hell H-I club of a rod. Where is this thread going?
I don't think EddieSouthgate is "Goofy". I think he realistically represents a cross section of those who fish bamboo rods and can't be pigeonholed into a "profile"? What is the objective of this post? We fish bamboo simply because we like it. We share history, taper, line choices, build techniques, beautiful scenery and those finny treasures we pursue. Who really cares where we fall into the regiment pecking order?
Seems as if the OP had his answer before he started this thread - similar to asking for a modern reel with silent check and then giving a reason why he disliked/blew off the recommendations from the friendly folks who responded...
There are the well off. And there're guys like Charlie Chaplin, a tramp with aristocratic pretentions. I'm more of the latter. But I love beautifully crafted things. And the first time I saw a guy fishing with an old Leonard, I knew I had to have one. Well, the one turned to many, but you know how that is. I love wood, wool, cotton, leather, dubbing made from fur. I even plan to get a silk line. The entire world is made of plastic. I want t/o be the guy fishing on the cover of a Field and Stream from 1956.
- similar to asking for a modern reel with silent check and then giving a reason why he disliked/blew off the recommendations from the friendly folks who responded...
... Just say’en
Funny, but I read that entire thread and that absolutely isn't what happened. He also thanked those friendly folks even though most of them didn't answer the question he asked. He was nice enough to close things out by saying what he bought, and why...the nerve.
There is no real one answer to this . All kinds of people living in all kinds of financial situations ,of all sexes own and fish bamboo . The idea that bamboo requires any extra expertise to cast or to be able to land a big fish is just goofy . I spent most of my life making average money , I drive what my wife of 30 years lovingly calls junk , live in a small house in the country that is in a perpetual state of disrepair, seldom have more than a few thousand in my savings account at any one time . I own probably $40K worth of modern fishing equipment , roughly that in guns , have between 60 and 70 bamboo flyrods and I have lost count of the fine fly reels let alone the just average reels . I'm in my 60's , have two grown sons , one wife , one dog ,three cats , and one pig . Yes , I am older , not sure if I have more gray hairs or doctors appointments but I've been on the bamboo kick since the 1960's so I'm not sure being ancient has any bearing on me using bamboo in preference to graphite. Not rich , never been what you would call well off but I have never been broke and never made a short or late payment in my life, yet I still have the kind of toys that most would say you have to be well heeled to own . Maybe I'm more typical than I know , I don't know . I do know I'm bored . Only Tailwater fishing around here and they have been discharging between 1700 and 3800 cfs everyday but Saturday and Sunday for the last several months and I don't fight the weekend corn dunking crowd for stockers .
I'd say the average profile of people that fish Bamboo could be summed up in one short sentence . They are people that appreciate nice things.
There are the well off. And there're guys like Charlie Chaplin, a tramp with aristocratic pretentions. I'm more of the latter. But I love beautifully crafted things. And the first time I saw a guy fishing with an old Leonard, I knew I had to have one. Well, the one turned to many, but you know how that is. I love wood, wool, cotton, leather, dubbing made from fur. I even plan to get a silk line. The entire world is made of plastic. I want t/o be the guy fishing on the cover of a Field and Stream from 1956.
Me too. If I could flyfish with my Zebco 33 I happily would.
- similar to asking for a modern reel with silent check and then giving a reason why he disliked/blew off the recommendations from the friendly folks who responded...
... Just say’en
Funny, but I read that entire thread and that absolutely isn't what happened. He also thanked those friendly folks even though most of them didn't answer the question he asked. He was nice enough to close things out by saying what he bought, and why...the nerve.
This reminds me of a time long long ago when I was in elementary school. The principal called me out because he thought that I yelled something in the auditorium. I just let him him scold me without saying anything. Then another kid stood up and told the principal that it wasn’t me that yelled, it was him. As a young kid I thought that was pretty brave of him to do in front of everyone. He could have easily just stayed quiet and let me take the blame. I wonder if he fly fishes with bamboo…
“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.
Nirvana is a state of mind that can be experienced with a rod owned by lee Wullf purported to have landed a trophy salmon on a size 20 dry fly or a 30# Carp on a leech in a drainage on an old beat to hell H-I club of a rod. Where is this thread going?
I don't think EddieSouthgate is "Goofy". I think he realistically represents a cross section of those who fish bamboo rods and can't be pigeonholed into a "profile"? What is the objective of this post? We fish bamboo simply because we like it. We share history, taper, line choices, build techniques, beautiful scenery and those finny treasures we pursue. Who really cares where we fall into the regiment pecking order?
It seems like you are saying two different things: First, that people who with fish bamboo fly rods are no different than anyone else and they can’t be “pigeonholed.” But then in the next breath you say, “I think he realistically represents a cross section of those who fish bamboo rods.” How can someone represent a cross section of those who fish bamboo, if the people who fish bamboo are no different than any other fisherman?
I’m wondering if some people are rejecting the idea that people can be profiled by how they fish. Maybe they want to believe that everyone is the same. No one is different than anyone else — people shouldn’t be judged. A poacher who jigs a fish out of a spring hole during the summer are no different than those of us who believe fish should have a fighting chance….
“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.
As far as saying two different things, I'm going to make a final attempt to spell out what I believe is fact. There are folks - upright Homo Sapiens of both genders that will pursue fish with a bamboo fly rod. The target quarry not withstanding - it is not relevant, nor is the quality and initial or supposed cost of the rod, reel, and appointed extras. Nets, waders, fly boxes, etc. etc.
There is a person that lives in what some would call a shack - trash in the yard, broken siding, and a few junk cars. They get up in the morning and have a few pieces of stale bread toasted and a cup of dollar store instant coffee. "Nice Sunday morning to catch a few of them trouts down in the crick".
They grab the Union Hardware rod with a tip 6" short and stuff an old tobacco tin with a few ratty flies and head to the stream. With the casting skill of Joan Wulff, they proceed to hook and land 4 or 5 nice Browns or Rainbows. Arriving back at the shack they celebrate - "we gonna eat nice tonite Ma"!
One the other side of the coin: Mr. "X" in his mountaintop chalet has his wife grinding fresh Kona coffee beans overnighted from Hawaii and the crepe pan warming. He loads the Ferrari with his Payne and beater rod - an Aroner. Arriving at the airport he boards a personal jet he has chartered with 3 others for a flight to Chile to pursue the behemoth Browns there noted to be willing to come to the fly.
That is the bottom line for me and others as well. My question to you RSalar is once again: What is your objective with perpetuating this topic???
You've had ample replies from various sources giving opinions that span generations and yet you continue to challenge at random those that actually have a pointed opinion. What in the world are you searching for that hasn't been answered in 6 pages of replies to a question that has no singular answer?
It feels as though this thread is tinged with an ulterior motive. I checked out a few pages ago and by golly this nonsense won't get a second glance from this point moving forward. With the beneficial and interesting content we can explore here and enjoy, this rant for me is closed.
For the folks who seem upset about the question or think it's a ridiculous question, why are you even bothering to comment? It's just a question on a forum. The OP thought it was interesting, and if you don't, you can can simply ignore it. It's not going to change anything, help anything, hurt anything, or do anything...it's just a question.
Heck, every time one of the big fly fishing auctions happens and I see people paying $5K or 10K or more for rare rods and reels I always wind up talking about it with my wife. I'll say "how many people can there be out there spending that much money on this stuff?" Then I wonder who those people are...like, what's the typical guy or gal like who spends that kind of money on rare rods and reels? Are they doctors, lawyers, people with family money, or are they fairly normal people who spend their money on that stuff rather than a traditional retirement savings account? The OP's question really isn't much different from my perspective.
I guess some folks just can't have a hypothetical discussion without internalizing it like it's about them...it's not.
My question to you RSalar is once again: What is your objective with perpetuating this topic???
Perpetuating? “to cause (something that should be stopped, such as a mistaken idea or a bad situation) to continue”
I guess I struck a nerve. So you think there is something bad about discussing what kind of people fish with bamboo fly rods? I had no idea anyone would feel this was a sensitive topic — like talking about overweight people or transgenders or something — and be triggered by it.
My mind has been changed — I originally thought that bamboo fly fishermen were more skilled than the average fly fisherman and wanted a challenge or maybe they enjoy the history of fly fishing and wanted to experience the way it used to be. I figured it was like the difference between a bow hunter who hunts with a long bow rather than hunting with a compound. Or like the hunter who hunts with a side by side rather than a semiauto. I had a very positive view of the bamboo fly fisherman and expected the responses to be totally positive. Now I’m seeing another side of this — I can’t really explain it but it almost feels like shame.
Are the negative responses from people who are ashamed of the fact that they enjoy fishing with bamboo? Or maybe as someone mentioned they feel like they are goofy. I definitely had no intention of “perpetuating” anything bad. All I wanted to find out was what kind of people fish with bamboo from a marketing perspective—their demographics, in a word. And when asked earlier in this thread that’s exactly what I said.
And now I’d like to thank those of you who gave my question some thought and took time to answer. I appreciate it. And if I somehow offended anyone — I don’t care in the least.
“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.
And now I’d like to thank those of you who gave my question some thought and took time to answer. I appreciate it. And if I somehow offended anyone — I don’t care in the least.
I was very surprised by the responses provided to this thread as well. I did not think it was out of spirit for this forum at all. Especially since this thread exists and viewtopic.php?f=92&t=3183 with 37 pages of people stating their location and occupation. With this information, and salary survey's the data to answer your question is almost entirely contained in this forum, provided by it's members.
What I didn’t like / don’t agree was the idea of bamboo fishermen being ‘superior’ or more proficient than fly fishermen using fly rods made of man made materials.
The caricature of bamboo fishermen being:
White
Bald
50+ old
Etc.
Is funny but mostly nothing more than a big generalization
