Biggest baddest fish you’ve landed on a bamboo fly rod

[RSalar]

I tried to find out what the world record bamboo fly rod tarpon weighed. But of course they don’t distinguish between different types of fly rods (I think they should). They have different records for different size leader strengths — why not a separate bamboo class?

What’s the biggest baddest fish you have ever landed on a bamboo fly rod? Let’s hear some fish stories!

[LeeO]

A flathead catfish around 15 lbs on a 8' 5 weight. Ate a crayfish pattern

[jimwright]

Here on the LA. coast with a Phillipson 9' 5 5/8 oz. trade rod wading in wind-blown, off-color water thinking I was casting to school redfish, a couple of which I had seen. When a 25-30 pound black drum took the fly then off like a jet and closer to me than I was happy with I actually stepped back into the cord grass until I could see what I had. It is surprising that a fish that's not really all that black can look so black and not completely like a fish.

[archer829]

Wow on both! This thread is off to a good start!

[PYochim]

A 24 inch Rainbow on a Reams 5 weight ?Hardy Marquis LW5 on the North Platte. The fish hit a tan CDC Emerger. The rise and take were very subtle. There was a gentleman fishing upstream from me who came down to see what the commotion was. Turned out he was a guide who had taken the day off to fish himself. He was a big help. We landed the fish in his net (it had markings) and quickly released it. I never saw backing.

[BigTJ]

32” summer steelhead on 7 wt Winston.

I’ve caught some pretty nice carp too but neither measured nor weighed them.

John

[Titelines]

57" Striped Bass on the Chesapeake on an 8 1/2' 9 wt bamboo rod. Yes, you can land big fish on bamboo. After all, bamboo boat rods existed long before fiberglass and graphite.

Mark

[Northern Angler]

27" steelhead on a 9' HB Reams 7 weight.

[Webfly]

[av1903]

A 26 inch brown on a CDC dry fly , 8'6" hardy hollowhite holokona rod made in 1960, Peche a soie natural silk line and hardy golden prince #5/6 fly reel.

[paramount]

A summer run steelhead several years ago on my 9' Phillipson Paramount. Not sure it was the baddest but it sure was the most memorable.

viewtopic.php?f=65&t=81555&p=631905&hil ... es#p631905

Bruce

[LeeB]

26" Missouri River brown, on a Walton Powell 8'3" - 5 wt. and a Thompson 100 reel.

[flyfishingpastor]

Wow! You guys caught some beauties!!!! A 21" West Slope Cuttie on a Norling 8' 5 wt is my best bamboo catch. To date...

Pat

[LeeB]

Not the biggest, but maybe the most exciting. 22' rainbow on a 1960s Hardy Marvel.

[LeeO]

Also a few Erie steelhead on a Para 17

[SpringCreek]

Several years ago I was fishing for Steelhead on the Methow river in Washington. Had an 8'6" 8 weight rod that I had built to use that fall. I was working my way between runs and stopped at an unfamiliar stretch and took a couple of casts. Didn't hook a steelhead, but did hook a king salmon that was in the river. The fish was somewhere in the 18-20 lb range and was a challenge to land. The rod held up just fine.

[Kenneth]

Hah, this gives me the opportunity to once again bring out my fat spring creek rainbow photos from 2013.

I managed two images, the first one I've shown before, the second blurrier one is having its first showing here.

Details: 26"; 2oz Orvis Flea; CFO III; DT3F Terenzio artificial silk; Maxima Ultragreen 3lb (about 5X); #16 Peacock herl EHC; Shaky hands; Pounding heart.





BTW, like BigTJ I've had several nice lake carp and pike with my other bamboo rods, especially a GG Aristocrat 8040, an Orvis 8' 4-1/2oz 3-pc and a WM Waterseal 8-1/2', but no photos, lengths or weight.

Kenneth

[av1903]

as i implied earlier in the thread, hardy rods from the 60s proved quite capable with some 24-26inch browns.

[barnesspecial6]

Hey there, Not the biggest or the Baddest, the biggest that I’ve landed with Bamboo, 26” fat female LL Salmon with my 8’ 4 3/8 oz 7 wgt Battenkill, several others 19-26” all with Bamboo, 90% released

[MGrallert]

9' Paul Young 8WT line combat fishing on the lower Salmon river New York state