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

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

#41

Post by mlarocco »

Thomas and Thomas offers saltwater bamboo rods (Sextant) up to 12 wts. Probably a better fit targeting billfish or large tarpon than the 9wt mentioned above.

https://thomasandthomas.com/collections ... 8043198524

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

#42

Post by Brooks »

The “Hemingway” rod is somewhat mysterious. No real mention who they are or what they do on their website. Makes me suspicious……

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

#43

Post by mrampant »

I think even 12wt for bill fish may be at the lighter end. Although sailfish are smaller than marlin they are definitely much faster at the take off. A exceptional reel is also a must with backing; lots of backing.
Cheers,
Mark
He who shall not be able to make a trout fly, after studying these diagrams and directions, must be deficient either in brains or in manual dexterity. : Edward Fitzgibbon 1853

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

#44

Post by RSalar »

I’m thinking Tarpon — big tarpon would be a great challenge for 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.

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

#45

Post by mlarocco »

Big tarpon is going to be a challenge on any type of gear. Using a 12 wt graphite (G Loomis) I landed multiple fish > 100 lbs in a couple of days fishing. Landed 1 fish for every 6 hook-ups. Like all species, a one approach fits all leads to failure. Fishing the ocean at the mouth of the Rio Colorodo in Costa Rico

1. casts were less than 60'
2. Hook sets were 'strip' sets not 'trout' sets. Rod not involved
3. A rod with back bone is essential. Also essential is a durable reel with quality drag system (I used Bauers)

The lodge owner said the biggest problem with graphite was rod breakages. Countless high end graphite rods blown up. Here, Fiberglas or cane might be a better option, more forgiving of user errors. Playing a fish for > 1 hour increases the likelihood of angler mistakes.

Probably an easier fish to target with cane than marlin simply because at the right location the angler has many more shots. Having 50 shots in a week can happen with tarpon and sailfish. You screw up, you have another chance.


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

#46

Post by RSalar »

mlarocco wrote:
12/12/21 08:55
The lodge owner said the biggest problem with graphite was rod breakages. Countless high end graphite rods blown up. Here, Fiberglas or cane might be a better option, more forgiving of user errors. Playing a fish for > 1 hour increases the likelihood of angler mistakes.
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Are you saying that cane is less apt to break than graphite? I don’t know if that is true. Definitely not my experience. I’ve landed a lot of Atlantic salmon on graphite rods from 6wt to 9wt and have had them bent in half but not one ever broke. On the other hand I’ve had two cane rods break (one was an Orvis impregnated salmon rod) while playing big fish. I would say that those breaks were my fault but I don’t think a graphite rod would have broke given the same amount of stress.
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.

Mister Bill
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Re: Biggest baddest fish you’ve landed on a bamboo fly rod

#47

Post by Mister Bill »

I caught this one two days ago.

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Last edited by Mister Bill on 12/24/21 09:17, edited 1 time in total.

Capt. Frank
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Re: Biggest baddest fish you’ve landed on a bamboo fly rod

#48

Post by Capt. Frank »

24" Rainbow on a Sage 00 wt rod, 7x tippet, 18 bead head nymph. 32" bluefish on 6 wt, 35 lb Cownose Ray on 6 wt.

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

#49

Post by eotr »

42" Taimen on 6wt. / Phoenix silk DT6 / 3X / #12 hopper


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47.5" Taimen on 8wt / Phoenix silk DT8


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Taimen on 8wt / Phoenix silk DT8


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Brent

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

#50

Post by mrampant »

Any one of those Taimen would be a fish of a lifetime. Bamboo and silk I am impressed.
Cheers,
Mark
He who shall not be able to make a trout fly, after studying these diagrams and directions, must be deficient either in brains or in manual dexterity. : Edward Fitzgibbon 1853

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

#51

Post by rsagebrush »

EOTR- very impressive and beyond my wildest dreams, on a six weight too, and the bigger one on an eight weight, wow. So much for bamboo being delicate.

adrien schnee
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Re: Biggest baddest fish you’ve landed on a bamboo fly rod

#52

Post by adrien schnee »

Brent, were those on rods and reels you built yourself? I know you’ve made some incredible examples of both.

Well done on the Taimen, did you catch the 42 incher while chasing lenok?
Last edited by adrien schnee on 12/24/21 09:32, edited 1 time in total.

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

#53

Post by RSalar »

Lots of great fish caught on bamboo! Impressive skill levels on display
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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eotr
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Re: Biggest baddest fish you’ve landed on a bamboo fly rod

#54

Post by eotr »

adrien schnee wrote:
12/24/21 09:12
Brent, were those on rods and reels you built yourself? I know you’ve made some incredible examples of both.

Well done on the Taimen, did you catch the 42 incher while chasing lenok?
Adrien - yes those were on rods and reels that I built. We were actually fishing for grayling at the Ladies Run on the Uur when I hooked the 42" fish. The reel was a simple C/P better suited for trout.
Brent

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

#55

Post by eotr »

rsagebrush wrote:
12/24/21 08:38
EOTR- very impressive and beyond my wildest dreams, on a six weight too, and the bigger one on an eight weight, wow. So much for bamboo being delicate.
I'm not too worried about the perception that bamboo rods are delicate.

This fish was about 40"
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This is the rod bend while fighting the 47.5" fish
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Brent

adrien schnee
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Re: Biggest baddest fish you’ve landed on a bamboo fly rod

#56

Post by adrien schnee »

Brent, outstanding. A 42 incher on a click pawl reel and 6 weight cane, both which you built yourself, is quite spectacular. Not to mention that it took a sz 12 hopper on 3x!

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

#57

Post by eotr »

Found a few more photos :D

Jack Crevalle on my 3pc 12wt.

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The foregrip was a godsend.

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Brent

adrien schnee
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Re: Biggest baddest fish you’ve landed on a bamboo fly rod

#58

Post by adrien schnee »

Very nice Brent, they’re powerful fish, but it seems that your rod was well up to the task. Do you usually build 4 piece rods for travel purposes?

Did you also make this reel?

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

#59

Post by eotr »

Thanks Adrian

I also built a 3pc 14wt for tarpon. I built several 4pc travel rods for Argentina, some 5pc for hiking and a bunch of 3pc rods in heavier weights (8 - 14).

I made that reel for tarpon. It’s a 4.5” A/R drawbar drag. The reel has a 360 brass body and a 6061 Al spool. A machinist buddy suggested it should be gold plated to prevent corrosion so he had the body and foot plated for me. The plating must have been really thin because the reel does show some discouloration after salt exposure☹️
Brent

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

#60

Post by PENZZZ »

Certainly not the biggest or baddest fish in this thread, but this brown trout was caught on a rod I built on a Dennis Stone blank – 7’6” four weight.

Shortly after arriving at the stream, I got into action during a Hendrickson hatch. While fighting a trout I heard a voice from behind me, stating I must have the fly these trout like. The fisherman was from out of state, and it turned out his daughter was attending a local university, same one my daughter attended. I inquired about his experience downstream and he said there were numerous trout rising in the next pool but he couldn’t touch one. Though he was heading out, I encouraged him to show me the trout, and handed him the fly I was successful with. At the pool he entered the water and began casting. I would spot a boil forty feet downstream and the fisherman encouraged me to enter the water and give the trout a try. The fish turned out to be around 18”, a decent trout for these waters. The fisherman continued casting to no avail, then stated that he really had to leave and that I should move up in the pool. I took a little different position than where he cast from, and soon landed the first trout’s twin brother. I felt a little bad about the outcome, but he was ecstatic.

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