Do you still have your first bamboo rod?

[AlexP]

Technically, no... I bought one of those inexpensive rods with a 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee.... I was not satisfied and returned it. It did not ruin my interest on bamboo....

I subsequently bought a Bill Critchfield 3 wt 7'6" 2/2. I consider this my first bamboo rod. I hope I never have to sell it...

[Flykuni3]

Re my first bamboo rod, I was searching for one, had no idea how or where to find one, so I started looking in antique stores. And lo, right there in the window of a shop in Old Town Pasadena was a bamboo rod in a green felt holder. Just sitting there. I was thrilled and rushed in. The gent handed it to me, let me assemble it, and I stood there waving it. I recall it felt 1/heavy, 2/it waved like all hell and wouldn't stop. But I was entranced, and the thrill of finding one made me a little crazy. I forked over the $95. What it was I didn't know, the decal was partial, it read "ague." Yes, it was a 9' Montague. I tried casting it and yeah dude it felt heavy and wavy. But at that point in time I really had little clue.

Upshot is I traded it away to a newbie collector for good value, so I got away clean and stopped waving.

[Kenneth]

Yes, but I've only been fishing bamboo for a dozen years or so.

The rod below, a gift from a kind friend, is the one that started me sliding down the slippery slope.

Unmarked, 7-1/2' 5wt, it came from his family fishing lodge on the Columbia River, and now has a safe home in Italy:


Kenneth

[Drossi]

Yes, one of those Chinese blanks assembled by a Canadian builder that I picked up at the Somerset, NJ show. I still fish it once in a while and usually bring it as a spare. It's the rod section you see in my avatar.

[joep]

I still have the first one I ordered which is a 7'3 sweet grass 4wt. And the first one I received which was a 8' Dennis Stone cascade. The cascade has taken some nice fish on Penns.

[gclark]

Yes, I do have my first bamboo rod, (and Hardy LRH reel) and fish it regularly. Purchased it in 1973 from R.L. Winston, 5th Ave., San Francisco. Ordered it in person from Doug Merrick. I was about 19 years old when I ordered it, so have been fishing it on and off for almost 49 years. 8-1/2’, 3-3/4 oz. 5wt. I wanted the lightest build, so Doug suggested building it with the full cork grip/reel seat with aluminum cap & ring. I would stop in the shop every couple weeks to check on its progress, and met their newest apprentice, Glen Brackett during one of the visits. It took 6-7 weeks for completion, and I think the price of the 2-pc. 1-tip rod was $110. I had the extra tip built by Winston in Twin Bridges before Glen left to start Sweetgrass. Since 1973 I’ve added more cane: Winston, Fody, Payne, Summers, Picard, Bolt, S. Kiley, and M. Brooks. My first rod takes the most skill to cast, but I’ve grown into it, thanks to casting all the others I’d since acquired. I still rotate fishing them all……

[adrien schnee]

Gary, wonderful history with your near half century of ownership of this Winston. Very nice rod also.

[jim royston]

I sold my first, Art Weiler's 27th rod that I bought in 1980, after I built a handful of my own and decided to keep one for myself

[Hellmtflies]

No I don't. My first was a 7' 2/1 4wt. Leonard Durcane. I purchased that rod from Les Shannon's Fly & Tackle Shop in Califon. N.J. in 1984/5. It was previously owned and being sold on consignment. I saw it and had to have it. I fished that bugger hard for 25 years until one day I made that regrettable mistake of not going back to unhook my fly from a tree branch. I stood my ground and pulled and tugged until, much to my chagrin, that tip section shattered. What a disheartening event. I have had a few rods since that one but none have given me the pleasure that one had for so long. It was battered, clear wraps over poor seems, clear wraps over a node that was working apart, rewrapped by a friend and the moisture cap had dislodged at some point. The tube and bag were original but the bag had been re-sewn and the tube was battered from having done it's job. What a workhorse. I didn't care if she got scratched or dinged. I didn't worry if a friend took it out for the day. I didn't care what size or how big a trout it landed as I never worried if that big fish would stress the rod. It was a simple and carefree fishing tool. I probably never wiped it down after use. Oh how I miss that bugger. What a wonderful stick that was. My Kingdom for another Leonard 7' 2/1 4wt. Duracane. Green wrap of course.

Ah a post after my green wrapped heart, m' boy. I too yanked on a snag and killed a Duracane tip (later repaired erfectly). And then on another trip I was distracted by a female friend with me, and did leave the ill-fated 7'-er on the back bumper of my vehicle then drove away. I got home and picked up the empty rod tube, sick sinking feeling. Damn me and my hetereosexual motivations. Since that tragedy of my own making, I've bought and sold off a few Duracanes, and have kept a 7' and 7 1/2', both in the green. The girl is gone.

Ah.....I feel your pain. Anyway, you're better off with the rods. By the way, anytime you feel the need to separate yourself from either one of those rods, or both, let me know.
Mark

[ibookje]

No and yes

My first boo rod was a Tom Moran 'Spring Run' (7ft #4).
But since I was in love with Orvis rods in my youth, I wanted an Orvis Superfine. This Superfine I ran into not long after was a 7ft #4 (although rated a s HDG which is about a #6) too and I let the Moran go. I still got the Superfine and love 'em.






The first rod I ordered was a Dickerson (761510) clone by the late Lew Parks. It's not the fanciest but being my first rod I ordered it has a special place in my heart (and closet).

[uppercreek]

My first bamboo rod was a Kingfisher Classic 7 1/2', bought at a country auction in Northcentral PA 20 some years ago. Very pretty wraps and cool decal - it really hooked me, especially after casting it. Not heavy or noodely like I had heard about bamboo rods. I contacted Michael Sinclair and he sent me a catalog excerpt from a 1940 Edward Tryon Sporting Goods of Philadelphia PA catalog. For many years I thought it was a Montague trade rod but later learned it was made by Union Hardware, a Monty copy. I still have it, but haven't fished with it in many years and need to get it back out.

Kevin

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Kevin - it might also love to see some action again too..

ibookje - is that a grayling or a bonefish - what ?? - lovely in all ways known to be possible -

[ibookje]

That's an Austrian alpine stream bonefish!
Yeah it's a (nice) grayling

[Brian K. Shaffer]

It is now on the list.

[Double D]

Happy 2022!

What a surprise to see an old thread being reactivated. I have stopped working immediately , have read all old replies again and then the new ones. Great stories. Thanks for keeping this one running!

As a matter of fact I have stopped posting some years ago feeling uncomfortable with discussion turning into arguing - but I could not quit entirely as I have got a fishing buddy from New York who keeps me talking English on our trips and taught me some things about his " American" way of fly fishing . In return I got him into bamboo and glass and double hauling (even where it is not necessary).

Got to add, that I miss members from Norway and Germany contributing some old world stuff I can relate to more easily. But, for example, the question where to move home to get away from overcrowding is a strong indicator for questions not just national but international. Same with the love of bamboo rods I guess.

So I will stay here - look at your collections, recent builds, caught fish, stuff on sale and simply enjoy reading American English.

Regards

Dirk

[Greg Reynolds]

I bought my first bamboo rod, a 6 1/2-foot Superfine in 1984. It remains my most-used rod. The original owner bought it and a 7 1/2-foot Payne on the same day at Abercrombie & Fitch in 1969 for a collection. I'm the only person who's fished it.

Both rods are listed on page 2 of Marty Keane's fall 1984 catalog:




It appears on page 186 of William Jordan's biography of his dad, JORDAN THE RODMAKER.

[pisgahrd]

I still have my first rod, a pre-owned 7’ 4 wt T&T Classic, purchased from Len Codella at the Turners Falls shop in 1977 for $150. A nice intro to bamboo.

[Eddie Southgate]

I have every fly rod I ever owned except two graphite rods I gave my sons for them to learn on .

[PT48]

Feel very content Double D in that you have produced a thread that is both interesting and where members are civil to each other.

[cdmoore]

Nope. Took it to college with me to fish. Airline promptly lost it--never arrived. Non-descript black PVC tube with yellow plastic caps. It was my Grandfather's Granger.

I only recall it being a Granger, don't remember the model, but it was probably an early 9 footer, maybe very early. He moved to Denver in 1917. I wasn't paying attention to this sort of info back then when I was 18. I had learned to fish with spinning rods and cheap graphite fly rods so I was totally confused by the DL slide band NS seat that I didn't think held my Pflueger reel very well! Doh!