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SPLIT BAMBOO FLYRODS

Artwork by: Thomas Penrose

The following pages are dedicated to the split bamboo rodmaker, who's solitary work, fine craftsmanship and functional ingenuity will continue to preserve and contribute to the thrill of the catch............................... Here, and on the pages to follow, I will introduce my rods, methods, techniques and tools. Hopefully,  I can also enlighten someone in the process............................ The Author

When I first got interested in flyrod building, I did'nt go the normal route of buying a graphite blank, slapping some parts on it, and by doing so create a nice functional fishing tool...........

 NOOOOOOOOO. . . . . . . . .THAT WOULD BE TOO EASY ! !

(ie. The long lost, guru taught, mystical, secretive and mythical art of split bamboo flyrod making).

The  reason the term "MAKER"is used is because you make or create a rod from a piece of raw material (In this case bamboo) rather than build or assemble one from an existing rod blank. This means that the "MAKER" must custom design rod tapers to fit different fishing situations. The taper of a rod is the change in rod diameter from the butt to the tip. This change determines what kind of "action" the rod will have. (fast, medium or slow) Taper design is part of the of the "MAKER'S" secret. Taper designs and design techniques are studied and learned either from previous masters,  by experimentation, or sometimes even luck. But once a desired taper (rod action) is achieved, it can always be duplicated. Modern cane rodmakers can duplicate the action of any pre-existing cane rod if given the dimensions of that rod. Yes, the action of a $3000 split bamboo flyrod, built by an old (or dead) master rodmaker, can be duplicated by a modern rodmaker for a fraction of the cost.

This  is  what  I  do..................EXCEPT,

• I am offering my own  line of "Modern Action" bamboo flyrods.

• What do I mean by "Modern Action" you ask?      

• My definition of "Modern Action" stems from a comparison of bamboo to present day rod making materials.

I am talking about Graphite !!!.   (SHHHH....It's a nasty word in my circles)In the vast community of graphite rod users, it has readily been assumed, and agreed upon,  that bamboo rods are flimsy, weak, slow actioned, and have simply lived out their place in time. These, my friends, are falisies of the third kind. It may be true, that in their day, some inexpensive and poorly made cane rods were a bit too flaccid, but you can say the same things about modern graphite. Anyway..... with the advent of new, more stiff and lighter weight materials, the old faithful (bamboo) has fallen to the wayside. And in some ways, with good reason...........

• Graphite rods can be mass produced, bamboo rods can not. This equates to a lower consumer cost.

• Graphite rods are lighter than bamboo.

• Graphite rods have a faster action than bamboo, therefore resulting in faster line speeds and farther casts.

• Graphite is stronger than bamboo.

Now,  let me pick some of these items apart.............

• Graphite rods are cheaper. This is true. It takes a very good bamboo rodmaker approximately 40 to 50 hours to complete a rod from the initial splitting of the bamboo, till the final application of finish. (Please see my " How To " section)  BUT, this rod when finished, will be a handmade, heirloom quality rod. A work of functional art, exquisitely detailed by the hands of a skilled craftsman. Signed and numbered by the maker himself. Really.......these rods are beautiful. It's just worth the price to many.

• Graphite rods are lighter. OK....Maybe a little..BUT, COME ON WIMPS, WE'RE TALKING GRAMS HERE.

• Graphite rods are faster. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. I'm sorry, but I must disagree here. I can make a rod just as fast or as slow as anyone would ever want. I can create a distance caster or a delicate, dry fly rod, that will lay down a midge so soft that you will think you are using a magic wand.

• Graphite rods are stronger. Not really. Special care must be taken with any fine rod, but I doubt you will ever be lucky enough to see a bamboo rod break with a fish on the end. Actually, graphite rods are susceptible to impact stress fractures. That is, if a nick or ding occurs on the surface of a rod, due to the brittleness of graphite, this weak point will likely fracture when the rod is bent under load.

• To learn more about my "Modern Action" bamboo rods, go to "My Rods" page.

• To see how my rods are made, go to my "How To" page.

• To check out the special tools I use, go to my "Tools" page.

• To check out some of my favorite websites, go to my "Links"    

My Rods   /   Prices  /  How To  /   Tools  /  Links

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