A Shift to Boo'???

[Mark Patenaude]

One thing I forgot to mention in my post about the fly show I recently attended was that there were more bamboo rods on display than I've ever seen at any show I've been too.

In fact there was a mini step-by-step display on how the rods are made, similar to what Bamboo Jim showed in a past newsletter, which by the way was one of the best write ups I've seen on the subject (Jim you really should talk with FF, FR&R or AA about publishing it).

Any opinions on this? Are my comments valid about the sport getting back to it's roots and adjusting back to the "quiet sport" that it is recognized as?

Jim, you would have really enjoyed looking at some of the work. It never fails to amaze me at the craftsmanship that goes into building one of those beauties. I still don't know how glue keeps all that together... If you and I ever get to fish together, I'd love to toss one of your sticks, I've only cast one a few times and it wasn't conducive to my casting stroke and it weighed a ton...

Mark

[ctroy36]

Mark:

If you look at the ads for bamboo rod makers in the FF mags, or read some of Geirach's stuff, it sure seems that way. I guess it's much like the craze among shotgunners for side-by-sides. A nostalgia for the good old days, at a steep price, however.

As for me, I've 3 bamboo rods including my first fly rod which I bought as a teen ager. I do use them occasionally though they are so different from current rods that it takes some getting used to. Plus I worry about breaking them as I did last year with one of the tip sections on my old rod while trying to free a fly caught on a bush.

[FishinCane]

Mark,

Next time your in town let me know and we will get out on the water with some bamboo.

The only drawback that I see to bamboo is that it doesn't wear as well as graphite. As an example, I have 1 bamboo rod that I have been using for the past few years pretty consistently (40+ days a year). I treat it the same as my go to graphite rod which gets the same amount of use (40+ days a year). I fish both just as hard and store both un-tubed in the back of a protected truck most of the season. Over the 4-5 years of doing this the graphite looks like it did the day I purchased it, the bamboo on the other hand could use a complete re-do (tip has a set, the varnish is scratched, and the ferrules are shot to the point where I need to use some plastic wrap to get them to hold).

Jim

[Mark Patenaude]

Jim:

Is is possible to apply the same type of epoxy finish, that is applied to graphite, on the bamboo in lieu of the varnish? This may be a stupid question, but like I said, I don't know much about bamboo.

This may maintain the finish and provide for better wearability.

[AgMD]

Yes Bamboo is seeing a resurgence. By some estimates there may be as many as 1,000 makers in the US today. Most are casual makers, one or two rods a year for themselves and friends. By my own estimate there may be as many as two dozen who do it as a living.
The Internet has played a big part in turning a small, esoteric following into a substantial cult and it remains today as the best information source on all things bamboo. The fly fishing mags have, until recently, totally ignored bamboo. The reason is simple, advertising dollars. Bamboo rodcrafters don't buy full page adds like Sage, Winston , etc. It has gotten to the point where most fishing and hunting magazines have become shameless promoters of the products made by the advertisers. The line between advertising and editorial content is gone. But that is another rant.
Bamboo is not the same as graphite or glass. This is not to say it is better -- or worse, but it is different. It seems that it is these differences that appeal to the fans of bamboo.
Bamboo, with a traditional spar varnish, will need to be refinished if it is used extensively or hard. This was understood by the makers and users before WWII. Most, if not all the makers offered re-finishing services. Magazines and books of the period often mention re-varnishing as a regular part of the care and maintenance of fishing equipment. The fishermen of the period understood this like they understood that their cars would need a valve job every 30,000 miles. Today, some will choose to finish bamboo w/ a modern poly varnish. But it is not "traditional". Some say the difference in stiffness effects the way a rod casts. It is more difficult to strip poly off a rod for refinishing and it is reasonable to assume that if it is a good rod, it will be refinished -- sometime. The same is true for graphite or glass, but usually by the time these rods need work they are cast aside and forgotten. A good bamboo rod will outlive many owners. Only in recent years, the fiberglass rods of the 50's and 60's have been rediscovered, and many of them get refinished.
Bamboo nearly died out after WWII for a number of reasons. Fiberglass could be cranked out faster and cheaper. The trade embargo w/ Communist China -- the ONLY source of Tonkin Cane. Perhaps most important was a cultural shift to all things that were inexpensive, mass produced, and "plastic". Consider the furniture that was common in that era.
In the last few decades there has been a re discovery of craftsmanship. Craftsman built musical instruments, furniture, guns, bamboo rods,etc. have found a following among folks who find pleasure in a finely made product. The craftsmen have found that the Internet allows them to make money serving "the Tail of the Curve" ( Google that if you haven't heard of it before).
And yes a lot of it is getting back to the roots. I grew up reading Bergman, McClain, Wulff, etc., they fed my dreams. The days of big strings of hatchery trout are gone. We now understand a need for C&R. The game has become one of quality not quantity and I think we are the richer for it.
AgMD

[Mark Patenaude]

Well said and thanks for the information.