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Post by Uplander on Jan 21, 2007 0:01:55 GMT -5
The Spring 2007 L.L. Bean Fishing catalogue arrived this weekend, and I see they have 25 special edition bamboo fly rods for sale. Actually, they are probably already all sold out, but hey, they look nice....
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Post by JoeOverlock on Jan 21, 2007 8:54:16 GMT -5
Maybe someone will bring one to Bamboo Night  |
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Post by strbender on Jan 21, 2007 17:36:54 GMT -5
The L.L. Bean store opend up in MA at the Burlington Mall. I want to check it out. It's about 20 minutes away.
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Post by yashuone on Jan 21, 2007 17:41:43 GMT -5
the stone stripping guides are a nice touch but not enough to make the $1000 difference between the 95th anniversary rod and the standard double l rods. they seem to be nearly the same rod besides a few bits. is anyone familiar with gary lacey and granger bamboo? he does all bean's cane rods.
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Post by AgMD on Jan 21, 2007 17:52:49 GMT -5
I had a chance to see one of the regular LL bamboo rods last fall at the Beans main store. It was sitting in its own little display case , entombed in glass, as untouchable as a case of Tiffany diamonds. It looked quite nice , good craftsmanship etc. Probably an excellent rod. But $1,500?  The special edition rod looks good in the pix , but $2,600.  But, I do think the whole "Special Edition" is good in it's own way. It does develop the market for bamboo in general. I wonder how many rods are sold by the smaller builders because the buyer was inspired by Orvis or LL Bean but was a bit shy of the prices? I was gonna buy a matched set of them , myself, but all my investment money is tied up in collector plates and Beannie Babbies  AgMD |
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Post by AgMD on Jan 21, 2007 18:02:08 GMT -5
Yashuone, Lacy and some others set up shop a short while ago and are using the name "Granger " under agreement from Wright - McGill. He has also acquired the rights to the Adams Fly reel ( Originally made in Cambridge NY). By reputation I understand they do excellent work.
The history of bamboo rod making is a history of small shops, struggling against market forces, sometimes succeeding for a while but few lasting for more than a few years. It may be that with the impact of the Internet on marketing, some of these small shops may be able to make a go of it. I hope so.
AgMD
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Post by yashuone on Jan 22, 2007 11:19:36 GMT -5
cool, thanx for the background. growing up in greenfield mass, my first concept of a good cane rod was thomas & thomas. those guys have been around for a while now, not sure how the ownership has changed but they must have a loyal customer base, those are some pricey rods.
i've heard their graphite rods are pretty nice too. have yet to cast one though.
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Post by tonkin on Jan 27, 2007 19:08:50 GMT -5
I had a chance to cast both of the Lacey/L.L. Bean rods at Superboo last year. Both rods looked and cast good, although I preferred the 4wt. better. yashuone, If you are interested, there is a bamboo rod conclave, Superboo IV, in Fairfield, Maine on Feb. 10th from 8-3. There will be plenty of rods to cast and many enthusiasts and builders there. Here is a link from the Fly Fishing in Maine website: www.flyfishinginmaine.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=10144&forum=1&44Bob |
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Post by yashuone on Jan 28, 2007 1:46:59 GMT -5
thanx bob! i am going to try to check that out. i shouldn't have too much trouble rounding up a couple guys to share the ride and swing some sticks |
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The special edition rod looks good in the pix , but $2,600. 
