Bamboo Fly Rods, elegance in motion

Bamboo fly fishing rods used to be the classic rod. Their popularity declined with the advent of the graphite pole, but bamboo rods have never disappeared and it is still possible to buy one or have one custom designed.

Bamboo fishing fly rods, whisperers on the water

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I once made the mistake of sleeping under a large stand of bamboo. During the night a slight wind arose. The creaking, groaning, and wailing of bamboo in motion soon woke me. It was an eerie, somewhat disturbing sound.

The very flexibility and movement in bamboo that gave me a sleepless night, is what makes bamboo fly fishing rods revered among many anglers. An Internet site devoted to fly fishing with bamboo rods shows that there are still many anglers who are devotees of this rod building material.

Proponents of the bamboo rod often say that the rod speaks to them and there is certainly a sense of life in a bamboo rod that you don't feel in graphite ones.

The design of bamboo fishing fly rods

Bamboo was one of the first materials used in making fly rods. Over the years there have been a few changes in how they are constructed, and a well-made bamboo fishing fly rod performs extremely well.

Bamboo rods are not constructed from one piece of cane. Instead, triangular strips of bamboo, four to six of them, are glued together to form a hexagonal shape. They are tempered until they appear as one piece

The flexibility of bamboo, which gives it its nice movement, can also cause it to distort so rod manufacturers usually impregnate the bamboo with other compounds.

A rod that is not impregnated with plastics or similar materials will require more maintenance. The cheaper rods have several coats of varnish will need touching up on a regular basis.

Action of the bamboo fishing fly rod

Bamboo fishing fly rods are generally slower action rods. They are a little heavier than their graphite or fiberglass competitors. For a slow action rod using the very lightest of tippets, you cannot beat bamboo.

Collecting bamboo fishing fly rods

Just because something is old, it does not mean that it is a collectable

In the early days of bamboos fishing fly rods, mass production occurred just as it does today. Mass produced rods do not bring good dollars.

If you are seriously interested in collecting antique bamboo rods, look for one that was handcrafted by the masters. Any rod you find that was built by John Landman, Hiram Leonard, or Thomas Chubb should be worth a bit, especially if they are in prime condition.

A quality bamboo fishing fly rod will cost you big bucks. Prices can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars, but you can bond to these rods like no other I know. As you lay a fly softly over a wary brown, you'll hear the rod whispering approval and you'll know that the cost of this tool was well worth the dent in your wallet.

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