The leaves are down and with the heat on so is the humidity in your house. Among the many things this affects are stringed instruments, cigars and bamboo rods. This is especially so with newer items as they have not reached a stasis. The materials are still prone to absorbing and expelling moisture.
This causes all kinds of hellish nightmares for instruments. Even the finest cigars are reduced to a dry heap of rubbish.
Bamboo rods are not spared either,especially newer ones,though the effects are generally not noticed till Spring when you start using the rod again. Suddenly one day a ferrule comes loose or comes off. Bailey Wood, Mr. Ferrule, has told me that shrinkage of .0005 can be enough to reek havoc.
Also many of the epoxies used for gluing ferrules shrink slightly over time. The best preventative measure is to run a humidifier where you store your rods to keep the environment stable. Winter is a good time to clean all the ferrules as well. Use a Q-tip with denatured alcohol to clean the inside of the female ferrule and the slides of the male ferrules.
Single Malt Scotch works as well but is a bit pricey.
It’s a good idea to carry a Sunshine cloth with your rod or in your fishing vest to keep the ferrules clean through the fishing season. Never use nose grease to lube your ferrules. I don’t know where this mindless idea came from but it should be purged from the Fractured Fishing Facts directory forever. A little care can save us from Big headaches in the future.
Cheers!!l
Filed under: Rod Building on December 3rd, 2007 | No Comments »
What’s the best line to put on this rod? The one that feels good to you! It’s a question that gets asked quite a bit and I believe this is the best answer. I liken it to having a great guitar and asking six great players to set it up and put strings on it.The diversity of string brands and gauges will be quite varied. Yet each player will make that guitar sound great.Each persons’ casting style,how they like the rod to load and perform will be enhanced by using the right line. For each individual this can be a different line.There is no One Line for any given rod that is perfect for everyone. Getting the right line for you on any given rod will bring out the magic in the Bamboo. Remember,line designations are guidelines not something written in stone. Today there are more variations of lines to try than ever before with a diversity of suppleness and taper. From DT,WF,LB to specialty tapers there’s a line out there that will make even a mediocre rod feel good.I used to bring a bag of lines and reels to Bamboo gatherings and help new makers tune in their latest creations. Many rods that were apologetically described as OK became Cinderella stories. Suddenly there was a maker with a smile on his face saying “This rod turned out better than I thought.”
Filed under: Rod Building on July 24th, 2007 | No Comments »
Over the years I’ve been asked to build variations of different rods. This has resulted in rods of different lengths, rods for different line weights, and rods with slight changes to their standard actions.
For example, the Eagle Creek 7′3″ is actually a shorter version of The Old Philosopher; The Paradise Valley is an 8′3″ Trout Bum Lt.
I build The Old Philosopher 5wt, The Young Philosopher 4wt. and The Philosopher III 3wt.
Some clients have asked me to build a specific model but with a crisper action. I accomplish this by mixing 3 butt strips with 3 tip strips for each of the tips. Also by selecting a culm with very dense power fibers can help raise the modulus and result in a model of the same taper having a crisper action.
The action can be softened by mixing Tip Strips in the Butt or selecting a culm with less dense power fibers.
Listing all of these variations under Rod Models would make for a very cluttered page, but I thought it would be helpful to know that rods can be adjusted to suit individual casting styles, fishing conditions and preferences for different line weights.
Please feel free to contact me to discuss any adaptations you would like to discuss. Dr. Bamboo
Filed under: Rod Building on June 24th, 2007 | No Comments »
I’ve been on a building spree, an have a few rods in stock. These fly rods are all brand new, 2/2, and feature flamed cane and swelled butts. Tube and sock included. Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.
7′ 3″ Eagle Creek 5wt.
7 1/2′ Henryville Special 5wt.
7′9″ Rocky Mt. Special 6 wt.
8′ Trout Bum 6wt.
Filed under: Rod Building, Rods In Stock on June 3rd, 2007 | 1 Comment »
As a bamboo fly rod builder, I don’t have a lot to say about life in general that’s not related to fly fishing or bamboo rod making, but once in a while, I plan to make a few notes here about fishing and building.
Hope you enjoy them.
Filed under: Rod Building on March 4th, 2007 | 1 Comment »