Hi To All,
fyshstykr, it would be fun to make a bamboo rod. To do it right it takes a bit of equipment and a good deal of knowledge. You might wan't to consider buying a Bamboo Kit from one of the Bamboo rod makers. They come with the strips glued and you can get them with or with-out ferules. You add the hardware and do the wraps your self. It is the cheapest way I know of getting into a decent Bamboo fly rod.
Fly2fish, I don't have a bunch of stuff and it will all be given away to a youth or my son. My son doesn't fly fish but I keep hoping he will see the light.
When I started fly fishing you had one 6wt Bamboo rod and you used it for everything. My 8 1/2 foot Headon Bamboo has caught tiny trout, bluegills, bass and steelhead. I bought it when I was in high school working at a fly/gun shop. I remember one day I was at a bass lake and didn't have any luck. I had broke down the rod and put it away into its heavy aluminum case. I leaned the case up against the side of the rear fender and got out of my waders. I closed the trunk and drove off forgetting the rod. Half way home I remember the rod and hurried back to the parking lot. The case was laying there and I had drove over the case with my car. The parking lot was soft dirt but I still smashed the case flat. I took it home and had to use a hammer to un-flatten the case so I could get the rod out. There was no damage at all, not even a bent guide. The tire ran over the rod between the guides. I used that rod for years after that.
Frank