Bamboo Rods! Are they worth it?

[gzarboni]

I was on the water a few weeks ago. I met a very interesting fellow. Since I am new to fly fishing and he mentioned that he had been doing it for 35 years I picked his brain. I mentioned to him that I was considering saving my pennies and investing in a Bamboo fly rod. His response was why would I go backwards in technology. Bamboo rods are past and carbon fiber is the new. He also said that if I could afford a bamboo rod the best thing would be to put it up on the wall at camp to admire the past.
I am looking for a second opionion. Anyone out there agree or disagree with this gentleman and why. I can't wait to here the responses. Thanks.

 

[fly_guy12955]

Fly rod technology has outstripped me. Too fast already,,far too fast to enjoy. I'd LOVE to be of means to afford a bamboo rod. Might however end up with a new slow glass rod...if the new offerings are slow enough.

I never understood the adage that teaching someone on a slow rod is easier. It seems..to me..to require more skill with finesse casting a full flex rod than the mad buggy whipping method of fast rod casters.

It depends on the person however I suppose. It seems the new rods require far too little personal fishing skill. I'M the fisherman, not the rod.

Simple just requires more skill of the person fishing.

 

[half fast]

Fly fishing is something we do for pleasure. If a bamboo rod pleases you, by all means use one.

I also bird hunt. A synthetic-stocked autoloader is the most up-to-date technology for wingshooting, but I love SxS doubles and my favorite bird gun is an 85-year-old LC Smith 12ga. I'd rather hunt with a nice old SxS than a more modern gun, even if the old gun costs more (and they usually do).

To me a bamboo rod isn't worth the price premium, but that's my personal choice. Enjoy your sport the way that pleases you.

 

[trouton]

Would you buy a Rotary phone or an iPhone today? While I will admit to not ever having fished a bamboo fly rod I believe that new technology should be embraced to the extent that it replicates or improves performance of existing products. No disrespect to Bamboo but it is all relative to your financial ability. I just saw a Bamboo, full flex rod, in the Orvis catalog for $2,500. Would like to own the Bamboo or three or more modern technology, high end, fly rods for the same money? As I said, it is all relative.
Enjoy your decision,
Roger

 

[akruss]

Bamboo rods are worth it if you enjoy using handmade art forms made out of natural material and can afford it, of course. I like using a bamboo rod on small streams. I don't think the issue is embracing, or not, modern advancements but rather if you appreciate the classic craft. If I were just starting out, I don't think I'd be concerned with bamboo until I determined what parts of fly fishing were important to me.

 

[gfirob]

You can also try out the feel and casting contrast that bamboo provides to graphite by buying an older production rod like a Montague or others of the era. You can find them in pretty good shape on ebay if you choose carefully for less than $100 and there are a couple of guys who regularly rebuild them and sell them on ebay as well. You can also try the very serviceable Chinese rods by Zhu Rods on ebay, which are priced like entry level rods ( $150 or so) but are generally pretty solid. If it turns out that you like the way they fish, then you can pony up the $2500, or if you don't at least you haven't taken too big a bath over it (but don't hold out much resale hope for bamboo rods at this level). I tried both these options and its a pretty good basic bamboo education.

A certain amount of this is nostalgia (like using older Hardy reels) and some of it is quite genuine-bamboo feels quite different. But I find myself using the bamboo rods more than my graphite rods. I'm not sure why that is, maybe the novelty, but I find them nicer to fish, at least for now. And I suppose an upscale bamboo rod would be more so.

 

[williamhj]

If he is trying to argue that the only good thing to do with a bamboo rod is to hang it on the wall I think he's discredited himself, perhaps he's just tried a poorly made rod, once, who knows. But too many people fish bamboo and love it, for that opinion to hold any water. Might be true for him, but isn't for everyone. Whether it is right for you, you just have to try it. Newer isn't always 'better'. The question is better for what? This guys priorities are probably pretty different than those of someone who gets joy fishing a 100 year old rod or someone who fishes a new bamboo rod for that matter. Who is right? Who cares?

If it is something you want to try, know you don't need the $2,500 rod in the Orvis catalog, unless you want to spend the cash. Might want to see if there's a builder in your area and give him a call. Talk to him a bit and get a sense of prices. He might have some rods you could try. Might end up advising you on which used rod to get or perhaps you'll find out you could afford one made for you?

I've only cast two bamboo rods and loved them both. I finished them from blanks and find myself drawn to the idea of making one myself, but I'm not ready to bite that bullet yet. Something about the material, the feel, and the hand crafted nature of it that I find very enjoyable in addition to enjoying the actual fishing. I fish graphite 90% of the time, but personally wouldn't put much stock in that guy's comments.

 

[chased]

It's all about personal preference. I may not like the same rods other people do and just the opposite holds true. I have cast and fished many high dollar and mid range bamboo rods. Do I like them? Absolutely. Can I justify the price tag and maintenance of a quality bamboo rod? Not really. I have also owned, fished, and cast most of the top of the line graphite as well. Then I found fiberglass rods, from there on I was doomed. I slowly began selling off all of my graphite rods to fund more glass rods. Glass rods suit my casting style a lot better. I also enjoy fishing glass a lot more than graphite. It's a good feeling to be able to feel the rod loading and unloading effortlessly. The fish on feel of glass is unique as well. I'm talking modern fiberglass from makers such as Steffen, McFarland, Scott, Kabuto, etc...not your grandpa's glass. To me, fiberglass is as close to bamboo that you are going to get, but they cost less and require much less maintenance.

To each his own...I think that guy was wrong saying that bamboo should only be used as decoration.

-Chase

 

[pszy22]

I agree with what's been said above, it all comes down to personal preference. If you can comfortably afford equipment, and like the way it looks or feels, it's a fine investment.

If the question is, will I catch more fish with better equipment, the truthful answer is - probably not. Granted, in some circumstances you may need something specialized. However, day in and day out, I can catch as many fish as the next guy using a $25 Eagle Claw Featherlight rod along with a $20 medalist reel. So from a practical standpoint, anything above and beyond that comes down to personal preference.

p.s. I only chose the Eagle Claw/medalist combo because one could readily buy this equipment at any local Walmart. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case, but for sake of discussion, they illustrate the point.

p.p.s. IT would be interesting to extend the discussion - Is it worth it to fly fish? People used to fly fish because that was what the technology allowed. Then came the advent of things like monofilament which allowed the advent of the spinning reel. Maybe not so much now, but people used to look at you a bit funny when they saw you fishing with a fly rod. Why not use something more up to date, like a nice new spin cast rod. It seems so much easier.

 

[Rip Tide]

. His response was why would I go backwards in technology. Bamboo rods are past and carbon fiber is the new. He also said that if I could afford a bamboo rod the best thing would be to put it up on the wall at camp to admire the past.

Don't waste your time listening to people like this.

 

[gzarboni]

I completely agree with all of your responses. I bought for my first fly rod, an Orvis Clearwater combo series, it comes with the large arbor reel. I fish alot of small streams and rivers so I went with the 4wt. I love the rod but as I am really getting into the sport i was thinking about the history and that is when i starting thinking of Bamboo. At this point I have very little casting experience so I don't think I could tell the difference between rods. I also love to work with wood and I know that in time i will tackle trying to make my own Bamboo rod. Do most fly shops allow you to test drive their rods? I am curious to try a Bamboo rod and glass rod. I think that I will be making a few phone calls this morning. I love this Forum, very helpful and informative.

 

[dhayden]

I don't think of them as Bamboo, Glass, Graphite/fiber

I only care about the action, and how they cast/fish for me. Like "half fast" said, it's supposed to be fun, whatever you enjoy.. use that

I don't think you can say all bamboo are like xxx or all graphite are like yyy or glass is like zzz - depends on what the builder of that rod was going for

I have at least one of all of them.. some I never use

 

[akruss]

Another thought, you really have to try different bamboo rods to find an action and weight that you like. Some of the softer "wet fly" rods flex right down to the grip and are very slow. They do a wet fly type swing cast very well but you may not like them for tossing small dry flies. Others are very light in the hand and have a fairly fast tip action. The latter seem to be more difficult to find but are available. In any event, the feel and action of bamboo rods varies a lot and you really need to cast a number of them to determine your preference.

 

[popperfly]

I would say bamboo rods are worth it if you like that style, people say they are slow to cast; well I disagree because I fished several bamboo rods that shot line out better than most graphite rods. You will need to cast several different bamboo rods to suite your style and feel before purchasing one. I started building bamboo rods back in September and don’t see myself going back to graphite rods any time soon. I have a good friend who has been teaching me the art of building bamboo rods and what a blast, nothing like building a rod and fishing it. All I can say once you purchase and fish your first bamboo rod you’re hooked.

 

[rockthief]

While I fish mostly fiberglass rods, I also use bamboo and graphite. I own three bamboo fly rods and like all of them. None cost me much. One I redid from an old beater rod, one I paid $350.00 for ( well worth a rod redone by Michael Sinclair), and the other I got for a pittance. All three fish really well for me. The fellow who gave you his opinion was blowing smoke. I'd forget what he said because his bias was so narrow. I prefer the open-minded approach.
Bamboo rods cost so much because of the labor involved. They are beautiful. Check out rods from Oyster Rods or Miyuki Bamboo Fly Rods. Wow! Would love to have one of those exquisite pieces of fishing art. Are they worth it? Yes.

 

[jaybo41]

My disclaimer here is that I fish graphite rods and have not yet delved into glass or boo. Both of the latter intrigue me, but I have not gone there yet.

Now that I have that out of the way...

There has to be a logical reason why so many anglers prefer to fish boo or glass rods. Boo rods are still very much desirable and many of the manufacturers who have been putting out graphite rods for years are now re-discovering the need to produce glass rods. Both have a cult-like following of anglers who prefer a slow smooth casting stroke. If that's what you are seeking go for it.

You should fish with whatever you can afford to purchase and with whatever it is that's going to provide you with utmost pleasure on the stream.

 

[depenner]

The "old" versus "new" technology seems to come up in almost every pursuit. I build custom furniture. I use old tech (handplanes from the 1800's) and new tech (planer, jointer, table saw, etc.) Is one technology better than the other? Depends on the situation. A handplane gives me a nicer finish than the planer; but the planer sizes the wood a lot faster. So, I use both. I also handcut dovetails. Slow but I like the slight difference you can see, and the knowledge that it takes a lot of practice. The people I sell to seem to like those qualities.

I primarily fish with fiberglass; I just love the feel. I only started fly fishing a few years ago and just didn't feel comfortable with most of the graphite rods I tried. Bought an old Fenwick and decided glass was where I wanted to go. Do I care that most of my rods are 40-50 years old? No. I do get a kick out of the looks I sometimes get--especially with the handpainted (to look like bamboo) Heddon.

david

ps You should my brother on digital versus film for photography. Talk about a volatile subject

 

[lake flyer]

Another thought, you really have to try different bamboo rods to find an action and weight that you like. Some of the softer "wet fly" rods flex right down to the grip and are very slow. They do a wet fly type swing cast very well but you may not like them for tossing small dry flies. Others are very light in the hand and have a fairly fast tip action. The latter seem to be more difficult to find but are available. In any event, the feel and action of bamboo rods varies a lot and you really need to cast a number of them to determine your preference.

I feel this same advice applies to any rod whether graphite, glass, or bamboo! No matter the material, if you try enough rods you will find what you like. Then you might be surprised by what you really have to spend. Your most expensive rod could very well be a graphite and not a bamboo!

 

[itchmesir]

Old vs New Technology is compete BS... Rarely are new taper designs made... Most that are successful and still used today were done on bamboo rods... Then in the 50s came along fiberglass... Which made for a more durable rod than bamboo... Then if you look at all the old ads of the new "space age technology" of graphite... And it's easy to understand why graphite won... Slick advertising and catch phrases that made the new anglers go "omg I need that" because that's what we all do... Now you see Fiberglass really making it's comeback... Why? Because overall it's superior to graphite imho... It's probably the strongest material to make a rod out of bar none

But back to bamboo... Bamboo is nice... Recently I got to cast this really really nice bamboo rod.. Think it was a Loyd(?)... So effortless of a cast... It was mind blowing... granted I had to wait you know about 5-10 seconds on my back cast before with a little flick of my wrist I shot 40'+ of line without blinking an eye... Bamboo is for the fly fisherman that's not really thinking about fishing... They are impressed and in awe of the time and devotion that was put into some of these bamboo rods... Another is being more connected as you're using less unnatural materials... Fishing with grass just feels more in tune with your surroundings than whipping around a long piece of plastic... But overall I think someone who fishing bamboo would have a hard time telling you why he fishes it... Just like he'll have a hard time explaining to you why he fishes day in and day out... The answers are there... But they cannot be explained... You just have to try it

 

[rasputinj]

It is about personal preference. You can purchase some excellence hand made in the US bamboo fly rods for less than a new Sage. The bamboo rods can be made similar to graphite rods in terms of action. They can be made lighter by hollowing the the pith on the inside of the rods. I am also starting to make bamboo fly rods. It is a lot of man hours to make it, but to me it is cool to fish with a rod I helped to make or know the builder spent around 40+ hours making. I fish 70% with bamboo! I have different bamboo rods with different actions. It is not about old technology or new. Look at the new slow action Sage rod and the resurgence of fiberglass rods. Bamboo rods can last a long time



I can give you references for excellent bamboo builders, or point you in the right direction for used bamboo rods. Let me know if I can help at all.