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| The bamboo that is used to make fly rods is a member of the grass family. It
has been identified and named, Arundinaria Amabilis "The lovely Bamboo",
by Floyd Alonzo McClure, a young botanist and plant explorer with the United
States Department of Agriculture who was teaching horticulture at Lingnan University
near Canton, China in 1925.* Bamboo is strong and flexible, having lived its life in rain, wind, and sun. The natural light straw color when tempered or heat treated turns to a golden-honey brown. Everyone who has admired the grain pattern in a knife handle, the stock of a shot-gun, or a table top, will see the same kind of beauty in a split-cane rod. Add a cork grip, a reel seat with a hard-wood spacer, nickel silver ferrules and guides— wrapped with colored silk threads, and the fly rod becomes to the fly fisher what a Holland & Holland becomes to the hunter; a finely crafted tool for rugged use. The casting qualities of split cane are unique. The bamboo fibers run parallel from the grip to the tip and give the rod strength and flexibility when casting, fishing, and landing. The inherent weight of a split-cane rod is also advantages in creating a smooth rhythmic cast with power for distance. The fantastic bamboo is a material that allows the rod builder to design any taper; the possibilities are unlimited. When taken care of properly, a split-cane rod will last beyond a lifetime. This has made them collectors items as well as an investment. Bamboo built as early as 1920 are still excellent casting and fishing rods. Ultimately this is how we like to see a well crafted split-cane rod enjoyed...season after season, year after year, it should be cast over a favorite river, bend with the weight of the catch, held in the hand of a happy fisher. |
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