Who fishes bamboo?

[AuSableTrophyhunter]

This time of the year I love to fish one of two bamboo rods, a tiny 3wt and a 5wt. The 3wt is better suited to creeks but the 5 is fine for everything except real streamer fishing. Graphite is wonderful but when the river is clear and low, as it is now, nothing presents a fly as gently as bamboo. Nor, is their a better rod for cushioning light tippets.
The tradition and nostalgia of cane rods is certainly part of the attraction. But beyond that, thin, clear water of summer just calls out for bamboo rods.
What do you think? Do any of you fish bamboo rods? Do you have a favorite bamboo rod? Or, do you prefer graphite exclusively? BTW, if you shop for them, bamboo is available in a variety of prices. In my case, both rods came at the best price... they were gifts to me from clients who were very pleased with my work and knew I love fly fishing.

[BlackLabel]

You're talking Kyle's language now. I'm sure he will chime in.

[LopatNympher]

When I get my father's bamboo I will give it a try but I am almost scared to for fear of breaking it and ruining a heirloom. The rod is older than me.

[jason]

Have not had much of a chance to fish mine this year...seems like every time I get to the stream it has been high and off color. Every one knows bamboo is for drys not nymphs! ;D
A day of fishing my bamboo rod always seems just a bit more relaxing to me...and the feel of a fish fighting on one is sooo much different than graphite.
I only have the one rod (so far anyway!)made by Bill Taylor in Boiling Springs...an excellent young rodmaker. I have not been bitten by the bug as bad as some people I know.
I am looking forward to some nice crisp fall days on the stream with mine.....Jason

[Magnet]

Come on Kyle!, Where you be?

[jovalle]

I fish bamboo a ton, and both wet and dry. Cane can handle both very well, just like graphite, the trick is to choose the action/taper to meet the needs. I think the reason cane is thought of as exclusively dry is because slow-medium action short rods are in vogue. The whole fact that cane is beloved by the romantic Anglophile set that believe in the dictum of English chalk streams where you can only cast dried to rising fish doesn't help either. Plus, a good fast taper over eight feet is a bit heavier than your normal modern rod so some folks don't like holding the damn thing up all day. There are quite a few innovative cane makers out there that are doing medium-fast and fast tapers that can handle 70 feet of line, they've also figured out how to hollow the pith so that a lighter rod doesn't interfere with the structural integrity. For my money, a nice slow 6 foot rod can cast leader better than any graphite and I'd much rather play a stockie on bamboo than my z-axis. Each tool has its place. Finally, as I've mentioned before elsewhere on the forum, for less than half the cost of a premium graphite rod, you can buy an american blank and finish it yourself so that you don't feel so guilty about fishing it. There also are a ton of very lightly used modern rods (as well as a bevy of old Orvis) for sale on other forums for less than a new premium rod.

[kyle]

Yes my kind of topic!!!!

I fish bamboo all the time except for when euro nymphing. I started out last year with one and now have 7 lol

2 7'4" quads in 4wt (different actions)

1 6' quad in 3wt and another one in hex

1 6'3" quad in 4wt

1 7' hex in 5wt (landed a 10 pounder on this beast)

an my pride and joy custom built blonde cane 7'5" hex 4wt. Greatest rod ever made, you can fish anything on it and it'll cast a full 90ft line. But it's also one of the most beautiful rods I've ever layed eyes on, blode cane ZERO imperfections, carmel wraps, smoke hardware, brazillian agate stripper, ambonia burl reel seat with nickle cap and ring. All seated in an absolutly perfect medium action with an adams reel. Hang on I'm getting very excited here lol They're all made by a man down in Florida named Jim Haynie. He's an excellent rod maker and a terrific person. I'll post up some pics of his rods tomarrow. So I believe that answers your questions lol but it's getting late for me so I'll post up another reply tomarrow with some pics, by the way thank you for starting this thread, finally somone to talk to about cane!!!

[Troutastic]

I'm in the same boat as Lopat... I'm not the most graceful of people on the water, as I tend to rush towards a hole when I get excited or I'm just sometimes a little careless with my footing. Either way, it is in my best interest not to spend $1000 on a rod much more fragile than any graphite rod I use, so I shy away from these works of art.

[AuSableTrophyhunter]

Bamboo rods are durable and repairable. Troutastic, when I was a young fly fisherman, I probably rushed around too much also.
For years now, I approach trout water the same way as a heron or if I was stalking a deer with my longbow. I catch many more fish today than when I was not as cautious. It is true that most fly fisherman walk or stand in water they should have been fishing. I see it all the time. I see fisherman charging like buffalos through spots near the bank where I have personally caught many and sometimes large trout.
Some men spook and spoil entire sections of rivers with splashing, wading, bright shirts and hats and unnecessary false casting and horrible mending.
Bamboo rods will teach such a man to slow done and fish the close water stealthily first. My biggest rainbow was only 6'' from the shore in less than 2ft of water. It took a Whitefly emerger on the middle dropper on an across and down presentation. I was only a little more than a rod length away. that beauty rose from the bottom and I saw it take my fly in slow motion. I gently set the hook and an eternity later, netted and then dropped the fish as I held her up for a photo by my wife! It is heartbreaking that I only have photos of her in the net but it is wonderful that the trout swam off powerfully and none the worse for wear. I like to think that Davy Wotton would have been proud of me, if he had been there to see that sequence. For that brief period of time, I, was Davy Wotton.

[Magnet]

I would like to be like Davey Wotton too but I fail to meet the requirements in two very important areas. I can't cast and I don't catch many fish!