Bamboo fly rod

A bamboo fly rod or a split cane rod is a fly fishing rod that is made from bamboo. The British generally use the term "split cane." In the U.S., most use the term "bamboo." The "heyday" of bamboo fly rod production and use was an approximately 75-year period from the 1870-s to the 1950s when fiberglass became the predominant material for fly rods. Nevertheless, bamboo fly rods made from skilled makers continue to be 'state-of-the-art' in performance and are cherished and revered by their owners.

With more than 1,000 different bamboo species and nearly a hundred different kinds, Tonkin Cane (Arundinaria amabilis or Pseudosasa amabilis) is most often used for fishing rods, replacing Calcutta cane which was used extensively prior. This bamboo species originally grew on only approximately 190 km² (48,000 acres) up the Sui River in the Tonkin Gulf region of Guangdong Province in China. It is said to be one of the strongest bamboo species because of its high density of fibers. This high density is what the bamboo fly rod maker is after because this gives the rod its strength and flexibility. It also is selected because of its straightness, and well-spaced nodes.

The bamboo culms are split and shaped into strips of equilateral triangles that taper to precise dimensions. Tolerances are held to .001". These precise dimensions determine the diameter of the rod when the strips are laminated into a hexagonal, square and sometimes octagonal cross-sections. Many remark that a bamboo rod resembles a pencil in shape. The diameter of the rod or blank is measured every few inches. These measurements make a 'taper', which shows how the rod goes from the fine tip to thick butt section. This is the recipe for the overall performance of the blank. This process, together with the wrapping of the guides with very fine silk thread, varnishing and making of the cork grip and wooden reel seat, can take a craftsman more than forty hours.

Prior to the 1800s, most, if not all, flyfishermen used wooden rods. Some may have used solid bamboo rods, or "cane poles." France, England, China and the U.S. all claim to have been the birthplace of the modern "split cane" rod. In the early 1800s, quite a few people began experimenting with splitting the cane and re-gluing in 2,3 and 4 sections. Samuel Phillipe of Easton, Pennsylvania is credited (at least by Americans) as being the first to produce such a multi-sided rod. However, the use of such rods did not become commonplace until after the Civil War when makers and manufacturers sought to supply goods to the expanding nation through the use of railroads and the U.S. Mail.

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