Mention the subject of bamboo fly rods to a group of fly fishers, and eyes glaze over as dreamy thoughts conjure images of older gentlemen in tweed jackets casting a dry fly upstream to rising trout. Then the comments inevitably begin: “Bamboo rods are too slow, too delicate, and too expensive.”
Yes, bamboo rods are generally slower than graphite (not always), but this slower action provides the sensitivity in the tip that protects fine tippets. A slower casting stroke is necessary to prevent overpowering the tip, but with proper casting technique, the rod does more of the work and your arm doesn’t tire as fast. The fine, yet strong bamboo rod tips also tend to deliver dry flies more gently to the water’s surface, especially when the fly is a size 24 Blue-Winged Olive.
And bamboo rods are not delicate. As a natural material, Arundinaria amabilis competes toe to toe with the most advanced graphite, having weathered fierce natural conditions in southern China before harvest and transport. This particular species is used almost exclusively by rod makers due to the high density of power fibers and its straightness and well-spaced nodes. I have seen rod makers throw a finished bamboo rod to the ground and stomp on it, demonstrating its indestructible strength before taking it out fishing. They’re not really expensive, either.
The initial outlay for the average bamboo rod is between $500 and $1500, and it takes a person — not a factory or an assembly line — 60 to 80 hours to craft that rod using mostly hand tools and some specialized equipment to complete the more than one hundred individual steps necessary. It’s a bargain.
The ESRG
You know you’ve always wanted a bamboo rod. To learn more about them — about both fishing them and making them — consider adding the Eastern Sierra Rod Makers Gathering to your calendar for next year. I’ve attended several, and as an aficionado of bamboo rods, and a still-learning rod maker, I’ve found them well worth my time.
Held in Bridgeport, California, the third weekend in September, the ESRG is an opportunity for bamboo rod makers to get together, share ideas, and discuss everything bamboo: techniques, creative approaches, innovative gadgetry, the merits of various materials — you name it. But anyone interested should consider going, especially if you’re new to bamboo and want to try out some rods. Most makers will bring several rods with them, and since most fly shops don’t regularly stock bamboo fly rods, it’s an excellent way to find a taper that you love and maybe even a rod maker who will make you one. About a dozen significant bamboo rod gatherings are held each year throughout the United States. At the Bridgeport event, the Sierra’s summer crowds have diminished, and attendees can also fish the East Walker River and other appealing eastern Sierra waters, hike, camp, and if lucky, catch the beginning of the epic display of autumn colors.
Started in 2006 by Larry Tusoni, the gathering has been going strong as more and more people take up the craft. Tusoni comes from a family of rod makers — his father and uncle made rods on the East Coast for Orvis. He made his first bamboo fly rod when he was 10 years old and has been carrying on the family tradition ever since. Larry shares his skills with others through rod-making classes that he offers through the High Sierra Rod Company in Angels Camp. In 2017, he was recognized for his significant contribution of RodDNA software, a database of over 800 different rod tapers. A comprehensive computer program and book, Bamboo Rod Taper Design with RodDNA Designer, allow makers to model and design their own tapers. Larry Tusoni was interviewed in the September/October 2011 issue of California Fly Fisher.
Bamboo rod makers from California, Nevada, Arizona, and Montana gathered for the 2019 ESRG. For many, seeing each other is an annual highlight and transcends rod-making topics. Catching up on life events and personal changes is all part of the camaraderie and connection, and Friday night is reserved for just that activity — getting settled, socializing, and setting up the venue for the next day. Saturday is the primary day, and after breakfast, we went straight outside to cast each other’s rods. This is one of the best parts of the gathering. So many rods! Discussions abound: Do you sand your nodes, or press them? What varnish did you use? Dip the finish or use another method? What kind of wood spacer is that? Did you make it? Wow!
After lunch (the group makes all meals and eats together on site), we had several presentations. In one, J. W. Healy, a rod maker from Upland, California, explained how to make and install traditional nickel silver ferrules, the hardware that connects the butt and tip sections, and also bamboo ferrules, which are incorporated into the rod sections after planing the final taper into the bamboo. Both have their merits and challenges, especially when you consider that any mistake making the bamboo ferrule means starting over completely. Chuck Slone from Mission Viejo demonstrated tweaks he made to his rod-wrapping machine. A fair amount of fussiness is involved in winding silk thread around guide feet, since the silk is thin and easily frayed, and the wraps stand out in the first impressions of a rod.
After dinner, more discussions were followed by the announcement of the winner of the 2019 Eastern Sierra Rod Makers Gathering Taper Quest. Almost all gatherings have what they call a Taper Challenge. A year in advance, everyone is notified of the parameters for the next year’s rod, and makers spend the year producing their best effort for the contest. For 2019, the parameters were an 7-1/2-foot 4-weight two-piece rod. There are countless different tapers that could satisfy that requirement. Even if a rod maker uses a well-known taper, there will be noticeable differences, due to natural variations in the bamboo and inaccuracies on the part of the maker. This year’s Taper Quest winners were Gerry Ichikawa and Tom Key. The rod for the 2020 Taper Quest will be an 8-foot 6-weight with either two or three sections.
Another highlight was the presence of Dave Serafin from the Angler’s Bamboo Company. Since 2016, Dave has been supplying rod makers with quality bamboo. Dave travels to China yearly, where he sorts through and hand selects individual culms that are then shipped to him in Livingston, Montana. From there, he distributes them to rod makers worldwide. Learning more about culm selection was fascinating, because it can significantly shape the outcome of an individual rod.
ESRG 2020
ESRG 2020 is scheduled for September 18 to 20 in Bridgeport, and the group is always looking to get more people involved — men and women, who have an interest in any aspect of bamboo rods. Typically there are about 40 rods from different makers to try out. For information on the ESRG, visit http://www.highsierrarods.com/gathering.html.