Bamboo Fly Rod....

[mjv180]

I have recently purchased a bamboo fly rod from a friend. It is a beautiful 2 piece with an extra tip. I would guess it to be a 4or5 wt. My friend found this in his father in law's attic there is quite a story to it but no one in their family fishes and they were looking to pass it on. Fortunately I was that lucky person. My question to any fellow trout bum is; does anyone know of a fly shop or even rod builder in the Pittsburgh area that could maybe look at this rod and give me a better idea as to what weight it is and what type of reel would be best suited with it?

I have already test casted it in the yard with my equipment and it performs much better than any of my other rods. I can't wait to land that first rainbow or brown.

 

[gfen]

You're making this way harder than it needs to be.

Find a reel, stick it on, hold it in hand. How's that feel? Tip heavy? Buy a bigger reel. Grip heavy? Lighter reel. Just right? Winrar!

Put line through rod, cast 30'. How's that feel? Way overloaded? Lighter line. Unposible to cast? Heavier line. Start with a 6WF. Try a 5DT or a 7WF. Realize its best with a 6DT.

Go fishing.

No belittling you, but don't get lost in the nonsense. Go fishing. Its just a rod made from wood, ain't nothing special that requires you magic it up.

 

[gfen]

post script: who makes it, are there stickers on it or any labels? old rods had lines coded in letters more often than not (ie, HDH).

 

[turkey]

I don't know much about cane but the one builder I'm familiar with in the Pittsburgh area is Ron Bennett. I know that International Angler carries his rods and so does Hoey's Fly Shop (http://pittsburghflyshop.com). I think Jim Hoey also carries some reconditioned cane rods. I don't know if that'll help you find out any info about your new stick.

 

[FrequentTyer]

I am relatively new to bamboo rod making, so take this with an appropriate grain of salt. Assuming the rod has no markings, a builder will either try it out with a few lines as Gfen suggested, or carefully measure it with a micrometer every 5 inches and do some calculations (more likely let some software do some calculations) to predict the line weight. But it is not an exact science, so they will still try a few line weights. And then you have to realize that it is rather subjective so even with a builder telling you it is a 4wt, you might be happier casting a 5wt line. I think reels are even more subjective. This depends a lot in the style of the seat and the weight and balance of the rod, but it is really what feels right to you. If you are already casting better with your current line and reels, you are well on your way to having the answer.
And be careful. Fishing with bamboo can cause you to develop a rather expensive allergy to plastic rods!
Mike.

 

[gfen]

FrequentTyer wrote:
This depends a lot in the style of the seat

Y'know, that's an awesomely valid point I never thought of. Older reels have differently proportioned feet than modern reels. I don't profess to be an expert on reel seats across different makers, but I can say with much authority that older Pflueger Medalist reels come with larger seats that fit rods like this much better than new ones. Anything from the late '70s on back. There are many other vintage reels like this, too, but YMMV.

This doesn't mean you have to do that, btw. If the reel you own fits, and balances, then run with it.

 

[mjv180]

Thanks alot for the tips. Much appreciated.....

 

[STONEMAN]

I "published" this before. Found it someplace on the web. Here's how to calculate proper line wt..... Although I'd go with gfen's plan...

Accuratly measure the distance from the rod tip to the grip ( not the entire length of the rod ), and divide that number by ten. Write that number down, you'll be needing it. Example 86"/10=8.6"

Next, clamp the rod grip to a table so the rod is held in a horizontal fashion rigidly. Be sure no portion of the rod touches the table. Measure the distance from the rod tip to the floor. Hang a paper clip to the tip and start adding washers or nuts to the clip until the tip flex's down exactly 1/10 of the free rod length or as in the example 8.6 inches. You can do this easily by subtracting 8.6" from the floor measurement and use weights to reach that target measurement. Double check all of your measurements!

Remove the paperclip, and all washers or nuts, and weigh them on an accurate gram scale. Example: Clip, nuts and washers total = 43 grams. Then divide 43 by 8.6=5 and see the chart below to evaluate the line size. Our example indicates the stiffness ratio of this rod to require an 11 weight fly line to optimally load it!

Stiffness Ratio: (grams/inch) .............Recommended Line Weight

1.4 - 1.6............................................... ..................3

1.6 - 1.9............................................... ................. 4

1.9 - 2.2 .................................................. ..............5

2.2 - 2.6............................................... ..................6

2.6 - 3.0............................................... ..................7

3.0 - 3.5............................................... ..................8

3.5 - 4.15.............................................. .................9

4.15 - 5.0............................................... ...............10

5.0 - 5.9............................................... .................11


Incidently, it doesn't matter what your flex charactoristics are, noodle soft or poker stiff, this prevails!

 

[afishinado]

Here is a link to the "Common Cents System" which is widely accepted by rod builders for measuring both the power (weight designation) for a rod as well as the action.

http://www.common-cents.info/part1.pdf


I think the Gary gave the best advice to first find a reel that balances out the rod. The reel would likely be a heavy one for a boo (Medalist Gary!). After you select a reel, try different weight lines to judge which one casts best for you. That's it, really.

 

[gfen]

I didn't want to force the Medalist, but I don't really care to know any other classic reel series. The Martin tuna cans certainly fit the bill, though, and there should be enough models out there to find one that fits.

CCS will give you a rigidly defined number to convert to AFTMA weight, but it doesn't take into account your style, the age and condition of the rod (they, uh, "mature") and... OK, those are the only things, I guess.

Again, I'm not knowledgable on bamboo rods, but I'd say its likely a 5 or a 6, not a 4 or a 5. Just cast it at usable lengths, and see where it feels right. Fuller loading rods carry multiple weights and can be adjusted by your stroke, its one of the advantages that superfast modern design cannot replicate. Find one that feels right. When you hit it, it becomes immediately noticable.

 

[dano]

Tim Zietak is a reputable builder in Pittsburgh.
One thing I would do is have him first inspect the rod for any loose ferrules, separation, etc. that could compromise your rod. Hate to see you damage a rod because of a small defect.
Being a two pc. rod, You could mic the male ferrule or use drill bits in the 1/64th steps to get the female ferrule size. A #14 ferrule is 14/64th and probably a 5-6 wt rod. #13 probably a 4-5wt.
For 8 ft and shorter rods, I like the lightest reel that I can get away with as it gives me a better feel for the rod.

 

[mjv180]

Again thanks s much for the tips...I have really found this site to be extremely helpful and all you guys are very willing to share your knowledge. I am going to stop in at international angler here soon and gear up. Thanks for the help.