bamboo rods

[springer1]

Next on my list to try is a Payne 100. I have a few Payne tapers in the shorter lengths that are great fishin' rods, curious how the longer ones behave.

I've got a 7'6" Payne 100 I built from an Anglers Roost "Presidential" 2pc blank and it's got a wonderful action. Lapping the ferrules was a hassle, I wish I knew where to get ferrules that were truly lapped-in because it wasn't fun (at least for me).

I made a wood case to hold the rod before I bought it so I never had to worry about it taking a set while - or after I made it - the case holds it straight.

 

[pafisherman]

I turned to bamboo about 8 years ago and now seldom fish anything else for trout. As a few have said here each and every bamboo is , one of a kind. That makes them somewhat special to me and many of the guys I fish with. If you decide to venture down the bamboo lane I would make two suggestions. Get out and cast as many rods as you can. Either go to events or hook up with other bamboo fans to cast there rods. Most guys that fish bamboo have more than one rod in their collection. Also spend some time on the Classic Fly Fishing Forum. There is more Bamboo flyrod and flyfishng knowledge there that can help with many questions. Good Luck..It is a move to the dark side for sure...lol

Bill A

 

[geebee]

shortrod2 wrote:

rubby wrote:
thanks guys,im going to get a 6ft 6in 3wt off ebay,brand new builder is from n.c.,i won the bid at 235.00,can,t wait till it gets here to try it out

Is that a new hand planed rod made by the guy in N.C.? If so, that is an unbelievably low price.

that is a good deal - i paid $370 for my Dave Cottingem "Top Gem" 7ft 4wt rod - which is beautiful, burled maple reel seat, silver agate ferrules, two tips, etc plus hand machined tube and cloth bag.

i overpaid a little but i wanted it.

there are some really nice rods out there for around $300 by long time makers who are real craftsmen but don't have the kudos of a glen brackett, mike clarke etc.

I asked Ed Engle about it at the MA show, and he said don't pay the $2,000 but do your research instead, stay away from CO try KY, TN, NC, GA or canada instead.

i think like most guys, i'm not an expert caster so i'd not notice the difference in action anyway, as long as its decent and the rod well made, i'll be buying more in the $300 area.

Cheers

Mark.

 

[rubby]

Geebee- thats the guy who built the rod im getting he called it the " little Gem " supposed to be here monday can,t wait, I,ll have it out when it arrived

 

[geebee]

rubby wrote:
Geebee- thats the guy who built the rod im getting he called it the " little Gem " supposed to be here monday can,t wait, I,ll have it out when it arrived

in which case you got a steal.

i'm bringing my "Top Gem" to the spring jam next month - i'll be interested in peoples opinion of it - i like casting it, it seems well made, the guy has good reviews, and its a 1/3 of the price of that Keystone one made in PA for example (no offence).

i loaded it with a Rio LT (light touch DT #4 and it worked fine for dry flies and light nymphs.

I don't think i bought a dud, so i'm guessing there's other good makers out there too.

 

[tctrout]

There's lots of great makers out there for sure, though it's tough to believe there are people out there splitting cane for $300 per rod. I have built a number of rods and can't imagine selling one, let alone for that price. I personally am friends with many of the high-end builders...and I can promise you that none of them build for that price.

If it's a monetary decision for people, I completely understand that, but want all who read this thread to understand that the majority of hand-planed rods require a minimum of 40 hours per rod. I truly hope that anyone purchasing a rod for a "cheap" price is happy, though I will continue to stress that casting and fishing a rod/taper prior to purchasing is essential, especially for those who haven't fished bamboo in the past.

I will 100% stand behind my previous comments regarding Keystone Fly Rod Company, of which I have fished the rods and seen them built. For those in western Pennsylvania interested in bamboo, I recommend talking to Don, being that he is able to get some incredible rods in your hands.

Tim

 

[geebee]

Tim, as I said no offence meant.

You can check lulbegrud creek rods out on eBay. Having bought a rod I can tell you it doesn't cast, feel or look cheap. But as I said i am interested in what other people think of it.

I read a lot about making bamboo rods and researched a bunch of makers in the States mentioned- $370 is the most I've ever spent on a fly rod so that's a lot of dough to me.

I'm sure Keystone make great rods. As do Orvis and others, but they're all out of my price range.

Maybe the guy is just trying to drum up a brand awareness by selling them at material cost - who knows ? Some makers, Mike Clark included give their rods away.

I'm a cynic too - but I took Ed Engles advice and so far it seems to be all good.

Peace n that.

Mark

 

[just_jon]

Dave makes a nice rod geebee. A friend purchases a 6'6" 3wt Little Gem last spring. Casts very well. Best of luck in your new venture. Expect you will find in short order why those of us who fish bamboo feel the way the do.

 

[rubby]

recieved the dave cottengin bamboo rod Little gem,it is a very nice casting rod & a thing of beauty too,im surprize i got this rod at that price,im in noway disappointed,took it fishing in the conowago,had three on but didn,t land any,but it was a good two hours of fishing

 

[geebee]

i fished mine again saturday - the only thing i'd criticize is the filling on the cork handle, otherwise i think i got a bargain too.

once i had slowed my cast down it cast the dry fly 40ft beautifully.

i'm looking forward to fishing some hatches up at the Spring Jam with it.

 

[SlingerFlyRods]

I noticed someone said spring jam next month. I am interested In that. sorry to hijack.. can someone direct me to it here on on PM?
Chris

 

[geebee]

its in the 'events n meet up' forum.

 

[PennKev]

In regard to Lulbegrud Creek Fly Rods and their price. After reviewing the following pages here are my thoughts:

Ebay Auction for LCFR

http://www.lulbegrudcreekflyrods.com/

Ok, right off the top the photos throw up all kinds of red flags for quality.

-The real seat is a low-end seat. Ive built a few graphite rods with those seats. They are cheap Chinese made plated brass seats. Serviceable, but not what I'd want on a $300 graphite rod let alone a cane rod.

-The finish looks AWFUL. It looks like it was slopped on thickly and ran all over the place.

-The ferrules do not look properly dressed at all. Look at the pics and notice the sudden and sharp step down from the end of the ferrule to the blank. The ferrule ends should be tabbed and feathered to taper down to the sides of the blank. Those ferrule wraps are going to crack where the metal ends abruptly underneath them. Just a simple fact.

The text and descriptions are full of other red flags. Most alarming is that he never describes how he builds blanks, or his philosophy on tapers. He leaves it very ambiguous where the blanks come from. Well, I don't know for certain, but i would bet they are Chinese produced blanks. Everything points in that direction in my opinion. For those who don't know, the Chinese cane blanks have a notorious reputation for poor quality and poor quality control. If he was building his own blanks from raw culms I am 100% certain he would mention whether he hand plans or uses a mill or whatever methods he settled on.

Are the rods bad fishing rods? I have no clue. But the info I found on the web does not encourage me to buy from him. It all strikes me as someone trying to capitalize on those who can't or are reluctant to spend money on a quality cane fly rod. His rods may satisfy some, but the reality is that the day you purchase one will be the last day that rod is worth anything close to $300.


Kev

 

[geebee]

Hi Kev,

interesting comments - the brass reel seat and finish seem fine on mine. He does say on his website that he's using "superior quality Tonkin blanks" so i'm pretty sure he's not splitting etc from scratch.

I think he's a rod builder rather than a 'rod maker'.

I see your point about the ferrules 'step down' - though mine seems more tapered, but with still a step.

its something i'll watch out for, and should it stress crack he does guarantee his work.

Thanks for your input i appreciate it.

Mark.

 

[tomitrout]

its something i'll watch out for, and should it stress crack he does guarantee his work.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, lots and lots and lots of cane rods all across the spectrum of age and pricepoint develop a crack in the varnish where the ferrule tabs end. It's really nothing to be concerned about.

For 300 bucks you've picked up a very fishable little stick that's a decent enough intro to bamboo rods. Is the blank perfect, is the taper precise, the varnish glass smooth? Probably not at that price, but if you're happy with the fit and finish and the way it casts, enjoy it and go harass some trouts without worrying about dragging an $800-1000-1200 thru the brush and bramble. Want something better down the road? Start saving your pennies now and think about the next one..

 

[tomitrout]

It all strikes me as someone trying to capitalize on those who can't or are reluctant to spend money on a quality cane fly rod. His rods may satisfy some, but the reality is that the day you purchase one will be the last day that rod is worth anything close to $300.

And what's wrong with this exactly? I've seen the kits for cane rods at shows, you get the blank, possibly ferruled, and the other needed hardware for less than $200. Dave is probably building off of similar blanks with similar fittings and making a few bucks for his time, he's found a nice little niche to introduce folks to cane rods at an affordable price, and he's been doing it for a while now. If his rods weren't any good I doubt he'd still be in the game. And does anybody really buy a new off the rack cane rod for $300 with the intent that it be an investment that holds it's value?

 

[pcray1231]

Value to who?

 

[tomitrout]

Others who value such things.

 

[geebee]

tomitrout wrote:

but if you're happy with the fit and finish and the way it casts, enjoy it and go harass some trouts

thats pretty much it Tomi.

There's no doubt that hand culmed and milled bamboo rods are works of art, but i wasn't looking for a legacy, a work of art or a collectable to fish with.

being 25 years late to the game means i can't afford one of those let alone a replacement, plus even if i could afford it I'm cheap and I quite enjoy it.

each unto their own i guess...

 

[PennKev]

The whole point of my post is that you cannot compare these bargain cane rod to those produced by skilled makers who are building by hand from a raw culm regardless of price. You are not getting the same product. Furthermore, the issues i have with the ferrules and finish are not excusable just because the rod is inexpensive. These are things that should be corrected by any dedicated commercial builder with at least a basic knowledge of building cane rods. Finally my comment about the rods never again being worth $300 is not a suggestion that cane rods should be treated as an investment. It is a suggestion that these rods are not worth even $300 in the first place.

Kev