old f--ts with flyrods

[black55]

   Beautiful work as always DC 

X2 dark cloud if it's not being to nosey what was the final cost of your rod ? i would give my left you what for a rod like that !

[Dark Cloud]

A little over 5 bills finished...
The blank was 325, from my research, I got a huge deal. Like a half price type deal. I had to do final sanding and varnishing. There is a ton of work, time, and craftmanship that goes into a bamboo blank! The guy that made the blank, his finished rods run about a grand+. Most finished rods run 800 to 2Gs... Id love to build one from scratch but it takes a few specialized tools. There is a week long class down in the Catskills that runs 2 grand and you end up with a finished rod. Maybe if I win the Lottery... 
Buying a decent rod and refinishing it is a great option also. Sometimes they can be found at garage sales ect or the net is flooded with rods in the few hundred dollar range...

Here is a brief video from the tv show How it's Made that show basically how a bamboo is made, neat stuff!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0QXMWcW6J0

[rgfixit]

A number of years ago, the Rochester Museum and Science Center had a series on the craft of Bamboo Rod building. There were exhibitions showing the tools and machinery used from hand made to automated. It was fascinating to say the least. Bamboo is an amazing natural material.

RG

[Dark Cloud]

RG - now sure if you watched the vid I posted but they use modern machines for some of the process... Cant imagin hand planing 6 strips to get the right action. 

[choo choo]

Nice jobs on the rods rg and dc.Nothing can match the feel of a good bamboo rod.The graphite rods in my pbotos are Sage blanks that I bought and built in 1992/1993.they have held up great for20 years. Other than some rod repairs, i havn't built any rods for 20 years...kinda miss it a little, so i will check out some recent generation blanks, and build a few if i find some i like.

[rgfixit]

RG - now sure if you watched the vid I posted but they use modern machines for some of the process... Cant imagin hand planing 6 strips to get the right action. 

They had several complete shops set up at the museum. The hand builders had adjustable jigs and fixtures to accommodate different tapers. Most of the fine work was done with a sort of cabinet scraper and a fine eye. What impressed me was their ability to sharpen tools to stand up to an abrasive material like bamboo.

If you think about how cabinet makers developed planes for forming moldings by hand, it's easy to understand the hand tools that would have been made to cut bamboo. Those old craftsmen were were as much metal smiths as wood workers. The wrapping contraptions used to wrap the glued blank were pretty amazing too.

RG

[KingPerch]

Thanks,
KP, I'll let you have it for the day when I come up. The first three bamboo rods I restored were destroyed in a basement flood along with all of my fly tying stuff at the time. I lost interest for many years after that, I think I was grieving.

Then this Old Fart With A Flyrod called Trapper or something, managed to rekindle the flame. All I can say is Thanks!

Oh...and YOU COST ME A LOT OF MONEY Ya old buzzard!

RG

'ol Trap kinda wears on ya Huh!! In a great way! Great guy!

As much as I would love to fish with that rod  Bob....I'm going to let you handle it...I have bad luck at times.... Thanks for offering!

Great job DC on the 'Ol Boo!! --KP

[rgfixit]

It's just a fish pole KP.  You'll be fine.

RG

[choo choo]

By the way...Where is Trapper lately? I havn't seen him post on any thread for  quite awhile now...Hope all is well with ya Trap.

[rgfixit]

Probably on a fishin' mission.
RG

[KingPerch]

It's just a fish pole KP.  You'll be fine.

RG

O.K......if You insist!!

Probably a huge push of rockbass and white perch in a body of water somewhere! Looks as though 'Ol Trap needed a fix!! --KP

Trap, Check in from time to time You 'Ol Buzzard!!

[rgfixit]

Apple blossoms = Rock Bass. Trap's stockin' up.

RG

[KingPerch]

Apple blossoms = Rock Bass. Trap's stockin' up.

RG

[black55]

OK  a little help ,here in IN the flyfishing is basicly for sunnys, gills. And to a small group smallies , so i guess my ? is  the weight of fly rods can some one explain them ? i believe my currant rod  is a 5 weight i plan on using it mostly for smallies. But as it is the the only one i have now i will also have to use it for gills .

[perch-hound]

they range from 2 weight to 12 weight, 12 being the heaviest.
A 5wt is fine for smallies, and gils. Your line should be matched to the rod, ie: a 5 wt rod should run a 5wt line, (+ or -) a line wt.
Some rods are stiff, some are soft for their respective weight rating, hence the (+ or -)  a line wt.