My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (bocash3) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:07:56 GMT

First bamboo:

A single tipped Madison "Flea," purchased with the last savings I had at college graduation in 1971. The cost was $89. Seems that I ordered it from Eric Leiser's catalog and it came with a free, 4 weight DT Sci. Angler Supreme fly line. I slobbered over that little rod for weeks and bought it, despite not having a job and owing the Feds over $3,500 in low interest student loans. I later added a 2nd tip for $30, and nearly wore the rod out in...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (darrelll) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 08:05:54 GMT

ARTHURK wrote:
My first bamboo rod is a 'budget level' rod I had the maker name after my daughter Ashley when she was born in 2004. It is a Chris McDowell 2/1 209E rendition that is so good despite the entry level price that it still sets the standard for all the rods in my collection today. The McDowell rod allowed such effortless casts and dry fly presentation everytime that I have not bought a graphite or glass rod...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (worktoomuchfishtoolittle) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:02:58 GMT

My first rod was a Phillipson Pacemaker that a shop owner in the Poconos gave me to rebuild. It was stripped, no ferrules, but straight as an arrow. I think he knew it was a "loss leader" deal, since I went back to him to buy a Struble reelseat, machined NS Ferrules, and so on........ If I only knew at the beginning what I learned while rebuilding, the end result would have been drastically different, but I fish that rod nonetheless...
The real first rod in my mind was a...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (cecolefly) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:35:00 GMT

I remember my first fly rod like it was yesterday, my pawpaw was a jack of all things and was very good at it. my other grandfather was a fisherman, so i just got it honest. When i was ten i got bit by the fly rod i read abouth them in field and stream, the love affair has lasted a lifetime. I could not afford one at the time, enen though i saved my money toward buying one. My pawpaw read the article on it from my magazine, so he got all parts off of the farm. heres how it was. 5.6 ft long...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (Hap) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:10:40 GMT

First bamboo was a Orvis # 99 with a replaced tip section. Fished it a whole season then had it restored by Orvis as the tip had a serious dent from a screen door accident.

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (nwdlj) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:27:07 GMT

Not to hijack this thread but maybe to add to it as just finished reading Jim's post and it made me think about what was the first fish that I caught with a bamboo rod... Like him, mine was a willing bream....now I don't remember the rod as it was actually a tip section that my granddad rigged up for me when I was 4 years old but to this day, I can still remember the feel of the bream bouncing that tip around...catching that bream for sure hooked me deeper than I hooked the...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (HERMES2069) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:08:46 GMT

Some time in the early 70's. I was a frequent shopper at the local sporting goods store just west of Boston. The owner was returning from a sporting goods auction. He had Wheatley fly boxes. and a
Norm Thompson Farlows Lee Wulff Midge 6'-6" 1 tip. The Farlows was my first Bamboo rod. Along with a Farlows 3-1/8" Sapphire reel.
Phil

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (ARTHURK) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:55:06 GMT

My first bamboo rod is a 'budget level' rod I had the maker name after my daughter Ashley when she was born in 2004. It is a Chris McDowell 2/1 209E rendition that is so good despite the entry level price that it still sets the standard for all the rods in my collection today. The McDowell rod allowed such effortless casts and dry fly presentation everytime that I have not bought a graphite or glass rod since. I always use this rod to teach my children ( seen in my avatar) as it is...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (JimP) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:39:56 GMT

My first bamboo rod was my first fly rod a Japanese import that was both a fly rod and a bait casting rod. It was identical to the rod the author in the book "Casting a Spell"began with. I taught myself how to cast a fly with that rod along with some very willing bream. I had a blast with it. When it was in need of repair I called Orvis. The gent on the line broke my heart when he said "That rod is not worth what it would cost to fix it." I got over it but not easily....

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (slate river) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:21:38 GMT

nwdlj...well said. The true definition of fly fishing for me has always been "about more than just catching fish."
Bob

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (cebfishing) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:19:25 GMT

My first fly rod was a hand-me-down that my grandmother gave me. It had been my grandfather's and he passed away when I was about 6 years old. About the age of 8, I got the rod and was very proud and happy. It is an unmarked montague, 9ft with a sliding band. Nothing fancy. Rewrapped it about 20 years later. It was they only rod I used for many years, trout fishing most weekends in northern Wisconsin and ocassionally for pan fish, northern, and walleye. Both tips are still full length....

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (nwdlj) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:48:41 GMT

I'm like bobeegee and am really enjoying this thread. I do notice that with no exceptions, there are no regrets expressed about getting the first boo rod...that probably goes without saying in that this group is composed on enthusiasts to begin with but still, to put as much time, effort and resources into these wonderful instruments says something to me at least about how we view fishing...its about more than just catching fish, its about how we go about it and what we hold as values in...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (cwood) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:12:29 GMT

First Boo rod was a nice casting Hardy Phantom 8 ft. 5 wt. Fished it long and hard, but eventually sold it to get my first Heddon, an 8.5 ft. 2f Black Beauty and then it was all down hill from there. I went on a Heddon kick for several years before venturing into contemporary makers. That's when the gates opened and I realized cane rods really have no comparison. A couple Heddons, my Phillipson, and the few contemporary rods I own can cover any fishing situation I put myself in.

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (gofish60) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:52:55 GMT

First bamboo, a hand me down 8 1/2' South Bend 6wt. with a Medalist reel from my Dad in the 40's. They were always around, even when most of his friends went to fiberglass in the 50's. We fished all of the famous WI and Upper Michigan waters, but mostly way up North. We were looking for big trout, and had big rods. Didn't even know there were trout in the Driftless area until much later.
First serious bamboo purchase was in the late 70's when I bought a minty 8'...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (bluejayee) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:53:26 GMT

Hi Guys, My first experience with a 'fly rod' was a telescoping steel rod which belonged to my best friend's dad. I was 10-12 years old. We were at Harvey's lake in the Wyoming Valley of Pa. I was try to cast when the tip section flew off hit the fly, broke the fly off and went sailing out into the cove by the bridge. We swam forever trying to find it. I had to go into his house while his dad was watching TV and say, "Mr. Shamanski, I lost your rod..." He...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (WatercolorMan) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 03:47:50 GMT

OldTrout

nice start, Walt was a lots of fun and made a great rod

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (oldtrout) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:41:09 GMT

Sometime between 1974 and 1976, ordered a Walton Powell Golden Signature (Two butts, two tips) through Chuck Stranahan at Hat Creek Anglers.

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (TheMontyMan) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:09:18 GMT

I had been fly fishing prolifically for a few years, and was kinda looking at taking my game to the next level. I didn't know what that was until my wife received a Rapidan from her father for Christmas. His father had bought it, and fished it, then passed it down to him. He did a beautiful job of restoring it before passing it on to her. I bought a Rapidan on to match hers. I fished it for most of a summer, and started looking for an upgrade. I...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (tedgolden) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:46:36 GMT

In the summers of the late 50's, I was frequently seen on my bike, three piece rod sticking up like a radio antenna. Sneaking into the pond at the exclusive private golf course while avoiding the hirelings who tended the greens and didn't like little kids running around waving a stick. On a good day it would be 10 AM before they ran me off. On a bad day they might threaten to call the cops. No sense of humor, those guys. But the pond was full of big bluegill and a few bass. The...

Re: My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (tight loops) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:22:28 GMT

7 1/2' 2/2 based on a Paul Young Perfectionis, by John Channer of Durango (recommended by Mike Shay), that I cast a with a DT4 . Superb fly-rod that is one of my favorites. John now has 5 or 6 rods floating around South Africa. A hugely under-valued maker - can't say enough about his rods.
Tom

My First Bamboo Rod - What Was Yours?

feeds@yuku.com (darrelll) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:54:11 GMT

Mid 1990's I had recently taken up flyfishing and was at a local Pasadena, CA swap meet/antique faire/flea market but BIG and I came across a couple of bamboo rods in sad condition and bought them for all of $25 total. Both had short tips and were about 6.5' long 2 piece rods. I had built my own graphite fly rods from scratch and decided this should not be too much harder. It didn't have very many line guides so I decided to give it modern guide spacing, but I did use silk and...