I searched similar topics on this forum but found that there was a price limit on the first rod. I fish small to moderate sized streams in NJ using 4-5 weight
moderate to fast action graphite rods and want to now experience the more progressive action of bamboo rods. Price is not a strict limit but I do want a new
bamboo rod by a recognized quality builder. What length rod would I need (I believe between a 7-8 foot rod). What rod makers would you suggest. I don't
mind paying upwards of 2K since I rather pay for quality up front.
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First bamboo rod
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 gary3594 |
First bamboo rod |
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Posts: 1 08/08/2008 00:34 |
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 NorthBranch |
#1 | |||
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Posts: 94 08/08/2008 01:56 |
Oh...you opened up the Pandora's box on this one. I'll be easy and say a Bill "Streamer" Abrams Presentation 7'-6'" or 8'
4wt E.W. Edwards Taper or a Dave Collyer 7'-9'' Para 14 4/5wt Hollowed with a Cholla Grip. The Cholla should go real nice in Jersey. Kidding, but
you would love the rod. Anyway both would come in just under 2K and in this range...you will never find a nicer looking rod. I'm also begining to become
a fan of Chris Carlins and Eric Peterson rods...never casted one from either, but you know a qaulity rod when you see it and theirs are top notch and in your
range. See, I can't help myself on this one...too many good makers now days. Now just sit back and wait for the rest of the responses, and they will all
be right too.
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flyty |
#2 | |||
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Posts: 61 08/08/2008 03:48 |
1) Jenkins. See if these rods appeal to you:
http://www.jenkinsflyrods.com/cane%20models%20jfr%202007.htm A dealer is offering a new GA79, which is a 7'9" 4/5 weight, in the classifieds for $200 less than the list price. 2) AJ Thramer. http://www.thramerrods.com/ If I'm not mistaken, he builds more rods than any other modern builder, so he has a lot of expertise building rods. As far as I can tell, he has a reputation for affordable, well built rods, i.e. ones you would fish rather than collect. He builds a wide variety of rods with different finishes and fittings, so you should be able to find one that appeals to your sensibilities.
Last Edited By: flyty 08/08/2008 03:57.
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Brian Shaffer |
Consider Dave Male rods | #3 | ||
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Posts: 1128 08/08/2008 05:13 MO/ARK Trout Bum |
Gary - you might want to consider Dave Male bamboo rods.
" Just once, I wish a trout would wink at me. "
Last Edited By: Brian Shaffer 08/13/2008 04:00.
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ARTHURK |
#4 | |||
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Posts: 178 08/08/2008 05:23 |
Hi Gary,
There are many board members from NJ who own wonderful rods both high end and budget plus a few who even build nice rods ie Horshoe/Marty. I suggest that you get to know them and hopefully cast some rods to learn about bamboo's unique tapers/action and grow to know what you want. At $2K, you can purchase really good rods but it's best not to rush into a purchase without casting some rods. Happy searching! Arthur |
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thegubster |
No need to spend $2000! | #5 | ||
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Posts: 1328 08/08/2008 07:22 |
Gary,
Being into cane myself for only a handful of years my suggestion is to take your time and listen to the general direction this forum and it's members will take you. There are many people here to help direct you and then you can decide. Foremost...take the time to listen and learn a bit. Even at $2000, there's no guarantee you'll be satisfied. My $.02 goes like this. After finding out what sort of casting actions you initially decide you like AFTER casting a handful of different rods in, say, a "progressive" taper for example, find yourself a rod in maybe a 7 1/2 ft one pc. (one tip as opposed to two) as this will begin your education for somewhere around the $500 mark. It's not only the $$ involved that add up to your satisfaction in how a rod feels for you. Often that's not even the biggest factor unless you have that type of mindset. You're looking for what makes your rod satisfying to you and that means the heart of the thing. We call that the taper! Only you can determine what you like after handling/casting different tapers. After that comes the "sugar", the cosmetics ............(and then the subsequent knowing that the hook's firmly planted in your backside, like the rest of us....  )
And stay off of Ebay for quite some time. You'll get WAY more help and direction towards a particular rod right here. Good luck. I just went through this too the last 1/2 dozen years and wish I'd listenened more to what I just preached! Jeremy. |
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Tom Smithwick |
first rod | #6 | ||
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Posts: 418 08/08/2008 09:27 |
Gary - If you can get to the Catskills Fly Fishing center this Sunday, there will be a bunch of rods and some bamboo guys to talk to. Check out the Summerfest
information at:
http://www.cffcm.net/ Another possibility would be to attend the Rodmakers gathering there in September, where there will be racks of rods, and many makers from around the USA and the world. |
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pvansch1 |
#7 | |||
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Posts: 3866 08/08/2008 09:32 Moderator |
I'll second what Tom said, get to a gathering and test drive some rods.
There are hundreds of makers of excellent rods of top quality. But you won't know what you want until you cast and find what you like. Small NJ streams, 7' - 7.5' 4/5 wt would be my choice. Pete
Fishing in the rain! |
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pafisherman1 |
#8 | |||
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Posts: 66 08/08/2008 09:46 |
What everyone is saying is so true. You really..really need to cast a variety of rods to make sure you get what feels right to you. I am fairly new to bamboo rods also... He will here allot of talk about rod styles tapers etc. here on this site from many very knowledgeable people. But frankly it will take years to understand what it all means. I am in the market for a 3 wt rod and will acquire one at some point. Until I meet Tom Smithwick at a gathering earlier this summer were he let me cast three different 3 wt rods I did not really understand how different they could be. I am pretty sure there are many folks on this board that like me don't understand all the tapers and actions...What most do understand is what feels good in our hands and what we can cast well and enjoy fishing.. Bill from PA |
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cwood |
Thramer | #9 | ||
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Posts: 431 08/08/2008 10:12 |
If it is hard for you to get your hands on rods to test drive I suggest getting in touch with AJ Thramer and telling him what you like/need. He will build
whatever rod you want and you will be happy. 2k is more than you need to get a great rod. You could buy 2 quality rods for that amount and cover almost all
fishing conditions.
CW |
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seattlesetters |
#10 | |||
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Posts: 344 08/08/2008 10:58 |
Just reinforcing what others have said....cast as many as you can get your hands on to figure out what actions you like. Then, a good maker can take that
information and build you a rod that will suit you.
That being said, there is no substitute for getting out and fishing bamboo rods. Each rod you fish, whether ideal for you or not, will provide a wealth of experience that will help you down the road. Having one (or two) of your own makes this easier to accomplish, unless you're lucky enough to have access to fine people who will let you use their rods on the stream. Casting rods is always a great education, but it isn't the be-all, end-all. One of my favorite rods (one I have on order) didn't really light my fire when I lawn cast it, but once I got it on the water......WOW! Big difference. |
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JPMarci |
#11 | |||
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Posts: 124 08/08/2008 17:47 |
Gary
I am fishing in Long Valley on Sunday Morning (at least that is the plan). If you want to meet for a couple of hours I will bring a couple of rods. You are more than welcome to try them. Let me know. John |
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gary3594 |
#12 | |||
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Posts: 2 08/09/2008 00:19 |
Thanks for the offer JP and all the others for your quick and thoughtful replies. I am leaving tonight for Nantucket where I have several guide trips on small
boats for blues and stripers on the fly. This will allow pause to digest all the advice that has been offered. This may appear to be an elementary question,
but what should I be looking for when casting a bamboo rod as opposed to the graphite rods that I am used to?
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MontyMontana |
want to try this one? | #13 | ||
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Posts: 321 08/09/2008 12:18 |
Gary,
I have a really neat Dennis Stone 7'4wt.... just a real pleasure to cast and a great rod to learn about bamboo. Send me your snail mail address and I will mail it to you (loan) and you can try it for a couple of weeks ...only ask you pay shipping back....so you can get an idea of how bamboo works. Monty Montana.........cds13@verizon.net
Your Signature ... I fish via our criminal justice system..."Catch and release"
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softstick |
re: First rod | #14 | ||
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Posts: 537 08/09/2008 13:56 |
Gary, here's some two lincolns from a guy who has been into bamboo for about 15 years and now I'm a dealer as well.
When you cast your first bamboo rod, whatever it may be, take notes. Whether they be mental or you prefer to jot them down in a journal. Cast the rod with different lines and don't just make a judgement with say one line. Give the rod a chance to show you what it has to say. Then start taking notes i.e. "the tip was a bit soft", "it had a hinge three inches down from the ferrule" and so on. There are many different tapers and actions and you will hear terms like progressive, medium progressive, semi parabolic, parabolic, dry fly etc etc etc. As a general point point of reference regarding classic tapered rods your Eustis Edwards, some Heddons, and Gillums will be on the fast side. Paul Young's are parabolic which require more precise timing, F.E. Thomas are pretty smooth as are Payne's. Some Leonard's are ok but alot had wimpy tips. And then it depends on if it's a two piece or a three piece. Two piece rods will generally be a bit crisper in action. Many rod makers will take a classic taper and adjust it to their liking perhaps adding or subtracting the tiniest amount of bamboo at any given point along the rod til they have something they like. The whole point of this exercise is to build up a database of what you like and don't like so you can make an informed decision. |
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ibookje |
#15 | |||
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Posts: 1264 08/09/2008 15:31 |
Jeez.... This sounds just like me when I joined this forum in 2003 (yikes, that's 5 years ago!).
This board has been a true gem in terms of sharing information. I read & listened for several years before buying my first rod. It's just too easy to make hits & mistakes with bamboo if you don't know what you're doing. Good luck! Jay |
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andre49 |
#16 | |||
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Posts: 988 08/09/2008 16:34 Deeply Shallow |
Gary, where do you live in Jersey? We fish every weekend and have a number of rods on hand. Even the "Giver" Horsesho fishes with us. Let me know here by message and i would be glad to get you started. I have a dozen rods you can try.
Andre |
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New2Bamboo |
#17 | |||
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Posts: 892 08/09/2008 22:10 |
Aaaaaahhh... Long Valley. That brings back memories. While I didn't fish in the Long Valley area when I lived in Hackettstown, I fished the Musconetcong
exclusively... as a bait fisherman. I didn't get into fly fishing until I moved to Maine and have now been fishing bamboo nearly exclusively for the past 5
years. I'd love to hear some NJ fly fishing stories though guys so start sharing!
Bill - N2B |
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andre49 |
#18 | |||
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Posts: 989 08/10/2008 15:28 Deeply Shallow |
Horsesho wrote: Translation: Marty gets pissed when I'm on the stream wih someone from the board he doesn't know... as he has no "boys"
Last Edited By: andre49 08/10/2008 18:02.
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steeldog94 |
#19 | |||
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Posts: 69 08/19/2008 13:52 |
A used 7 1/2 ft Orvis Deluxe (they come up on ebay ocassionaly) would be a very good first rod at a reasonable price. Also, by being impregnated, you
don't need to be afaid of using in in the raind. Also, Orvis is very good at repairing their rods at a reasonable cost if you ever need that.
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- Members Corner
- Forum Announcements
- Collecting Bamboo Fly Rods
- Fishing Bamboo Fly Rods
- Rod making, restoration, repairs and discussion on those related topics concerning bamboo rods.
- Rod and Reel Makers Forum
- Information About Makers & Manufacturers
- Taper Exchange
- Appraisals & Identification of Bamboo Fly Rods
- Ephemera, empherma and Ephemerella.....
- Book Talk
- Photos, paintings, written stories and talents.
- Classic Reels
- Collecting and Tying Classic Flies
- The Cooks Kitchen
- The Classic Fly Rod Classifieds
- Technical Support
Quick Reply
The Orvis database by Greg Reynolds Finally available again!!
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