Bamboo Fly Rod Build

[Phil Mueller]

A few years ago Pete Taran posted about a class he took to build a bamboo fly rod. Being one to enjoy fly fishing myself, it was just too hard to keep from signing up for the class which took place last month. As Pete indicates in his post, it’s an amazing process to go from a large culm of bamboo to a glued up tapered fishing rod.

You leave the class with a tapered blank fitted with the ferrules. The remaining work is to varnish the blank, wrap the guides and ferrules with silk thread and varnish that, epoxy on the grip and the reel seat spacer and hardware.

Hard to take a photo, but this is ready to fish.

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Here’s Pete’s post for anyone interested...(thanks again Pete for the encouragement to attend!)

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?275973-Building-a-Bamboo-Fly-Rod&highlight=Bamboo

[Christopher Charles]

Oooooh, that looks nice! Has long been on my list as well. If either you or Pete make it out this way, I might be able to put you over some nice cutthroat...

Best,
Chris

[Pete Taran]

Phil,

Where did you take the class? Down here in OH? Interested which you took and what you thought of it.

Pete

[Phil Mueller]

Hi Pete,
Took the same class you did with Jeff Wagner at Sunnybrook. Loved every minute. Thanks for the recommendation!
Yiu did finish your rod, right 😜?
Phil

[Pete Taran]

Phil,

Jeff is a class act. I tried to get in that class just for fun to spend a week fishing. Perhaps next year. I bought a form and made a second tip for my rod. Swung from the fences and made it nodeless! Bound it and used regular epoxy which is a slightly stiffer tip than the one we made in class with nodes. It's a lot of fun!

[Phil Mueller]

Yea, I think I took the last spot on the second week. Sorry about that! And yes he is…I hope he does the classes next year. I’m darn tempted to try to get in again. Took me a couple of days to figure out the fishing. It was bright and sunny every day, so you really had to be stealthy. Had my best luck in the evening with a grasshopper pattern.

Glad you finished up the rod. Nice to have a second, stiffer tip. They sure are a joy to use.

PM me if you’re in next year…I’ll try to join you.