Building Bamboo Fly Rods

Building Bamboo Fly Rods

This is a step-by-step illustration on building bamboo fly rods with the help of Marco O.Giardina (MOG), a Master cane rod maker form Neaples, Italy. Variations to this preparation do of course exist. That's the beauty of cane rodmaking...

I am preparing a proper presentation but for the moment, here are the main moments with a few pictures taken by Alberto Poratelli.

Alberto, Marco and myself, we are all members of the Italian Bamboo Rodmakers Association (IBRA).

STEP-BY-STEP ILLUSTRATED GUIDE ON HOW TO MAKE A BAMBOO FLY ROD

From China....

An overview on the bamboo plantations in China

A bamboo plantation - Arundinaria Amabilis alias Psudosasa Amabilis

...To Marco Giardina (MOG)

1. Culm Preparation

Cuttin the bamboo culm at the nodes

Cutting the node off to start building a fly rod

2. Flaming the Culm (optional)

Building Bamboo Fly rods optional moment: flaming the culm

3. Splitting the Culm

4.Flattening the Nodes

Bamboo rodmaking , removing and flattening the nodes

5. Splitting again the Bamboo Strips

Splitting bamboo strips to make the sould of a cane rod

6. The Beveller (this part can be done by hand, using a wooden planing form). This creates 60° bamboo strips. 6 of them together will create the hexagonal rod.

7. Binding the Strips For the Oven

Binding the strips

8. Tempering the Strips in the Home-Made Oven

Tempering the bamboo strips

9. Sharpening the Plane

Sharpening the plane is a vital part of bamboo rod making

10. The Planing Form

Now this is bamboo rod making: planing, planing and planing again

11. Glueing The Strips

After planing the bamboo strips you must now glue them together to form the proper bamboo blank

12. Binding the Glued Strips and Let Them Dry Overnight

...and let the glue dry overnight

13. Removing the Glue

Now, you need to remove the glue. Some bamboo rodmakers hate this moment, some other love it.

14. Inserting the Nickel-Silver Ferrules - A Very Critical Moment

Inserting the nickel-silver ferrules is a very delicate operation

15. Wrapping Guides

Wrapping guides on the bamboo rod is a sign which Master rodmakers know how to take to perfection

16. Guides Finishing

A final touch to the guides

17. Inserting grips and Reel Seat

Inserting Grips and Reel Seat

18. Finishing The Rod - (here the dipping method in a diluted polyhurethan varnish)

Finishing the rod with varnish

19. About 80 Hours for Final Result...

A bamboo fly fishing rod in all its splendor

From Building Bamboo Fly Rods to my schoold moment in Sansepolcro, Tuscany (Italy)

...or wanna know know what to look at before buying vintage (or modern) cane rods?

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