Hoagy Carmichael (in the picture signing my book) is the author of one of the most authoritative and legendary book on building bamboo fly rods:

"A Master Guide To Building A Bamboo Fly Rod"

I had the opportunity to meet Mr Carmichael, "Hoagy", at the First European Bamboo Rodmakers Gathering in Sansepolcro, Tuscany (Italy) and I could learn from his own words the story behind the legendary book which when published in 1976 started the bamboo fly rods Renaissance which we are witnessing today.

Mr Carmichael, I must say is a part of History himself. The son of famous American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and band leader Hoagy Carmichael (1899 - 1981), he is a very cheerful, outspoken and witty person and himself a natural testimony of that world of the "famous and the rich". It was quite impressing for instance, to hear him telling us how he used to be carried in the back of a byke driven by his family's friend Cary Grant when a child...Which thing he tells without any tone of superiority, but just as a nice memory.

And here is the story of the book he wrote...

Hoagy met Everett Garrison while fishing at the Catskill river, in New York state in the seventies.A friendship started and culminated in the production of a documentary on bamboo rodmaking with Garrison himself (the first ever movie about this craft). Immediately after the movie (shot during 4 very hot days, including a week-end), Mr Carmichael had the idea to write a book and promised Mr Garrison, already in his last year, to hold on with the idea.

Mr Carmichael started writing the book 7 months after Mr. Garrison died. Never could he have imagined that he was going to start a journey and that the book would be not only a great success but also a "cult" book and Mr Garrison's legacy. The craft of bamboo rod making became known to an even wider audience for the first time ever.

But the writing of the book was not easy. Hoagy went to an editor who refused then to another one who proposed publishing 1000, then accepted 2000 copies but then dropped the idea because of the size the book was reaching. The editor wanted to delete at least 100 pages but Hoagy Carmichael refused. So the contract was cancelled and he decided to publish the book himself.

After all, he had been writing the book every day for 8 months and in Everett Garisson's own workshop, surrounded by the atmosphere, tools and books of the great rod maker who had just died.

Anyhow, without a photographer and editor, Hoagy Carmichael decided to look for a photographer to start with (the hands on the book are Hoagy Carmichael's). And an another young illustrators for the drawings but he broke his right hand and so he made the drawings with his left hand.

Then, two major sports magazines (one was "Field of Stream") who had a book club proposed 2000 and 3000 copies each and an order of 1000 more copies came from a friend who was an editor. Hoagy, then, decided to publish 6000 PLUS another 5000 copies: 11'000 copies!

One day, he eventually invited an emotional Mrs Garrison to press the printing machine button and start making the actual book. The book was selling at $20, a high price in those days.

To sell the book, Hoagy was presenting it in fishing clubs. "I was in the business of selling books". After a few time, he started receiving letters from Montana, Australia, England, Italy. In short 3 years after publishing the book there were people showing him their hand-made rods. "I could not believe to my eyes. My intention was to show how Garrison was making the rod and not to teach others". And he adds "when I write I think of entering the reader's mind to make him think. I think I started a journey without knowing where he was leading me. I saw here in Sansepolcro lots of innovations and lot of quality. When I started writing the book there were not the same tools as today. I am happy that I contributed to this success"

So far 26'000 copies of the book have been published and sold and it doesn't look like that the wave is stopping, quite the contrary.

Guess what? The book has become a collection piece on its own!

From a Lang's auction 2007 catalogue:

Garrison, Everett with Hoagy Carmichael - A Master's Guide to
Building the Bamboo Fly Rod - 1977, Deluxe edition limited to
128 numbered and signed copies by Carmichael and remarqued
by the artist Robert Seaman, this is number 76. 246 pages, color
photograph frontispiece of Garrison at the bench tipped inside.
Bound in full brown leather with embossed design four raised
bands, gilt lettering, rule and design. All edges gilt. Housed in
issued three quarter leather clamshell box with a leather pouch
attached that houses a two inch section of a Garrison rod. All in
Fine condition. ($500-$1,000)

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