Makers of Bamboo Fly Rods: an Interview with

Danish Rodmaker Bjarne Fries

Where do you live?
I live in Denmark in a city called Randers. It is located in Jytland which is the main land in Denmark.

By the way, I learned that you trained as a musician and then became a full-time bamboo rodmaker. Is that correct? When was it? Which instrument were you studying and do you still play it?
Yes, I studied the classical guitar for some years (1970-1973), before I got absorbed by rodbuilding. No I don’t play an instrument any more, but I listen to a lot of classical music, it is a very important part of my life. I also have a daughter who is professional violinist.

Your Japanese philosophy TAKE NO KONORO (Spirit of Bamboo) means that you get to feel a deep respect for bamboo and that you work it only by hand, without putting too much of stress on it, never using a milling-machine for instance. This, coupled with your profound understanding of taper design makes you a real Master of bamboo rodmaking, I think...
Thank you.

In 2002 you finished your 700th rod! Can I ask you how many rods you make in a year and if you concentrate your rodmaking in particular moments of the year or if it is a continous process?
My output of rods per year at the time being is about 25. The Main working time for me is from October to May. I try to keep May and June free for fishing, as I feel it is very important for me to create and maintain a big “database” of fishing experience to use and improve on my taper designs.

We know that you developed your own taper design, but is there any master from the past whom you took your inspiration from? What kind of rod action do you prefer?
Mhhh. I must say that I feel that all my findings in regard to taper design are made by myself, but of course there has been influenced of the forgoing masters. I have only build a few copies of Garrison’s tapers in the very beginning of my career, and I build a copy of Paul Young’s Midge for an Austrian friend of mine, because his original Midge cracked in between the power fibres because of the very tricky heat treatment of Paul Young. Apart of that I always build and explored my own taper designs. But with the years I found out that the rodmaker of the past that I feel closest to is Paul Young, although I only built the one copy of his midge.My own preference in regard to rod action leans clearly towards the longer and softer rods. This tendency grows with me becoming older and more experienced/wise/lazy ;)And let me remind you of that a soft rod doesn’t mean a slow rod, it means a rod that can be slow to fast at your command.

I understand that you make most, if not all of your rod parts, not only the handle and reel seat (all in cork!) and that you are very cultivated in your choice. What about the guides and tip-top, is there a brand or company that you prefer? Did you try to make your own, too?
I made some experiments with own guide designs several years ago, but without success. Now I keep to the Pacific bay guides. I love the golden coloured guides for a bamboo rod. I know the guides are a little clumsy/heavy compared to some other brands, but I also think the material of the guides can be too thinn/fine for good performance in regard to shooting and line maintenance.

I know that you are making your own nickel silver ferrule ( a very critical rod part), too, is that correct? Which lathe do you use, I mean do you use a small lathe (so-called mini-lathe) or a larger one or else, and how long does it take to make them?
I use a small/medium lathe from Austria, EMCO compact 5.

Of course, one of your many achievements is then the bamboo ferrule. When did you first make them? Are you satisfied with the results and is there a demand for such kind of ferrules.
I invented my FIBH ferrules in the late nineties of the forgoing century ;) (Makes me sound rather old). I am very satisfied and proud of the result, and with the improvement from Detlef Cronenberger a German hobby rodmaker, that made it possible to decrease the swell of the Bamboo ferrule to 2 cm, it is, in my opinion, now the best connection for the different pieces of a bamboo fly rod.My customers seem to agree since about 90% of my orders are for rods with my bamboo ferrule.

What about you finish? How do you apply the varnish?
I apply the varnish by dip varnishing, as most rodmakers do.

Who are your clients, where do they come from? Do they ask for custom made rods that you have to prepare or do they prefer the finished rods that you sell?
My clients are mainly from Japan, but I have clients from all over the world.

What would you suggest to a person who would like to buy his first bamboo rod?
To cast as many rods as possible from different makers and then decide on the rod that “feels right”. It really is very complex, and very often for a first timer regarding bamboo rods he will choose something that reminds of what he/she knows. But after a time of getting accustomed to bamboo, everything seems to change and little by little you change as a fisherman and also your preferences will change, it is fantastic evolution.The range of rod actions in the graphite rod range is very limited, mostly it’s about distance and most rods have a fast kind of progressive tapers. They are quiet easy to cast also for not so good casters but they are actually really boring in my opinion. On the other hand in the bamboo rod department you will find an almost unlimited range of actions.

Can I ask you if you remember a funny mistake you made while rodmaking?
I once did a mistake (Not so funny) were I - after heat treatment - started to plane the strips upside down (from tip to ferrule instead of from ferrule to tip) this mend about 20 hours of work wasted.

You invented the Flexi-stripper, the innovative, simple system to control loose line and shooting line during fly fishing. Can I ask you how was the reaction of the public?
Well it was actually very strange. First reactions where that people (who by the way never had tried it) made fun of it. But as time went by and more and more people tried it, it has become more and more accepted and recognized, and quit some people have realized the potential of it by now. To be honest, I think the Flexi-Stripper is one of the most important improvements to fly fishing that have been made in recent years. I don’t mean this as an advertisement, but if you take the time to change your way of stripping the line in a little (this takes about 2-3 days of fishing to train some different muscles) then you gain benefits for the rest off you fly fishing life. I can say that the F-S for me is as important to fly fishing as is my rod, reel and line!