Gene and Wayne’s rod building started out with a flurry of activity Monday morning.  After selecting culms and tapers the previous day, the two new rod makers went to work!

Wayne and Gene marking the inside of the culms

Removing the inside of the node flush with the pith

With only two students in the class, there was plenty of instruction and each question was answered immediately!

Gene preps his strips prior to roughing

The work progressed quickly, with the emphasis on straight, straight strips!  Easier to work, and the way to a straight bamboo fly rod!  The large belt sander was only used on the pith side of the strips, to remove the “bumps” created by the inner nodes.  All the culms are split into strips by hand, ensuring that the “grain” is followed.  This is “Old School” in the finest sense of the word.