This month’s bamboo rod making class got off to a roaring start! Cort jump-started his week with a 2-hour long briefing on Sunday afternoon at the shop.  A couple of hours talking about rod making, what to expect, what happens each day of the bamboo rod making class, what taper to build and a few other things makes Monday morning a real supercharged affair!

Cort selected a very nice piece of bamboo, deciding to go with the gold toned cane that I use in my bamboo fly rods.  Using the Garrison method of strip selection, and the Payne method of strip utilization, as well as my interpretation of both, is going to give Cord that gap-free, no glue line look to his fly rod. Most of today was taken up splitting cane, staggering nodes and straightening strips!

Cort chose the Payne 100 taper, as his fishing in the Sierras is mostly on small water.  Seems like most of the students of mine choose the Payne 100 or my 8 foot Upper Sac Special for their first rod.  Here is a picture collage of Monday:

Where does the time go?  Chris and Hugh were here for a week, but that was already a week ago!  Between early mornings and late evenings the time passed quickly, and I didn’t have the energy to update this blog as I usually do.  Below is a collage of pictures showing the two rodmakers at work.  How did things go for the two of them?  Easiest said by printing the letter I received from Chris:

Here is Joe with his finished bamboo fly rod, casting away! He even had time to straighten and rough another rod section!

It’s the end of the week, and Joe’s bamboo fly rod is just about done! It has been a long journey, but a quick trip from culm to finished fly rod. Here are some pictures of Joe building out his 8 footer:

Once again, the day ended with a little fishing on the Upper Sac. Joe has watched the river drop into shape while his been here. If you haven’t been able to read the tee shirts he has been wearing, Joe works for the Toolik Research Station in Alaska….his job entails going from Fairbanks to the Research Station on a fairly regular basis. It is a 350 plus mile trip in each direction…..on the same road that “Ice Road Truckers” is filmed!

Joe had another good day building his bamboo fly rod! It’s a high-speed, low-drag experience and he has kept the pace up, including fishing every night after class! Here are some photos of todays regimen, with Joe building his cork grip, cleaning up his bamboo rod sections, fitting his ferrules, and finally, putting a coat of spar varnish on his rod:

Wednesday’s rod building class went by like a blur for both of us! Joe ran right through the planing of butt and tip, and was gluing up early in the afternoon. I think this might be a record!

Joe and I have been fishing after class. The river is dropping fast, we have found some nice fish, figured out what they are eating, and, well, we’re gonna catch em! Splitting cane during the day, and fishing for wild Upper Sac rainbows in the evening is not a bad way to spend the week!

I am beginning to like these slide shows! Building bamboo fly rods is a process, and it’s nice to see what goes on in the rod making class each day. So here is some more of Joe and his work from Tuesday’s rod building class:

Joe has traveled down from Alaska to have a go at making his own bamboo fly rod.  He is off to a great start.  Joe selected the Upper Sac Special for his build, as he fishes for grayling just outside of town.  Here is a slide show from Monday, showing Joe in action:

Click on the link below…..cause I can’t figure out anyway else to do this right now!  Gotta go to class.

Jeff and Jon finished up the week Saturday with two beautiful bamboo fly rods.  Their rod building class went along seemlessly, resulting in each of the students having an heirloom rod.  Finished rods were flexed and cast across the street in the parking lot.

Jon flexes his newly-built bamboo fly rod

Jeff casts his newly-built split bamboo fly rod

It was a great end to a fun-filled week of rod making.  Jeff and Jon learned a great deal, and in the process both ended up with great bamboo fly rods.  Here the two of them, long-time friends “bump cigars” in celebration.

Jeff and Jon celebrate the successful completion of their rod building class

Friday morning had both students busily wrapping their bamboo fly rods.   Affixing the guides and strippers in the correct intervals ensured that the rods would cast smoothly, as well as take in and let out line effortlessly.  Some tricks of the trade were handed out, and both Jeff and Jon got to wrapping their rods.

Seeing the humor in cutting the wrong thread while wrapping a bamboo fly rod!

Jeff hard at work wrapping his bamboo fly rod section

The two friends were having too much fun together, so I had to separate them.  Jon was busy in the time-out room doing his work.