A BIT ON FLY RODS & BASTARDS

'or things we might not realize'

It's been years since I've revisited fly rods, taking them for granted for quite a spell. The questions are beginning on what kind of fly rods to take to Alaska for a season or even to Australia or New Zealand. One of the questions one may ask is what kind of back up fly rod should I take on fishing expeditions? (Expedition - meaning a trip many hundreds if not thousands of miles from home and far removed from sporting goods stores). Without a doubt, it better be a bamboo fly rod. There is nothing mysterious about this choice. Graphite and Glass Fiber fly rods break easier then Bamboo Fly Rods. The reason for this is simple. A “nick” fracturizes graphite/glass fly rods not unlike a nick or scratch in glass. It doesn't take much to make it fail two thousand miles or more from home and no where to get another fly rod.

BAMBOO, on the other hand, if nicked will usually continue to work. It WON'T fail you and it will keep casting until until you get through that fly fishing trip you're on. Any damaged fly rod still requires attention or repair as soon as possible.

It is strange that everyone is willing to buy Graphite Fly Rods without extra tips but will buy Bamboo Fly Rods WITH extra tips - when in fact it is Graphite/Glass Fly Rods that will break more tips quicker then most Bamboo Fly Rods do. All three fly rod tips are often snapped or shattered catching something on a back cast and wham! The rod tip shatters because the tips are shuttered into self-destruction by catching the fly on a weed or folage behind the caster. There just is so much ANY material can take.

Graphite can come up to the strength of bamboo with thinner walls and of course, Graphite Rods are HOLLOW inside. The are not solid fibers like bamboo rods are but bamboo is more durable, which seems like a contradiction. In fact, the concept that Graphite will always cast farther then Bamboo is pure nonsense. The only place Graphite has it over all the other materials are in tournament casting. In the hands of a good caster Bamboo and Graphite will cast the same distance. Bear in mind that in tournament casting, special custom made graphite rods are made for such events. These really are not tools used astream for fly fishing. They are “Distance Casting Tools” only.

Anyone should be able to cast these two types of fly rods the same distance, 60 - 70 feet and 100 feet not being uncommon. A properly constructed Bamboo Fly Rod will cast just as well as any Graphite made in the world. What Graphite has over Bamboo is its lighter weight to power ratio and one is able to get more “rod speed” out of graphite by making the wall thicker. This is the only place graphite has it over Bamboo. It’s lightness. Bamboo has it heads over heels over Graphite in the durability department in being tougher and less likely to break with a smoother power delivery. Some of the differences are well worth consideration. I would suggest one never go on a major trip without a Bamboo Fly Rod.

Bamboo is NOT inferior to Graphite. Graphite is inferior to Bamboo in many ways. If I were given the choice of being stuck with only one fly rod for the rest of my life, it would be a no contest. Bamboo would win hands down. Why? Because it would be less likely to shatter due to surface nicks.

Sure, if you have an “Impregnated Bamboo,” it will be heavier, but we have to revisit this weight thing. “Oh! That reel is too heavy!” or, “That Rod is too heavy,” is much to do about nothing. There are different tools for different kinds of fly-fishing. There is no such thing as a fly rod that is weightless. Let’s look at this weight thing again.

A fly rod that will punch a #10, a #11, a #12, or a #13 fly line, sitting on a reel that will weigh 6 times heavier then a dainty #2 weight fly line and rod, is relative. The man stalking tarpon doesn't care. He wants to be able to deliver a very heavy shooting head maybe up to 140 feet away time and again and certainly over 110 feet consistently. He wants that fly line to sink fast. The only thing that determines how fast a fly line sinks - is weight. Big lines do this very well. I have cast at tarpon for a half-hour at a time and you can tire of it.

On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve heard of the #2 - 3 weight fly rodder complain because “he thinks” the reel is too heavy. What we all should realize is fly rods of such lightness will never get a reel light enough. It's a fact of life. Yet, in both camps of the extreme, when a fish is on I can yell, “Is that Reel too heavy now!” Or, “Is that fly rod too heavy now?!” Etc. I don’t know why it is, but never once in my fly fishing career have I EVER given thought about if a reel or rod is too heavy. I can also say in startling frankness, I have NEVER once regarded if a fly rod balanced in my hand between the reel and the rod sticking out in front of it. I just pick the damned things up and I start casting. Never, during a day’s fishing has any fly rod with reel insulted my sensibilities and frankly, I don’t know why. Weight and balance has never been an issue with me. What is an issue with me are more important things . . . such as how is the fly line doing? Is this fly rod able to deliver this line the way it should? Maybe a double taper would work on this particular fly rod? Is this fly rod buckling under stress? Are the harmonics correct? Does it overload improperly? . I know the fly rod usually can perform reasonably well, but there are more problems associated in my fly fishing career in matching up fly lines with leaders that will turn over properly. MY Sensibilities are from the fly, backwards - which is the proper way to approach a fly fishing system. The most important thing is the leader, then a properly designed fly line mated to the fly rod, and then the kind of fly rod action we want or need for what we want to do.

What I’m saying, it’s hard to insult any fly rod or reel because of weight, regarding it's real purposes in life. Can you cast it or not? See that rising trout?! Screw it if the fly rod is pink in color! Just cast to that big hog there!

Naturally, I’ve been forced to revisit the world of Bamboo since ROFF got me involved in this BASTARD BAMBOO Fly Rod project. One is suddenly plunged into comparisons and to each his own in fly-fishing. Everyone has bias's. I have discovered that old preferences may at times are based on the improper reasoning due to faulty information that was spoon fed to us in our youth, and of course, on right ones also. I have, in my fly fishing world reaffirmed that there are old wive’s tales mixed in between the two extremes. There are strong prejidices in this world of comparing Glass vs. Graphite vs. Bamboo. There is also many foolish assumptions not based on scientific or personal facts and experiences.

Such as? Well, such as “In the field, Graphite casts farther then Bamboo all the time.”

Wrong.

False misconceptions?: Example: Everyone doesn’t need to order an extra tip with Graphite or Glass fly rods when actually they should.

The more I get into this Bamboo Fly Rod business, the more I’m becoming impressed with what I’ve been missing. I’ve been fishing Graphite much to long compared to Bamboo and I'm angry that I’ve hood-winked myself into not holding my ground regarding these wonderful weapons made of reed, minerals and ores, silk worms, trees and bark. I marvel at how anyone is able to influence the evolution, and so, the future of such things into something so beautiful, yet so thrillingly useful!

Because Gehrke's Gink® floats a dry fly high, it seems to be riding on slivers of light between Sky and Water, ready it seems to fly away, and so . . . the trout cometh!