My friends will tell you I tend to be a thinker. That’s not necessarily a good thing as it often comes in the form of “Cliff, you over think everything!”
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Not so long ago, someone asked me why I fished (almost exclusively) bamboo. The question set me back a bit as it was one of those things “the thinker” hadn’t given much thought to. I’ve been noodling on it ever since.
Now before I start, let me say that I do have graphite rods in every size from 2 wt. through 9 wt. I still have the first fly rod I ever owned, an Orvis Golden Eagle fiberglass rod from the mid-1970’s. I still use all of them, from time to time, when situations and circumstances dictate. My “go to” rods, though, are all split cane, aka bamboo.
I guess it started about 1978 when I was in a local sporting goods store in Buffalo, NY and spotted a 2 pc, 2 tip used bamboo rod for sale. It had no markings other than 5 wt. and was a 7 ½ ‘ rod. To this day, I have no idea who made the rod. The rod was $100 at the time and well over my budget. It was just one of those things I “had to have” because it would “make my life better” and had it on “lay-a-way” (remember “lay-a-way”) for a couple of months before I brought it home. Thus started a love affair with bamboo rods. So much of a love affair that I now make bamboo rods! I still have that rod resting in a leather case.
So, what’s the big attraction?
I guess it’s for the same reasons I prefer to fly fish over spin casting or bait casting. It’s the same reason I prefer waxed cotton to Gortex or wool over synthetics. I won’t bird hunt with anything other than side-by-side doubles and, preferably, hammer doubles. I big game hunt with either a bow or a flintlock long rifle, not one of those in-line percussion guns. I’ll choose leather over vinyl every time. And when it comes to fly fishing, I prefer bamboo rods and silk lines.
And the question remains, so what’s the big attraction?
Bamboo is a grass, albeit a big grass. It is, or was a living thing. Think wood vs. PVC or composite. Leather comes from a living thing while vinyl comes from a test tube. We all know where cotton comes from but few of us know where Gortex is born. Barred wood duck or natural mallard flank comes from their namesakes. Crystal Flash comes from God knows where.
For me, bamboo is a connection with the natural world. That natural world is where anyone reading this prefers to be and continually looks for creative excuses to be there.
Why not use what it freely gives to you? Now, that’s not to say that I shun, Gortex or Crystal Flash. Quite the contrary. It’s just that I prefer that which nature readily provides. And yes, I’ve been known to harvest a tail or feathers from road kill.
“Bamboo is slower than graphite” some will argue, “harder to cast”. My reply is, “and…your point is?”. In my mind, slower is better. I’ll fish a quarter mile of stream all day long, having little interest in covering miles at a time. I’ve given up on counting the number of fish I catch, but continue to remember the special ways in which I caught them. Spending an inordinate amount of time coaxing a shy, fat bass from out of a patch of lily pads is its own reward. I love watching bird dogs as much as, maybe even more so, than shouldering a shotgun when birds bust cover. I’d rather wait for that close in shot with a bow or a flintlock than reach out several hundred yards with a 9X scope.
Bamboo IS slower and CAN be more difficult to cast. I’ll add that its heavier than graphite and will absolutely wear you out of you don’t cast well. At the end of the day, however, I believe it makes us a better caster. You learn to feel the rod, understand its stress points and come to “know” when your line is ready for that forward cast. A rhythm, a cadence and a natural rhyme exist that is unique to bamboo. If you’ve ever played a fish on a bamboo rod, no explanation is needed. It you never have, suffice it to say that you owe yourself one opportunity to do so and introduce yourself to every moment of struggle and panic your prey displays.
Then there’s tradition; history, nostalgia. I’ll readily admit that I was born at least 100 years later than I should have been. I don’t know what my parents would say to that but that’s how I feel. I really wished I lived and hunted and fished in a simpler time. Bamboo fly rods and hammer doubles allow me to connect with a time I feel like I belong. Think wind-up pocket watches vs. the digital models many of us own. I’m convinced that Theodore Gordon and I would have been great fishing buddies (not sure Theo would agree but let me have my fantasy if you will).
I fish bamboo, I guess for the same reasons I stalk trout, salmon, redfish, snook, bass and bream. I fish bamboo for the same reasons I tie my own flies and leaders. I fish bamboo for the same reasons I cast my own lead .50 cal round balls, make my own powder horns and reload my own shot shells. I fish bamboo for the same reasons I avoid tree stands, preferring to hunt on the ground and track my game.
Perhaps some things just can’t be fully explained. Perhaps some things are best left unexplained. Perhaps the questions should be, “why don’t you fish bamboo?”