Secret Fresh and Salt Water Fishing Tricks of the World's Fifty Best Professional Fisherman

By George Leonard Herter, Edited by Lisa M. McMahon

A Brief History of Split Bamboo Fishing Rods

It is always interesting to know the true history of the things you work with. The history of the split-bamboo fly fishing rod has been needlessly confused by many modern authors and would-be historians. It is strange how some men, who invariably have never invented anything worth while themselves, seem to enjoy discrediting some truly deserving inventor.

In England, the first mention of a split type or "rent and glued up" fishing rod that bears any authenticity, was made in 1847 in the first edition of Edward Fitzgibbon's book "Hand Book of Angling". This book stated that a Mr. Bowness, 12 Bellyard, Temple Bar, London, made a three section split-bamboo fishing rod which had been in use for a few years at the time the book was written. It is likely this fishing rod was made in the early or middle eighteen forties although nothing about this has ever been proved. Research by the late Dr. J. A. Henshall before 1875 proved that this rod was made with the enamel turned to the inside. The same book also mentions the method used by a Mr. Little, 15 Fetter Lane, London, a rod maker. He made a salmon rod with an ash butt; the other joints were made of three section split and glued-up bamboo cane. The split-bamboo part of the rod was made with the enamel on the outside as we do it today. Read more...

Bamboos for Making Split Bamboo Rods

A great deal of false information has been published regarding the bamboos or canes used for making split-bamboo fishing rods. In fact, practically all published information on this subject is incorrect. I will endeavor to straighten out some of the worst errors.

Bamboo is a genus of grasses. The word "bambusa" is sometimes used in place of the word bamboo. This is incorrect. Bambusa is only one of the many genera names for bamboo. There are some six or seven hundred known species of bamboo at present. They all have underground root system much like ordinary quack grass. Each system has from five or six to over a hundred stems sprouting from it. Bamboo grows in height from a few feet to over a hundred feet. Different species of bamboo vary greatly as to the diameters. Bambusa Guadua of New Granada and some Philippine and Java bamboos will grow to as large as fifteen or sixteen inches in diameter. The foliage found on bamboo is denser at the top of the bamboo than toward the bottom. The branches do not develop on the stem until the stem has reached its full height. The stem of bamboo is jointed like ordinary grass. The joint is called a "node" and goes completely through the stem to form a partition. The outside of the stem, when dry, is hard and siliceous. The inside pithy and soft and, in most cases, hollow. The stem, or stalk, of bamboo is botanically called a "culm". The word "cane" so often given to a stalk or culm is also a botanical name. Cane refers to any plant that has long, elastic stems that have a hard outer surface. Read more...

Other Woods Used for Rod Building

I am taking the time for discussing the use of other woods besides bamboos for rod making only as a matter of record, as none of them is equal to bamboo nor should be considered any more for light and medium rods. This applies to rods up to fifteen-sixteenth of an inch in diameter at the butt. For heavy rods fifteen-sixteenths of an inch in diameter and larger hickory works out well if properly dried, although bamboo rods well constructed are superior to hickory even for these heavy rods. Read more...

How to Read a Micrometer Caliper

In fine bamboo rod building, it is necessary to use a micrometer to measure your bamboo rod strips for absolute accuracy. Bamboo rod strips are always measured from the apex of the strip to the center of the enamel side, as the illustration shows. The thickness of the enamel and under-ena-mel are not counted in measuring, so if they are left on the strip they should be deducted. Read more...