A BRIEF EARLY HISTORY OF SPLIT BAMBOO RODS

By George Leonard Herter, Edited by Lisa M. McMahon

It is always interesting to know the true history of the things you work with. The history of the split-bamboo fly 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" 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 rod which had been in use for a few years at the time the book was written. It is likely this 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.

Thus, as far as written record goes, credit possibly should go to Mr. Bowness for making the first section of split bamboo with enamel inside. For the first section of split bamboo with the enamel side out, credit belongs to Mr. Little of England and Mr. Samuel Phillippe of America. Both were making rod sections with the enamel side out around 1846.

Mr. Marston an editor of the English Fishing Gazette wrote some interesting comment on the history of split bamboo fishing rods. Mr. Marston was unquestionably well meaning, but the authenticity of most of these comments has never been proved. Mr. Marston wrote that he found in Blaine's "Encyclopedia of Rural Sports," first edition 1840, that Blaine, in describing the manufacture of fly rods, mentions split bamboo. No one has ever been able to show where Blaine received his information or to locate any British manufacturer who was making split-bamboo rods or sections at that time. Mr. Marston also mentions that in 1836, Ronald, in his first edition of "Fly Fisher's Entomology," refers to a bamboo top joint for a fly rod. This top joint was undoubtedly made of whole cane as was the practice at that time. Whole cane for fishing rods and parts of fishing rods was in use before any written history, and this quotation from Ronald means nothing. Mr. Marston believed that Mr. Ronald referred to split-bamboo because, in an edition 20 years later when split bamboo rods and rod joints were beginning to be considerably used in England, he still phrased his book the same on this point. This is more than likely just wishful thinking on the part of Mr. Marston. Mr. Marston also mentioned that Chettham, in his book "Anglers Vade Mecum" published in 1681, wrote directions on how to get the arrow and bow maker to saw and plane wood for rod making. Mr, Marston reasons that bows for archers were made of several pieces glued together before rods were so made and that it was the custom of fishing tackle makers to get the bow and arrow makers to help them. Hence, he deduces that split and glued up rods were made in England probably late in the 16th century. Split wood rods may have been made in England at this time, but this proves nothing regarding split-bamboo rods. Truthfully, if one wants to guess as Mr. Marston has, split-wood rods and even split-bamboo rods were more than likely to have been in use in China long before even bows of split wood were in use in England.

W. D. Coggeshall of England, a member of The London Fly Fishers' Club, found the following in a copy of "The young Angler's Companion". The published date is unknown. "The fly rod is generally made of hickory, with a top of several pieces joined together, cut out of the solid part of the large bamboo, the butt is sometimes made of ash." The publication had no date, but Mr. Coggeshall judged it to have been printed between 1810 and 1820 from the anglers costumes as shown in some color prints of the publication. If it "generally" was the custom, between 1810 and 1820, to have the top of the fly rod made of pieces of bamboo, Mr. Coggeshall's guess is not off a little but a mile or more. The known rod makers between 1810 and 1820 were not using split bamboo tips on their rods. It has never been even remotely proved when the issue of "The Young Angler's Companion" in question was published.

The father of modern complete four and six strip bamboo fly rod making, however, was Samuel Phillippe. Phillippe was born August 9. 1801, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Many authors and would-be-historians have confused the facts about Samuel Phillippe through lack of knowledge. They were also misled by men seeking to discredit Phillippe for business and publicity reasons. The sportsman among them should have hung their heads in shame. This also applies to his present day critics.

Dr. James A. Henshall, noted fishing author, wrote the facts regarding Phillippe, honestly and fairly many years ago. In fact, he started writing them while Phillippe was still alive. Dr. Henshall knew Phillippe's family, nearly all of his friends and rod builders of his era personally. He examined many Phillippe rods and had one of his own that he used for fishing. Dr. Henshall proved, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Phillippe invented four and six strip split bamboo rods and shared the inventing of the use of split-bamboo for rod sections, enameled sides out, with Mr. Little of England. All of the famous rod makers of that era agreed heartily on this.

As before mentioned, many modern authors have ignored the facts and  have  confused  the issue with many false and  misleading statements. This is not sportsmanship, neither is it just plain common sense. It is hardly possible for present day men to know as much about Phillippe or what he did as men who lived with him in his era.

One of the first Phillippe rods. This rod was owned by Dr. J. A. Henshall.

Here are facts, authenticated as given by Mr. Solon C. Phillippe, of Easton, Pa., (son of Samuel Phillippe) to Dr. J. A. Henshall. This son worked with his father.

"Samuel Phillippe was born August 9, 1801, in Reading, Pa., and died in Easton, Pa., May 25, 1877. He went to Easton when about sixteen years old, where he learned the trade of gunsmith with Mr. Peter Young. He was a skilled workman in wood, or metal. He made violins and fishing rods in addition to his regular work as a gunsmith. He received a silver medal for one of his violins from the Franklin Institute Fair, at Philadelphia. He made the first "Kinsey" fishing hooks from patterns furnished by Phineus Kinsey, of Easton, Pa. He was a good trout fisherman, and fished at times in company with Thad. Norris, of Philadelphia, and Judge Jas. Madison Porter, Colonel T. R. Sitgreaves, Wm. Green, Phineus Kinsey, John and Abraham De-Hart, Sheriff Heckman and others of Easton.

Samuel Phillippe J. Mr. Norris often saw Phillippe. "He visited a number of places with Mr. Thad. Norris, when the latter was seeking a location for a trout hatchery, and which was finally located near Bloomsburg, N. at work on split-bamboo rods in his shop. Charles F. Murphy, himself a noted rod maker, of Newark, N. J., also visited Phillippe to learn something of his method of making split-bamboo rods.

"In his first experiments Phillippe made tips and second joints of two, and then three sections of split-bamboo, enamel outside, with butts of solid cane or ash. But these rods would not cast the fly true. He then made the joints of four sections, and found that they would cast perfectly in any direction. He then made complete rods of four sections, including the butt, and later of six sections or strips; the enamel was always on the outside. These rods were for his own use, but afterward he made some for his friends, one of the first being for Colonel T. R. Sitgreaves, with ash butt and joints of four section split-bamboo.

"His books show that the first split-bamboo rod sold was in 1848. This was a four-section rod in three pieces, all split-bamboo, including the butt. His first rods were made certainly as early as 1845. Solon Phillippe learned rod making, in addition to the trade of gunsmith, from his father. In 1859 Solon made a complete rod of six sections; the hand piece, 18 inches long, was made of twelve sections of hard wood. In 1876 he made a three piece rod, with hand piece of red wood, and balance of rod of eight sections or strips, four of split-bamboo, and four of snakewood, alternating."

Here is a letter from Mr. George W. Stout of Easton, Pa., to Dr. Henshall:

"I came to this town in 1851. I made my first split-bamboo rod in 1860, and got my idea from Phillippe's rods. I was an amateur only, and never made more than a dozen in all.
    
"Ex-Sheriff Thos. Heckman, now in his eighty-sixth year, was a life-long acquaintance of Phillippe, and often went fishing with him. He is well preserved, with an excellent memory, and is good authority. He says he knows that Samuel Phillippe made split-bamboo rods in 1846. Edward Innes, a man of repute, aged about sixty-seven, remembers seeing him making one of these rods in 1847. You may rely implicitly on the evidence of Heckman and Innes, who both fished with Sam before, and many years after 1846. Innes was much at Sam's shop before 1847 and fixes the date by its being just before he removed to Philadelphia, where he resided several years."

A letter from Mr. Thos. Heckman, ex-Sheriff of Easton, Pa., to Dr. Henshall reads as follows:

"I knew Sam Phillippe a great many years, some sixty or seventy. I have fished with him many times, sometimes for a week's camping in the mountains of Monroe County. He was the first man in this part of the country to build a split-bamboo rod. He made two for me, one of which is still in good condition. To my best recollection he built his first rod about 1846; he made his own ferrules, rings, and keepers."

Here is a letter from Abbey and Imbrie, of New York City to Dr. Henshall:

"Your account of the origin of the split-bamboo rod is perfectly correct. Our Mr. Abbey, the writer, was the active member of Andrew Clerk and Co. at the time of the origination, by Mr. Phillippe, of the split bamboo rod, and is therefore well acquainted with its history down to the present time."

A letter from Mr. Chas. F. Murphy, famous early rodmaker of Newark, N. J., states:

"Mr. Chas. Luke, of this city, formerly of Easton, Pa., used to fish and hunt with Mr. Phillippe, and frequented his workshop, where he saw him use split-bamboo for fly rods certainly as far back as 1848. Luke moved from Easton to Newark in 1850. I am very certain you can give Phillippe credit for the discovery of split-bamboo for fly rods without fear of being contradicted. While making rods for Andrew Clerk and Co., Mr. Abbey, of that firm, showed Mr. Green and myself a rod made by Mr. Phillippe, the top and second joint made of split-bamboo, with butt joint made from white ash. I made the first split-bamboo salmon rod, also the first black bass rod of split-bamboo."

Further corroboration is found in this letter from Dr. W. W. Bowlby of New York City to Dr. Henshall:

"My earliest recollection of the split-bamboo rod dates back to about the year 1852. At that time I lived in New Jersey, near Easton, Pa., and fished in the same waters in New Jersey and Pennsylvania with an old gunsmith of Easton, known among us as 'Old Sam Phillippe.' It was about the year above-named that I saw a split-bamboo rod in his possession, and he informed me at the time that he was the originator of the idea; and to him, I earnestly believe, belongs the credit of having first conceived the idea of constructing a rod from such material."

Mr. Asher J. Odenwalder, 45 South 4th Street of Easton, Pennsylvania, a noted present day collector of fishing rods, has a six strip bamboo rod made by Phillippe. The cigar shaped Phillippe grip is even made from bamboo on this rod, and it is beautifully checkered.
   
Because this grip swelled from the rod, itself, people who observed the rod thought the butt was made from wood, not bamboo. This is not at all true but shows the class of people who take it upon themselves to be authorities on rods.

The following measurements of Mr. Odenwalder's Phillippe rod were taken by Mr. V. C. Marinaro, a man who is a marvelous maker of rods. Mr. Marinaro, however, makes rods only for his own use.

Three sections of six-strip bamboo; length 11 feet; swelled grip checkered bamboo; diameter of swelled grip at largest diameter 1 inch; butt section above checkering 34/64; middle of butt section 25/64; top of butt section 23/64; middle section 19/64 - 18/64 - 14/64; tip 12/64 - 10/64 - 5/64; dovetailed ferrules sizes 19/64 and 12/64.

After Samuel Phillippe's death, some competitors, although fully granting that Phillippe invented the four and six strip bamboo rods, tried to dim his popularity by saying his rods had been crudely made. They also claimed that they had never been made with all the sections constructed of split-bamboo. They reported that his butt sections were always made of ash. Nothing could be more of a lie than these statements. A Mr. Mitchell, a rod maker of New York, was especially jealous of anyone questioning his opinions on rods. He actually knew little about rods or rod history but set himself up as a self styled authority. He made many of the misleading and false statements regarding Phillippe. He even had an article published in the American Angler, regarding rod making which was not only badly incorrect but which also falsely discredited Phillippe.

Phillippe was a violin maker, and his rod work was never equalled by any of the competitors of his era. After 1870, Phillippe made no fishing rods as his health did not permit it.

At the World's fair in Chicago, the United States Department of Fisheries displayed rods made by Phillippe of six strips and all sections were made of bamboo.

In 1861, E. A. Green and Thadeus Norris made four strip, three section bamboo rods for their own use. They were copied directly from Phillippe's rods, and they learned how to make them from Phillippe.

In 1863, Charles Murphy, who also learned what he knew about fine rod making from Phillippe, made trout split bamboo rods for the commercial trade. In 1865 Murphy made the first split-bamboo salmon rod which was taken to Scotland by Dr. Andrew Clerk where it aroused much favorable comment. It was a four strip rod. Its design was at once copied by English and Scotch rod makers. The first split-bamboo black bass rod was made by Murphy in 1866. It also was a four strip rod.

In 1870, H. L. Leonard of Bangor, Maine, brought out a six strip rod with the enamel on the outside. Leonard did not originate the rod; not only Phillippe, but also Phillippe's son, had made such rods many years before. This fact was well known to all the recognized rod makers of the era and also to Andrew Clerk and Co. to whom Phillippe, Murphy, and Leonard sold rods. The company acted as advisor to all these rod makers, assisted and encouraged them at all times and kept them informed of improvements made by individuals of the group.

The Clerk Company exported a great many six strip and twelve strip rods to England. In fact, for years they had standing orders for all they could secure. Many of these rods were shipped back to America and sold as English made rods at ridiculously high prices. (The Andrew Clerk Company was succeeded by Abbey and Imbrie).

In 1877, Leonard and William Mills and Sons went into partnership and the factory was moved from Bangor, Maine, to Central Valley, New York. It is still operating in this location.

After this time, many fine rod makers sprang up all over the States, and today America is the home of fine rod makers known the world over. Nearly all of the well known rod makers of today now, however, make both split-bamboo and glass rods.