It all started a couple of months ago. I was searching the web for info on pipe smoking when I happened upon THE CHURCHWARDEN. Articles on pipe smoking and fly fishing, the perfect fit since I am an avid fly angler and new at puffing on the pipe.

I was especially interested in an article Perry wrote on purchasing bamboo rods through eBay. I do a lot of small stream trout fishing, and for a year or so I have been thinking about trying to get a smaller rod better suited to that purpose. Since I've built a couple of graphites, I had planned on making my own small stream rod when I had the time. However, two kids and a ton of household projects take up most of my free time, so building really hasn't turned out to be an option.

I've always been interested in picking up a bamboo rod, but always presumed I would never be able to afford one since a new rod starts around six to eight hundred dollars. Sure, I'd looked at old bamboo rods in antique stores, but they always seemed overpriced and junky. My fantasy was to find an umbrella stand full of good-condition cane rods at a rummage sale going for five dollars apiece, right next to a box full of old Hardy reels. Since it's unlikely I'll ever come across such a deal, more realistic avenues must be pursued. Perry's article on buying bamboo on eBay was an epiphany. Here was a place where you could find halfway decent rods ata price the market would dictate. Thus, I started combing eBay (and some other web sites) for a nice 7' or 7.5' cane rod. I was amazed at how many rods I was able to find. Even with a price range of less than two hundred dollars, I was able to locate several nice rods. Web searches, employing the appropriate phrasing, resulted in a number of helpful sites. The most useful sites were: CLARK'S CLASSIC CANE at http://www.fishcane.com/, THE ANGLER'S COLLECTABLES EXCHANGE at http://bamboorods.homepage.com, and CLEARWATER COLLECTABLES with the rather lengthy cyber-address of http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/cwcollecti/collect/index.htm

CLARK'S CLASSIC CANE and CLEARWATER COLLECTABLES both have listings of pre-owned rods for sale, and each site offers a trial period for any rod purchased. This gives the buyer the opportunity to try the rod before finalizing the purchase. If the rod is not satisfactory it can be sent back. With this return option available, I decided to purchase two rods. The rod I liked best, I would keep. I decided to chance a seven foot Horrocks-Ibbotson Princess from one dealer and a seven foot-six inch Montague Rapidan from the other. Judging by the photographs provided, both rods looked very nice.

The checks were put in the mail, and all I could do was wait. I quickly saw the error of my ways. There was a slim likelihood of receiving both rods at the same time so I could give them a side-by-side comparison. I was on the hook for two rods and could only afford one. Thankfully my wife understood that I was under the influence of bamboo fever when I sent away for two rods. She was cool with the deal as long as I promised not to buy both of the rods.

I received the Horrocks-Ibbotson Princess first. I knew upon uncasing the rod that there was no way that I was going to be able to send this baby back. It was the most beautiful piece of fishing equipment I had ever owned.

I put the rod together and knew the feel was going to be different than my graphite rod. Wiggling the rod I was surprised at how slow it felt. It seemed to flex almost into the handle, a big change from my quick graphite rods. The Princess came with two tips. Curious about the second I decided to try it. It was tighter and harder to insert, but once on the rod it felt pretty much the same as the first tip. I was dismayed, however, to notice that the ferrule on the second tip was beginning to come loose. Argh! Oh well, the rod was over 60 years old. I guess I couldn't really expect a perfectly mint rod. I would certainly have to learn more about rod repair and restoration if I wanted to repair that loose ferrule.

Even though it was a misty April evening, I had to try out my new rod. I pulled out my smallest reel, but it didn't seem to want to fit on the seat. It turned out that the antique reel seat is shaped differently from the modern ones. I fashioned a temporary fix by fastening the reel with some small plastic cinch straps. With the reel on, the rod felt considerably different. It felt much more balanced, which compensated for the pronounced flex and slow feeling.

I was casting a weight-forward 5 weight line, although the rod is rated for a 6 weight. The feeling was slower and more deliberate than my graphite, but it also felt more graceful. I was impressed with the tightness and control I had over the loop. Was this a function of the rod being shorter than my other fly rods? Or was it because the rod was slower? Happy with my first casting experience, I took the rod in, carefully wiped it down, and set it out of reach from my children.

I had a chance to fish the rod a few days later. My family headed down to southeastern Minnesota for Easter. We usually stay at my wife's folks' place which is close to several nice trout streams. The first chance I had, I slipped away to fish my new rod.

I was impressed with how well it handled in close quarters; the shorter length helped. I could cast short to moderate distances nicely. Being a shorter rod, however, I did notice that it had a harder time casting longer distances. It also didn't have the strength to cast well into the wind. I would have to say my new bamboo rod is a little more accurate than my graphite rod. Because of the slower action, there is a little more control over the delivery. Furthermore, it is a joy to roll cast. I know it is generally said that a longer rod will roll cast more efficiently, but there's something about a shorter rod, where the line is closer to you--I feel like I have a better sense of control.

Thankfully, I had the opportunity to catch a few fish and see how my rod felt with a fish on. The best way to describe how it felt different from graphite is to compare it to the feel of a car with tight suspension as opposed to a car with kind of a springy, bouncy suspension. The shock absorbers in a new sports car are a lot tighter than in an old Buick. My bamboo reminded me more of an old Buick. I don't think this is a bad thing. The shock absorbing feel of bamboo provides plenty of backbone to play the trout. Also, I think it's right what they say about bamboo protecting a light tippet. The trout is able to fight against the springy rod, yet, the bamboo is unrelenting. Another important difference from graphite is manner in which the hook is set. With graphite, since it's so fast, you can use the rod to set the hook. You can also get away with having slack in your line. With bamboo, I found that I missed a lot of strikes because I was trying to set the hook with the rod or I had too much slack in the line. I think with bamboo you need to get used to setting the hook with a swift pull of the line instead of a quick jig of the rod tip.

For me, the smooth grace of bamboo makes fly fishing more enjoyable. Cane requires me to slow down, relax and enjoy the moment. I can't rush a cast with a bamboo rod. To me, the beauty of hand crafted workmanship and the glowing luster of polished wood make fishing a bamboo rod far more enjoyable than efficient, utilitarian graphite.

If you've been thinking about getting into a cane rod, do it now! You won't regret it. Through the internet, there are now much easier ways to find a good selection of rods. Used rods are more affordable and in most cases still have many years of service left in them. If you can't afford the high cost of a new piece of cane but still want to experience the feel of bamboo, perfectly useful used rods can be found for under two hundred dollars. All reputable rod dealers will gladly offer a three to five day trial period. Avoid any seller who will not give you this chance to try out the rod.

Once you've seen and felt the grace of a split cane bamboo fly rod you'll never look at graphite the same way again. Cold and hard, graphite just can't compare to the warm and living personality of a bamboo fly rod.

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

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