The Frugal Angler

As an avid angler I quickly recognized that the split cane fly rod is truly a joy to use. However, as a fellow of moderate means, I knew my dream of a new Orvis split cane rod would not be fulfilled anytime soon. So, I looked at the next option--used rods.

A functional split cane rod can be found on eBay for $25 to $100. The first thing to do is to get familiar with the makers of split cane rods. I found some good web sites with information on values for old rods. My favorite is Clark's Classic Cane at: http://www.geocities.com/fishcane/

The main thrust of my article isn't collecting and using old vintage fly rods, but rather buying and refurbishing old fly rods. What led me to this idea was my experience building a graphite fly rod. Using the same procedures, a functional split cane rod can be rebuilt. The rod wont have any collectable value, but you will have a split cane rod at a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Here's the process I followed. First, I found a rod on eBay; I needed a small stream rod, so I watched eBay for a 7 foot rod. When a decent rod came up on auction I waited until the last moment and placed the winning bid. When the rod arrived a few days later I admired the soft luster of the cane, but could see right away that the grip and reel seat were shot. So without further ado, I brought the rod down in the basement and set about stripping it down to the blank.

DECONSTRUCTION

I carefully measured where the guides were, and removed them using a straight edge razor blade. I set them aside in a safe place, taping them to a piece of paper in the order that they were on the rod. Next I removed the reel seat. The reel seat is attached with a small pin at the base of the butt section. Once this is removed, the metal reel seat can be gently pulled from the butt by placing the reel seat over the flame of an alcohol burner. The heat from the alcohol burner is enough to soften the glue that holds the reel seat in place, but not hot enough to damage the cane underneath.

With the reel seat detached, it was easy to cut away the cork handle with a razor blade. I sanded down the glue residue on the cane blank to make the surface of the blank as smooth as possible for the new handle.

Next the varnish finish must be stripped. If there are maker's decals that you want to save, cover them with paper and tape the edges securely to keep the stripper away. I used two applications of a paint stripper called "Citri-Strip." This stripper is recommended because it is strong enough to effectively remove the varnish finish but not so strong that it damages the cane. I simply slopped on the Citri-Strip, let it work for about 10 minutes, then stripped away the gunk with a piece of green scrubbing pad--the kind you use for scouring pots and pans. Two applications were all I needed to remove the finish. Citri-Strip also has a solvent for removing any residue from the item being stripped. I used this after stripping. You just take a paper towel moistened in this solvent and run the blank through the paper towel and the blank is clean and ready to go.

FERRULES AND REEL SEATS

With rod stripped, I now had a cane blank with ferrules. In my case, the male ferrule on the tip section was loose, so I needed to remove it and reglue it. To ensure that you place the ferrule back on the same way, make a mark on the ferrule and on the blank. Remove a ferrule from the blank using the same technique for removing the reel seat--hold the ferrule over a flame until the glue softens and pull the ferrule away from the blank. To reglue the ferrules, clean the blank where the ferrule is going to be glued, apply the rod building glue, and press on the ferrule using the marks on the blank and ferrule as guides in order to ensure that you are putting the ferrule back in its original location.

Once the ferrules are set, you can mount the reel seat. Here, I followed the exact same process outlined in L.A. Garcia's book, Handcrafting a Graphite Fly Rod. There is a wide array of reel seat choices available in any rod building catalog, from simple aluminum to beautifully machined nickel silver.

VARNISHING

The rod has been stripped and you have the ferrules and reel seat mounted. The next step is varnishing. Any brief scan of the popular bamboo rod building web forums will enable you will quickly see that varnishing technique is one of the most discussed topics. Michael Sinclair's book on cane rod refinishing--entitled Bamboo Rod Restoration Handbook--gives a good overview of several varnishing techniques. From turkey basters to spray cans, rod refinishers are always trying to find a new and easier way to obtain a clear, smooth finish.

The finish of a cane rod is important because the varnish is what protects the cane from water and sun, and secondly, it is the varnish that brings out the cane�s beauty. The rod's action is also affected by the varnish finish. The thicker the varnish, the slower the action.

Serious cane rod builders use a technique called dipping where the rod is lowered into a pvc tube filled with spar varnish. The rod is then carefully raised out of the tube. A method the old masters used was simply varnish and a fine brush.

The goal in varnishing your blank is applying an even coat with no bubble marks or dust specks. To eliminate dust specks serious rod refinishers do their varnishing in a room as dust free as possible. Room temperature is also very important with varnish. So the varnish doesn't dry too quickly the room is ideally in the upper 70's.

I became intimidated with the pursuit of the perfect varnish finish, so I chose instead to apply a tung oil finish applied with a rag. Because you are rubbing in the finish with a lint free rag, you don't have the problem with dust specks and air bubbles. I applied 3 coats of tung oil to my rod and was happy with the results.

A glassy varnish, however, is still the preferred finish. Serious builders and refinishers will tell you that the first step is finding a warm, dust free space to apply the varnish and then an enclosed dust free place like a closet or large cabinet to dry the sections in.

FORMING THE GRIP

Forming your own custom grip is one of the benefits of restoring a rod. If you've ever had a grip on a favorite rod and wished you could replicate the feel of that grip on another rod, this is your chance.

The process basically involves gluing on cork rings and then fastening the butt section of the rod blank to a drill secured in a bench vise and spinning the blank the way a woodworker would use a wood lathe. Obviously you have to be careful to protect the cane blank and reel seat. Garcia�s book gives a description of how to set up such a makeshift drill/lathe at a minimal expense.

The grip is formed by starting with rough sandpaper and working to fine sandpaper, bringing the grip into its rough shape with the rough sandpaper and smoothing it to its finished form with the last couple of fine grades of sandpaper.

FINAL STEPS

Once the grip is formed you are on the home stretch. The next step is wrapping the guides back on the blank. Here you can get creative with thread color choices or choose to emulate the windings of classic rod makers. Again, Garcia's book gives good instructions on how to wrap. The process may seem intricate at first, but after your first couple wraps you'll get the hang of it.

Beware, a lot of refinishing projects bog down at this final stage. Think about keeping your wraps simple with your first project. Less intricate wrappings will take less time. When the wraps are completed, it's varnish time again. Here some choose to use a two-part epoxy finish. Garcia's book describes this. While the results are very nice, the process seemed tricky. Varnishing is easier.

Taking a fine brush, apply a thin coat of varnish to each wrap. You will be applying three to five coats of varnish, so the first coat will saturate the wraps and following coats will build up a glossy finish. Just like varnishing the blank, you will want to do this in a dust free an area if possible. You will also need to rotate the rod sections every 15 minutes to prevent the varnish from sagging. I had good results with four coats of varnish and tried to rotate the sections every 15 minutes during the first hour of drying for each coat.

Rod building catalogs have nifty drying motors available. The section is fastened to this slow turning motor and dries while the rotation eliminates varnish sag. A similar drying motor could be fashioned from a barbecue grill motor or other small motor. The drying motor also helps in applying the varnish to the wraps because you are able to hold the brush on the rotating rod section and have better control of the thickness of each coat.

Allow the varnish to dry for one day between coats. Some authors describe sanding out tiny bubbles or imperfections in the varnish between coats. The trout don't seem to be too critical over such things, I have found.

Once your wraps are varnished, give the entire rod a coat of paste wax. This is just a simple top finish that can be applied once a year. Allow the new varnish finish plenty of time to cure by hanging the rod sections in a dry place. Some authors recommend not using the rod for at least three months while the varnish cures.

What began as an eBay bargain hopefully now resembles something more like a hand crafted piece of art.