BAMBOO STUDIO Handmade Rods
I was drawn to Bamboo rod building by the artistry and craftsmenship. A buddy of mine is a collector and fisher of vintage Bamboo rods. In an effort to convert me to the boo he showed me a video of Everett Garrison making a rod. I exclaimed to a room full of friends … I can do that. Almost in unison everyone said … no you can’t. I played that video the entire weekend. I went home and ordered the tools and materials necessary to get started and 4 weeks later I had, No.1. That was 9 years ago. Weather I’m on my drift boat on the Delaware or chasing false albacore and stripers in the frothing water of Montauk I am fishing my own bamboo creations.
Each of the rods in my catalog are hand made one of a kind works of art and are built to order.
Options available; flamed or blond cane, nickel silver or blued hardware, solid or hollow built, single or double tip.
My handmade rods are available to demo on every guided trip !
No. 1 [ 8 foot, 2 piece, 6 wt ]
No. 1 says it all. It was my daily fisher for 3 great seasons and the rod that caught my biggest trout I ever ! It was a Wednesday afternoon back when Wednesday was the new Friday. I was on the West Branch in Barking Dog. The flow was about 700 CFS. There were caddis and olives all over the water and the fish were rising. They wouldn’t touch my go to fly, the notorious “Smolive,” so I tied on a caddis as I often due when the fish are finicky. It was a very subtle take, like only a big fish can make. I didn’t have a net so I beached him in the gravel. While I knelt there admiring him. With my rod laying in the shallow water I noticed that from nose to tail he was as long as my rod was from butt to the stripper guide, he was twenty five and half inches. As I knelt in the shallows reviving the fish I thought to myself it won’t get better than this, Turns out I was wrong.
This is a power full rod with a quick recovery. There is nothing delicate about this rod. It will deliver a streamer or large mayfly right on target and will through a deep mend.
I was in the Riverside bar having dinner with my fishing partner when we overheard a guy at the bar saying he caught 25 fish that day. I just looked at my friend and smiled. As we left the restaurant I said, 25 fish, we are good fishermen have you ever caught 25 fish in one day? We both laughed and chalked it up to the Martini’s and fishermen spinning yarns. The next day we put the boat in at Hale EddyI it was a typical April morning, wet and cold. As we pushed off from the ramp I said to my friend are you sure you want to go? I have snow blowing up my nose! It turned out to be and amazing day every pool was alive with fish and yes we landed 25. This rod was along for the trip. This rod is a medium action with a nice swell in the butt you can feel it flex right down into your hand. I love that feeling.
CZN50 [ 8 foot, 3 piece, 6 wt ]
The Big Bamboo [ 8 ft 2 in, 2 piece, 7 wt ]
This rod rivals my No.1. I was floating the Roaring Fork in Colorado, the river was high and fast and the sky was overcast. I was drifting a rubber leg stonefly and a caddis pupa (something I would never do at home on the Delaware). The fish almost ripped the rod right out of my hand. When we landed the fish I couldn't help notice he was very fat. As I was trying to get control of him to take a picture he puked up a big ball of red worms and caddis pupa on my hand. He was so big and strong I had to hug him to get control.
This rod has performed flawlessly on big rivers all across the country.
It has a smooth progressive action. The larger line weight allows you to reach out to those fish on the far bank.Yet has a nice feel in the hand when you need to present a delicate dry fly.
Beaverkill Classic [ 7 ft 6 in, 2 piece, 5 wt ]
I love to use this rod on the Upper Beaverkill. It’s compact for tight roll casts and powerful enough to throw a large attractor with the touch to handle 6X tippet and the smallest midge. Thats why it is the Beaverkill Classic.
It was my first time on the hallowed waters of the upper river just below the falls. As I stood on the bank of the river I thought what to tie on, well with the Wulff school just down the road I decided a Royal Wulff what else. I eased into the river and started working the edges and seams when I saw this golden streak come out from under a log and take my fly with no hesitation. He darted from bank to bank and launched himself a good two feet out of water landing with that deep flush. When he came to the net I was blown away by the brilliance of its colors as I released the fish he gave me a tall slap and a face full of water. This is a faster action rod with great feel in the hand.
MONTAUK GUIDE SPECIAL
[ 8 foot 6 inch, Hollow Built, 2 piece, 9 wt ]
Originally built for the 2010 Harold Demarest Rod Makers Challenge. The challenge was to build an 8’6” steelhead rod weighing no more than 4.5 ounces fully dressed. In order to achieve the weight restriction I built a stripped down version with single foot guides and a bare bones grip. After the challenge I redressed the rod to fish in the salt. On my first trip to Montauk with my newly finished Bamboo rod the captain gave me weird look, but after I landed the second Albie he was on the radio bragging about it. We had fishermen cruising by just to see us fishing the grass. After 5 Albies and 4 Stripers my buddy wanted to fish it. His words, can I lean on it? I said sure, we are here to see what it can do. It took one more Striper and two more Albies then … POP! The tip gave way in dramatic fashion. I have since beefed up the tip section and it has been a reliable hard fishing tool.
It does what it is supposed to do, pick up a full load and get it out to the fish with little effort and accuracy. You can really feel the benifit of the hollow build. The rod is surprisingly quick to recover and has pleanty of backbone to wear out the gamest quarry.
Little Boss [ 6 ft 6 in, 2 piece, 4 wt ]
This rod was a request from the man himself, my Uncle Joe, the man responsible for my addiction to the outdoors. When we weren’t in the Catskills we would fish closer to home on the smaller East and West Branchs of the Croton. Uncle Joe is a big gorilla of a guy with giant mitts. He wanted a light rod for tight spots but able to handle big fish. You asked for it you got it.
RETRO RODS
I search garage sales and antique shops anywhere really Im always on the look out for old Bamboo rods to salvage the hardware. I restore the hardware and will dress any rod in the catalog for that Retro classic look but the feel of a modern stick that you can fish every day.
GRANDPA'S ROD
This started with a friend who had his Granddads old 9’ Heddon rod. He had a sentimental attachment to the old wall hanger. We salvaged the reel seat and guides. That rod is his daily whip and has plans to hand it down to his sons a priceless family heirloom back on the river.