Bamboo / Cane discussion thread

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I bought my first real good cane rod a month or so back.. and posted a few pics on the Classic Fly Rod Forum. From there - the maker himself, Dave Male who is 80 years old, responded for me to send the rod to him. For free he elected to do a makeover on the rod.. fixing anything AND everything.

This is the before pic - I am waiting on the after :

I will post the after pictures when Dave sends the rod back.

screaming reels - Brian

[Danoinark]

I have an old refinished Montague around here...never casted it. I would presume it would be like casting a 9ft, wet noodle...

Dano

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Sadly - Dave Male let me know my rod is short about an inch on the butt and had a replaced tip-top.

He did say the exact well finished ferrule replaced certainly made a speed to the rod it didnt have before... which he liked while lawn casting the rod on Thursday, but I am a little dishearting to know I bought a rod for not quite full traditonal price. ( the previous seller probably didnt know anytyhing was wrong as it is kind of hard to tell, especially on such a short rod )

Dave Male also mentioned the tips had their own distinct action.. and could be told by the tipping wraps on the tips themselves.. as each tip had its own colored wrap, one used moreso than the other. So with some coaxing, Dave elected to re-wrap one in chrome so I could recognize the fastest tip of the 2.

I will get back a great rod, a rod to hold onto for years.

I learned a lot more from sending it back to the original maker, things I would have never known this rod at all without his help.

Thank you, Dave Male. You make a great cane rod.. as the makers of bamboo fly rods from old.. you still got it, and you pull no punches. I would recommend your rods to everyone, because you make them great from start to finish. And you love what you do, your work.. your craft. And you stand behind what you do.

cheers - Brian

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Well, here is the rod the day I got it back.

But - SADLY - now it is down on one tip about an inch.

Broken on a fish.. from the butt section.

Brian