FAOL sponsor: Hook and Hackle

I picked up an old 6' bamboo rod about a dozen years ago. It was in a canvas sock and had two tip sections. The guides had been replaced and were twisted, broken or missing. One of the tip sections had snapped off about three inches and the grip is shot. After reading several of the BB reports on Bamboo rods, I have decided to attempt to rebuild this relic. Out of curiosity, I emailed one of our great sponsors, Hook and Hackle, and asked for input. I got an answer from Ron and he asked me to call him. I did. Swell guy and very helpful. He is going to walk me through this and hopefully I too can fish with 'Boo. I will probably use the rod building forum on FAOL a lot too through this project. Thanks Ron and Hook and Hackle. Jim

Well done, I have always been pleased with them.

Funny thing the other day: I was attending a session on Loch Style fishing at a camp on the edge of a lake in the Highlands of Tasmania. You would be hard pressed to find a remoter place - fantastic!

Anyway the guest expert on that session talked about building long rods and making the right leaders for this peculiar adaptation of fly fishing. I mentioned that I buy my leaders from H&H in the US and am very happy with them; and guess where he buys all his rod parts from!

Thanks H&H! You reach far and wide!

I love working with Ron and H & H, but wow, have the blanks jumped in price since the last catalog. And, yes, he warned us. Another guy who really helped me get started was Dan Craft, who is apparently no longer a sponsor here. Talk about hand-holding through the first rod. Dan took phone calls and would visit for a long time. But, that is part of what I see as the community. Whether it's a Dave Whitlock or Ron at H & H, we seem to be part of the same community. This makes it fun. JGW