I bought an old BOO, now what...

I found this old boo on craigslist today, the guy wanted 25 bucks for it and i figured it was worth at least that as a decoration. the label says "Japan" "fishing rod" "champion". no idea what weight, I am pretty sure it was a dime store deal from back in the day. the rod is hex shaped, and needs guide/wrap work done. there is one small chip in the tip that I am sure will have to be repaired. I know it's not a high end tool but instead a toy to play with.

What can you tell me about this rod?

Did I get my money's worth?

What do I do now?

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...sh_80/boo3.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...sh_80/boo2.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...sh_80/boo1.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...sh_80/boo4.jpg

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Originally Posted by hugefish_80

What do I do now?

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Sounds like a big headache. You should just sell it to me for $30, and take your $5 profit and buy some more fly tying materials. :)

All kidding aside, that WOULD be fun to play around with, and you certainly can't go wrong with the price you paid! Might turn out to be your favorite rod one day soon!

I have read that the glues used in the rods made in occupied Japan have not held up well to time. If you attempt to cast the rod it will very likely spit into it's composite strips. It might look good as a decoration in your tying area or just something to practice restoration on before moving on to a fishable rod.

That was a great buy! I haven't had any trouble with glue coming apart. That one looks like it was not abused so the glue should be in good shape if it isn't delaminating anywhere already. I would refinish and re-wrap and fish the heck out of it! Go a size larger on the guides so modern line will flow through them a bit better is the only change I would make.

Taking a second look at the photos, I'm not sure that even the refinishing is in order.

check the ferrules,the japanise rods were known for the glue to let go, and check the fit of the male and female,the crome plated brass that was used is noted for cracking,the tapers that the rods were made on leave somthing to be desiered, so dont judge all bamboo by this one,if you want to fix it up go for it,if you have any questions on redoing it let me know,steve

These Japanese rods appeared in the 50s & were brought back by servicemen serving over there. Cheap though they are they were actually quite good as a starter rod. They usually came in a varnished box that contained some garish flies & line. Other than the fly rod many came as combo kits with the other rod a bait casting with a trigger handle & usually about 5-6ft long The rod broke at the handle which could be then reversed to accommodate the different section.Price $25 sounds about right. They crop up onE Bay from time to time & many have been duped into buying what they think is a "good" split cane rod. By all means use it. I had one of them when I was a boy & it caught quite a few trout before it was retired (to the bin)
Tight Lines

Might make an ok decorative wall hanging. Worth $25.00 in that application.

I'm sorry to be blunt but as a bamboo fishing rod it's a piece of crap.

I have to agree with bobbyg. I had one and the first time I fastened the reel on the seat it cracked.

I have redone several of those rods and all were in much worse shape than that one looks to be. They all came out fine and are being fished. Is it going to be the same as a $2400 hand made bamboo stick? No, but it can be a fun little rod to fish.

Its been around this long so I would think it had some more fishing time left, I'v seen these and even if its a little heavy from what I'v heard can launch a fly a pretty fair distance...:)

It is what it is. Don't measure what a good bamboo would be like from this rod. But you can still have fun with it. Or hang it on the mantle.
http://www.hatofmichigan.org/uploads...romthepast.pdf

Bob

If you raise tomatoes, they make decent stakes.

Actually you've purchased a decent priced FISHING POLE. It will catch as many fish as ANY $2000 FISHING POLE. It's even possible that it will catch MORE. Use it till it breaks and then, as Colston suggested, tomato stakes. BUT chances are, you'll leave it to your Grandkids so they can use it for THEIR lifetime.

Mark

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Originally Posted by Marco

Actually you've purchased a decent priced FISHING POLE. It will catch as many fish as ANY $2000 FISHING POLE. It's even possible that it will catch MORE. Use it till it breaks and then, as Colston suggested, tomato stakes. BUT chances are, you'll leave it to your Grandkids so they can use it for THEIR lifetime.

Mark

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Good luck!

Tough crowd... I think i will see how it fishes...

Probably the best idea...It might not say Orvis on it, but most likely, it will still fish. Especially for bluegills...

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Originally Posted by DaveP63

Probably the best idea...It might not say Orvis on it, but most likely, it will still fish. Especially for bluegills...

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I don't know about you but I have caught larger fish while bream fishing than I have trout fishing. Living in a part of the world not known for our great trout fishing may largest trout is no more than 16" but while offering up flies for bream I have at least 3 bass over 5.5 lbs., grass carp over 7.5 lbs. and some really fun catfish. But perhaps, I misunderstood your comment, I have a history of misunderstanding, ask my wife.

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Originally Posted by Uncle Jesse

I don't know about you but I have caught larger fish while bream fishing than I have trout fishing. Living in a part of the world not known for our great trout fishing may largest trout is no more than 16" but while offering up flies for bream I have at least 3 bass over 5.5 lbs., grass carp over 7.5 lbs. and some really fun catfish. But perhaps, I misunderstood your comment, I have a history of misunderstanding, ask my wife.

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If we were ment to understand women, we would BE women.

Now to start a whole different argument. For the vast majority of fly fishers, our equipment, even the mediocre stuff, is better than we are. This rod can be just as enjoyable for most folks as a $2400 hand split piece of art I would be afraid of scratching and would probably never take out to the stream.

I gave my first 'boo rebuild which was OK, but I do a lot of things differently now, to a son in law and you would think I had given him Season Tickets to the Broncos or something. He caught a nice brown on it the first time fishing a fly rod and is thoroughly hooked. He loves it and catches fish with it. What more could I ask for? The rod was a $10 score from Ebay.

Oh ... come .... on .... now! You guys are all slobbering over the find, and hoping beyond all hope that he's going to list it in the for sale forum!!! Good grief!!!

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Originally Posted by Betty Hiner

Oh ... come .... on .... now! You guys are all slobbering over the find, and hoping beyond all hope that he's going to list it in the for sale forum!!! Good grief!!!

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DANG IT ALL! She figured us out! :)

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Originally Posted by kbproctor

If we were ment to understand women, we would BE women.

Now to start a whole different argument. For the vast majority of fly fishers, our equipment, even the mediocre stuff, is better than we are. This rod can be just as enjoyable for most folks as a $2400 hand split piece of art I would be afraid of scratching and would probably never take out to the stream.

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To understand women would require us to be devine.

Lefty Kreh said something to the effect "If a flyrod cost more than $100 it is probably better than the person using it."

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Originally Posted by Highlander

These Japanese rods appeared in the 50s & were brought back by servicemen serving over there. Cheap though they are they were actually quite good as a starter rod. They usually came in a varnished box that contained some garish flies & line. Other than the fly rod many came as combo kits with the other rod a bait casting with a trigger handle & usually about 5-6ft long The rod broke at the handle which could be then reversed to accommodate the different section.Price $25 sounds about right. They crop up onE Bay from time to time & many have been duped into buying what they think is a "good" split cane rod. By all means use it. I had one of them when I was a boy & it caught quite a few trout before it was retired (to the bin)
Tight Lines

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I love the ones which show up for fantastic amounts of money on CL or Ebay, with no name, and no provenance other than "They are BAMBOO!!" and therefore expensive. See them at Garage Sales that way as well...some in terrible shape.

MAO

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Originally Posted by maodiver

I love the ones which show up for fantastic amounts of money on CL or Ebay, with no name, and no provenance other than "They are BAMBOO!!" and therefore expensive. See them at Garage Sales that way as well...some in terrible shape.

MAO

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There is a second hand store on South Federal here that is that way. He had an old Orvis that was pristine and priced appropriately. He also had several old Jap rods that were not even complete that he was trying to get similar money out of. He threw me out of the store, literally, when I offered him what they were worth.

Bamboo rods are just fishing rods, as are fiberglass, graphite, and the most early wooden rods.
There are good tapers and awful tapers within all these fibers. And, in my opinion, a finely executed bamboo rod trumps all others.
This is my opinion and I'm sure you have yours.
The worst, in my experience, are truly awful bamboo rods.
The Japanese post-war bamboo rods rank at the top of the list of godawful fishing tools.
I suppose they are okay if they are lightly fished for panfish? But, why would you? Just to say you're fishing bamboo? The few I've cast are literally junk as fly fishing tools. The hardware on these rods is the cheapest possible.
The bamboo itself is something dredged from the Japanese outback. All in all it is a combination of the cheapest components imaginable.
The tapers are teeth-gritting.
I truly don't know where the perception evolved that a good bamboo rod must cost thousands of dollars.
That is not the case!
There are several fine bamboo tapers that are affordable to most fly fishermen if they really want to fish bamboo.
Just my thoughts on these cheaply made Japanese rods.
Please don't waste your money on these, speaking gratuitously, rods.

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Originally Posted by Uncle Jesse

To understand women would require us to be devine.

Lefty Kreh said something to the effect "If a flyrod cost more than $100 it is probably better than the person using it."

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Well, I guess all the rods ole Lefty is touting now are better than he is, cause I don't believe you can buy one of those suckers for less than a 100 smacks? Ah, money corrupts...big money corrupts totally!

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Originally Posted by bobbyg

Well, I guess all the rods ole Lefty is touting now are better than he is, cause I don't believe you can buy one of those suckers for less than a 100 smacks? Ah, money corrupts...big money corrupts totally!

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I have seen Lefty cast, I believe he would count himself and rightly so, as the exception to the rule. Watching and listening to Lefty helped my casting more than anything else every has with the exception of practice. I got my TFO for under a $100, new.

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Originally Posted by Uncle Jesse

I have seen Lefty cast, I believe he would count himself and rightly so, as the exception to the rule. Watching and listening to Lefty helped my casting more than anything else every has with the exception of practice. I got my TFO for under a $100, new.

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Well, good for him. I'll remember to always count myself as the exception to the rule when it doesn't meet my self-proclaimed criteria.

I'm also glad you got the TFO for under a $100.00.
There are several models that I believe sell for more than that?
Casting is casting, catching fish is another thing entirely.

A few years ago I got a call from the owner of a local fly shop. A customer had brought in one of those 'box set' Japaneese cane rods. The customer wanted to have it 'redone' (rewrapped and refinished), so the proprieter wanted to know if I would undertake the job.

I stopped by to look at it, and it was truly a piece of crap. I told him it wasn't worth the work, but apparently the customer insisted. I was paid over $300 to refurbish a rod you can buy in decent condition at a garage sale for five bucks.

Came out nicely. Rod didn't cast worth a hoot, but it sure was pretty. I even refinished the wooden box it came in.

When I delivered it, I got 'the rest of the story'.

Owner was an attorney. Rod was in his attic. He didn't know where it came from, but he thought it was brought back from overseas by an uncle in the 50s. He had a wealthy client who was a fly fisherman. He wanted to give him a 'nice gift' and thought this would be 'special'.

I showed him the rod, explained what all I had done, took my check, and bought some tying materials....

Never did hear how the 'client' liked the rod....

Buddy

That's a great story Buddy!

Bob

Think some of you guys have to remember these rods are now 50 yrs old. Do not think they will stand comparison to todays stuff. Hardy & Orvis they are not.
Yes they are cheap but when you are a boy of 15yrs with no income other than a paper round it was like winning the lottery getting this old "boo"
Many a little stream Trout fell it till I got something better. I have no regrets about using it.
Did not do me any harm, if fact probably made me appreciate my gear when I got better tackle.
Tight Lines

You did not tell us the length of the rod or about any markings. Looking at the handle I would guess it is about 9ft long and is probably a 7-8 WT. Difficult to tell condition in a pic, but does not look real bad compared with some I have seen. Several have commented about the glue failure on these rods, but what do you want for $25?
I would not expend any money on this rod; just put a line on it and cast it and then fish it.

After my father died I found a couple of these rods he had kept on his houseboat. We used them to catch carp and catfish. I took them to a good rod refurbisher and we decided one was worth restoring and fishing. I have used it often for trout and have enjoyed dancing with many fine fish. It is not a Leonard by any stretch of the imagination but it is a fun rod to use. It forces me to slow down and enjoy the dance and the rythm of the day.
Grandado

Guys,
I think we all need to remember the original poster has 25 bucks in the thing. How can he go wrong. If it casts like a pile of dog poo, he has a decent decoration for his office or tying room. If he likes the way it casts, he got a rod he likes for 25 bucks.

I have one of the bamboo hardware store rods (not sure if made in Japan or not but same level of quality and even looks a lot like the one in the photo). It's not the best casting rod I own. In fact, it doesn't cast that well at all. But I use it from time to time just because it's fun. I found the thing in the rafters of our first house. The man who lived there before (died in the house) was a fisherman. There was about 300 pounds of lead sinkers and another 200 pounds of lead ingots. I shoot muzzleloaders and cast it up into right proper lead round balls. There were enough hooks to last me the rest of my life and several old metal tackle boxes with various rooster tail type spinners and stuff. Most of it was junk, some of it was usable, and some gave to friends and threw away.

However, I kept the rod. Not because it is valuable, but because it's fun to fish it and remember our first house and cleaning the old man's junk out.

So, the original poster, got a rod, has a story, and who knows, the darn thing may just fit his casting style and become a favorite rod.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I have actually just been sitting back and watching the chaos that this thread has become. I have seen some people who are optimistic, some who are realistic, and some who are outright surly on this topic. Now it's time for an update on the future of this rod.

First I would like to say thank you to a very special forum member who has offered to refurbish the rod for me for nothing other than the cost of materials. The offer was not made in the open forum so I won't name them, but I truly appreciate that there are those in our community who care enough about others in the sport to do something that generous. It gives me hope for the future of our sport. Thank you.

Second, I am not enough of a gear head to worry about being a member of the Elite Boo fishing fraternity. This rod was purchased as a toy, a way of having a good time and still connecting to a past that I was never a part of. I am fairly confident that at least a few on this site began their fly fishing career with a stick similar to this one. I'm sure it's action will be odd, it's casts a bit wayward, and that I will have a hard time getting used to the necessarily slow casting stroke that this rod requires.

Third, I intend to fish this rod. Not only do I intend to fish it, but I intend to write about it on here. It'll be sub par writing about a sub par angler's adventures using a sub par rod to catch sub par fish. I am thinking naming the rod "the tomato stake" and the thread about fishing it may be "the tomato stake chronicles". If it breaks, so be it. It won't be a huge loss if it does. But until it does I intend to use it as often as I can and hopefully learn a little something about catching fish with more skill and less high dollar equipment. With that said, I am going to be keeping my eyes open for an old school reel that I can use with this rod. probably something click-pawl, without a real drag, possibly with a exposed spool rim to control the line with.

Thanks again for all of you responses, there will be more to come...

Fish

P.S. the rod is a 3 piece with each section +/-33" I have no idea about the weight.

Huge,

Old timers, without enough money to buy Orvis, used these. They were cheap line hangers and most of the fishing was done with hand line control. None, to my knowledge, had rim control. You can pick these up at antique shops for 5 or 10 bucks. If you can't find one, pm me, I'll see what I can do.

This one is probably too small for your rod but I have bigger.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/CIMG0456.jpg

Bob

Huge,
That'll be really kewl! You've got to post pictures, and some narrative, when it gets done!!
Betty

Huge,
Fish away and enjoy. Isn't that the purpose for our going to the water? The life in the rod is a reflection of the life within you. I've seen people with high dollar rods who were lifeless casters and fishers and the reverse is also true. I hope you get to dance with some worthy fish.
Grandado