garage sale bamboo rods?

[jsmartt]

I often see older bamboo rods for sale at garage sales and auctions. How can one tell if a rod is a good one? I've never fished bamboo before so I would not be able to tell from the feel of it. Are there some name brands that can be assumed to be good, or should I be basing my judgement on some other criteria.

[flyandtie]

im no boo expert, dont own one. wish i did.
but usually cracks in the ferrules
. cracks in the varnish.
bubbles, gnats etc in the finish.
uneven finish.
umm....
i cant think of much else. just the basic stuff.

[DShock]

I notice fishing rods for sale at garage sales, but I have yet to see a bamboo rod. I might consider purchasing a garage sale bamboo IF it had a case and looked well cared for.
Of course a bamboo rod builder/refinisher would look at it differently.
Doug

[backwoods]

pick it up cast should tell u how good. check for damage, i wish i had sale here with fly rods,
i would get some things from it.

[dudley]

Like any collectible or antique, two things are most important:

Who made it, and what condition is it in.

A third consideration in cane rods would be the length, 8' and less being worth more than longer rods
And forth, American rods are worth more than imported rods
After that you need to know a bit about what you're looking for. And that can be a little complicated
A post war Japanese rod in unfished condition would not be worth what a well used domestic production rod would be
Production rods like Montague, South Bend, or and H-I aren't worth what a Heddon, Goodwin Granger or a Phillipson would be.
Some production rod tapers are more valuable than others
A custom rod built by an unknown may (or more likely, may not) actually cast better than a H.L.Leonard factory rod , but would never be worth as much
And then it 's possible to actually find a real treasure
My advice is to read up on classic rods, buy any that look good to you, and if they don't cast well, you can always use them for tomato stakes in your garden

[tea stick]

A few other things to look for, in no special order:


Are the sections of equal length?

Are the sections straight or do they have sets?

Do the ferrules make a clicking noise when cast? Are they cracked?

Do the ferrules "pop" when seperated?

Are the wraps tight and hardware firmly fixed in place?

What condition is the varnish?

Has the rod been restored?

Who built the rod?

Are there two tips or one?

Is it a desirable length and line weight?

Are there hook digs?

Has it ever been repaired?

What's the condition of the grip?

Delamination?

What's the condition of the stripping guide, snake guides and tip top(s)? Silk lines wear hardware faster than todays plastic lines.

And of course.....how does it cast?



Most of what you'll find at garage sales will be junk, but you could get lucky!
I would either educate myself first on bamboo rods or buy from a reputable dealer or from someone who knows bamboo rods well.

Just my 0.02 worth,
Scott

[Gramps]

If it's a Leonard, Payne, or especially a Dickerson. Buy it no questions asked.

[flyandtie]

not to highjack, but its not really worth a new topic.

how great is this dickerson taper i hear you praise gramps?

[tea stick]

no message....sorry!

[Gramps]

not to highjack, but its not really worth a new topic.

how great is this dickerson taper i hear you praise gramps?

They're on the fast side for bamboo. It feels sort of like a WT Winston graphite. At least mine did.