Bamboo beginnings

[darrell]

Hope this works ...

Left - 9ft 10wt PMQ
2nd from left - 5'8" PMQ - Lee Wulff Midge (broke in on some mountian 'bows a couple years back). One sweet little rod.
3rd from right (missing in pic) another Midge. Although this one given away.
On the right - my 1st 2 hex rods (H1 and H2). No specific taper - just done and built. Lots to improve on, but - can't learn without failures.

Machined plane form came in a month ago,time to put it to use.



darrell,

[bobbyg]

Hi Darrell,

I would like to comment on your rods, but forgive an old man.
I can't make heads or tails of what you've posted here.
Probably just me? Maybe individual photos of each rod would help?

What is a PMQ?

Bob

[mr. blur]

pmq = poor man's quad. a four-sided planed from two laminated strips of bamboo. can be built w/out a set of planing forms. reported to be nice casting instruments.

[darrell]

camera's out with the kid tonite (caddis hatch on river down the road, I sent him for some pics) .... but I will post a link to couple larger sized / detailed pics shortly.

Mr. Blur .... I haven't (yet) had the pleasure to cast a hex, but if this PMQ is any indication ........ let's just say I'm drooling in anticipation. This one loads, casts and surprizingly, felt a good bit of strength in the rod when on the rainbows.


darrell,

[darrell]

OK - got the camera back ..... son didn't get any good pics of the caddis, but did get the green goober.

Decomissioned 10wt (undersized ferrules, failed right when expected ......). My own taper - casts great, but will need new stock of bamboo to make a hex.

The PMQ - for the 6yr old (just under 5yrs old when WE made the rod - he did help a lot - even did one guide wrap ... as shown).

And the Hex (H2 - 2nd hex, both just blithering around hex's) ... good thing it was a practice one ..... you can see the filler strip (kinda destroyed one while planing, nothing close to replace it .... (ok, planed the enamel side in error). Not too bad otherwise ... camera's going goofy on me, having hard time taking closeups (never did before) - but there's one gash in the rod but other than that - the glue lines are pretty good (for the overgrown tomato stake it is).