Bamboo vs. Graphite

[MarkF]

I came to this sport late in life. Lately I have been reading a lot of Gierach and Mcguane. These guys talk so much about Bamboo it finally got me interested in the subject. I only own or have used Graphite. Can someone please tell me the differences in how the two materials cast. Obviously the bamboo cannot be made as long as graphite can in a fly rod. Most of the bamboo I see advertised is 7? 6? maximum length. However, there must be some really great reasons that bamboo is still be used, please tell me what they are.

[djo]

I fish bamboo up to 7' 6" and graphite for longer rods. So I have no religious preassumptions about the relative merits of either. The reasons that I like bamboo are all asthetic. They are beautiful in a way that no graphite rod can be. They represent a history of fly fishing that extends back to our roots. The tell me to slow down, make every cast count. enjoy every fish hooked, and appreciate that tiny sliver of our shared history that I inhabit. Do they cast well - yes but no better than graphite and they take a little to get used to. Do they catch fish well - yes about as well as graphite. Maybe they are a little softer and protect fragile tippets a bit better, but that is speculation. Do they weigh a bit more - yes, but that is no consequence until you get above 7'6" or 8'. Do they cost more - yup. Can you build one out of a culm (stick) of bamboo all by your self - yes and I would not suggest trying that with graphite. So I fish bamboo because I love the feeling it gives me - just like I prefer to fish dry flies and to catch native trout instead of hatchery fish and to fish in unspoiled mountains instead of midwestern corn fields. If the asthetics appeal and you can afford it try bamboo. If not be happy with your graphite rods. Oh yes, I also get the joy of feeling so superior because I can be snooty about the type of rod I fish - my casting and catching skills do not really support any such feelings.
David

[Steven]

and to fish in unspoiled mountains instead of midwestern corn fields.

Traitor. Drive up to the Driftless. You'll love using your cane there.

FWIW, I have three cane rods that I rarely use anymore. Bought them for the whole Gierach/McGuane, asthetics, history, natural, purity, history reasons...and I'll say this, they are gorgeous.

But honestly, are they better rods? Not really except for very short casts.

The downside? They're not great if you need to go to nymphs and the cost of repairs is much higher than the extra I undoubtedly pay for a 25 year warranty from Orvis.

These days, you'll most often find me with the 7' 5wt LLBean First Cast rod I bought for my son 11 years ago for $90 bucks (including reel, line and backing). I particularly like the foam handle.

In his latest books, you can really see Gierach moving away from 'boo to graphite due in part to the cost.

[Fisherman John]

Fish both bamboo and graphite. Use a 4wt bamboo to fish with dry flies on small mountain streams; I like the feel of the slow action for casting short distances. Use graphite for bigger steams and when fishing nymphs where I use a faster cast for longer distances.

[tedshuck]

I first cast a friend's bamboo rod in 1968 when we were doing some stillwater trout fishing. I had a Fenwick glass rod at that time and greatly preferred the glass rod since it was faster and I could get more distance from it on the lake. I moved from glass to graphite around 1990 and have been doing more stream fishing since then. As I developed more of a feel for stream fishing, I wanted a slower rod. My favorite graphite rods are now an East Branch and a Sage SP, both with medium actions.

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to build bamboo rods, even though I had not cast one in over 40 years. The first rods I built were based on the Garrison 204E taper, a medium-slow action 7'3" 4wt. I was concerned that the short length would be a real handicap, since I was used to fishing 9' rods and sometimes wanted even more reach. It didn't take me long to adjust to the shorter length when I realized how much of an advantage I had with the roll-casting abilities of the bamboo rod. The things almost roll-cast themselves. The shorter rods seem more accurate and load very quickly with little line. You have to change the way you fish, but this was not a problem for me, it just seemed very natural.

Once, last summer, I took one of my shorter, slower graphite rods out to compare to the bamboo.This rod is an 8', 3-piece GL3 that I built from a blank about 10 years ago. I used to enjoy fishing this rod on smaller streams and rivers. I found it very difficult to roll-cast after using the bamboo rod; it just didn't have the same feel. With a light bamboo rod, you can feel the flex right down into the grip. I have not felt that with a graphite rod. I think this allows a tactile dimension to casting, particularly for short casts on a trout stream, that you just can't get with any graphite rod that I have seen.

The rods I have built are very utilitarian right now. I am still working on tapers and mechanics of getting the rod to perform the way I want before I spend a lot of time on cosmetics. They are still a lot of fun to fish.

Ted

[LadyFisher]

I currently own 2 cane rods, both Kusse a 5 & 6 wt - probably the finest made today. Unfortunately with my injured shoulder (3 rotator cuff surgeries) I can't fish either. Trav has a nice Leonard and does fish it on the spring creeks. He also fishes a couple older graphite which he will tell you fish as well now as they did when he first bought them.
For many years, due to our relationship with Sage, we had the newest and the greatest - a couple, especially the TRC and Xi were and are great saltwater rods. We felt really privileged to have those rods and we did fish them.
The older I get, and with less physical ability other than fishing Trav's 6 ft one-piece Orvis, I'm looking for the lightest, reasonably fast under 9 ft rod I can find. I love everything about cane but it no longer works for me.
The thing is you won't ever know unless you experience it for yourself.

[Silver Creek]

I think the greatest lure of bamboo is tradition. Fly fishers as a group are more traditional than spin fishers and it stands to reason that some of these fly fishers would favor bamboo. Truth be told, graphite is an overall superior material for fly rod construction than bamboo, but that does not mean that in some conditions bamboo can excel.

Have you ever heard of a Morgan automobile? They are still being made and the unique aspect of the Morgan is that the frame is made of wood - ash wood, just like baseball bats. Why would anyone want a car with a wooden frame? For much the same reason as some fly casters want a bamboo rod. Some people enjoy the fact that they have something that is unique and special. For these folks it is more about the journey than the destination.

[Chuck441]

Silver- I fish both. I truly do feel a difference in both casting and fish "playing" with cane, and I love it. Not just because it's different. Most of my rods are graphite, and they fit me as well- just different. Creeks? Cane. Open water? Graphite. One exception- I often fish my Cabela's 7 1/2 foot 3 wt. Three Forks rod on little waters (with a 4 wt. line). Worth every cent of the $39.95 I paid for it. Now it's an astrnomical $49.95! Heck of a little rod.

Chuck

[Jerry]

I currently own 2 cane rods, both Kusse a 5 & 6 wt - probably the finest made today.

The Kusse quad I cast that belonged to the late RK (Ron Koenig) was the best casting rod I ever used made of any material. I made one false cast with it and said under my breath "oh my Gawd" It was absolute perfection in motion.
That experience caused me to obtain the identical rod from Mr. Kusse. Its a fine caster but not quite as good as RKs rod.

[djo]

Traitor. Drive up to the Driftless. You'll love using your cane there.

I fished a Driftless stream that is less than a rod length wide last weekend and caught enough fish on a 7' 4wt bamboo I rolled myself that my arm ached. All on dry flies and several well over 16". I had to quit because the cows upstream turned the crystaline water to chocolate milk. The stream will likely be destroyed -largely devoid of insects with banks beaten down until the stream is 20' wide and a uniform 3" deep in a couple of years unless the state decides to restrict factory farms. It will not happen despite our best efforts. I love the Driftless but I suspect our little portion of it will continue to degrade. Sad - I will likely head west to clearer air and less degraded water.
David