Today I picked up my first split cane fly rod. It’s a rod that looks to be in decent condition, though it has been restored by someone. The cane itself seems to be clean and free of any sort of flaw, and the wraps are tight and complete. Unfortunately, whoever restored it failed to include any information as to line weight rating.
I just have a few questions for the community: are there any warning signs to watch for as far as excessive wear on the rod? I don’t want to take it out and break it because of some sort of wear and tear that I missed. Secondly, without any line weight information, I’m planning on starting off trying it with my DT1F line and working up from there. I have a few lines to try in 1wt, 2 @ 3wt, 2 @ 4wt, 5wt, 6wt, and 2 @ 7wt, though, from having cast a few boo rods before, I’m fairly certain that this is a 3, 4, or 5wt.
Finally, is there any advice or information you have for a new boo owner? Tips for care? Casting or fishing advice, etc? Prior to this, I’ve only owned graphite and a few glass rods.
Well, I have done alot of reading and by no means an expert but, from what I remember, very few bamboo rods are in three weight or below unless custom made. I would try a 4wt or 5wt maybe a 6wt. How long is the rod? that might help with a determination on line wieght. I just built a 6’-6" that cast a 4wt perfectly. I think anything lower than a 4 or 5wt won’t load the rod correctly. Just my opinion. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in
Start with a 6 weight. Many new users who are used to faster graphite use lines that are too light for the bamboo rod they are using.
Advice, Keep you rod clean and dry. That doesn’t mean you can’t fish it in the rain. I fish mine in the rain all the time. Just make sure it is dry before you store it.
A little paraffin or candle wax on the male ferryle slide will go a long way to keep your ferrules in good shape.
Go out and fish the heck out of your new rod. It is not as fragile as you might suspect. In many ways the bamboo is superior to graphite as a rod making material.
Hey welcome to the dark side! These guys have given you some good advice. Also most boo rods are going to probably cast a bit slower than the graphite you are used to. You may have to slow down your casting stroke but to me it is more relaxing and helps me concentrate more on my accuracy. This is a 5’ 2&1/2" 2 piece 5wt of mine that I love:
If you can post some pics and dimensions then we should be able to help you identify the rod and the information for it. One thing to do is assemble the rod and false cast it without a line. If you hear any clicking then the ferrules are loose. Not a tough fix but definitely do not fish the rod with loose ferrules.
Not much to add except if the ferrules are tight and unseat with a pop, DO NOT PUT ANYTHING ON THEM!
Metal ferrules work by friction and suction and adding wax may give you nothing but trouble when trying to seat or unseat them. All a properly mated set of metal ferrules needs is to kept clean. All I do and have ever done is wipe them off with a clean rag before and after fishing. I have more than a few rods in my quiver that are more than 70 years old and the ferrules are just fine.
If the fit is loose, consider having them replaced. There are lots of temporary fixes like beeswax or other trickery but when a metal ferrule is loose it begins to put unnecessary stress where it is glued OR pinned which is the bamboo. Over time that connection can get loose as well and may damage the bamboo at the joint or allow water to get in which is a bad thing. When seating or unseating NEVER twist them into alignment or when pulling them apart. There are lots of tutorials out there on proper metal ferrule seating.
As far as line weight is concerned that may be a subjective choice. If you rod is more than 30 years old it is very unlikely it was DESIGNED to throw anything lighter that a 4wt. But that doesn’t mean you will LIKE the way it feels if you cast it with the line it was designed for. The good thing is with no markings you can use what feels the best and make no apologies to anyone.
The good thing is with no markings you can use what feels the best and make no apologies to anyone.
Spoken like a true fly flinger.
Thanks for the input. The bottom ferrule fits shockingly well. I am really truly astounded at how well it seats with a sort of ‘pop’ into place that is felt more than heard. The upper ferrule is more of a ‘slide it in till it gets tight’ kind of it, but it seems secure as well.
My main concern is that it seems the male portion of the bottom joint seems to have a tiny bit of play between the metal and the boo. Is this a huge problem? Should I avoid fishing it? Can I fix it myself (with a bit of glue, etc.) or should it receive professional attention?
With a loose ferrule I wouldn’t fish it. You should be able to replace the ferrule your self and it shouldn’t cost a bundle either. See if you can get int touch with Russ and Erica Gooding here at Golden Witch:
They specialize in getting the right ferrules for vintage boo without charging an arm and a leg. Shoot them an email. Even if you don’t want to tackle the job yourself there are others on this board that build rods who may be able to help you. Replacing ferrules is pretty staight forward but it must be done correctly.
In order to get that old ferrule to tighten up, if indeed it will, you have to take it off of the rod, clean up the ferrule station so you might as well just install new ferrules. Just MHO.
I agree, many older rods had pinned ferrules which when loose will stay put but will really damage the bamboo. A repair/replacement won’t break the bank and will be well worth it.
As a rod maker that makes ferrules I have to disagree with you on this point. Ferrules wear because of lack of lubrication and dirt. I include a small piece of candle wax with every rod I ship with instructions to 1. keep the ferrules clean and 2. apply a very thin layer of wax to the male slide. My ferrules are designed to have some lubrication used on them.
Wax attracts dirt! I don’t even use it on my graphite spigot ferrules.
While I don’t make ferrules, own one of your rods, or have any idea if your ferrules are made of nickel silver, bronze or brass, what I do know is if I put wax on the nickel silver ferrules of ANY of my bamboo rods, the joints are NOT going together and most likely won’t come apart easily or at all at the end of the day because the ferrules are hand lapped to exact tolerances for a dry suction fit. Even a layer of oxidation can inhibit joining which is why I have never done anything but keep them clean.
While I probably have no business arguing with a rod maker who makes ferrules; based on my experience with all of the bamboo rods I have owned and fished over the years, ferrule design requiring wax for a proper fit is atypical which is why I wouldn’t recommend it for the type of metal ferrules that most folks encounter on most bamboo rods.
What physical property causes wax to attract dirt? Curious to know whee all of this dirt comes from that is attracted to wax. If what you say is true then the small cake of wax I send out with each rod would become very dirty over time with all the dirt attracted to it. That is an old myth.The wax attracting dirt myth is right up there with rolling the male slide of the ferrule along the side of the nose to get a little oil on it for lubrication. That is wrong too because of the salts and acid in the oil in the crease beside the nose.
If ferrules are a bit loose you can use beeswax to tighten them up a bit. Beeswax is on the tacky side. For tight ferrules use a paraffin based wax. I serously doubt that your ferrules will not go together or come apart if you put on a very thin layer of paraffin based wax on them.
I have rods comming throught the shop all the time with worn ferrules. Some can be tightened and some need to be replaced.
I have made ferrules from all the materials you mention above and a few you have not mentioned. My ferrules today are made from 18% nickel-silver sheet. The sheet is deep drawn to size on a 30 ton press. Even with precision dies to make the male slides it still takes about 30 minutes to lap them to get them to fit correctly. Having made many many ferrules from scratch I think I have some idea of what it takes to get a good fit and what is best for the longevity of the ferrule.
You are welcome to do with your personal rods anything you want. I will continue to reccomend very thin coating of a hard paraffin based wax for lubrication.
