What size fish can you catch with a bamboo fly rod?

[SAFalconer]

Pretty much as the title reads. I want to know what size fish I could catch with a bamboo fly rod. Thanks in advance.

 

[Red Leg]

Depends. Is it an antique or of modern design? Bamboo rods like modern graphite ones were/are rated for different weight lines and thus different quarry. Light trout rods were made for - well - small trout. Heavier ones, equivalent to #8/#9/#10 would handle bass, sea run trout and smaller salmon. Specialty salmon rods were built and designed to take on Atlantic salmon. Orvis and a number of quality custom makers can provide you with one today tailored for whatever quarry interests you http://www.orvis.com/bamboo-fly-rods though most specialize in trout rods.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Great advice. That is about what I would have said.

 

[SAFalconer]

It would be of a modern design. Thanks for the info

 

[rookhawk]

I've caught fish from one ounce to 40 pounds in bamboo, all on rods made between 1938-1970.

Orvis impregnated cane rods are a real bargain in vintage tackle and are quite durable.

I've owned 3wt through FFG weight double speys.

 

[Nicholas Barcomb]

Caught a 5lb brown trout on one when I was a kid an it didn't flinch! So, my guess would be anything up to 50 lbs, but not much over.

 

[CAustin]

Some if the older poles are really expensive so I wouldn't want to risk something big.

 

[rookhawk]

Something to keep in mind as a general rule:

Big rods are cheap, small rods are expensive.

All things being equal, a vintage bamboo 3wt will be 2x the price of a 6wt. Light rods are in fashion today and much fewer were made.

A brand new decent graphite 6wt Orvis or Sage fly rod is $800. For $600 you can have a mint orvis battenkill 6wt impregnated bamboo rod from the 1960s. The cane goes up in value, the graphite will be worth $50 at a yard sale in 10 years.

I recommend fishing with cane, it has soul and is quite durable. It'll land many bass, tilapia and trout in its lifetime.

 

[Brent in Az]

I have a Heddon Bamboo rod built in the 1950's. It is basically a 5/6 weight, and I had it rebuilt and refinished by a professional. I have caught trout in big rivers no problem, as it has a heavy butt section. It is the only Bamboo rod I have fished with, so I can't compare it to others. Considerably heavier than graphite.

 

[TallGrassHunter]

Not an expert on the subject but have noticed a lot of bamboo rods I've seen the tip has been broken. See a lot of tip pieces shorter than the reel third piece. I've always thought that old fishermen in heaven looking down on us wonder why they went to all the effort to develop spinning reels and such. This is probably a product of my poor fly fishing.

 

[rookhawk]

@TallGrassHunter the reason you see more broken bamboo is not for the reason you think.

Bamboo can be repaired to rebuild a tip (called a scarf) without measurably impacting the rod's action...graphite cannot.

When I break a $400-$800 graphite rod after a year, it goes in the garbage. (Or if from the right manufacturer, they might warranty my incompetence)

If I break a bamboo rod I get it fixed. How many tips have I broken? Zero. How many tips did a 20 year pro break that I know? One. (Totally his fault)

If you keep bamboo rods for 50-80 years they will inevitably be broken by error. The graphite rods aren't stronger tipped, they just haven't lived as long to show as many scars and if they are broken they're discarded.

Also, bamboo usually comes with two tips for just such a situation, they thought about these contingencies back then.

 

[TallGrassHunter]

Thank Rook, you're unlikely to meet a more inept fly fisherman than me, but some years back I became interested in collecting bamboo fly rods, and that is when I noticed the tips. Truth is I've still never fished any of those bamboo rods.

 

[rookhawk]

@TallGrassHunter The big issue with cane rods is they use smaller guides (made in the era of silk fly line) and therefore they don't shoot line well.

You want to use Cortland Sylk fly lines. They are a plastic modern fly line but it is thin and casts well on small guides found on cane rods.

Every broken tip I've caused or seen broken regardless of cane, glass or graphite was always during landing of a fish improperly. It's easier to cry over a broken rod when you've landed a monster. seriously though, cane rods fail due to user error not due to construction flaws.

Go have fun with those rods!

 

[Brent in Az]

The Heddon Bamboo rod I have is a 3 piece, but has an extra tip section for a spare. I had modern line guides installed when I had it rebuilt.

Use more finesse, and a little less drag for Bamboo?