Overview

Rod butt/wraps

Grips

Agates

Wraps

Ferrules

Reelseats

NEW

This pair of rods was made for Glenn Eggleton, author of Life and Flies, the biography of pioneering Tasmanian guide, Noel Jetson.

It's nice to compare these rods side by side, as they are complementary in both action and aesthetics.

The first rod is a 7' #4/5 2 piece, 2 tip rod, made from a Jeff Wagner-modified PHY Driggs River taper. This is a smooth casting, semi parabolic action rod, which has deceptive reserve power. The cosmetics of this rod feature:
- Blued Nickel Silver reelseat hardware, winding check and ferrules, with the ferrule tabs bound in black silk
- Brown Mallee Burl reelseat spacer with a mixture of dark heartwood and light sapwood
- Translucent Chinese red wraps tipped in black silk
- A red/gold banded agate (with blued frame), to match both the flamed cane and guide wraps
- A 6" tapered cigar grip

The second rod is a 6'6" #4/5/6 3 piece, 2 tip rod, made from my Monaro 45 taper. This is a fast, tip action rod, ideal for making rapid, accurate presentations in sight fishing siutations. This rod features:
- A rapid butt swell to accentuate the tight rod action
- Bright Nickel Silver reelseat hardware, winding check, and ferrules, with the ferrule overbound in gold/brown silk to blend in with the rod.
- Brown Mallee Burl reelseat spacer with a mixture of dark heartwood and light sapwood
- Translucent Antique Gold wraps, which add a subtle highlight to the flamed cane
- A gold/clear banded agate (with blued frame), to match both the flamed cane and guide wraps
- A compact 5 1/2" cigar grip

It's interesting to note that although these rods have very different actions (probably at the extreme end of the scale offered by bamboo in these lengths), by changing casting action, both can generate a similar line speed and accuracy. Both are very versatile small stream rods. More details on these and other tapers are available on the "Rod Range" page.

NEW

"The Big River"

This rod was made for Dan Flynn, of Flynn Silver (see below for another of Dan's Rods).

This rod is named "The Big River", after a river in Victoria. The rod includes some unique features provided by Dan.

The bottom of the butt cap has on it an 1860's Gin bottle seal from the Dutch Van Den Bergh & Co. The bottle was found by John Pilkington, on the river at Enoch's Point, at the old school site. John has written about the Valley in "From Geehi to Great Lake"**, and introduced Dan to the River in 1969. Dan gold plated the reelseat hardware and winding check for a touch of "bling".

I turned the reelseat and ferrule plugs from some Dargo walnut that Dan supplied. The same wood was used for the gunstock in the picture at bottom left.

Other features of the rod are:

- 3 piece, 2 tip configuration, based on a PHY 8' #6 Boat Rod Taper
- Clear wraps with fine black tipping
- TiCH Snake Guides and Stripper for maximum durabilty and performance
- Overbound ferrules to match the gold plated reelseat hardware

** Geehi to Great Lake is an anthology of stories from the Victorian Fly Fishers Association Newsletter. It is published by, and available from, Stevens Publishing.

NEW

"The Campbell" 4 piece rod

This rod is a 4 piece design, with a alternate tips - a light and medium. It is a 6'6" #3/4/5, which I've christened "The Swagman" due to it's compact, travel friendly nature - it packs down to under 21" (53 cm).

This rod is is themed on the Campbell Clan. It features:
- Campbell Crest and Celtic Band engraving by Dick Chapman
- Green and Blue wraps in honour of "Blackwatch" Campbell Tartan
- Matching Blackwatch Tartan Cotton Bag
- "Cruachan" - the Campbell war cry, inscribed on the butt of the rod

Other features of the rod are:
- Swelled Butt
- Small 5" Wells Grip formed from fine, 1/4" Top Flor Cork, without reelseat check for comfortable hand placement
- Hariki ferrules for lightweight 4 piece action, over-wrapped in silk
- CSE Reelseat hardware with Brown Mallee Burl timber spacer
- Fire red Agate Stripping Guide with blued Nickel Silver Frame
- TiCh Snake Guides and Tiptop

NEW

"The Salmo trutta" 4 piece rod

A matching rod was made for " TheCampbell" above. Also a 4 piece 6'6", this was based on the fast action "Monaro 45" #4/5/6. It was made with 2 alternate tips - a light and a standard.

This rod is themed on "Salmo trutta" - the Brown Trout, and features"
- Brown Trout engraving by Dick Chapman on the reelseat hardware - a trout on the bottom of the butt cap, brown trout spots around the butt cap side and slide band, and a panel with "Salmo trutta" on the slide band.
- 5" Cigar grip formed from fine 1/4" Top Flor Cork Rings
- Hariki ferrules for lightweight 4 piece action, over-wrapped in silk
- Hariki Reelseat hardware with Japanese "Karin" (Quince) white/blue timber spacer from T-Craft
- Tartan rod Bag in blue, green and red
- Matching green wraps with red tipping on the signature wraps
- A connection to "The Campbell" rod, with the Campbell motto "Ne Obliviscaris" (Forget Not) inscribed on the rod butt.
- A finely banded Agate Stripping Guide with blued Nickel Silver Frame
- TiCH Snake Guides and Tiptop

As this rod was made as a matched pair with "The Campbell" above, all of the sections of these two rods were made to be interchangable, in the event of an "accident" during travels.

Pictures of an Old Friend!

"The Monaro 45" Fast Action 6'6" #4/5/6 - 3 piece

Theres only one thing more satisfying than finishing a rod and seeing it being used and enjoyed, and that's seeing a rod you've made that's been fished for years and is still being used and enjoyed!

I recently had one of my first "Monaro 45" rods back (for a repair) from Ray Brown, so I took a few pictures of it while I had it here. Ray was a huge influence on my early fly fishing, and played a big part getting me started with bamboo rods.

Ray has been a leading commercial fly tyer in Australia for decades, selling through tackle stores under the "Onkaparinga Trout Flies" name. He continues to tie wonderful flies that we are proud to offer for sale (see the "Other Products" page) and take custom orders as well, at:
onkaray@gmail.com

The Monaro 45 was developed around the style of fishing that Ray practises - stalking and fast, accurate sight casting of dry flies to (often large) fish working on a beat. You can read more about (and from) Ray and my development of the Monaro 45 in two upcoming columns (Issues 12 and 13) of Flyfisher magazine.

This rod has been fished extensivley since 2004, and I'm told has caught around 3,000 trout - in South Australia, the Monaro (pictured left), and Tasmania.

The rod has had a few repairs along the way after minor mishaps on the stream, but still looks pretty good after all that use. The picture of the ferrule shows slight cracking in the varnish on the wraps, something normal after sustained use over years (and thousands of fish)!

It's also nice to make the point that minor signs of wear and tear like this, or a scratch here and there, just give the rod character, and reflect the use and life that it has had. (Thats not to say that you shouldn't treat it with respect or do your best to look after it of course)! Even an accidentally broken section can be replaced and keep a rod fishng for many years. I look forward to seeing this old rod back after it's landed 6,000 fish!

Landing Net - "The Brookie"

While selecting brown malle burls for reel seats and landing net handles, one piece struck me as resembling the patterns on a brook trout, which could be incorporated into a nice one of a kind landing net. The heartwood became the body, and the sapwood and textured outside of the burl became the tail. The hoop is hand planed tonkin cane, and the netting is naturally tea dyed knotless mesh.

"The The 50th Anniversary Edition"

This rod was commissioned for a 50th Anniversary. This powerful eight-foot, three piece #6/7, features:

- Alternating flamed and blonde strips, with matching components
- Ferrule plug made from flamed and blonde strips
- A brown mallee burl reelseat with light and dark figuring
- A banded gold and clear agate
- Bronze snake guides, wrapped in antique gold, tipped in royal blue
- Hardware engraved with scroll, mayfly lifecycle and a brown trout
- A cowhide and kangaroo leather case

Japan Flyfisher Magazine
Tohoku Relief Donation

Japan Flyfisher Magazine - Tohoku Relief Fundraiser

The scale of suffering and devastation that has occurred in Japan as a result of the recent earthquake and tsunami has been difficult to come to terms with. There will be many people left homeless and in need of help for months, maybe years to come.

My good friend, Tomonori Higashi helped the Japan Flyfisher Magazine to organise a tackle fundraiser to assist with the relief effort. Angling identities from around the world contributed to the fundraising through donations of their own tackle.

The auction reaised approximately $40,000 which went directly to Red Cross Japan.

**Attached here is the moving letter from Japan Flyfisher Editor in Chief, Kensuke Yagi, which was sent out about the fundraising.**

As part of the Japan Flyfisher Magazine fundraiser, I was honoured to donate:

My 6'3" #3/4 - 4 piece bamboo rod (see below), featuring:
-- Nodeless, spliceless construction
-- Two mirrir matched tips
-- PHY Midge based taper with a swelled butt
-- Japanese ferrules, made by Toshiyuki Hariki
-- Overbound ferrules and blued reelseat hardware
-- 1 5/8" Bamboo Rod tube, with brass caps
-- Clear wraps with red tipping
-- Light TiCH Snake and Stripping guides
-- Heartwood/Sapwood Brown Mallee Burl Reelseat Spacer
-- Fine marks for catch and release measurement
** The rod has been on the water a few times (as you can see!), and is in excellent, lightly fished condition. It has a very smooth, easy action, that will roll a 12 foot leader off the tip, or comfortably cast a longer line in stream fishing situations.

My Brown Mallee Burl curved handle Landing Net, with:
-- Figured Brown Mallee Burl handle
-- Laminated Tonkin Cane hoop
-- Natural Tea Stained Catch and Release Net

A New Peerless 1A Traditional Trout Reel

A New DT #4 Terenzio Artificial Silk Line

** Update. Some more pictures, and description (in Japanese) of my donation and the items from others are on the Japan Fly Fisher Official Blog and :
Auction Round I
Auction Round II

"The One Gun Man"

CULM SELECTION

FLAMING

BLANKS

COMPONENT FITTING

VARNISHING

THE ONE GUN MAN
(Completed Rod)

"The One Gun Man"

This matched pair of rods was commissioned by an experienced fly angler, who I think would be happy to be referred to as "uncompromising".

There is a saying along the lines of "Beware of the man with one gun, because he probably knows how to use it". The wisdom in this can apply apply to shooting, fly fishing and life in general. (As an interesting side note, during the process of making these rods, John Gierach mentioned this principle as part of a wonderful piece called "First Fly Rods", in Fly Rod and Reel Magazine).

This customer wanted a classic bamboo fly rod, in a taper and line weight that would fit in with this philosophy: a rod with the versatility to fish the diverse streams and smaller stillwaters of the South East of the Australian mainland (and streams elsewhere). It would of course also need to suit his casting and fishing style. He chose a medium-fast action seven foot #4/5, in 2 piece configuration. It's no coincidence that this is the same taper on which Snowy Monaro guide, Paul Bourne has caught hundreds, if not thousands of fish.

A matched pair of these rods was ordered, to hold one in reserve for the future, or to cover any unforseen circumstances! Though they were to be made to fish identically, the rod cane colours were requested to be cosmetically contrasting. One rod was to be finished in classic flamed cane, while the other one, for seintimental reasons, was to be a lighter gold, reminiscent of the French P&M rods fished by the angler's father.

The overall look of the rods was to be understated and elegant, with:
- Blued ferrules (Japanese Hariki ferrules for lightness)
- Finely banded golden amber and clear Brazilian agate stripping guides
- Matching heartwood/sapwood Brown Mallee Burl Reelseat Spacers
- Clear wraps on both rods, with fine black signature tipping on the Darker rod and P&M Green and Red tipping on the lighter rod.
- A butt swell, concealed beneath the top of the grip, to retain a crisp action, but maintain the fine aesthetic lines on both rods
- Matching light and darker ferrule plugs turned from the butt sections blank offcuts
- Finely engraved reelseat hardware by Dick Chapman, featuring a Mayfly Lifecycle and a Brown Trout
- Matching leather rod cases made by Arne Mason

The Build

As with all Taransky Rods, these include:
- The highest grade Tonkin Cane, hand graded and selected for each taper and rod configuration
- Hand split and hand planed cane to optimise the best cane in each culm
- Mirror matched tip sections
- Nickel Silver ferrules with finely hand tapered/crowned ferrule tabs
- Brazilian agate stripping guide with nickel silver frame
- Gunsmoke TiCH Snake Guides
- Ground/tapered and hand finished guide feet
- Guide wraps in fine Japanese silk, transparent after varnishing
- Hand fitted hex forged winding check
- The highest grade Portuguese cork
- Australian hardwood burl reelseat spacer with Nickel Silver hardware
- Multiple dip coat varnishing with hand rubbed finish
- Hand turned and fitted bamboo and cork ferrule plugs
- Custom fitted rod bag

Additional features of the build of these rods:

Culm selection: Two candidate culms were selected from the highest grade stock of over 200 culms, including over 50 AA Culms. The final culm was selected on colour, density, node spacing and straightness. This culm was huge - allowing enough cane to produce three tips for each rod (six tips in total, plus a number of spare strips). It is pictured left (butt and tip ends) next to a typical large 55mm AA culm. The node spacing was such that ALL the nodes on the tips, plus the first node of the butt section, could be staggered to place the nodes directly under a guide, providing additional reinforcing of the nodes.

Flaming/Heat Treating: To ensure that both the lighter and darker rods retained the same feel, the culm sections for the lighter rod received more flaming on the inside than the darker ones, as well as additional heat treating later in the process (before final planing).

Pictured left are various stages of the build, and aspects of the completed rod.

Brown Mallee Burl
"Two Spined Blackfish"

Brown Mallee Burl

Red Mallee Burl

BANKSIA NUT

Nets!

I made these Tonkin bamboo hoop landing nets recently. As well as being handy, a landing net can also help to create a lovely picture on the stream with a fish.

The hoops on these nets are formed from 3 to 5 layers of laminated Tonkin Cane strips, which is incredibly strong. The bamboo is hand planed into thin strips which are then soaked to make them more supple for shaping. They are then steam/heat shaped onto a form. I like the look and feel of the offset Japanese style. This shape and the contoured handle make these nets comfortable to hold and use.

An extra strip of bamboo is laminated inside the hoop after it is glued to the handle. This further reinforces the strength of the net, and completes the continuity of the look of the hoop.

The soft catch and release nylon netting is naturally dyed with tea, and hand stitched into a full, round bottomed bag.

The handles are made from a variety of materials, including Brown and Red Mallee Burl, and slices of Banksia Nut.

The burls are selected and cut to feaure the intense figuring in the wood. The brown mallee nets shown have retained some of the (lighter) sapwood, and natural exterier of the burl at the base of the handle.

One brown mallee burl had a rounded lump on the outside, which reminded me of the tail of the native Australian River Blackfish and "Two Spined Blackfish" (see the "Cotter River" rod below). The colour and pattern also looked a bit like a blackfish too (to me, anyway)! The burl was cut and shaped to feature the sapwood "tail" and a slender tail-wrist. Not the spitting image maybe, but hopefully you can see the likeness. It feels nice in the hand too.

The last series of pictures shows Banksia Nut Handled Nets including the sequence of steps between a raw Banksia Nut and completed nets. The seed pod holes go all the way through the handle of the finished net, which looks interesting I think.

Nodeless Quadrate

This rod is a Nodeless (nodes removed/spliced out) Quadrate (four sided, in comparison to the traditional hexagonal six sided rods).

Quadrate rods have been popular among some bamboo rod fishers for many years. These 4 strip (4 sided) rods have a unique look. I have made a number of these since buying a set of quad forms from Jeff Wagner several years ago.

Similarly, nodeless rods, with the nodes spliced out of each strip are a long time variation on traditional rods containing staggered nodes.

Both Quadrate and Nodeless rods are available from Taransky Bamboo on request.

"Bush Creek" Bamboo Fly Rod - "Flyfisher" Magazine SUBSCRIPTION PRIZE!!!

To Celebrate Issue 10 of Flyfisher Magazine, I am offering this Monaro Series "Bush Creek" Fly Rod as a subscription prize in a competition open to all 3-year subscriptions and renewals. Full details are available in the magazine.

This rod is a 2 piece, 2 tip, 6'6" #3/4/5 "Bush Creek", featuring:

- Flamed Cane, with Blued Ferrules and Reelseat Hardware

- Brown Mallee Burl reelseat spacer

- Antique Gold wraps with a matching honey gold Agate stripper

- 5 1/2 inch cigar grip

- Black Drill bag and Brushed Aluminium tube with Brass Caps

To complete the rod, Flyfisher Editor, Trevor Hawkins, has painted a Red Tag and Wattle adjacent to the signature wraps. Check out more of Trevor's wonderful work, click here.

Collectors Grade Engraved "Bush Creek"

This 3 piece, 2 tip "Bush Creek" taper is a recently completed rod for a Victorian customer. This Bush Creek is made with a rapid Butt Swell for a little more drive and distance.

This rod features:

- Flamed bamboo for crispness, with lighter contrasting nodes for colour highlights.

- 5 1/2" tapered cigar grip.

- Stunning scroll panelled engraving on the reelseat hardware and ferrules from Dick Chapman.

- A finely banded Brazilian Agate stripping guide.

- A highly figured brown mallee reelseat spacer and matching ferrule plugs.

Collectors Grade Rod for a good friend and customer

It was a pleasure to make another rod recently for a good friend and customer who has a number of my rods.

This rod, a 3 piece, 8 foot, #4/5, based on a Payne 200H taper, features:

- A smooth, light, easy casting action with fine tips and a mild butt swell for accurate, delicate presentations

- Golden flamed cane, with lighter contrasting nodes

- Select grade banded Brazilian agate stripping guide

- Clear wraps, tipped in fine dark green

- Matching green ferrule wraps

- Amboyna reelseat spacer with belled fighting butt

- Ferrules and reelseat hardware, engraved with original design by Dick Chapman

- Chocolate flamed Garrison Style ferrule plugs

The "Trout Pistol"

This Monaro Series rod is for a passionate Snowy Mountains small stream angler. The rod is a 3 piece "Bush Creek" 6'6" #3/4/5 taper, featuring:

- Engraving of a Water Dragon, found on (and in) some of the mountain streams!

- Clear wraps, over a pale gold agate stripper and TiCH snakes

- Brown Mallee Burl reelseat spacer featuring a "Tiger" pattern

- Blued Ferrules and winding check, bound in black

- CSE downlocking cap and ring reelseat hardware

The name arose when Troy was discussing the rod with his son, who came up with "Trout Pistol". As a stalking, point and shoot rod it fits perfectly I think!

NEW - And what a fish to put it to the test on! This massive Snowy Mountains brown was taken on the rod on its second time on the water!

The "Cotter River"

This Monaro Series rod is for a fisheries biologist, who commissioned some local native fish engraving on the reelseat hardware:

The rod is a 3 piece "Bush Creek" 6'6" #3/4/5 taper, featuring:

- Engraving of a Trout Cod on the butt cap, with a Macquarie Perch and Two-Spined Blackfish around the slide band

- Clear wraps tipped in green, over a TiCH stripper and snakes

- Exquisite Fiddleback Blackwood Reelseat spacer and Bellinger uplocking Nickel Silver hardware

- Overbound Ferrules in Silk to match the cane colour

- Flamed bamboo with lighter contrasting nodes

Monaro Series Fly Rod

This rod, for a VFFA member, is a 3 piece Monaro Series. The rod is a 3 piece 7' #4/5, with the taper from the Jeff Wagner modified Paul Young "Driggs River". As a Monaro Series rod, it features

- Crafting from a single culm of bamboo, selected to suite the taper and configuration from a stock of over 200 culms

- Each strip split out from the culm and hand planed to final dimensions

- Flamed bamboo with lighter contrasting nodes

- 2 tips, mirror matched from the same part of the bamboo

- Antique Gold Wraps, with green tipping on the signature wraps

- Ferrules overbound in silk to match the bamboo

- Finely figured brown mallee burl reelseat spacer with CSE downlocking cap and ring Nickel Silver Hardware

- Stepped, hexagonal winding check, broached to fit the rod perfectly at the top of the grip

- Brazilian agate Stripping guide - a finely banded gold here to match the wraps

- Bamboo and cork ferrule plugs with lanyard

- Custom made Cottton bag to fit the exact length of the rod, aluminium tube with brass end caps

Custom Rod for leading Snowy Monaro Guide, Paul Bourne

This rod was commissioned by leading Snowy Monaro Guide, Paul Bourne. Having caught several thousand (yes, really!) fish on his 7' 2/2 #4 fast dry fly action rod (which is still going strong), he decided it was time for another one. This is a slightly lighter action 7' #4, featuring:

- Clear wraps tipped in dark green

- Blued ferrules and reelseat hardware

- TiCH Stripping gude

- Uplsiding Bellinger reelseat with Brown "Tiger" Mallee spacer

- Swelled Butt

- Light Pen Markings to 24" for catch and release fish measurements

Paul even let me have a cast with it! Here it is with a lovely Snowy Mountains small stream rainbow (Paul Bourne photo).

Custom Blonde Rod

This recent rod is finished in blonde cane, lighter than my standard flaming. To maintain a crisp action, the raw culm was given additional flaming on the inside, as well as oven treating. The taper is a 6'6" #3/4/5 Bush Creek with a swelled butt. The rod features:

- Light Green wraps with dark green tipping, with matching green agate

- Blued ferrules and reelseat hardware

- Brown mallee reelseat spacer

Two Small Stream Travel Rods

These two travel rods were made for a customer who wanted two compact 3 piece rods for fishing small streams. The first is a light 6'3"#2/3, with a swelled butt. The second is a Bush Creek 6'6" #3/4/5 with a swelled butt for extra reserve power.

The Rods feature:

- Matching figured Brown Mallee Burl Reelseat Spacers

- Antique Gold Wraps (one tipped Chinese on the siganture wraps, the other Spring Green)

- Select Grade Agate strippers

- Blued ferrules and CSE reelseat hardware

- Light TiCH Snake Guides

- 5 1/2" tapered cigar grips

- Matching Split Cane and Cork Ferrule Plugs

Four Piece Prototype

This is a prototype for a future Presentation Rod. Rods above 3 pieces can become clumsy - as John Gierach says - you can end up with a Nickel Silver rod held together with little pieces of bamboo... By using light Hariki Japanese extra short Step Down Ferrules, additional impregnation, nodeless (and spliceless!) construction, this rod has retained a smooth, tight action in a configuration that packs down to 19 inches (50cm)! I will be giving this rod a solid workout this Season. The Presentation rod will feature the same basic design as the prototype, but with additional engraving, exquisite agate stripper and other enhancements.

This rod features

- A taper based on the classic PHY Midge, but with a swelled butt to provide some reserve power in the 4 piece configuration.

- Extra Short Japanese Hariki Step Down Ferrules, overbound in bamboo coloured silk to maintain continuity of tone along the rod

- Clear wraps, tipped in fine Chinese Red

- TiCH Stripper and light TiCH SNakes

- Brown Mallee Burl Spacer with blued CSE Cap and Ring Hardware

- Nodeless (and spliceless) construction with strips taken from a 1 in 1,000 culm with massive internode spacing

- Lightweight Split Cane Rod Tube with Brass Caps

Pictured at left is a wild stream brown taking on this rod (Paul Bourne photo).

Collectors Grade Rod - "Paradise Stream"

This rod, a swelled but Monaro 56 2/2 for a Swiss customer, features:

- Blonde cane - lighter than my normal flamed finish, but retaining a fast, crisp action

- Brown Mallee Burl reelseat spacer with custom turned butt cap

- Exquisitely banded agate

- Antique gold wraps, blending the colours of the agate and bamboo

- Beehive turned split cane ferrule plug

- Engraving
* fish scale on the ferrules
* Mayfly/Caddis/Grasshopper on the reelseat slideband
* Mrs Simpson flies around the locking nut
* Brown trout on the butt plate

Celtic Collectors Grade Rods

This pair of rods was commissioned by a customer for himself and his lucky partner! Both configured in 3 pieces, one was based on a 6'8" FE Thomas #3, while the other on a Leonard 7' #2 Catskill.

The rods were made from a single culm, both with mirror matched tip sections. Each feature a Fiddleback Blackwood reelseat (with timber supplied by Andrew Lowe), with matching Lowe Fly Box. Each fly box is adorned with a brass button engraved by Dick Chapman.

Further engraving is featured on the rods - a celtic strapwork theme onthe ferrules and reelseat slideband, with a Rose on one butt cap, and a Scottish thistle on the other.

The wraps are done in green with red tipping, inline with the customer's family Tartan.

Each rod features an exquisitey banded Brazilian agate stripping guide to complement the colours of the cane and red wrap tipping.

Each rod is presented in a Kangaroo and cowhide leather case, made by Ivan Hrabanek from Benowe.

A new rod, made for Dan Flynn, of Flynn Silver. The rod is a 6'6" 2/2 "Bush Creek" #4/5. The rod hardware was customised by Dan, casting a button for the butt cap from the dress jacket worn by the "Major" who taught him to cast a fly. The reelseat hardware was then gold plated, to match highlights in the cane. The reelseat spacer (and matching ferrule plug) was turned down from a WWII Spitfire antenna assembly, provided to me by Dan. The wraps are clear tipped with black, over gunsmoke TiCH snake guides and blued stripper, with blued ferrules. An agate was chosen with dark stone to match the guides, with a splash of gold to match the cane and gold hardware. Dan also had a knife made with a matching handle from the Spitfire antenna assembly. The bottom picture shows the reelseat, knife and another antenna (with the metal peeled back to reveal the wood).

Visit the Flynn Silver website to see some of their other magnificent work - http://www.flynnsilver.com.au

A new custom, engraved Collectors Grade rod for Master Casting Instructor Peter Hayes, featuring:

- 6'6 #3/2 #4/5 taper

- Clear wraps tipped in dark green

- Engraved ferrules and reelseat hardware

- Dark banded agate stripping guide and TiCH gunsmoke snake guides

- Brown Mallee Burl Reelseat

- Matching offset Japanese style landing net with hand planed 5/6 ply bamboo hoop and Brown Mallee Burl handle

**1

**2

"The 78 Special"

This is a prototype Saltwater Rod, a 7'8" #7/8, featuring

- (See **1) - Integrated bamboo ferrule (the female is formed in the butt section to allow different action tips to be easily constructed). The female ferrule is bound in clear silk (double bound at the end), and reinforced with marine epoxy. The female is additionally reinforced at the start of the swell with a guide and guide wrap. The male ferrules (on the tips) are bound in clear silk and reinforced adjacent to the slide with marine epoxy as well.

- Double built butt AND tip sections for additional power

- Swelled butt

- Detachable extended fighting butt, in cane and brown mallee burl to match the reelseat spacer and rod.

- Saltwater resistant black anodised reelseat fittings from Bellinger

- TiCH guides for hard wearing saltwater use

- Impregnated with marine primer used below the water line on wooden marine boats, finished in wax, for lightness, durability and maximum power.

(See **2) - The last picture shows a destruction tested bamboo ferrule. A test ferrule was made, and the two sections subjected to exteme pressure until something had to give. The ferrule stayed perfectly intact. While the tip section showed some fatigue and started to splinter, the butt section actually broke before the ferrule join!

- I took this rod out to the ACT Casting competition on the weekend, and threw my longest ever measured cast: 35.51 metres (116.5 feet).

A rod made recently for renowned innovative Melbourne fly tier Rick Keam. The rod is a 6'3" medium/fast #4/5 3/2, featuring:

- Flamed Cane

- Verigated balck and orange jasper silk (without colour preserver)

- Matching "tiger" brown mallee burl reelseat sapcer and striped agate stripper

- Rick Keam "Polyhopper" engraved on the reelseat slideband

This new collectors grade rod, the "Osprey", is a 7'3" Monaro56 3 piece #56 travel rod for a customer in Colorado, USA. The rod features::

- Osprey engraved on Butt Cap

- Mayfly lifecycle on the reelseat slideband

- Scrollwork engraved on the ferrules

- Alternating blonde and flamed strips, with matching light/dark brown mallee burl reelseat, ferrule plugs and agate

- Antique gold wraps tipped in blue

This new collectors grade rod, "Haunted by Waters", is a 8'0" 3/2 #4/5 Monaro Series, for a customer in Alaska, USA. The rod features:

- Green agate, with pale green wraps tipped in dark green

- Scollwork engraved on the ferrules

- Mayfly lifecycle on the reelseat slideband, with Mrs Simpsons around the locking nut

- Rich, golden flamed cane, with matching brown mallee burl reelseat and ferrule plugs

Recently I had the opportunity to see some rods I made a few years back from a customer that has become a good friend. It was nice to be able to take some photos of them. Though they have been fished regularly, they still look pretty good I think! They feature some outstanding engraving as well as custom reelseats, with clear guide wraps and coloured tipping.

UPDATE - The first picture on the left has unfortunately been used by a number of Chinese bamboo rod suppliers to advertise THEIR rods. In a way, it's flattering that they like my work enough to steal it. I only make mention of it here that I have NOTHING to do with any of these companies or their rods.

(NEW Pictures added Aug 2011)

A recent Collectors rod, "The Downunder 21", a 7'7" #5/6 3/2, featuring:

- Kookaburra engraved on the butt cap, with flies on the slide band, scrollwork on the locking nut, and wattle on the ferrules

- Spring green wraps with lemon tipping

- Black and white agate

- Brown Mallee Burl reelseat spacer with matching belled fighting butt.

(MORE PICTURES ADDED AUG 2011)

A recently commissioned rod for a local Canberra customer.

The rod, a 6'8" #3 3/2, features

- Kiwi engraved on the butt cap, with Silver Ferns on the slide band, scrollwork on the locking nut, and phutukawa on the ferrules.

- Spring green wraps with lemon tipping

- Black and white agate

- Rare NZ Kauri reelseat spacer with matching belled fighting butt

- Matching Kauri and cork ferrule moisture plugs

"The Tea Stick" - Avaiable for immediate sale at http://www.codella.com/binventory.htm

This rod was made to celebrate Tonkin Cane, or "Tea Stick" Bamboo (as it is known in China) as a rodmaking material. Rather than fitting a cork grip and wooden reelseat, a large butt swell was used to form the grip and reelseat. This required double building the butt sectoin of the cane. The under grip and swell area was then hollow fluted before glueup to retain a light feel of the rod in the hand. The seat was turned down to accomodate slide bands, and flamed/scorched for additional character. The rod was finished with a hexagonal butt plate, and clear wraps to maximise the visibility of the cane beneath. A honey agate stripping guide reflects the flamed colour of the bamboo.

The rod was completed with a hexagonal wooden case, of alternating Jarrah and Spotted Gum strips.

Built as a 6' 2/2 #3, it casts a very sweet line too...

"The Taranaki"

This rod, made on a Monaro 56 taper, is for my wife Miri. Miri is from the Taranaki region of the North Island of New Zealand. The rod features:

- A semi hollow built butt and mid section to reduce weight

- New Zealand colours - fine black signature wraps and a black and white striped agate stripper

- Stunning engraving of a rata flower and kea parrot

- Black ferrule wraps and dark blued ferrules

- Clear guide wraps to highlight the medium flamed cane

- The Australian connection is a brown mallee burl reelseat!

A recent custom Monaro Series rod (6'6" #3/4/5 2/2) with:

- Fiddleback Tamanian Myrtle Burl reelseat spacer

- Blued ferrules

- Medium brown wraps tipped with black

- Agate stripping guide and bronze snakes

- Engraved butt cap featuring Southern Cross and wreath

Two recent fast action, dry fly 3/2 #5 weights, made for a couple of VFFA members.

Made from a single culm, one rod is finished slightly darker, with golden chocolate wraps, with the second rod flamed a little lighter, with bugundy wraps. Both rods feature cork reelseat spacers, and blued hardware.

A recent 7'7" #5/6 2/2, with

- Signature flaming, medium gold with lighter contrasting nodes

- Chinese Red wraps, tipped with Black

- Agate stripper and Titanium Carbide snakes

- Tapered Cigar grip

- Unique heartwood/sapwood cherry burl.

The Australian Tribute Rod

This recently completed custom rod includes a number of unique features and an Australian theme:

- Alternating blonde and flamed strips

- Gold and Blue wraps (** colours of Australia, as featured on the Coat of Arms **)

- Wattle engraving on the reelseat slideband

- River gum leaves and nuts engraved on the ferrules

- Brown mallee burl reelseat spacer

And more! Left to right:
Fiddleback Tasmanian Blackwood (Bellinger Upsliding Hardware)
Brown Mallee Burl (CSE Downsliding Hardware)
Tasmanian Myrtle Burl
Brown Mallee Burl - Tiger figuring
Yellow Box Burl
Red Mallee Burl

NEW

"The Salmo trutta" - Brown Trout theme on a 4 piece "Monaro 45 " 6'6" 4/5/6 taper (featured above in more detail in the "Rods" section.

NEW

"The Campbell" - Campbell and Celtic theme on a 4 piece "Swagman" 6'6" #3/4/5 taper (featured above in more detail in the "Rods" section.

NEW

"The One Gun Man" - a matched pair of rods (featured above in more detail in the "Rods" section.

Black Swan engraved on a butt cap

Celtic Knots on a recent Bush Creek rod

Engraving from a rod for artist Jeff Cassidy

The butt cap features engraving based on a 2B and 4B Graphite Pencil on Arches Paper work by Jeff Called "The Illusion of Permanence". Note that the original artwork is 60cm x 50cm, and the engraved butt cap is 2cm x 2cm.

The slide band features Celtic Strapwork.

Snowy Mountains /Monaro Season 20010/11

With the best rain in a decade, the 2010/11 Season is already going well and will improve even more whan things warm up. Contact Paul Bourne from Snowy Monaro Fly Fishing if you want to experience fishing like this...

The Benefit of Local Knowledge!

Throughout October 2010, many were talking about all the rain and high water in the mountains. We dry-fly fished a number of creeks at ideal water levels with local guide Paul Bourne, from Snowy Monaro Fly Fishing.

Snowy Mountains /Monaro Season 2009/2010

Well, Season 09/10 is looking great in the Snowy Monaro region. Below are some pics from trips out in November 09. Contact Paul Bourne from Snowy Monaro Fly Fishing if you want to experience fishing like this...

New Zealand North Island Taranaki Trip January 2009

January is starting to become an annual thing to visit the Taranaki region of NZ, combining family visits and fishing. Read a bit about the trip on the "What's New" page, or a more detailed report in issue 116 of New Zealand Trout Fisher

New Zealand North Island Taranaki Trip January 2008

Read a bit about the trip on the "What's New" page. My wife Miri is a Kiwi from the Taranaki region, so we combined a trip with family get togethers and some great fishing.

Season 2007/2008

This season is looking the best in years with much needed rainfall throughout the region. For those wanting to learn the best way to fish the area, do yourself a favour and check out Paul Bourne at Snowy Monaro Fly Fishing

New Zealand South Island Trip March 2007

Read a bit about the trip on the "What's New" page. We had great fishing, saw wonderful places, met some great people and experienced four seasons (five maybe?) in two and a half weeks.

Peter Morse of Wildfish fame has just come back from a trip to Brumbies Creek with Peter Hayes, where he got some lovely shots of Peter throwing tight loops with a 6'3" 1 piece #5/6/7 weight.

I've even put a #7 on this rod and thrown deerhair poppers and dahlbergs around snags and overhanging trees for Australian Bass. It's a definite pocket rocket!

Artist and Fly Fisherman, Jeff Cassidy with an Australian Bass and saratoga on his 7'6" #5. He has even caught trout on it! The engraving on Jeff's rod came from a work of his called "The Illusion of Permanence". More pictures of his rod can be seen under the "Engraving" section of the Gallery. Note that the original artwork is 60cm x 50cm, and the engraved butt cap is 2cm x 2cm.

You can read more about Jeff and see his art at his website:

www.freshandsaltwaterflydesigns-australia.com.au

Dan Flynn is an acclaimed Silversmith. You can visit the Flynn Silver site here:

www.flynnsilver.com.au

Bling! Dan Flynn now has a gold plated reel to match the gold plated hardware on his 6'6" Bush Creek!

He now has two rods from me. A Bush Creek and a Paul Young Boat rod.

You can read more about Dan's rods and the custom reelseats we worked on together under the "Rods" section of the Gallery.

"The Snowy River" Reel, by Terry Hayden, for Taransky Bamboo Fly Rods

This Australian made reel is a classic, simple, smooth fly reel that will compliment any fly rod! Check out the "Other Products"page for more informatio!

Bamboo Repair of a Hardy Princess Reel

I bought this Hardy Princess recently with a section missing from the frame. I repaired the frame with a heat-bent piece of bamboo, pinned internally into the frame, and reinforved with a thin bamboo laminate over the join. It's come up well, and highlights the strength of bamboo!

Repair/restoration of a Kosmic rod section

This rod, circa 1891-2, has a connection with bamboo rodmaking history, being a product of the F.E. Thomas, E. Edwards, Loman Hawes and Ed Payne venture.

This rod was acquired in need of repair by the current owner. The mid section was 4" short at the top, and had been hand whittled to refit the female ferrule. The mid-tip ferrules had been damadged, so the owner had sourced appropriate replica ferrules from the USA.

Instead of using an oblique scarf to add the 4" back to the mid section section, I utilised the existing hand tapered end, and built a new, internally hollow piece to fit around it. This maintained as much as possible of the existing rod. The scarf join was reinforced and concealed beneath one of the intermediate bindings.

Restoration of a Bill Southam "Talbingo Rod"

This rod, made by the famous Sydney rodmaker, was in basically sound shape, but some bindings were cracked, or had been rebound with wire, tape, and twine.

Restoration of a Bamboo Spinning Rod

This rod, which was originally belonged to the owner's father, was basically sound, but with some delamination of strips just above the grip. The varnish was alligatored, the wraps were loose, some guides had been crushed, the reelseat and grip were soiled, and the rubber butt cap was perished. The rod was basically spruced up for the owner, and the delamination of the butt strips repaired.