The perception that bamboo rods are slow and heavy is owed to old rods that are quite commonly found gathering dust in Grandpa's garage. While these were serviceable in their day, they are heavier and slower than cane rods built today.

Bamboo is best suited to line weights between #3 & #6 and lengths of between 6 & 8 feet. Within this range the weight and flex of bamboo is at its best. These shorter length rods have many advantages in tight, bushy surrounds. For those technically minded, the modulus of bamboo lies between that of fibreglass (S-glass) and graphite.

Casting and Presentation

The slight weight in bamboo loads the rod slightly even with no line through the guides. This allows it to cast short line lengths (or even just part of the leader) with ease. The natural flex in bamboo also makes it forgiving to cast with, and enhances the feel of the line loading. Bamboo is ideal for delivering delicate presentations or where accurate casting is required in sight fishing situations.

Bamboo has a cushioning effect, especially in medium or semi parabolic tapers, when casting weighted nymphs or wets. This reduces the horrible "bounce" of a weighted fly on the back cast.

A general point to consider when casting any rod (bamboo or graphite) for the first time: Give it a real work out in close to medium fishing distances as well as trying to see how far you can cast with it. There are many great long casting rods out there that won't work in close where much of our fishing is done.

The other thing to try when casting bamboo is to relax and feel the rod loading. While bamboo is easy to cast (making it ideal for beginners), it still responds to technique and smoothly applied power. The more you fish with it, the more that you realise what it is capable of.

Hooking and Playing fish.

Bamboo has a supple authority, which buffers tippet breakage on the strike, and absorbs the erratic jerks of a fish when being played. Because most cane rods are built in short lengths, they give the angler excellent leverage and fish stopping power.

Tackle Tips

While discussing bamboo rods, it is worth making a couple of points relating to the tackle that should be used with them.

Reels - While modern, light reels are fine on bamboo rods, they also balance well with classic reels which contain a little more weight. I recommend Peerless Reels or classic Hardy Fly Reels to complement bamboo rods.

Lines - Weight forward and double taper lines are equally suited to bamboo rods - it is a matter of taste. I personally prefer the feel of a double taper line. I cut mine in half and splice hollow braid onto the back end, giving two lines for the price of one. This actually gives it more shootablity than a weight forward anyway.

Leader connections - Because bamboo can cast half a leader or less, I quite often have the leader connection part way through the rod. Any knot, even a tight nail knot, is a real nuisance when shooting out through the guides, so I employ the "super glue" knotless leader to line connection. This is also much better when landing a fish, as the connection can pass back and forth through the tip and guides if the fish lunges when close to hand.

Rod Care

Bamboo rods are durable, but like all quality equipment, they should be treated with respect. If you have a bamboo rod, look after it in the following way:

Assembling the rod

Do not lubricate the ferrule. Give the male ferrule a wipe with a clean cloth (or your shirt!) before assembly.

Align the guides from the two sections before seating the ferrule. Don't assemble the rod with the ferrules misaligned and then twist it into place.

When seating the ferrules, keep your hands close together (adjacent to the ferrules) to avoid placing the rod under undue pressure.

Taking the rod apart

When taking the rod apart, hold the butt section low down (with your right hand - if right handed), with your hand close to you, and hold the tip section (with your left hand) just above the ferrule, with your arm out relatively straight. This will promote a straight pull on the rod, which will minimise the risk of damaging the rod.

Storage

Your rod should be stored in a cool dry place. Moisture is bad! Before putting the rod in it's tube, wipe any surface moisture off it. At home, leave the top off the tube for a few days after fishing it, or even better, hang the rod in a safe, dry place in it's bag. Don't leave it in its bag out of the tube leaning angled against a wall. Don't leave it in the sun in the back of your car!

General Care

If your rod has a spare tip, alternate the them on fishing trips.

If putting significant pressure on a fish for a sustained period, turn the rod over from time to time to balance pressure on the rod. Also, try to avoid "high sticking" (creating too sharp and angle between the rod and line) the fish when playing it. Most bamboo rods have enough flex through the middle of the rod to use this area and the butt to play fish.

Note - after a period of time, a rod may take on a slight set (bend) in the tip section, though following the above instructions will minimise the likelihood of this happening. This does not affect the fishability of the rod.