This book is intended as an aid for those who wish to pursue the art of cane-rod making or repairing, containing a wealth of information regarding the methods, devices, and techniques. Many tips are given to guide the rod-maker in how to accomplish a particular and/or unusually difficult task, focusing on specific information and problem solving.

This book is intended as an aid for those who wish to pursue the art of cane-rod making or repairing. The reader will find a wealth of information regarding the methods, devices, and techniques that can only be learned by testing, trial and error. Many tips are given to guide the rod-maker in how to accomplish a particular and/or unusually difficult task. While a number of books and references are available for the basics of rod building, this book focuses on specific information and problem solving. The tips include: heat treating and moisture control; color toning; how to use and build equipment; ferrules; grips; rod wrapping, finishing and gluing; tapers; and more. Of special interest is an often sought after collection of nearly 300 rod tapers by many famous rod builders.

The bamboo fly rod still represents the pinnacle of the fly-fishing art; its apparent simplicity and delicacy belie the craftsmanship and strength that are the hallmarks of all great rods. A growing number of people have tried to learn the art of making bamboo rods from a shrinking number of secretive craftsmen. The revised and expanded Handcrafting Bamboo Fly Rods is the definitive reference for beginners and experts alike. Wayne Cattanach begins by explaining the qualities that distinguish bamboo from all other materials: It has a tensile strength akin to steel, yet it is very light. He describes the process that will take anyone from lengths of hard, raw bamboo to a beautiful finished rod with clear, step-by-step instructions and illustrations, including how to find the best supplies; select tools and materials; make heat treaters and binders; cut culms; straighten bamboo strips; plane and stagger strips; bind strips; apply finishes; mount the reel seat, ferrules, and tip-top; and much more. This is surely the most thorough book available for those who wish to make and fish their own bamboo fly rods.

Learn the science and art of creating a one-of-a-kind bamboo fly rod. Fly fishing has a long and storied history. While many flyfishermen will find and purchase their favorite fly rod, there are those who desire to go a step further. For those discerning flyfishermen and women, simply buying a rod is not enough—they must build one. And just as fly fishing is an art, so is the creation of the bamboo fly rod. Many people believe that the best-feeling rods, particularly for trout fishing, are made from bamboo, and today’s bamboo rod-making tradition is particularly indebted to one man: Everett E. Garrison. Using principles he learned as an engineering student, Garrison created an exacting method of building rod—a method that for decades was a well-kept secret. These techniques are presented to the reader in A Master’s Guide to Building a Bamboo Fly Rod, a classic volume written by Hoagy B. Carmichael to honor and maintain Garrison’s legacy. Completely illustrated with black-and-white drawings and over three hundred and sixty black-and-white photographs, along with copious notes on the mathematical and engineering principles that underlie Garrison’s unique rod-making technique, this book will guide you through each step of creating a classic bamboo fly rod. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for fishermen. Our books for anglers include titles that focus on fly fishing, bait fishing, fly-casting, spin casting, deep sea fishing, and surf fishing. Our books offer both practical advice on tackle, techniques, knots, and more, as well as lyrical prose on fishing for bass, trout, salmon, crappie, baitfish, catfish, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

The mysteries of handmade bamboo fly rods revealed. In Constructing Cane Rods, world-renowned rodbuilder Ray Gould shares a lifetime¿s worth of wisdom about bamboo fly rods. Clear, concise, and to-the-point, Gould¿s writing is packed with detailed, instructive information on every facet of rod building, repair, and appraisal. Beginning with an overview of commercial rod production and antique rod appraisal, Gould moves on to describe how to properly repair any old rods that might be collecting dust in your basement. He walks you through every component of bamboo fly rods, with photos, diagrams, and charts to clear up any confusion. You¿ll even learn to make your very own cane rod from scratch, with ample time dedicated to sourcing and utilizing the tools and materials required by this precise and rewarding craft. This is a wonderful book for committed rod builders, collectors, restorers, or anyone who appreciates the humble beauty of a hand-crafted bamboo fly rod.About the AuthorA native of Milwaukee, Ray Gould has been a fly fisherman since 1958. After a 35-year career as a mechanical engineer, Gould but his technical background to use designing and building bamboo fly rods. Gould has built over 100 cane rods and repaired countless others. His numerous fishing-related accomplishments include serving as president of the Northwest Fly Anglers club; teaching classes on fly tying at Shoreline Community College; exhibiting and presenting seminars in Montana, Washington, and British Columbia; providing programs at numerous fly clubs; and co-chairing the 1992 and 1994 West Coast Bamboo Rodbuilders¿ Workshop in British Colombia.

Rodmakers featured in this book. Book jacket.

Not everyone should own or fish a split cane bamboo fly rod. Some folks are just too addicted to high tech. After all bamboo only offers a fly rod that warms the heart, bounces the summer sun in a thousand different directions and is uniquely in tune with the rhythms of the rivers, streams and lakes it touches. Bamboo's unique characteristics made it one of the finest choices for the construction of fly rods. Its' flexibility, recoil and recovery and overall toughness were just the qualities that have traditionally been most appreciated in working fishing gear. There's just nothing quite like a well-made split cane rod for performance and "feel." And there's nothing like the satisfaction of bringing one of these classic rods back to life. Hands on advice, tips and instructions for bringing that classic bamboo fly rod back to life. From how bamboo rods are put together to repairing cracks, splits, broken ferrules, cork grip repair and replacement to the do's and don'ts of windings.

An introduction to bamboo fly rod fishing by a master of the sport, revised and updated.

Thirty-five million Americans–one in eight–like to go fishing. Fly fishers have always considered themselves the aristocracy of the sport, and a small number of those devotees, a few thousand at most, insist upon using one device in the pursuit of their obsession: a handcrafted split-bamboo fly rod. Meeting this demand for perfection are the inheritors of a splendid art, one that reveres tradition while flouting obvious economic sense and reaches back through time to touch the hands of such figures as Theodore Roosevelt and Henry David Thoreau. In Casting a Spell, George Black introduces readers to rapt artisans and the ultimate talismans of their uncompromising fascination: handmade bamboo fly rods. But this narrative is more than a story of obscure objects of desire. It opens a new vista onto a century and a half of modern American cultural history. With bold strokes and deft touches, Black explains how the ingenuity of craftsmen created a singular implement of leisure–and how geopolitics, economics, technology, and outrageous twists of fortune have all come to focus on the exquisitely crafted bamboo rod. We discover that the pastime of fly-fishing intersects with a mind-boggling variety of cultural trends, including conspicuous consumption, environmentalism, industrialization, and even cold war diplomacy. Black takes us around the world, from the hidden trout streams of western Maine to a remote valley in Guangdong Province, China, where grows the singular species of bamboo known as tea stick–the very stuff of a superior fly rod. He introduces us to the men who created the tools and techniques for crafting exceptional rods and those who continue to carry the torch in the pursuit of the sublime. Never far from the surface are such overarching themes as the tension between mass production and individual excellence, and the evolving ways American society has defined, experienced, and expressed its relationship to the land. Fly-fishing may seem a rarefied pursuit, and making fly rods might be a quixotic occupation, but this rich, fascinating narrative exposes the soul of an authentic part of America, and the great significance of little things. George Black’s latest expedition into a hidden corner of our culture is an utterly enchanting, illuminating, and enlightening experience.