Handcrafting Bamboo Fly Rods (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is one of the best books for the aspiring rod maker or the old pro alike. This book is written so that you do not need an engineering degree in order to build a bamboo fly rod."--Bamboo Fly Rod Network

"This book is a well-illustrated presentation aimed at promoting the delicate art of creating bamboo fly rods. From the required materials to the most intricate techniques, Wayne Cattanach guides the rod maker along the path to producing the perfect featherweight rod."--Lie-Nielsen Library

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

The bamboo fly rod 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.

Wayne Cattanach begins in the Kwangsi and Kwantung provinces of China, where Tonkin bamboo takes about eight years to develop the qualities that distinguish it from all other materials: a tensile strength akin to steel, light in weight, with the flexibility that gives all bamboo rods their relaxed action.

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, including how to: find the best supplies; select tools and materials; make and use heat treaters and binders; select rod taper, weight, and action; cut culms; straighten bamboo strips; primary and secondary planing; stagger bamboo strips; give proper heat treating; bind strips; apply finish; mount the reel seat, ferrules, and tip top; and much more.

Scores of illustrations and line drawings demonstrate crucial techniques that before this book could only be guessed at, and Wayne's years of experience with pupils and bamboo are brought to bear at every step as his invaluable tips not only instruct, but also explain how to avoid common beginners' mistakes. This is surely the most thorough book available for those who want to have the pleasure of making, and fishing, their own bamboo fly rods.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (July 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155821769X
• ISBN-13: 978-1558217690
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,451,396 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hndcrafting Bamboo Fly Rods: Not for everyone, January 22, 2002

By	Mike Brooks (Coburg, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This is a good reference book, but should not be your sole source of information. Too much is left out that is critical to building a first rod. For example, a lot of details are missing with regards to what you need to do with the blank once it comes out of the glue binder. WHat about scraping, filing, sanding and keeping those sharp edges? The book could also do with better organization.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Building Bamboo Flyrods, February 26, 2008

By	Woodworker Genius (Rocky Mountains, Alberta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handcrafting Bamboo Fly Rods (Paperback)

This is a good book to get you started on the basics like sharpening, selecting bamboo, preparing and making equipment. What he says in the book is very much enhanced by his 3 DVD set, which I purchased off of ebay. If you can get the DVDs it will really help you the book should come with the DVDs in my opinion. It isnt a very glamorous book in terms of photos, but there are enough pictures to give you a good basic idea of what you need to do. There are many tapers for rods in the appendix, which is nice to have.

1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book a must have, January 15, 2001

By	David Oliver (Uxbridge, Ma. United States) - See all my reviews

Great book a must have for the rod builder.