Modernizing a bamboo rod - questions and ideas

[oc1]

I have never had a bamboo fishing rod in my hands, do they feel like "broom stick" or they have a nice flex (better for your back)?

Nice project Jason

Alex, you have shown photos of Calcutta cane gaff handles that you made.  Where's the part that was trimmed away?

[oc1]

My question is do you guys use a conventional or baitcaster on a rod with a tip like that? If so I just can't picture what, besides a guide close to the tip, would keep the line from rubbing right here? In looking at pictures of these rods intact, I don't see any with guides close to the tip.

It all comes together and makes sense when you consider the state-of-the-art and the whole outfit; bamboo rod, clunky conventional reel and nine-thread linen line.  Modernizing the line by replacing the linen with Spectra braid wouldn't make sense because you would need miles of it to fill a Penn Long Beach.  Perhaps it makes no sense to modernize the rod hardware without also modernizing the blank.  But, then again, nobody ever said it had to make sense.

[JasonGotaProblem]

But, then again, nobody ever said it had to make sense.

1000% a "because I can" type project. After finishing reading "the call of the surf" I have an inexplicable desire to land a redfish on one with a small knucklebuster with a leather thumb-drag. So I'll be using it for near shore surf fishing throwing shrimp and a small weight.

Maybe I'll look at more period-appropriate hardware after all. I'm probably the only person on the planet who really wants this thing configured with modern guides etc. So resale value would suffer a lot.

[steelfish]

I have never had a bamboo fishing rod in my hands, do they feel like "broom stick" or they have a nice flex (better for your back)?

Nice project Jason

Alex, you have shown photos of Calcutta cane gaff handles that you made.  Where's the part that was trimmed away?

I bought a pack of 6 canes of calcutta bamboo already cut on 5ft long 


I have had some mexican bamboo plants in my Garden and I know why you said that about the "rest" that was trimmed away, the plant cane goes from thick at the base to thin on the top and the cane is pretty flexible.
but some of the bamboo canes I see for fishing rod "look" kinda thick

[oc1]

Calcutta bamboo is an amazing and unique plant. Among several thousand species of bamboo, it is most suited to use as a whole cane fishing pole.  On the other hand, Tonkin cane is the species most suited for making split bamboo poles.

In the past, some split Calcutta cane rods were made, especially during the time when it was impossible to source bamboo from the Tonkin region.  But, I doubt that Tonkin cane is often used for making whole-cane fishing poles.  It grows to about 50 feet and is three years old when cut.

[oldmanjoe]

 I should bring it up that the short troller sticks were used with side winders with tuliped tip top back in the day .

[steelfish]

Sounds crazy, but very cool Jason. Try seller jbbowers12012 on eBay. He has some very unique tip tops including a triple that might work for your project. I did see a double tip, 180 degrees opposite rings, on eBay a while back, but don't see it now. I would probably mount guides over a ridge thinking it's stronger but really don't know.

I second for Bowers , he has a lot of old guides .
I do have a few two sided tip tops if you go that route . Just give the size need  , a little short on running guides .

those tulip tips with red ceramic are pretty cool
I might look for one of those and put it on a light spinning rod just for the heck of it   

[oc1]

those tulip tips with red ceramic are pretty cool
I might look for one of those and put it on a light spinning rod just for the heck of it   

I don't think they were made in small sizes Alex.  If they did it would be so heavy that that the rod would feel weird when you waggle it.

[Cuttyhunker]

I rewrapped a post war bamboo boat rod from Japan with the Mayflower decal, sporting the common black and yellow wrap twine  that came to me in a lot deal, with a spinning reel attached.    Mechanically the rod was okay, all the guides there, but cosmetically a mess.  Clean, varnish, and paint,  rewrap in red,  put a pre war 49 on it with old school lead line and took it trolling. It has the backbone of about an 80 pound Penn Tuna Stick. Came form Japan  made to fish one way, no double guides or tulip tip top. The old timers avoided (or cured) a "set" by storing their bamboo rods hanging from the tip tops on hooks and let gravity straighten those sets out.  Put a pre war 49 on it with old school lead line and took it trolling.   The old timers avoided (or cured) a "set" by storing their bamboo rods hanging from the tip tops on hooks and let gravity straighten those sets out.

Jason, there were also swivel tip tops on old bamboo casters with a set screw to loosen them to be spun 180 degrees.  I have one on an ancient caster from Gramps that I'll restore if I live long enough.  Mine is not for sale, but Reeltyme, Randy McConnell,  an hour away from you,  in Crystal River up the Veterans X-way had one in an old coffee can.  I promise you will enjoy the visit.

The blurry photo is Gramps old Fin Nor 1000 series bamboo, pre restoration, a beautiful job done by Joe Castillo in Leesburg, Fl.  As you can see the top most guide is quite close to the tip top.  At first I thought the tip had been broken off,
but no, that is how it came from Miami.

The old Mayflower landed fish like it was 1949.