The antique Japanese bamboo rod I got a few months back just got back from its christening with Alaskan waters and halibut blood. The chickens and rockfish were really not much of a challenge and it fished beautifully. The lodge staff were worried I would wreck it but I told them if it snapped...well.....I would put it on the wall broken with a BIG FISH story attached to its demise. The pics show me with my GoPro Hero HD cam on my head and filmed the fight with a 35# halibut. The rod flexed well but was not fully into the powerband with this small one. After that fish and a few others before it, I retired it for the duration and switched up with 3 other rods I built or cut in half, installed a reinforced ferrule to make them inside the plane carry ons. I feel confident it could easily handle fish up to 80 pounds without extreme stresses snapping it. It took a very slight memory set as do all bamboo rods but later relaxed. GOOD EATING!
Steve-O
Pulling hard on the fish in ripping tide current.
(http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/1696/bamboorod1.jpg)
The fish pulling hard back and peeling off line.
(http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/3969/bamboo2i.jpg)
Very cool Steve-O. Glad you got to use it and it didn't snap. There's something with fishing old gear...
Nice one, Steve!
Old fishing gear and old farts rule....... ;D
Regards,
David
Hey Steve,
A neighbor recently gave me an old 2-piece bamboo rod with a Penn 285 mounted on it.. He told me he bought it new in 1953. I rewrapped the guides and generally cleaned it up,, but, didn't fare as well as yours,, It split in the upper section coming out of the ferrule. I repaired it,, reglued, etc,, and took it back out and finally managed a little channel cat on it!!
Was fun to catch a fish on something older than I was. I even used the old braided line that was on it...!!
Thanks for the pics and story,, always fun..
Greg