Fly Fishing Insider Podcast
A bamboo fly rod is built by splitting and planing the bamboo, tempering the sugars, cutting the taper, gluing the hexagonal sections together, and cleaning up excess glue. PJ Dufour inspects a rod's power fibers along the way, and says matching a rod to your casting style matters more than price or brand name.
PJ Dufour is a bamboo rod builder and handcrafted net maker.
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How is a bamboo fly rod built?
PJ Dufour walks through the build step by step: splitting and planing the bamboo, tempering the sugars, cutting the taper, gluing the hexagonal sections together, and cleaning up excess glue. Inspecting the rod's power fibers runs alongside that process.
Why are bamboo rods considered heirloom pieces?
PJ Dufour talks about why bamboo rods are treated as heirloom pieces rather than disposable gear. The handwork that goes into splitting, tapering and gluing a cane rod is what gives a bamboo rod that standing with anglers.
How do you choose a bamboo fly rod?
PJ Dufour says finding a rod that matches your casting style matters more than price or brand name. A rod that suits how an angler actually casts will out-fish a more expensive rod that does not.
Can a rod holder damage your fly rod?
PJ Dufour flags rod holders as a practical risk, since heat and vibration can damage rods in transit. Rods riding exposed on a vehicle take punishment that never shows up until the rod is on the water.
What should you do before a fishing trip?
PJ Dufour encourages anglers to slow down and fully re-rig their gear before each trip. Re-rigging is when problems surface at home instead of at the water, which is the cheaper place to find them.
Key takeaways
- A cane rod is split, planed, tempered, tapered, glued and cleaned up by hand.
- Power fibers are what a builder inspects to judge a bamboo blank.
- Match a bamboo rod to your casting style, not to its price or brand.
- Heat and vibration in rod holders can damage rods in transit.
- Fully re-rig your gear before every trip.
