Why Bamboo?

I've thought about a post on this subject for a long time. It's a really good question. One I ask myself occasionally. Like when I'm buffing the oxidation off the nickel silver ferrules so they won't stick. Or when I'm carefully wiping a rod down before I put it back in the tube so it won't mold. I've got a stack of graphite rods that haven't been used in several years. All homemade rods of course. It's not that there's anything wrong with them. I'd just rather carry a bamboo rod.

But why? Well, it's not because bamboo does things on the water that a synthetic rod won't do. I'm not into tackle hype. Bamboo and synthetics will both get the job done in the 3wt to 6wt range. It's not a popularity thing. A bamboo rod is a social misfit in most fly fishing circles. So why am I making these things and actually trying to catch fish with them?

Best I can figure, it's the fact that the rods are crafted directly from God's inventory of raw materials by the hands of a determined craftsman. The bamboo appeals to the very same emotions that draw me to the river in the first place. If you've ever wondered why you can't get that same "standing in a river waving a stick" feeling walking down a concrete sidewalk on a busy downtown street, then you know what I mean. There's something about experiencing God's creation first hand that just seems, well...natural, like a bamboo rod.

Functionally, the fact that there are hundreds of tapers that cast a pleasing line with significantly different casting styles makes the hunt for the right taper intriguing. The swing weight, elasticity and resilience of the bamboo add versatility and efficiency to the casting stroke in the hands of a technical caster. And they're just gorgeous fishing rods!

I don't think any of that makes bamboo a superior fly fishing tool. But there's no way that a synthetic rod can match the emotional appeal of bamboo. It's more than a fishing tool. It becomes part of your fishing story.