I just watched ur very interesting video. Great historical facts . I was given a bamboo fly rod as a kid, and it opened a whole new world of fishing for me that has become a lifelong passion. Thank you for sharing. God Bless n Fish on!

What a wonderful interview. Fascinating stuff and a real education. Having been lent a 7ft 3wt split cane rod a few years ago I soon became aware that it’s not so much about how the rod feels, but more about how it makes you feel. The entire fishing experience is enriched many fold.

Great information and lesson on history of bamboo rods!! Thanks John!

Hardy Palakona. My first new bamboo rod. It came in an aluminum tube with the Hardy lightweigt reel in a case. One hundred and fifty bucks! I started making my own after that. Very nice video. Thankyou.

Wonderful education on the history and current state of bamboo rods. Thank you

great talk....thanks so much.....love bamboo rods! they are a work of art....

Fantastic masterclass by John!

I met Maxwell and fished with him a few times. I didn't appreciate his genius till years after he passed. a mutual friend has a few of his rods. One is a custom and another was one of Maxwells personal rods left to the friend by Maxwells estate. I wish I knew then what I know now😢

wonderful ! 🙏🏻

Just saw this. I don't fish any more, but dry fly fishing for trout in moving water used to be my most favorite pastime; if they had synthetic trout that were indistinguishable in appearance and behavior from living trout, I'd still be doing it (to the extent that my 75-year-old body would allow). I was fortunate enough to cast and even fish with some fine cane rods; I fished with a borrowed Winston in the early 70s. There are a couple points I'd like to make. Point 1: The rod I liked most of those I owned was an Orvis Tippet, 7 & 1/2 foot 3-weight. If there'd been a 2-weight rod on the market in those days, I'd have gotten one. Point B: If Hexagraph had existed while I was still fishing, I'd undoubtedly have had one.

Great stuff! I have a 1920 Abercrombie and Fitch Bic made by Divine that catches Grayling on the dry fly like nothing else!

Wonderful film and I totally agree with everything this gentleman said....🥃

So glad you mentioned the fact that pricing is favorable right now....I’ve noticed that there are tons of very high end Cane rods are about half the price they were 10-15 years ago and like you said, some are in very fishable condition. I’ve seen Hardy Phantoms out there for a “steal” right now.

I feel the same about my Garcia fiberglass rod that I purchased in 1986..and up until three weeks ago was my one and only fly rod.

Hide glue is also used for a traditional oil painting ground or primer. If you want it to last for centuries.

We need a book in color from this guy!

Anyone know anything about a Newport custom made rod model 9525? My father's pole. I remember him fishing with it in the 1960's.

Just looked a little closer to a bamboo fly fishing rod that I purchased at a antique shop in Placerville, CA. It's named "The Granger Rod" made by Goodwin Granger & Co., Denver. The rod looks very old but in good condition. I could not find any serial numbers on the rod. It is a three piece rod with an identical extra 3rd piece tip. The rod came with the real. It looks very well made and wondering if it was considered to be a quality rod in its day?

Food for the soul!

Every world record fish for 100 years was caught on bamboo.

Ok, not all marketing BAMBOO ARE GREAT RODS. John learned rod making at Orvis after WW2 and learned from the best. I learned from him. Now John made his own reels by hand, and wove his own line to match the rod and reel for balance and performance. He is know for creating flies from synthetic materials, but a rod-reel-line combo of his is "divine", I have one and I make them now too. Now John had many many bamboo rod in the closet, Leonard's and all the greats, he knew them all. But, he only fished wood after he re-perfected the art. With wood its easy to create and modify a rod for A specific water with ease. I can make a rod in less than a day........because building a wood rod is the reverse of bamboo, outside inward, I can fine tune it as I taper it, bamboo once glued, done is done and you hope its right.

Ahh, no I'd like to say talk to John Betts but he passed. Sorry John is THE expert on traditional rods and reels, and rods with no reels. Wood rods predated the bamboo and he wrote the book on making them, and he penned literally the entire 200+ page book with a quill pen. Wood was and is, even in the era of bamboo, the preferred rod for contests as it is better, period. Birch is No.1, Beech is in my mind No.1+ and read oak, purpleheart, all very good. Bamboo was the exotic material of the time and it was all marketing.