From time to time, I like to feature other rod makers here to show you some of the processes that go into making a custom fly rod, & all the other aspects associated with the craft. I want you to see just how much goes into a custom fly rod & the lifestyle of making custom rods. In the future I plan to bring you even more of this information by showing you more rod makers, both past & present.

Who better to feature here then Jeff & Casimira of JD Wagner Rodmakers? They are highly skilled & knowledgeable rod makers who have been at this for a while now. Of course, I'm very biased, as I consider both Jeff & Casimira two good friends & our friendship goes beyond fishing & rod making. That's because they're two of the nicest people you're ever going to meet!! (like I said, I'm biased towards my friends). 

But all that aside, the video below - made when the television show "A Craftsman's Legacy" featured Casimira & Jeff for a full episode - does a very good job of taking us through the all the steps of how a bamboo fly rod is made by hand. By the end of the video you'll get the idea of just how much detailed hand work goes into making a rod & the time involved. It's not easy to make a bamboo rod, but with the proper guidance almost anyone can learn & make their own. I think A Craftsman's Legacy did a good job of getting that point across. 

Even if you're not the least bit interested in making your own bamboo rod, the video below will give you a better appreciation of what you hold in your hand when you fish with one. If you've never tried a bamboo rod, be prepared to be inspired to try one as you watch this episode!

Bamboo rod makers (myself included) owe a debt of gratitude to Hoagy B Carmichael (son of the famous song writer), for documenting on film & in print the methods & techniques of rod maker Everett Garrison. The video below is of the documentary Carmichael made of Garrison in the 1970's (I believe). 

The book that Carmichael put together of Garrison's rod making was responsible for the resurgence of bamboo fly rods in the 1990's - though the book had been published twenty years before. I don't think you can find a full time rod maker today (again, myself included) who hasn't studied that book intensely. In it you will find all the information you could ever want or need to learn how to make bamboo fly rods. Some have referred to it as the bible of bamboo rod making. 

No matter if you make bamboo rods or not, if you have any interest how they are made this video is fascinating, in that we get to see just how Garrison would bring a rod to life - from the raw bamboo to the completed product. What's more, we get to look over the shoulder of the man who really helped to advance the craft of bamboo fly rod making. 

Even though this film is over forty years old (at least) not much has changed in bamboo rod making since that time. Many of the steps & processes shown here are what I find myself doing everyday, even now. It reminds me just how timeless rod making (& pretty much everything in fly fishing) is. Because of this, I really enjoyed watching this great documentary. I hope you do to. 

These days, the common progression for a fly angler through their fishing gear journey is to start out with a graphite fly rod. This is the rod they learn how to cast with & it's the rod they use in the beginning. It's the rod they fish as they fall in love with the sport.

Then, sometime later, they begin to learn about other types of fly rods like bamboo & fiberglass. Between the two (cane & glass), fiberglass is much more accessible because of the price. They hear about the feel & sensitivity of fiberglass fly rods & how they compare to bamboo & become intrigued. This is why, for most folks, their first custom rod is often a fiberglass fly rod.

I've even heard fiberglass rods referred to as a "poor man's bamboo". I do NOT agree with this sentiment, as they are two different types of rods with different characteristics, but I understand the concept, particularly when you compare fiberglass to modern graphite fly rods.

Typically, once an angler fishes with a fiberglass fly rod, there's no going back. The feel of casting the line with a glass fly rod is one that can become addictive. More & more they find themselves picking up their glass rod & leaving the graphite rod at home.  

Some of us (like me) who grew up fishing a fiberglass fly rod will often go back to them for sentimental & practical reasons. I still fish fiberglass rods myself & always will no matter how many bamboo rods I own. 

For those of you new to fiberglass, they're not the slow buggy whips they used to be. They have a lightness in hand & yet retain the sensitivity & feel we love of fiberglass. There are limitations to fiberglass as it's used in fly rods - think line sizes & rod lengths - which is why you don't see many 9 ft 2wt fiberglass fly rods.

There's nothing like a good comparison & in the video below, Tim Rajeff does a great job of describing & showing us some of those differences. Check it out as it will describe the technical aspects quite well in a very clear way, showing you a side by side comparison of graphite & fiberglass fly rods.