Adventures in Bamboo

My desire for a ultralight split bamboo spinning rod is starting to take shape. Not being able to find one in ultralight light spinning, I started looking at the fly/spin combos that came out of Japan around the WWII timeline. On Ebay I found one with a cracked ferrule on the at the front end of the third section. Perfect! I only wanted the first two sections to give me between a 6 and 7 foot UL rod. After weeks of alow shipping the rod showed up at my door. Rod was packed inside a section of pool noodle in a cardboard box ( neat idea). When I cut the tape:yikes . The zip tie bandit had cinched those ties down so tight the rod was bent. I cut the ties and yes the rod had taken a set:banghead
I let the rod rest and it has corrected some. I am sure I will need to straighten the rod to get it back to where it needs to be. This morning during the rain I went out and cranked up the 1940's era Craftsman metal lathe , sharpened up a tool bit and turned a bushing to mate the handle with the top two sections. This afternoon the rain stopped. I grabbed the rod, the Mitchell 308, and some bait. The lake has went from winter draw down to flood stage in 3 days. I couldn't find any takers, but the rod did cast well and felt good in the hand. Attachment 420328
In the future it will get a lightweight set of single foot spinning guides to replace the snake guides that are one it

That is one very cool set up. I like your choice of reel to pair with it. I hope it puts many in the basket for you.

Attachment 420550
Chalk one up for the bamboo rod. It wasn't my target species. It was a fish on a rod that is around 80 years old. It felt great in the hand. I think it deserves a set of spinning guides

Very nice setup!

Really good work Jack. I like the idea and you did a nice job with it. I wish I could tell you the name of the guides on the little rod I got just a little while back. They’d be jam up on that rig. Single foot high frame and very light. I’ll look into it some.

Looked into my mudhole catalog and found the SSR concept style guide sets for an ice rod that look awful close. Light and simple, hope this helps some.

Thanks Buddy. I will look into those. It will make a great project for the heat of summer when it is to hot to be on the water. I am also going to remake the bushing out of aluminum. The piece of oak was proof of concept. I will go back the a variegated thread on the wrappings. Maybe a blue/silver