I was recently given two old bamboo fly rods. I don't see any trademark, dates, or makers mark on either. One is missing a guide, the tip top is bad, and it needs cleaning up. The other needs a reel seat and a couple of guides. These are three piece rods and each has two tip sections. My question; should I clean them up, replace missing guides and fish them or leave them be? Is there any value to these things or any reason that I should not attempt to restore and fish them?

Old bamboo fly rods can be pretty valuable. A lot depends on the maker.

With no markings perfect tomato stakes is the likely answer but if they have sentimental attachment then rebuild them and fish with them.

Bamboo flyrods are cool they have a very slow action. At the very least you will get to experience something the majority of others never will. I have 4 or 5 and none of them are Orvis rods. Mb

There probably isn’t any real value if you don’t know the maker. I have a closet full of bamboo, some of them very nice. A 3 piece is generally a 9 foot rod and very heavy. They are wall hangers and may not be worth price or time to repair. Pictures would help, Glenn Brackett of Sweet Grass Rods in Butte, MT is the best authority on bamboo I know.

I will get some photos soon. I suspect they may be home built but I don't know.

There were tens of thousands of low cost split bamboo fishing rods, both fly and spinning, imported from Japan in the 1950s and 1960s. Most that I've seen were functional, but couldn't compared to anything from Orvis. That's not to say that your rods were made in Japan, but without any labels on them to indicate the manufacturer, weight, and length it seems likely that they are.

Rebuild them yourself and you will have a rod to fish with and can be proud of the worker that restored them as well.

I have an old late 40’s cheap Horrocks and Ibbotson Co. bamboo fly rod I fish with a 50’s Pflueger Medalist Fly Reel. The rod is refinished and new guides and reel seat installed. Fished with a DD 4 weight line, it actually fishes pretty good. 8” trout feel like they weigh 3#. It is a blast on small streams, not to classy but it is fun
If the rods are in good shape,why not take one and fix it up and fish it. Bet you would have a great time.

I still have my dad's and granddads Shakespear bamboo rods that I use one a year either on trout or blue gills. I love the slow action and the fact that they have been in my family since the 1930's. I was thinking of getting them restored, but the dirty cork with the missing slivers hear and there was done by my dad and grandad so they will be passed down.

What 336 says..

http://classicflyrodforum.com/forum/


This is a good site if you're into Bamboo..