How To Make Bamboo Fly Fishing Rods

Learning how to make a bamboo fly fishing rod is the ultimate way to get satisfaction out of the sport. In itself, fly fishing may just be the ultimate type of fishing. It is for purists, who truly enjoy the meditative aspects of the event. Of course, building a fly fishing rod is not easy. It takes a lot of patience and time; but, the end results are well worth the added effort.

To learn how to make a bamboo fly fishing rod you will need:

• Bamboo
• Knife
• Twine
• Oven
• Hammer, Mallet
• Glue, Epoxy

1. Split the bamboo. When you make a bamboo fly fishing rod, you will begin by splitting the bamboo into long strips. The bamboo rod, which should be around two inches in diameter, will initially split into 6 to 8 pieces. You can do this with a thick knife, a special knife called a froe works bets, and a mallet. The strips should be around a half inch thick.
2. Split the strips again. You will need to split each of the strips in half again. This process will require smaller tools. You can do this by placing the sharpened end of a flat head screw driver into the center of the bamboo strip. Then, strike it with the mallet. The strip will crack and spit in half. At this point in the process of making a bamboo fly fishing rod, you should have around ten to twelve strips.
3. Plane the strips. Because you are splitting each bamboo rod, they will naturally have imperfections. Use a hand planer to eliminate and bumps, cracks, and protrusions. You can also use sand paper and files. Of course, you do not want to remove the original bamboo surface from the outside of the rod.
4. Form a triangle. In the end, when you are making your bamboo fly fishing rod, each strip will need to be planed into identical equilateral sixty degree triangles. You can use a planning board, with a sixty degree angle, to help shape the bamboo strips.  Each strip should be straight a smooth.
5. Tie the strips together. Before you can finally assemble your bamboo fly fishing rod, you need to dry the strips out so they form a straight pole. Tie the pieces together with twine, making sure that the outside faces out. Place the bamboo rod into an oven for several hours. This will straighten the rod out and help all the pieces form to one another.
6. Glue the pieces together. After the bamboo fly fishing rod dries, remove it from the oven. Then using epoxy glue, glue the pieces together, and retie the string. Reheat the bamboo rod, until all pieces bind together.
7. Sand to a smooth finish. Sand your fly fishing rod down to a smooth clear finish. Attach all necessary hardware, and enjoy.