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What is the relationship between cane and caddis in Connecticut? Connecticut was home to two of the greatest minds in cane rod building and caddis fly pattern development, E.W. Edwards and Gary LaFontaine, respectively. On a recent outing, I channeled a connection with Edwards and LaFontaine. I fished one of my cane rods that was built with multiple techniques developed by Edwards. At the end of my rod was LaFontaine’s Deep Sparkle Pupa caddis pattern. The Edwards-LaFontaine connection worked, and I was rewarded. For reasons not fully understood by me, I can go on and on applauding the virtues of bamboo fly rods. Ask me about bamboo rod building history, techniques and tapers, and that conversation can go on indefinitely. I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to Project Healing Waters about CT bamboo rod making history and constructing rods from raw stock. Unfortunately, connectivity issues prevented me from projecting my presentation on a screen. So, I had to improvise, something bamboo rod builders do often. The good folks at Fox 61 CT profiled my bamboo fly rod building. Thanks Jim and Sean! Click HERE for the article. The video is below. On November 20, I had the honor and opportunity to speak to the Connecticut Fly Fisherman’s Association. I’m a proud member. It’s a fabulous organization, and this is the direct result of both its wonderful leadership and membership. My talk was titled: Bamboo Fly Rods: Connecticut History & Current Construction. The talk was divided into two parts. First, I covered local history. Among other things, I discussed the Hiram Leonard descendants who eventually set up shop in Connecticut and tracked the lineage through to modern day builders. Second, I discussed the way in which I build bamboo fly rods completely from raw stock. I believe it was well received. Here are some photos… Some folks describe bamboo fly rods as “noodles,” “heavy,” etc.. The idea of using a bamboo fly rod is then filed in the back of their minds behind a shut door. This is a very poor understanding of bamboo and the myriad of associated tapers.
In my opinion, there is nothing better than bamboo. It can be used in almost any fishing situation, and makers have complete control over the entire taper. While many vintage tapers have a reputation of being “noodles” or “heavy,” our current building options allow for all sorts of adjustments that were not always used. Over time, techniques of heat treating (E.W. Edwards), hollowing (Powell) and creating a swell in the butt section have dramatically impacted rod action. Indeed, while some early vintage tapers may leave some feeling like their rods are overcooked spaghetti, a maker can breathe new life into these tapers by experimenting with heat, hollowing and swells, thereby making al dente spaghetti. E.W. Edwards is my favorite rod builder for a host of reasons. My shop is less than one hour from where he last lived and where he build his “Perfection” rods, which are considered to be his best works. For inspiration, I have one of his rods, a De Luxe, along with a Leonard and Hawes, on display in my shop, near the location where I hand plane. One of the many fascinating aspects of bamboo rod building is the goal of achieving a fluid transition from bamboo to nickel silver. With nickel silver having a density approximately 14 times more than bamboo, the introduction of a chunk of metal in the middle of finely tapered bamboo strips is impactful.
During the bamboo rod making process, the chemical and physical properties of bamboo changes each time heat is introduced. The density of bamboo declines significantly when culms are flamed, when nodes are heated and pressed, when strips are heated and straightened, and when strips are oven baked. And with the advent hollowing bamboo, the use of new adhesives, and the introduction of micro ferrules, it is imperative that one engages in empirical field testing. While understanding the material science is important, there is no replacement to experimenting with prototype rods. While many classic tapers where designed before heat and hollowing were used, experimenting with heat and hollowing can make them almost unrecognizable, sometimes for the better. “…[H]istory-making is more gratifying than being swept along by it passively.” Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. The Evolving Self, p. 12. There is a lot to learn from many of the master rod builders. As independent thinkers, many challenged the direction in which society was moving, opting for craftsmanship over mass production, organic materials over plastic. And within such a small bamboo rod making community, independent thinking flourished and innovation was realized - Edwards with heat, Powell with hollowing, etc.. They did not passively move through life; they made history. Today, those who choose to build and fish bamboo are making a history of their own, in the face of mass produced graphite and fiberglass. They value a quality of experience that cannot be replicated with synthetic products. And this quality of experience brings them closer to nature. Within this independent minded community, current makers have the ability to contribute to the evolution of bamboo rod making in meaningful ways. One such way is through the use of hollow building short, light weight rods. As a perpetual student, I’m experimenting with hollowing short, light weight rods in an effort to expand my education. While concepts of power-to-weight ratio, dampening and modulus are inextricably linked to rod performance, those who fully understand these complexities in relationship to rod taper and hollowing is arguably limited. At the end of the day, there must be a balance between a desired rod feel and required performance. This becomes a delicate marriage of art and function. Here are a few photos and videos of a recently built small stream blank with a hollowed butt section.
 E.W. Edwards was a famous and innovative bamboo rod maker who resided in Connecticut during his adult life until his death. It was in Connecticut that Edwards became famous and influenced other historic figures in bamboo rod building, such as C. W. "Sam" Carlson, and Harold "Pinky" Gillum. Many details of Edwards’ unique history and innovation would likely have been forgotten had it not been for Patrick C. Garner’s wonderful book, Playing With Fire The Life and Fly Rods of EW Edwards. On a recent trip to New Haven, I stopped by a number of spots in Hamden, steeped in the Edwards' Family rod making history–three different shop locations and a very special house. It is doubtful many locals are even aware of this history, but it was foundational and set the stage for the trajectory of future rod building, everywhere. Here are a series of photos of Edwards' home on Filbert St.. This rear one-car garage may have been the location where Edwards' perfection was realized. As noted in George Black's fabulous book, Casting A Spell, "At every stage he’d bucked the machine, balking at compromises, corporate pressures, and identity theft, turning his back on economic security for the independent pursuit of perfection. I think ultimately it was this, beyond the sheer beauty of his work, that made Eustis such a compelling figure to me." Black, p. 93. With Edwards' uncompromising standard of perfection, he left Winchester and would go on at the age of 67 to make 50 rods at this Filbert St. home that were thought to be his best, which he called the Perfection. Black, p. 93.
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