Innovation – Hollowing

“…[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.