Hello guys , I have this real Callutta stick that I bought to make a couple of California style gaffs but got to playing around the other day in the shop and thought it might be fun to make a heavy rod. it has a correction 1 and 1/16 " butt and 36 tipp 8' length ( I know crazy man) but what the heck. I am open for your help/ideas here, do I sand down the knuckles or branch joints on it , does a man put some kind of finish on it to protect it. also it has a bend in it like in the old old days when Zane Grey and Hemingway fished so what did those legends use for those funny bent looking rods. if I take on this project I'm thinking about a Varmac real seat , Pac Bay carbide guides with 38 Aftco roller, not sure about the butt material yet , a wood sleeve would be kinda cool but I dont have a wood lathe. and just to keep this whole thing nastalgic I will use a old mint Penn 80W with Cal Sheets solid machined base single speed ( Idont have a Senator right now) with 80 lb dacron. I am going to temporarly mount the reel slap some guides on it strap it in my test/stress jig and see how it handles say 40 -50 lbs so as to know if I have the correct blank. what do you guys think , Thanks Jerry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2012 11:34AM by Jerry D Powers.

I gather you have a bamboo tube which has it's natural taper.

A good bamboo fishing rod blank is constructed of carefully prepared strips of bamboo .. usually in a hexagon configuration.
You need to splice it into strips...sand down the nodes... heat treat the strips...
shape them into wedges with the precise taper to produce the action you desire and glue them up.

Do an internet search on "How to build a bamboo fishing rod".

Here's one resource which should answer your questions.

[hipwader.com]

I doubt a simple bamboo tube is going work well as a fishing rod.

Excellent bamboo is required to produce quality rods. The key is it's straight tight grain.

Bamboo is a grass and it's cells grow long and straight. The smaller and tighter they are the better the material.

It's similar to Graphite fabric. The better graphite fabrics have tinier rods fitting closer together.

This yields the highest strength to weight ratio.

This is why Tonkin Bay bamboo is used almost exclusively.

Here's a link to the work of a builder making reproductions of original Tuna Club specification rods.
Note they are 6'6" in length.
An 8' rod gives too much leverage to the fish.
The rods are split cane... not round.

Here's a link to the work of a builder making reproductions of original Tuna Club specification rods.
Note they are 6'6" in length.
An 8' rod gives too much leverage to the fish.
The rods are split cane... not round.

That is a fascinating article.

If I remember right there is an extensive bamboo fly rod building tutorial at @#$%& that may help with the construction technique.

Jerry, a bamboo fly rod and a bamboo surf rod are miles apart in design, capabilities etc.
Cutting the bamboo into strips and gluing it up changes it considerably.
Indian cane rods (calcutta cane) were very common on the beaches of Southern Africa and tens of thousands of them were used every day to catch everything from Blue Fish to sharks for both sports and subsistence fishermen. They were mostly fished with centerpins but a few baitcaster reels were also employed.
Honestly if you could afford a baitcaster you went for something else as a rod. Kind of like an ABU revo on a crappie dipping pole: you could do it but few would.
Because they don't load as well as graifite or glass and because of big surf/rocks we mainly used 12 to 15 ft lengths.It will give you a workout.

We usually harvested it ourselves and then dried them over several months using everything from the grooves in corrugated iron to weights on the butt while suspending from the rafters of barns.
Important thing was to dry them as straight as possible. Minor straightening tweeks can be done at the joint with a flame, even a candle will suffice for this, its minor tweeks only.
Do NOT sand down or grind off the joints it can weaken it badly.
The harware you suggest is possibly way over what that bamboo will need.
Checking its flex/curve and with weights on the end, i would suspect its more like something you would use 15 or 20# test line on and regular guides would suffice.
Have fun and remember they take a set when stored and bamboo splinters are no joke.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2012 08:29AM by Lou Auret.

I have a pair of "Sussex County Surfcasters" and the story goes.......... After WW 2 returning G I 's bought back with them live bam boo from Japan , they planted it and the "grass" grew like crazy ! Here in the Diamond state most G I 's were either farmers or watermen , and they saw the use of bamboo for fishing . Using natural bamboo stalks they fassioned "The original Sussex county Surfcaster" . Using hose clamps to attach the reel , fishing line to attach the guides , which were available from most hardware stores . (note : tire tape was also used for the same purpose) . I have a pair that I show , and people are genuinely suprised when I show them how well they cast . These rods were seen on the beaches all the way into the 1960's (only 20 yrs after the war) They were a matter of economy , as only the rich city boys could afford the MONTAGUE's etc. of the times . Historicaly I have these in my collection and concider them priceless ! Larry

I have a pair of "Sussex County Surfcasters" and the story goes.......... After WW 2 returning G I 's bought back with them live bam boo from Japan , they planted it and the "grass" grew like crazy ! Here in the Diamond state most G I 's were either farmers or watermen , and they saw the use of bamboo for fishing . Using natural bamboo stalks they fassioned "The original Sussex county Surfcaster" . Using hose clamps to attach the reel , fishing line to attach the guides , which were available from most hardware stores . (note : tire tape was also used for the same purpose) . I have a pair that I show , and people are genuinely suprised when I show them how well they cast . These rods were seen on the beaches all the way into the 1960's (only 20 yrs after the war) They were a matter of economy , as only the rich city boys could afford the MONTAGUE's etc. of the times . Historicaly I have these in my collection and concider them priceless ! Larry

Sorry for the double post , its raining and my computer is acting up ! Larry

Thanks Dave when I get on my lapp topp @ home I will look it up. Yes I am a believer in short sticks but with a 36 tip ooh I kinda wana try a 8. Again I am just now looking into this so with some history and ideas from everyone I may switch to another tube cause part of my original idea is not doing the splitt cane thing but using a high quality Bamboo blank. Again I can't wait to see the guy do the Tuna club thing.

Thanks Lou , ya I already cut myself Sunday splitting some for the Wifes tomato plants . Thanks I won't sand the joints. So you were growing your own here in the states ? So you don't think a bamboo stick can handle a 80lb set-up ? , This tube I have has about 1/4" wall and the tipp is almost closed. I'm trying to start a trend @ SFSF club annual BH challenge ( 80lb nastalgic class ) believe me I have some nice seeker rods but its something different.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2012 05:16PM by Jerry D Powers.

Fasinating Larry thank you.

Jerry, no I did not grow it here in the states: I am a South African ( aka the deep deep south as i tell folks who ask about my accent here in Memphis TN).
That Indian Cane grew wildly all over Zululand and Mozambique.

I still have a wooden centerpin reel i used on a cane rod: hand made from Sapele and brass and running on a bearing from some part of a DC3 plane.
Get that spinning and (due to the mass of the spool) it will keep spinning longer than the spool of an Abu Revo.
I have won a few rounds of beer with it proving it:)
We used to do what was called a side cast, flicking the reel with your index finger to start the spin:get it wrong and you could cut yourself with line, bang up knuckles,concuss folks on the beach.
Get it right and you get get out about 70 maybe 80 yds if the wind is right .
A raggie( bull shark) on a wooden centerpin reel with only a piece of leather on your palm as a brake will put a hurt on you very fast. I would suggest using a baitcaster setup.