I just completed my 4th rod build and wanted to try a little something different. I have been looking at Bamboo fly rods and would like to build one for trout. I have located several bamboo blank sellers but I am a little worried about the quality of the blanks. You can pay $85 to $500 and they all seem to have the same description. Does anyone have some advice or suggestions on a good quality blank.

Bruce,
At the risk of sounding remote or uncaring, LET THE BUYER BE WARE! In most cases, a blank that seems too good to be true, probably is! But that is not to say to not try the $85.00 blank. When one considers the amount of time required to produce a hexagon, split cane, bamboo blank, that $85.00 seems quite reasonable. Johnny Kuehn (RIP) of Angler’s Roost supplied affordable bamboo blanks to the rod building world for quite a few years. Due to the (low) price, I can only assume they were manufactured in China. As you, I was intrigued with building a cane rod and employed Johnny to supply such. While the quality was adequate, I am certain the $500.00 examples you referred to (let alone the $3000.00 offerings) are superior, possibly by quite by large margin. May I suggest, at your novice state, to start with an affordable cane blank, build it, fish it, critique it and then decide if you want to peruse cane rods further. I was so intrigued cane blanks that I considered purchasing or building all the fixtures and equipment to fabricate my own; all that is presently on the back burner but embers remain.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

If you, like 98% of today's anglers, have never casted a bamboo fly rod you should consider casting one, or better yet, fishing with one before you invest too much time, money, and effort into building one.

Hook and Hackle and Swift (Epic) have very decent looking blanks and kits and are highly reputable retailers.

Only from my own perspective..Now that I find myself a mere step away from 80, a good fly rod that lacks a 6 sided circumference just doesn't handle the same..
However, what ever you find comfort in and become accustomed to will bring you decades of pure enjoyment..

Ye Olde English Fly Shop

yeoldeenglishflyshop.com

I agree with Vic! Fly fishing with bamboo is great