The Price of a Cane Rod

One of the most common questions for people new to bamboo is “why are cane rods so expensive?” The answer is actually very simple. Anytime something is built from scratch whether it is a custom firearm, knife, or a bow it starts from nothing but raw materials and evolves into a very usable artifact of some kind. It is not made overseas, it is made in the USA, it is completely made by one persons hands, and the process has not been robotically mechanized. This typically means that many hours are spent preparing the materials, compiling the materials, and finally finishing the end product. Sounds so elemental but there are more steps in building a bamboo fly rod than constructing an automobile on a factory floor and it takes much much longer. Again there are only one set of hands touching these to be artifacts from start to finish. That being said the following should be considered:
The cost of electricity, mineral spirits, varnish, cane, stabilized wood, insurance, mixing cups, stirring sticks, coffee, bamboo, guides, planing irons, sharpening stones, vacuum bags, Advil, prescription glasses, three different kinds of epoxies, silk, nickel rod stock, maintenance of power tools, cleaning supplies, light bulbs, finger cotlets, sports tape, phone lines, long distance order phone calls, shipping costs, bubble pack, high quality rod cases, custom rod sacks, blades of all shapes and sizes, tape, string binder threads, q-tips, measuring cups, maintenance supplies for lathes, maintenance supplies for mills, pvc tubes, silica, rags, respirator masks, boring bars, drill bits, router bits, sand paper of many grits, the minutiae list goes on and on and I have not mentioned the “T” word.... time. This would all be thrown in a different light if again the process was mechanized but for me it is not.

I have always said “if time was something I could purchase I would buy chunks of it and go fishing” Time is the most costly part of making any fine cane fly rod.
~Clint Bova

Slow Water Caddis Emerger

The Caddis emerger is a very important part of the trouts diet. During this life stage the Caddis is especially vulnerable to the elements and is easy prey thus making it very attractive to these very energy conscious fish. The insect is just about ready to break free of its nymphal shuck and the count down for its launch sequence begins with a few wiggles. I have always been looking for a great surface fly that mimics these little beauties. For a few years now I have gotten a lot of use of this little emerger pattern that tends to out fish most of my other emerger patterns even when there is no discernible hatch. This is a great pattern for super finicky Brown trout. I have fooled many fish with this pattern and with the right combination of materials it is a pattern that stays floating even in fast water for a long time. With the use of TMC's Aero Wing material (extended shuck) the fly is a great floater. The fibers are not only fine but hollow keeping the fly float

CB's Japanese Beetles

above photo: Provided by Debbi T. Walker an Ohio Photographer. Debbi is a talented outdoor photographer who loves to take pictures of insects, animals, and landscapes and often shoots photography around the Mad River and Cedar Bog. In the heat of the summer many fish hunker down during the day and will pass up the occasional Caddis, midge, or ant floating overhead. Often fish conserve energy for a larger more nourishing food item. During the summer months fish want to conserve energy and exert themselves only for the most significant meal. This is called the “Pounds Per Meat Law” again the least amount of energy is expelled for the most nourishment possible. This should be the mid-summer mantra for both fishers and fish! Large ants are another food item that fish will come off of the bottom for during the midday sun and heat. Japanese Beetles are one of those items on the surface menu that will spark a fishes interest when nothing else seems to work. Rise

Spidey Senses~The Irresistible Arachnid

Fishing spider patterns is a favorite activity of mine in the late spring, summer and fall. Many of the spring creeks that I frequent have adjacent fields of corn, soy, feed grass, as well as tall overhead trees and brambles. Spiders are prolific here and as much as I hate them I do love fishing with them. I have tried many patterns over the years most of which were not my own. Most of them were either too clunky, too overdressed, or just downright stupid looking. If I were to cast a wad of sheet foam and rubber bands to a big Brown on most of my usual digs I would be typecasted by most of the coherent fish instantly. After years of hit and miss I settled on my own pattern that just seemed to meet my criteria as well as the Trouts. When your standing in a “hot river” in the middle of the day and you spot a massive brown that just will not budge for the most ingenious morsel you have in your box whip out a spider. Spiders are protein intensive, they are like baklava on a silver

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