My wife bought me a used 1961, Orvis Bamboo fly rod a couple years ago for my B-day. Sadly, it has only been out for lawn casts right after I got it. I brought it with me on a couple of eastern WA lake trips, but never pulled it out of the tube. I meant to take it with me to MT this past July when my brother and I were there, but did not. I'm hesitant to use it in inclement weather or in a guide boat and looking for the "right" opportunity...am I being overly cautious? When and where do you use your bamboo rods?
Because a rod blank is made from bamboo changes nothing in regards to when and were to use it. It is a fishing rod made to be fished in all the same weather that you fish your other rods. Before graphite and before fiberglass, did fisherman only fish in nice weather?
Your Orvis rod may have an impregnated finish. Do you know if it does or is it varnished? Either way it will not be unduly effected by rain. Just dry it off when you return from fishing and if possible lay it out on a flat surface out of harms way for a few days. Don't store it damp for long periods of time.
All rods are at greater risk in a boat. Graphite rods in general are less impact resistant then bamboo.
I sold all my plastic and all I fish now are the bamboo rods that I have made, no matter what the weather or how tough the hike may be up the creek or river. I treat them no different that the plastic rods other than to lay them on top of the rod sack after a days fishing overnight to "air out" and dry a bit like Tin suggested.
String that rod up and enjoy it for what it is (a great fishing stick). Take some time and learn what the rod likes for a line taper, weight and casting stroke. Bamboo rods are very similar to kids, they all have a different personality that sometimes takes time to learn to appreciate.
Pretty much every Orvis rod made since WWII is impregnated, not varnished. The process forces a liquid similar to bakelite into the bamboo fibers under high pressure. Once cured, the rod is then virtually impervious to water meaning that Orvis rods don't usually need to be dried or coddled after each use.
Since bamboo rods are made from long, thin strips of solid bamboo, they're much less prone to damage than today's tubular graphite rods. You can test this for yourself by sitting in a chair in your garage. Then lay your 1961 Orvis rod and a new Sage One on the floor directly in front of you. Now carefully place one foot at the midpoint on each rod and then stand up. Which one do you think will be more likely to support your weight?!
Seriously, the worst thing you can do to your Orvis is to not fish it. Unless it was a museum piece (which it probably isn't), it's likely got a ton of fishing mojo in it from previous owners. Just slow your casting stroke down and be prepared to be amazed.
If you'll post the model name, serial number, length and line weight written on the flats just above the grip and perhaps on the label on the tube as well, I'll be happy to consult a database that can tell when your rod was made and by who.
Pretty much every Orvis rod made since WWII is impregnated, not varnished. The process forces a liquid similar to bakelite into the bamboo fibers under high pressure. Once cured, the rod is then virtually impervious to water meaning that Orvis rods don't usually need to be dried or coddled after each use.
K
Whoa! Steady there pardner.
Most of if not the entire time that impregnated rods were offered by Orvis they continued to offer some models with a varnished finish.
Only the blank is impregnated. Whether the blank is impregnated or not the wraps lay on top of the blank and are protected by varnish which is resistant to but not impervious to water vapor. You should still dry your rod after fishing. Your rod will thank you for it.
All good comments and I'm in full agreement. There is a feeling from bamboo that cannot be matched by any other material. When the material is combined with a complimentary taper it can be magic. Bamboo really shines in some areas. IMHO there is nothing better for small stream light line work, and they can really shine in spring creeks where you need to protect fine tippet and still be able to turn a fast moving trout. Your Orvis rod is a good stick. I'd fish the rod it's much stronger and more resilient than you think.
I used to be a bit of a bamboo skeptic, but after fishing with Tim, Mike, and Kent over the past several years, and seeing them fling flies in all conditions using bamboo, I'm a convert. I now am a proud owner of a Mike Monsos rod and wouldn't think of leaving home without it.
I don't know if it means that one day I will have a closet full of 'em, like those guys do, and I still encounter situations where I like to fish graphite or glass, but I think it has expanded my appreciation for many facets of fly fishing by owning and fishing a bamboo rod.
I don't know if it means that one day I will have a closet full of 'em, like those guys do, . . . but I think it has expanded my appreciation for many facets of fly fishing by owning and fishing a bamboo rod.
It's easy for the uninitiated to dismiss bamboo rods out of hand as an elitist fetish; antique tools preferred by snooty collector-types in tweeds, smoking pipes, and fishing wet flies with bookmatched feather wings.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Most folks take up fishing cane because bamboo rods provide much more 'feel' and response, especially when fishing for trout. A 12" fish on a cane rod feels like a 15" one on graphite.
But the primary benefit I got from fishing bamboo isn't one that most folks set out to attain: Since cane rods in general have a much slower action than their graphite contemporaries, learning how to cast them effectively has improved my casting overall, regardless of what kind of rod happens to be in my hand.
I agree with Kent and others. I started with fiberglass, went to graphite. But even with graphite, I like the IM6, cause it is slower and that works for my casting stroke. Right now all my rods are fiberglass and bamboo.
Thanks for all the replies. My Orvis rod is indeed the "impregnated" series and it sounds like I need not worry about its ability to stand up to the normal rigors of our craft. Specifically, it is a Battenkill, 8', 2 pc, HCH line test, s/n 29896. It came with two tips, original rod sock and case.
I suppose because it was a gift from my wife for my 50th and that it is old, I am just being a bit more careful than usual (I'm fussy about keeping all my equipment is great shape). It also sounds like many of you completely transitioned to "natural fiber rods"...that says a lot. I'm not sure I'll ever make that switch...but certainly need to start fishing the Orvis to know for sure. I had purchased a like new (old) Medalist 1495 years ago at a garage sale and it looks and feels like a natural fit. I'm thinking the St. Joe this fall would be a great place to start.
Which, in the case with your rod being that it is an Orvis, it will most likely behave best with a 6wt. line (or "HDH" to keep it old school speak).
But as has been said above, try different lines on it to see what feels best for you.
In answer to your original question "where and when...". As others here have said as well, I use bamboo rods almost 100% of the time. Freshwater, salt (your Orvis impregnated is a great beach rod!), trout, searun cutthroats and salmon, bass and bluegills. I use them for everything except tropical trips like Kenneth had said (but I really want to get my next bonefish on bamboo!).
Here's one of many Puget Sound beach searuns I've caught on an Orvis rod similar to yours, although in a 3/2 config'. The rod shows no sign of ever being used in the salt although I've used it there a lot;
Fish your bamboo rod. It's what it was made to do.
Oh, and if you go to the link that Kent provided Greg (the guy that runs that site) can provide you with detailed info' on everything about your rods origins and register it there for you as well.
Thanks for sharing Greg. The conversion from the old letter line weight codes to modern numerical codes can often be confusing. I currently have a half dozen vintage Orvis impregnated rods in my closet. Unlike my plastic rods, I've found that they all cast best, at least to me, when lined as suggested.
Battenkills were made in a variety of different lengths, number of sections and ferrule widths. As a result they were marked for lines anywhere from a 5wt to an 8wt. While personal preference trumps anything else in how one feels about a particular rod's action, I'd strongly suggest trying several different lines and weights before settling on a particular weight.
Cool...looks like I guessed right. I do have a V3 with a WF7, so I'll see how it casts with that line. Now another question for you natural fiber aficionados -- do you use the same modern reels that you use (used) with your graphite rods or old school, classic reels?
Why do I get the sudden feeling that my wallet is about to get lighter?
Old school classic.
I paired my '60's Battenkill with a Hardy Perfect of the same vintage for this outing;
It's fun to fish these too, though. A Dingley Perfect clone;
And a Young 15A;
There are more, but as you can see this can be a very slippery slope. But it's oh so satisfying to go back in time and fish with these handcrafted tools!
I think I read somewhere that Orvis line recommendations are based on weight-forward lines, whereas most folks involved with bamboo rods use double taper lines as the standard. So, a rod that Orvis designates as a "6-weight" might be more like a "5-weight" taper by other rod makers. I've never had an Orvis rod or made one using an Orvis taper, so others may want to verify whether this is really the case.
The conversion tables from the old letter-based line sizes usually work well, but remember that the letters represented line diameter, whereas the modern line designations are based on weight. So, you really need to try rods with different lines.
So where do the Orvis Impregnated series fall in the long list of bamboo rods; low, mid or high end? I'm actually amazed they were able to get away with using the words rod and impregnated together back in the 50's and 60's... pretty risque for that time.
I'd say Orvis bamboo falls in the "mid" range as far as prices go.
They'd be worth a lot more if they hadn't produced so many of them over the years (supply/demand). The quality is generally very good, and they made some great tapers, although I'm certainly not an expert on Orvis rods. Others here know more about them than I do.
You can easily find nice Orvis bamboo rods on either side of $450 if you look around.
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