Custom bamboo fly rods

TRAVERSE CITY - Quality. It's hard to define but you know it when you see it.
That was what happened when I first saw one of Bob Summers bamboo fly rods.

Priceless quality was present in the rod's fine craftsmanship, the hand-tooled cork grip, the pleasing lines of cane fibers along its length, and the whispering smoothness as a fly line shooting forward on the cast.

The difference between a store-bought graphite fly rod and one made of bamboo is as obvious as a punch in the eye. A cane rod feels alive in your hand, waiting only to be put into action.

A master bamboo rod craftsman.

But the difference doesn't end there, said custom rod builder Bob Summers of Traverse City. The quality workmanship of bamboo fly rods far surpasses machine-produced rods of fiberglass or graphite.

"I've made custom-built bamboo fly rods since 1956," Summers said, flexing one of his hand-crafted rods. "I've watched anglers fish with bamboo, fiberglass, graphite and boron composite rods, but in the end, discriminating anglers always come back to a fine cane rod. Bamboo is a traditional rod-building material, and has been for many years."

Summers, who began working for the Paul H. Young Rod Company in Detroit, and then moved near Traverse City, eventually set up his own shop along the Boardman River in 1974 and hasn't looked back. His goal is to produce, by hand, the finest bamboo fly rods in the world.

That he has done so is readily apparent by longstanding orders from satisfied customers. He doesn't need many new clients; he does need more time to fill his present orders and to fish more often for bass, carp or trout.

Say what? Bass? Carp?

Summers would be the first one to stand up and say that bamboo fly rods are not just for Atlantic salmon or trout. He has caught striped bass on his rods, and one of his favorite sports these days is wading the shallows of Grand Traverse Bay for spring carp, a hard fish to land. He deliberately fishes for other species just to prove that cane rods are tough enough to meet the challenge.

"The best bamboo is Tonkin cane, which comes from southern China," he said. "It has more power fibers than any other cane, and it is these fibers that create the semi-parabolic action that has become a trademark of my fly rods."

A semi-parabolic action means the finished rod flexes clear down into the handle rather than just in the tip section. This type of action is found in every powerful rod ever made.

Beautiful to look at and to use, and a wise investment at this time.

"I never knock other peoples rods because beauty often is in the eyes of the beholder," he said. "A graphite rod, to me, is cold looking but a cane rod is a thing of beauty. The cane is rich in color, and casting is easy."

Much is made in fly-casting circles of a rod's ability to throw a tight loop. Summers feels a tight loop is more the result of a qualified caster than rod function, and he can throw as tight a loop with a bamboo rod as anyone else with a glass or graphite model.

"Bamboo rods simply cast better," he said, giving a casting demonstration. "The line speed is slower, and the fly line disturbs the water less when it and the leader lands. It spooks fewer fish.
"
He believes a willing angler can learn how to fly cast better with bamboo than with any other rod material. Much of this is because of the flexing action coming from six strips of cane glued together to form the rod.

"Quality, to many older anglers, is more important than price," Summers said. "There are 40 to 50 hours of handwork that goes into every rod I build. I completely manufacture everything myself, from cutting the cane strips to making my own ferrules, reel seats, rod cases and caps."

The only thing he doesn't make are the rod guides. He can, and does, make customized cork handles for rods if desired, and can form them to the buyers hand. Such tiny attention to details is what separates a hand-built rod from a mass-produced one.

"This is a labor intensive business and I don't compete with a company that mass-produces fiberglass or graphite rods," he said. "I buy the best Tonkin cane available and age it for several years before using it
"I also buy the finest cork for handles, and a two-pound bag will cost several hundred dollars. There is no skimping on quality, and that's why many of my customers own several rods of different sizes so they can fish in a variety of situations."

Take care of a bamboo fly rod and it could last a lifetime.
A quality bamboo fly rod is an investment in time and money. The rod needs tender loving care to prevent it from taking a "set." A set is an unnatural bend or curve in the cane that results from standing it in a corner with weight on the tip or by continuously pulling fly line down from the tip.

"Normal usage and care can help anglers protect their rod," he said. "Wipe the rod down with a damp cloth after use, and let it dry before putting it into a cloth bag and then in an aluminum rod tube. A minimum amount of care will give the owner a lifetime of service."
Not everyone can or will own a Bob Summers fly rod, and this is as it should be. A quality bamboo rod is a thing of beauty, and in the right hands, it can deliver a fly to the water with exquisite grace while providing the owner with a sense of well being.
One could ask of little more from any fly-fishing rod.

Bamboo Fly Rod Sidebar.

What: The custom production of bamboo fly rods.

Where: Bob Summers, The R.W. Summers Company, 90 River Road East, Traverse City, MI 49684. Phone (231) 946-7923.

Rods: Summers offers 11 different Tonkin cane rod models. They include four Midge models: a 5'6", 6'2", 6'4' for No. 4 lines and a 6'6" for a No. 3 or 4 line. They come with two tips, bag, tube, 2-ring reel seat and black aluminum for $1,875.

Models No. 75 and 735: a 7'0",  No. 75 for a No. 5 line and a 7'3" No. 735 for a No. 4 or 5 line. They come with two tips, bag, tube, 2-ring reel seat and black aluminum for $1,875.

Model No. 260: A 7'6" rod for a No. 4 line. It comes with 2 tips, bag, tube, 2-ring reel seat and black aluminum for $1,875. An aluminum and wood screw-lock reel seat is an additional $60.

Model No. 275: This is a 7'6" rod for a No. 4 line. It comes with two tips, bag, tube, 2-ring reel seat and black aluminum for $1,875. An additional $60 is needed for an aluminum and wood screw-lock reel seat.

Model No. 856: This is an 8-foot rod for a No. 5 or 6 line. It too comes with two tips, bag, tube, hood cap and ring reel seat for $1,900. Add $60 for an aluminum and wood screwlock reel seat.

Model No. 827: This is a 8'2" rod for a No. 7 line. It features two tips, bag, tube, hood cap & ring reel seat for $1,900. Add $60 for an aluminum and wood screw-lock reel seat.

Model No. 8689: An 8'6" rod for a No. 8 or 9 line. It comes with two tips, bag, tube, aluminum and wood screw-lock reel seat for $2,000.
Prices may change without notice.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors