First the Underground wrote about bamboo fly rods. Then I shattered the “bamboo barrier” with my groundbreaking “bamboo pants” post.
Then came bamboo towels.
Those others blogs were so envious (bamboo envy is an ugly thing).
How could I remain atop the bamboo related universe??

Yes, bamboo lovers, that’s a bamboo clothes hanger (supporting $7 eBay bamboo pants).
Sure, people […]

Lately I’ve been looking hard at all the bamboo fly rods in my rod closet, trying to mentally define why I fish them and how I apply value to them–values that often differ markedly from the marketplace.
Then that crafty bunch over at MidCurrent went and excerpted a chapter from Casting a Spell by George Black, […]

I’ve often said that Jim Reams was the best, least-known bamboo fly rod builder going, and that the quality of his rods far outreached his fame.
The Reams 8.5′ 5wt, 3-pc Hollowbuilt (Prototype). Pretty rod. So-so picture.
That might have been true as little as a year ago, but the Internet holds no […]

Bamboo fly rods seem to be much on the minds of fly fishers this winter.
My Winston rods/Sweet Grass rods post drew several comments, and then I woke up this morning to discover that Hawgdaddy at the TVA blog is now jonesing for a bamboo fly rod.

I’d love to warn him to turn his back on […]

From MidCurrent comes this little tidbit - yet another paper cut among the thousands suffered by the Winston Fly Rod Company since their bamboo rod builders left in a huff.
This one’s a TV show about the “Boo boys” - the four bamboo rod building luminaries who left (or were driven from) Winston, who are making […]

Saturday’s portion of the Bamboo Rod Gathering in Dunsmuir was conducted under sunny, perfect weather. Over 50 builders and fanatics made the trip, and if you ever wanted to cast a lot of bamboo rods, this was your chance.

Most unusual rod was the solid greenheart (wood) rod built by Larry Tusoni of High Sierra rods.
The […]

It’s a rare day when the Underground stoops to actually delivering useful news. Today is one of those days.
We seek only to remind you of the Great Western Bamboo Rod Builders Gathering coming to Dunsmuir October 27-29. The program includes a Friday night presentation by Casting for Recovery and Craig Ballenger about the Golden Trout […]

Are these the ultimate pants for bamboo fly rod fanatics?

My Alert Younger Brother Gerry - knowing of my love of bamboo fly rods - stumbled onto a pair of bamboo pants, and immediately knew that I would have to have them. He bought, he shipped, the package arrived, and I eagerly opened it to reveal… […]

I was driving home on I-5 after a great night on the river and watching the big electrical storm off to the north. Seen from a distance, it looked like a spectacular - and harmless - light show. Harmless, at least, until a bolt went off right over the truck followed immediately by the thunder. […]

“You should have been here last week” isn’t exactly an original phrase, and in fly fishing circles, it’s as much a bad joke as it is a cliché. Last week the Upper Rogue’s stoneflies were thick in the bushes, and while the fish were clearly just getting onto them, it was promising.
On Monday (yesterday as […]

There’s nothing attractive about stoneflies, but what makes them pretty to fly fishers is how trout react to them - they eat them the way local fly fishers eat slaw dogs.

Stoneflies aren’t pretty… until the trout start eating them with abandon…

On Sunday I floated the Upper Rogue with guide Dave Roberts (the Puppet Master) and […]

It’s Friday morning, and for some reason I’m already done for the week. There’s work to do and clients to call, but I’m ready to unplug the phone, turn off the e-mail, and curl up in the fetal position. Wake me when Friday’s over.
Some fishing would be a nice change, and with the Upper Sac […]