John,
Freakin' awesome rod. Really neat work...now all I have to do is find something to trade you for it!
Cheers,
Dr. Todd
Wood Rod Project
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john elder
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astounding job, as usual. I'm sure this one will catch fish!-
john elder
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Ron Mc
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Fished the rod today, John.
It was delightful.
It cast, it rollcast beatifully, mended line - did everything I needed.
Went to one of my favorite spots with my favorite fishing partner
of course that meant we didn't fish long - just until the waders filled
I was nymphing with an indicator in very tight overhang, and the rod length was just right for where I was fishing.
hooked up some really big bluegill but they managed to get under roots and spit the fly. This was the best I landed, but the rod did great.
It was delightful.
It cast, it rollcast beatifully, mended line - did everything I needed.
Went to one of my favorite spots with my favorite fishing partner
of course that meant we didn't fish long - just until the waders filled
I was nymphing with an indicator in very tight overhang, and the rod length was just right for where I was fishing.
hooked up some really big bluegill but they managed to get under roots and spit the fly. This was the best I landed, but the rod did great.
Last edited by Ron Mc on Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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john elder
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Jim Wiegner
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Fly Rod Project
Ron:
Neat blue gill, and I really like your partner!
And John:
Your persistence has it's reward. Glad you didn't give up after the first mishap. Another beautiful wood working project. In the words of one of my favorite people, Roger Penske. "Effort equals success".
Well done John...and Ron.
Jim
Ron:
Neat blue gill, and I really like your partner!
And John:
Your persistence has it's reward. Glad you didn't give up after the first mishap. Another beautiful wood working project. In the words of one of my favorite people, Roger Penske. "Effort equals success".
Well done John...and Ron.
Jim
further wood fly rod information
First of all, thank you for investing time into this thread, I appreciate just reading about your methods of making wood rods.
There is a gentleman of the name of John Betts who has just written a book (in longhand complete with drawings) on the construction of wooden fly rods.
I'm in the process of doing a small (handwritten) interview with Mr. Betts for our little site.
Anyway, you can find more information on wood rods at the following links...
John Betts: Denver Post Article - Frank Amato Publications Book Order - rodbuildingforum.com: thread on the topic
There is a gentleman of the name of John Betts who has just written a book (in longhand complete with drawings) on the construction of wooden fly rods.
I'm in the process of doing a small (handwritten) interview with Mr. Betts for our little site.
Anyway, you can find more information on wood rods at the following links...
John Betts: Denver Post Article - Frank Amato Publications Book Order - rodbuildingforum.com: thread on the topic
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john elder
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thanks, Adam...well, shoot! I just hate trodden snow! But it's good therapy, nonetheless. I look forward to hearing your interview.
(I edited out a comment about an earlier version...reading the Denver Post article indicates just one publishing).
(further edit)
(even more editing)
Oh, and it should be noted that this was an ongoing debate near the time split bamboo first came into widespread use, with the wood rodmakers, in particular William Mitchell...reported in an 1878 Forest and Stream that bet he could make a wood rod just as light and functional as bamboo...and then did it (On re-reading, wood yes, but he did not indicate using a split rod technique). However, I think supply and demand as well as other factors dictated that all those early makers switched to bamboo. Mary Kelly was kind enough to give me the dialogue from that discussion in an article from around 1870 (1878). I'll dig it out and post the comments tonight when I get home (see below).
(I edited out a comment about an earlier version...reading the Denver Post article indicates just one publishing).
(further edit)
(even more editing)
Oh, and it should be noted that this was an ongoing debate near the time split bamboo first came into widespread use, with the wood rodmakers, in particular William Mitchell...reported in an 1878 Forest and Stream that bet he could make a wood rod just as light and functional as bamboo...and then did it (On re-reading, wood yes, but he did not indicate using a split rod technique). However, I think supply and demand as well as other factors dictated that all those early makers switched to bamboo. Mary Kelly was kind enough to give me the dialogue from that discussion in an article from around 1870 (1878). I'll dig it out and post the comments tonight when I get home (see below).
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john elder
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Well, let me see if I can clean this up...mind like a sieve...the event I referred to above was reported in Forest and Stream in two separate writings, in 1878 and 1879. The rodmaker bent on showing the merits of wood was William Mitchell and his claim was that he could make a rod of ash and lancewood that would be every bit as light and utile as a similar rod made of bamboo. The copy is too poor to reproduce here, but to paraphrase from February 13, 1879:
"Mr. Mitchell, although an admirer and sometimes maker of split bamboo rods, is a firm advocate and champion of wooden rods, and he has been wiling to demonstrate his faith by making for us the most beautiful wooden rod we ever beheld. He took for his pattern our favorite Leonard split bamboo salmon rod which measure 16 1/2 ft in length; and although somewhat shaken at first by its delicate poise and pliancy, well-seasoned material , and the quality of its genral workmanship, persisted in his shaving, turning , fitting, and weighing until, after some weeks of patient labor and contrivance, he trimphantly entered our office with the pattern and the counterpart, and majestically called for the post office scales. When he drew the rod joints from their case we found an ash but, three joints of ash, greenheard, and lancewood respectively; and four tips, three of which were lancewood and one of greenheart. ...the test rod was one of ash. When compared with the bamboo it showed a like amount of stiffness and pliability, the same dimensions under the calipers, and the same length. On the scales it weighed just a half ounce more than the bamboo. ...He had solved the problem and demonstrated that a skilled workman could make a wooden rod equal in all respects to bamboo, with an additional advantage of cheapness, imperviousness to water, less sensitiveness to temperature, etc."
They go on to point out that the wooden rod could be made for appr. $40, whereas the bamboo would cost about $75. Now, I had read this article to mean that he had used wood in the same manner as bamboo, by gluing up split wood, but on re-reading, I see that there was no indication of this..just hard to imagine that he could have gotten the same strength and pliability in the wood at the dimension of a Leonard bamboo salmon rod. However, he did not give the dimensions other than length and it may have been a bigger diameter rod than I was imagining.
For those still awake, I had a nice long talk with John Betts today...really nice fellow who has been at this for a number of years and it sounds like he had developed some very useful set-ups for turning the wood rods with consistently and speed. I ordered his book thru Amato and look forward to a good read!
"Mr. Mitchell, although an admirer and sometimes maker of split bamboo rods, is a firm advocate and champion of wooden rods, and he has been wiling to demonstrate his faith by making for us the most beautiful wooden rod we ever beheld. He took for his pattern our favorite Leonard split bamboo salmon rod which measure 16 1/2 ft in length; and although somewhat shaken at first by its delicate poise and pliancy, well-seasoned material , and the quality of its genral workmanship, persisted in his shaving, turning , fitting, and weighing until, after some weeks of patient labor and contrivance, he trimphantly entered our office with the pattern and the counterpart, and majestically called for the post office scales. When he drew the rod joints from their case we found an ash but, three joints of ash, greenheard, and lancewood respectively; and four tips, three of which were lancewood and one of greenheart. ...the test rod was one of ash. When compared with the bamboo it showed a like amount of stiffness and pliability, the same dimensions under the calipers, and the same length. On the scales it weighed just a half ounce more than the bamboo. ...He had solved the problem and demonstrated that a skilled workman could make a wooden rod equal in all respects to bamboo, with an additional advantage of cheapness, imperviousness to water, less sensitiveness to temperature, etc."
They go on to point out that the wooden rod could be made for appr. $40, whereas the bamboo would cost about $75. Now, I had read this article to mean that he had used wood in the same manner as bamboo, by gluing up split wood, but on re-reading, I see that there was no indication of this..just hard to imagine that he could have gotten the same strength and pliability in the wood at the dimension of a Leonard bamboo salmon rod. However, he did not give the dimensions other than length and it may have been a bigger diameter rod than I was imagining.
For those still awake, I had a nice long talk with John Betts today...really nice fellow who has been at this for a number of years and it sounds like he had developed some very useful set-ups for turning the wood rods with consistently and speed. I ordered his book thru Amato and look forward to a good read!
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Jim Wiegner
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Wood rod stuff
Good morning John:
Wide awake after a good night's sleep, and this stuff is still way over my head. Sure interesting, though! You are definitely onto something here.
And hope that you find that book helpful. Frank Amato publishes some great books in Portland, and several grace my bookshelf. Fine authors, and some fabulous photography. Amato Publications is a first class outfit.
Jim
Good morning John:
Wide awake after a good night's sleep, and this stuff is still way over my head. Sure interesting, though! You are definitely onto something here.
And hope that you find that book helpful. Frank Amato publishes some great books in Portland, and several grace my bookshelf. Fine authors, and some fabulous photography. Amato Publications is a first class outfit.
Jim