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Jan 23rd, 2018

There is without any doubt, an incredible feeling of satisfaction when rods built from bamboo begin to take on a life, born from the post harvest years. Culms are simply inactive, awaiting energy and direction, to materialize into a form from the maker, the artist, the director, the thinker, the believer. What dynamics of thinking take place in a small shop are really no different than the traveler who embarks on a journey into known and sometimes unknown lands to explore, meet and ultimately connect with a part or all of their dream. In truth, I think I am constantly meeting myself, at least the way I use to think, somehow through a law I do not fully understand, I return to face my old thoughts, feelings and desires. What to learn? Maybe, simply, how to think, and what!

Anyway, progress is absolute. I do not care how long I may be in a stalled position. I will move forward. As is the case with these rods, where sometimes I get crazy with burning the midnight lamp, awaken with ideas where I choose to write on some paper, then back to slumber. But rest I do.

The photos show some progress in the fabrication of ferrules for the 2 pc. 7 foot 4 inch rod. This is a Payne 98 modification and seems to work nicely. There is also a 3 pc. rod, 7 foot 3 inches, again a Payne modification of same dimensional value as the 2 pc. But you know as well as I that the action will differ. I am always keen to see how this turns out.

My ferrules are fabricated from solid stock, 18% German silver, and I have moved away from Swiss style design and staying with a Leonard style ferrule with a 25-30% truncated design.

Feb.10th, 2018

Moving along with the wrapping of ferrules and guides on the earlier pentagonal series. There are now three completed with the idea of building extra tips for each. This would entail constructing two sections for the tip. Lots of work, but in the long run it may prove a worthy endeavor. Some photos of the most recent work to follow.

The two reel seats with unfinished cork are two 7 foot rods with a deeper and darker cane. A product of gases from ammonium carbonate and then the heat treating. I am more inclined to shape the color rather than leave the rod the blonde shade, which I am assuming is the more popular finish? I know it takes some work, mostly time, to deepen the hue on cane but it is worth the effort and wait. At least for me.

Well, this is another update from this small place I refer to as the humble shoop, sometimes the Ashram. But then again, is not our body our ashram? All the best and thanks for your interest.

This humble rod shoop.

The photo is from Ushuaia, Argentina where upon the hilled town we came across this fly shoop. Classic I thought. The following photo is one  of many fishing excursions in the Argentinian and Chilean waters.

 

Anyway, just a small diversion from this posts intention.

Lately I have been working on several rods. There are 10 in  total but three will be ongoing as they will complete the batch of 7 pentagonal 5 piece rods. Currently I am gluing up the 7 foot rods. One is a three piece and the other two are 2 piece rods, all with extra tips. One of these is a pentagonal construction which I am excited about.

There are four 8 foot rods, two sections that are currently pre-heat stage but will shave some cane off prior to the first heating.

This is an adventure. One I vowed never to undertake again from my experience in 2015. Seemed like an overload. However, now I am taking this in stride as the stages of construction allow a break between processes. And results are beginning to appear.

This series of photos show a bit of what is taking place.

Although the rods are currently taking up much of the focus and there is a commission in the mix, I am continuing with the fabrication of reel seats. The was a recent purchase from a gentleman in Norway that absorbed all of my wooden inserts and another from Poland that was looking  for wooden inserts for a spey rod reel seat. It really is a nice flow to go between the rods and reel seats. This keeps my interest alive with a nice passion. I will continue with this post, blog, whatever, as the weeks pass and work progresses. But in all truth, the man I think of as I am fiddling with bamboo and nickel silver is Edwin Hartzell, who in a very patient manner taught me many of these skills. So, in honour of Edwin and his lovely wife Kim, thank you both for your friendship and tutorage.

Until next time, Walter

 

May 31st 2016

The last few weeks the only haven my lovely wife could locate me was in the shop. And that, as it happens, are three different areas in the home. I’m sure it was a longer period of time, but 50 – 60 hours of focus was spent on this recent 8′ fly rod construction. I shipped the rod this morning only because I was pleased with the final casting action and appearance.

October of 2015, my wife Rosie and I spent some time in Budapest, Hungary. For a lunch one day we spotted a French restaurant called Chez Daniel’s. We ordered the cauliflower soup. After 1/2 hour the chef Daniel approached our table and apologized, continuing that he would not serve the cauliflower soup as he was not pleased with the final results. He further commented that he would not serve any dish he was not pleased with himself to any client at his tables. Therefore, an apology and recommendation to perhaps a better dish in his eyes. We both took a breathe and thanked Daniel for his honesty and integrity. Afterward we did, beyond doubt enjoy a wonderful bowl of a split squash and asparagus soup with the dividing line being crème fresh.

Almost instantly I adopted this reference for rod and reel seat construction and delivery. I do not build many rods but the last year and a half I constructed 10 rods of different sizes. The following photos show a sample of the third rod of that style. In the preceding 25 years, I had constructed 4 rods, with several reconstructions for people which I will not pursue ever again. Although I had been away from building rods or having anything to do with Bamboo, the fire was always inside me. Dim perhaps, but easy to locate desire on demand. That is beautiful! I am glad for this.

This newest rod, I have been coveting as I built. The fact that the cane is pre-embargo and has been resting in my shop for 25 years lends an air of antiquity and certainly gave a nice finished patina. Heat tempered twice helped with this patina. It throws a 6 wt. line effortlessly. There are three of these rods out and about. One on the east coast, the west coast and recently Alaska. I will continue building this pattern of rod as it is a good trout rod. I have yet to build one for my own!? It will come, maybe. I have more results of feeling very well when this rod is requested to be in the ownership of a proud user. I continue to use my early rods and prefer these to keep as they were built along side my mentor Ed Hartzell. They’re just special.

I’m thankful this is a blog where blurting is an OK usage. I’m not trying to sell anything. Rather I will endeavor to be more creative through time with this process. I began a project for a friend in Europe. I completed the reel seat and the rod as well, only, I have been struggling with the cork shaping. I don’t know why this one is going sideways, but I did get a good laugh from the beating I was feeling. Previous shaping of cork for rods was a no issue concern. I’ll get it, eventually, and what I know at this point is that it’s not the cork not the lathe alignment or file and sand paper. It’s my lack of alignment. Ciao for now! Walter

 

Perhaps the first time I had seen any description in some detail about the construction of a bamboo rod.

In 1983, while employed with Hull’s Forest Products, located in Pomfret Connecticut, I was sitting at my desk tallying up the log grading from the yard that was brought in overnight and early morning.  During this session one of the foresters came into the office with an eight page article describing the construction of a bamboo fly rod. During breaks and lunch and some down time, I was able to complete this article which left me with a desire to possess a rod made of this material known as Tonkin cane. While I was reading the article I noticed that at the bottom of each page, there was a diagram of the rod, with each page having only a section of the overall length. When placed side by side, the entire rod was revealed with the dimensions revealed every five or six inches.

I was smitten!

At that moment, a desire to have, better yet, build, a bamboo fly rod really burned inside of me. I was no stranger to detail work as I had observed my father as a child repair guns, diamond score and carve various big game animals into the stocks of so many different pieces. I was, even at that time mesmerized simply watching my father work his magic. His skill was honed on the assembly line and other aspects of work for 45 years with The Marlin Firearm’s Company. He was for a period of time their gun smith and eventually went back to the assembly line as the financial gain was greater.

1985, my wife and I travelled across Canada and the US from Connecticut with the intention of getting to the Yukon river to canoe a section prior to our return to the east coast. We left the east coast in May and landed in Portland Oregon in September. We also ran out of our travel money. We got jobs and wintered over in Portland. My surprise being, where is the winter? at least, the winter I was familiar with. Life has a path set and in that path we have choices. A long story short, we are still here. We have not canoed the Yukon, but canoe we did, elsewhere.

In 1989, I purchased a bamboo fly rod from a local flea market and used this rod in place of my inexpensive graphite rods. Most certainly a noodle action, but still I caught trout, white fish and every so often a steelhead would be hooked for only a short period. The one part of the rod I was not in favor of were the ferrules. You see, this was a common, run of the mill, Japanese made, with a pretty box and flies, bamboo rod. I thought it was the perfect accoutrement for my fly fishing.

I thought, what if I had new ferrules built for this rod that had a classic design? Then, I would have something I could be proud of even more-so. After some research into rod builders in Oregon I made an appointment with a gentleman from Lebanon, Oregon which I eventually cancelled due to finding another rod builder much closer to home who resided in the west hills of Portland.

In December of 1989, I spoke with Ed Hartzell who had invited me to visit his home so he can take a look at this bamboo rod that I was very keen on.

The weather was partly overcast, cold and with snow on the ground. I parked my truck atop his driveway and walked down to his home. I knocked, and shortly after the door opens with Ed greeting me.

While in the house, we unfurled the rod. I was a little nervous as to the price it would cost to have ferrules built. Eddie took all of 5 seconds to view and then stated, If I were to build you ferrules for this rod, the ferrules would be more expensive than this rod in its current state. I was shocked, and he knew it. He began to explain the history of these types of rods built in Japan for the US market in the 50’s that essentially flooded the market for use in lodges by the vacationing masses….with little attention to quality but the quantity was there.

Upon settling down from my shock, and having the opportunity to meet Kimberly, Ed’s lovely wife, he remarked, “why not just build a rod from scratch”?

At that precise moment, I recalled the article I had read at Hull’s Forest Products. It’s less of an astonishment, at least today for me, how powerful desire can be.

 

Although the site is undergoing construction, or perhaps destruction, from time to time the site will be updated and posted over and over until there is a satisfactory feel for this site.

I feel nervous and slightly cautious, thinking that what we post for sale is not adequate for a market. Then, I reassess the time and passion that I work with as I create and I regard feedback from friends and strangers alike that what I present to them is a beautiful product. There are numerous products not unlike what I am fabricating in my small humble shop and many rods and reel seats that I witness have their beauty as well. All those that fabricate a reel seat or bamboo rod know the time that is invested in completing this journey one at a time. Time is one aspect that cannot be denied, but the passion that is aligned with intention of what is created is utmost in determining the ultimate value. I do not mean the dollar value.

Walter

Building a website is a challenge. Why does my blog page change to my contact page? Why can’t I figure out how to change my header font color to black? All good questions and I will find the answers. Hopefully soon. The Website Newbie

Welcome to The Question of Balance, a site which will highlight reel seats and bamboo fly rods that I have created. I look forward to the process of expanding a business which up to now has only been active by word of mouth. As for now, this site is under construction. Check back soon to see the final product.
Thanks, Website Newbie

Truth be told, the Website Newbie is none other than my lovely Rosie to whom I give unconditional thanks and appreciation for her efforts in designing this site. I would still be thinking about what I was reading in the creation of a web site. Oh well!
Walter