Grand River Cane Rods

nderod fitted with an Olympic single action fly reel loaded with 5 weight double taper floating fly line. While that fiberglass rod served me well, unbeknownst to anyone, I harboured a longing desire for an Orvis Battenkill split bamboo fly rod. Unfortunately, an esteemed “fishing pole” was beyond the reach of a 13 year old boy! Although I continued to fish with fibreglass and later, graphite fly rods, my passion for a split bamboo rod continued to burn and kindled interest in mastering the traditional artisanship required for the hand-crafting of split bamboo fly rods. Inspired by a gathering of rod makers at a biennial Canadian Cane meeting in Fergus, Ontario, in 2011, I decided to take the leap into the arena of bamboo rod-making. After reading all of the “books” and aided by the assistance and encouragement of several area rod makers, I eventually purchased a supply of selected Tonkin cane and assembled the necessary rod making equipment. After a few weeks of part-time work, my goal became reality with my first split bamboo fly rod, a 7’ 6” five weight design based on a taper by Michigan rod maker, Bill Waara – at last, I had my long sought-after split bamboo fly rod! I was immediately struck by the contrast between my new cane rod and my older fiberglass and graphite rods- the beauty of natural bamboo is unmistakable and it’s unique flexing qualities allow dry flies to be presented with a delicacy of drift revelling that of the natural insect. A hand-crafted split bamboo fly rod is a unique, precision fly casting tool, and intricacies of its design and construction are akin to those of finely-made Cremonese violins. Today, I prefer to fish my split-bamboo fly rods almost exclusively. The reasons are simple, I love how they look and smell (especially after buffing with bees wax and lemon oil!) and I enjoy their feel and responsiveness while casting flies and playing fish. I have used my bamboo rods to present hand-tied frauds to wary trout in the waters of Southern and Northern Ontario, Colorado and Alberta. However, in a typical year between May-July, I can usually be found closer to home on local waters that include the historic Grand River, a heritage Canadian river originating in the spring-fed wetlands of the Dundalk uplands and flowing for 280 km before eventually emptying into Lake Erie. I am a Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Guelph. I have three adult children (one son and two daughters) and live with my lovely wife, Anne Marie in Guelph, Ontario, a scant 20 minutes from my beloved Grand River. I invite you to explore the contents of Grand River Cane Rods and to share with me my passion for fishing with fine split-bamboo fly rods.