Where Split Cane Scores

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · Mar 6, 2006

Years ago I took a little 8 foot Sharpes Scotty Impregnated split cane rod with me to South Africa.

I used it for fishing small streams. And then one day the rod snapped like a matchstick whilst I was fishing the upper reaches of the Umzimkulu.

I nearly cried, yet I was warned that a split cane rod would eventually dry out in a warmer climate where the relative humidity was often as low as 10%

What that little rod had was incredible accuracy over short distances. The reason for this is that it bent again its own weight far better than glass or carbon. It also had no preferred planes of bending like carbon does as it had no "spine".

I replaced the rod with another 8 foot 4 weight Fibretube glass effort I made myself. But I could never get the fly in the right spot like I could with the old Scotty.

As it looks like I will be doing far more small stream fishing than recently I have being toying with the idea of getting a split cane rod made - 8 to 8 1/2 foot to take a 4 weight line. I know it will cost the earth, but perhaps a few of you might recommend where I could get one built.

Even today, many top anglers do prefer a cane rod for short accurate casting and putting the fly down delicately.

Over to you.

darkuser80 · Mar 6, 2006

Although I don?t go Fly fishing, I fully appreciate what you say in relation to cane rods, I?ve a growing selection of course cane rods, and the action, feel, response is totally different, and better anyway I suppose you?ve checked the following , http://www.norman-agutters.com/trout.htm, cant say I know much about there selection of fly rods, but it may help.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · Mar 6, 2006

I have looked at this website Merlot. The prices seem very low. I would like to feel one of the rods before I made a final decision.

I notice that Sharpes of Aberdeen will sell you a kit, enabling you to build a good split cane rod for about ?200.

This is fine if you have experience of rod building. I have built hundreds of rods in my life, including split cane rods from scratch.

And I live alone so that cork dust won't be a problem.

Richard Baker 6 · Mar 7, 2006

There are two ways to get a good split cane rod suitable for a four weight line. The first is to have one custom made by Edward Barder. This will probably set you back over a grand, but comes with two tips and will be the best you can get.

The second option is to go to one of Neil Freeman's auctions. Normally held at Chiswick town hall (around 3/4 auctions a year). There are always a good number of split cane rods for small river work. They are often good quality, Hardy flea etc. Most have two tips, and most price between ?150 and ?400 depending on quality. I'm thinking of getting one myself.

Might be an idea to look up the next auction and time it with a trip to see your son. Neil Freeman advertises his auctions in the back of Trout and Salmon.

Best regards,

Rich

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · Mar 7, 2006

Edward Barder fly rods start at ?1700.00

Only Peter Jacobs can afford the things...

)

Fishing Gimp · Mar 7, 2006

With Barder rods you have to wait up to a year as well. Why not try ebay Ron as sharpes rods often turn up. The only down to purchasing from this site is the quality is not guaranteed.

Whilst chatting with Charles jardine the other day he took great delight in showing me the new line he uses for all his light river work; yup silk line. The 4wt stuff he showed me cost over ?100 and has a waiting list to purchase it but he belives the lightness of presentation has made a vast difference to his Dry fly casting.

It would appear that for light fly casting on the rivers tackle seems to have gone full circle soon we will be cutting 10ft birch trees down and tying horse hair line to the end with a Bustard fly as attractant ala Col. Hawkins and fishing from Horse -back!

The Monk · Mar 7, 2006

I`ve always found Split cane rods good for the old Tomato Plants

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · Mar 7, 2006

Ah well you would.

Here we are talking about a specific style of fishing - accurate short distance casting on a river. And here we are also talking about dampening in a fly rod.

Coarse fishing rods or distance fly rods will never go back to split cane because quite frankly, carbon is best.

For short distance work on a river however, split cane has certain unique properties that have still not been fully replicated with carbon. Split cane does not vibrate when it recovers from bending, so important where accuracy is parmount. It also flexes against its own weight much better than carbon. This enables you to put out very short casts without having the rod being loaded by the line.

For rods up to 8 1/2 feet for line weights up to 5, cane performs very well indeed and is not too heavy to tire the caster.

Unfortunately the manufacturing of split cane rods involves a great deal of manual highy skilled labour. Something that many people cannot afford to pay for today.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · Mar 7, 2006

And by the way I am not a member of the Golden Scale Club!

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · Mar 7, 2006

And further, the carbon fly rods with the best dampening qualities I have ever used are those built on Harrison blanks.

In my opinion, Harrison make the best carbon fly rod blanks in the World, even better than Sage or Loomis etc.

The Monk · Mar 7, 2006

Im a member of the Golden Ale Club

whats the difference between Split cane and Built cane Ron?

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · Mar 7, 2006

You haven't supped any ale for years mate since you made the vow of abstinence.

Or have you - typical Manc Monk!!

Split Cane/Built Cane/Split Bamboo - same stuff.

Not all of it was constructed by gluing 6 triangular sections to make a hexagon. 5 strip and 7 strip was used in the 60s. I used to possess an old rod that had a 4 strip built cane top piece.

Some of the early split cane was made from East India cane which had rather large knots. Then came Tonkin Cane from the Gulf of Tonking in China. This is the stuff that is used today.

jago · Mar 7, 2006

http://www.chapmanblanks.co.uk/

Ian Alexander · Mar 12, 2006

I won a competition with a split cane rod- a fifties Edgar Sealy eight footer a year back. They have a completely different action to carbon but I found I can fish much more delicately with the dry fly because the action isn't as stiff. I know the stiffer action helps the fly to settle and lift off better but when I cast, I find it more relaxed.
Barders do have the odd gem for sale on their website. A rod that has not been completed in it's purchase. They really are the best and worth buying. They don't come up for resale very often for a reason!

I use old fifties MKIV and Avon cane rods for coarse fishing too.
Nothing like the beauty and finish of a good cane rod.

Anybody else tried fishing with some old greenheart rods?
I have used ones back earlier than the turn of the century and although I got pins and needles in my wrist, I had quite successful fishing sessions. On one occasion, I was using a farlow's sea trout rod circa 1910 and took a very nice seven pounder rainbow.

darkuser80 · Mar 12, 2006

I also use old fifties MKIV`s and Avon?s, a Barry Grantham MK IV , and a Partridge (plus numerous other rods in various states of repair ) for coarse fishing and as you state there is nothing like it, even if only for the aesthetic reasons. To play a fish on cane is a totally different experience, than that of carbon/graphite etc.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · Mar 12, 2006

There is absolutely no doubt that if I wanted to enter a competition for accuracy casting I would chose a top quality split cane rod.

But never forget that split cane is totally inferior to carbon when it comes to distance casting.

Ian Alexander · Mar 12, 2006

I have Bob James' MKIV and Avon rods. I couple them with the ubiquitous Mitchell 300 reels half bale arm reels.
I was drawn to split cane when a bloke I worked for, a while back, sold me his B.J. MKIV for ?150. Fish do take a little longer to land of course because those biggies are quite capable of breaking the rods. But I always enjoy the fight more as a result.
In fly fishing, trout can be real fighters and split cane absorbs the kinetic energy more easily. Carbon is too brutish by comparison but then, I'm biased!

Ian Alexander · Mar 12, 2006

You're right Ron. But the comps I have fished haven't had distance as a priority. On reservoirs, being in a boat negates distance and rarely do I need distance on a lake or river.
I find that distance is usually needed in heavily fished waters where there are no boats.
So, ever fished a greenheart rod?

Ian Alexander · Mar 12, 2006

My mistake on that sea trout rod! It wasn't a ''Farlows'', I was a ''Malloch's'' of Perth! I have several nice rods from the turn of the century coupled with suitable reels. I used linen line once too. But too much work to keep afloat!

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member) · Mar 12, 2006

Many many years ago. I fished with a rod having a greenheart middle and top joint with a whole cane butt.

Quite frankly it was heavy, sloppy and horrible. It broke eventually when I lifted a 1/2 lb perch out with it; and then I threw it on a fire.

Greenheart as a rod building material was rubbish.

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