How to Make Bamboo Rods

A bamboo rod for fly-fishing is a must for any fisherman who enjoys the sport. This piece of fishing gear can be expensive to buy, so an alternative is to make your own. With the right tools and materials, and some do-it-yourself skill, you can make a bamboo rod that will last for years and bring you great enjoyment when you go fly-fishing.

Things You'll Need

  • 6-foot long Tonkin cane
  • Block planes
  • Scraper plane
  • Splicing blocks
  • Dial calipers
  • Dial indicator depth gauge
  • Planing forms
  • Froe knife
  • Standard flat-headed screwdriver
  • Gloves
  • Heat gun
  • Garrison-style rod-binding machine
  • Glue
  • Fine-grit sandpaper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a Tonkin cane and cut it in half. Cut the pieces into 6 to 8 segments of equal length, depending on whether you want a six- or eight-sided rod, using a froe knife.

    • 2

      Use a sharpened flat-headed screwdriver to cut each of the segments into halves. Hold onto the segments with your free hand to keep them steady as you slice the bamboo with the screwdriver. You should have 12 to 16 finger-wide strips when you're finished.

    • 3

      Use a scraper plane to file away the protrusions of nodal diaphragms on the outside and inside of the bamboo stalks, then use a heat gun to on the nodes to further flatten and soften them. Then, place the stalks into a vise and firmly clamp them to complete the flattening process.

    • 4

      Place the strips of bamboo in a planing form, making sure to place the glossy side of the strip down, and plane it at a 60-degree angle.

    • 5

      Put the bamboo strips into an adjustable planing form made of two steel bars and use a block plane to taper them.

    • 6

      Place six strips of bamboo together so that the ends form a hexagonal shape when held together, and bind them with cotton twine string. Place them in a heat treating or regular oven at between 250 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit to dry, straighten and temper them. A heat gun can also be used to do this.

    • 7

      Use a scraper plane to remove the last few bits of the bamboo's nodes, then bind them in a Garrison's-style rod-binding machine.

    • 8

      Sand away the remaining natural enamel layer of the bamboo cane and any excess glue left by the Garrison's-style rod-binding machine with a piece of fine-grit sandpaper.