Project Bamboo

[upnorth]

Many of the nylon threads will go at least somewhat translucent without color preserver. Tartans are a design that takes advantage of the thread going translucent and to a certain extent candy apple too.

[Dark Cloud]

White silk will go the clearest when finished but colored silks will go transparent and give a real neat look. This is something i'll definatly be playing around with more.

I used spar varnish thinned 50/50 with turpentine and warmed. There are alot of diff finishes that one could use. Regular flex-coat finish thinned with acetone or denatured alcohol works great from what iv'e seen. I was afraid to use that though, as the rod is finished with varnish...

Here is a picture of a 5 star transparent wraps by a builder named Chris Carlin... I'll be happy if mine look somewhat close...

[A.W.Wolfram]

Looking great. I love the silk work.

[Thunderman]

Nice job DC I will be looking forward to seeing it in person .

[Dark Cloud]

Thunder - It wont be long and this rod will be after some trout. And maybe a trip up by you for some gills...

I got to work on it a bit more this weekend. Glued up the handle, got the two guides on the butt section along with the hook keeper, signed it(well my girlfriend did cuz my handwritting is so horrible), and got another coat of finnish on the whole thing. Plus I went fishing and cleaned the garage, lol.

Went with a "strap and ring" hook-keeper. Heres a pict of wrapping it...

Iv'e never signed any of my rods as I just dont care for how it looks but the more I looked at bamboo rods, I decided to write on this one. Bamboo never has fancy butt wraps but always some info on the rod plus a signature...

D.R. Stone made the blank, a Payne 102 clone, built by me. On the next flat below my name I put 2010...

One more coat of varnish and she should be ready for the water...

[upnorth]

Reading about you signing the rod and having you girlfriend and it reminded me of everyone saying I should sign and number all my the rods I build. I just think why....no one would be able to read em any ways

[Dark Cloud]

UpNorth - My handwriting was once described by a HS teacher as "chicken scratch", lol

Well we have success with the new rod! It still needs a little sanding and one more coat of varnish but I couldnt resist takeing it out after dinner to the local stream...

My girlfrind tagged along and took this video of the "first cast", lol.

[upnorth]

Well you sure can't beat that with a big stick. Nice trout too!!

[Thunderman]

Nice job DC I will let you know when the gills are on top have you ever used the poppers on a fly rod I am anxious to try them for the gills?

[rushing]

Looks Deluxe!

[Dark Cloud]

Thunder - Poppers are a ton of fun on gills and the lake im thinking of, there will be bonus other fish also. I tie some foam spiders and grasshoppers that are killer on top also. I'll get ya some...

Hit the creek after dinner today and got into 4 trout plus missed a few. They were eating something small in the surface film so I fished a small 18 emerger pattern.

The rod is fun to cast and im getting used to it. Every rod is differnt and bamboo certainly is. When I slow down a bit with the casting stroke and let the rod do its thing, she sings...