Why are bamboo fly rods so expensive? You hear this question time and time again from both fishers and non-fishers a like. The answer is quite simple, there are many many steps in both creating a cane blank and finishing a blank especially if the blank has all custom components on it. That being said there are makers that pride themselves on proprietary hardware as opposed to putting somebody else's mass produced hardware on their blanks. I typically like it when a maker makes all of his own components. It shows the mark of detail and his or her own point of view...which is why you are paying a premium in the first place!
If you take a look at “the manufactured bamboo rod” (probably not politically correct and I will take some heat for this, oh well my wife already yelled at me this morning for not lifting up the toilet seat after 35 years) they are typically pretty sparse from a cosmetic standpoint and you are paying a premium for the brand name and who really knows how many hands have actually made these rods? These manufacturers typically have their own line of graphite and fiberglass rods as well. Their bottom line is defaulted based on their ability to crank out a lot of rods quickly at a premium, their overhead is the spooky shadow of the dusty inventory that keeps them up at night. I own a few of these rods and they cast well no doubt, BUT are they worth close to 3k and up, in my opinion no.
The smaller craftsmen full and part time actually are putting out great products based on their level of customization, level of detail, and ability to afford to make most often a one-off product. They may have models of rods in their arsenal but are perfectly willing to do any customization if need be. Their prices are typically lower than the big brand names and you get a lot bang for your buck. All I can say is I am really glad these guys exist especially in this economy.
So why purchase a fly rod from a company that sells oooddles of other products to boot? Waders, beer cozies, knick nacks, glass and graphite rods, blanks, reels, etc...your guess is as good as mine. I would only purchase a bamboo rod if I could actually talk to the maker nowadays. Again if you are dropping 2k on a rod or more you should get the personal attention of the craftsman himself. The mark of the craftsman is what you are paying a premium for. If you are not getting that then what is the point of purchasing an expensive bamboo rod? If you could purchase a fully custom shotgun of proven and premium quality for less than the price of a high end Benelli I would not have to think long and hard about ordering one.
The notion of “you get what you pay for” in this end of the woods does not hold water, not by a long shot.
~Dave
