Making a Bamboo Rod and Hexagon Rod Case

This video shows a step by step method of making a split bamboo fly rod. This particular rod is a custom reproduction of a Payne 98 circa 1930.

The E.F. Payne Rod Co. was founded in 1898 in Highland Mills, N.Y. In 1904 Ed Payne enlisted his 10 year old son Jim into the business. In 1914 Ed Payne passed away and Jim took over the business. By 1925 Jim Payne introduced bamboo flame tempering and oven heat treating to the rod building process. These techniques are still used today. Jim Payne continued to make rods under the Payne name until his death in 1968. Ed and Jim Payne left behind a legacy in rod making that remains a gold standard today.

Payne offered over a hundred different models of bamboo rods over the years. The Payne 98 was introduced By Jim Payne in 1931. It is considered one of the best small stream bamboo rods of all time.This commemorative “Browns Canyon” is essentially a reproduction of the Payne 98 (2PC @ 7 ft. 4W).

Owners of original Payne 98’s have generously shared the measurements of the rod taper (below). I used the measurements to set up an adjustable planing jig. The strips of bamboo are planned to the given tapper then glued together to create the Payne 98 rod blank. The rod guides are sized and placed based on the original design. The guides (and hook keeper) are crafted from “German Silver” wire, except for the stripping guide which is a customized retail item featuring red agate.

Traditional silk thread is used for the wraps, except white color lock thread is used for the olive branching. The nickel silver ferrules are true to form, they have been crowned and hand lapped for fit. The cork grip was turned on"Mark’s lathe" and given a wax finished. The reel seat is stained Oregon maple which is combined with a commercial slip ring kit. The rod itself is dip finished using a flexible marine spar varnish.

The following measurement points represent locations at 5 inch intervals along the rod (or planning jig):

Point 0 .06600 POINT Measurement in. Tip Section
Point 5 .08200
Point 10 .09200
Point 15 .11000
Point 20 .12200
Point 25 .13700
Point 30 .14700
Point 35 .15900
Point 40 .17100 POINT Measurement in. Butt Section
Point 45 .19400
Point 50 .20500
Point 55 .22000
Point 60 .24200
Point 65 .26100
Point 70 .28100
Point 75 .31200
Point 80 .31200
Point 84 .31200

It’s common practice for the maker to sign a duplicated rod while giving credit to the original designer. A custom reproduction is often named as in “Browns Canyon”. The signature lines were done via laser CNC, so is the one of a kind logo.

The thread colors of this rod are from the state flag of Colorado: Blue (sky), yellow (sunshine and gold ore), white (snow peaks and silver ore), and red (Colorado/Spanish translation). The combination of blue and white used in the flag also represents Colorado’s state flower, the columbine. This blue and white combination is carried into the rod’s olive branch pattern.

The hexagon rod case is constructed similar to a bamboo rod. Six sticks are cut about 1/4" x 1.5" x 46" and ripped at 29.5 degrees. The sticks are glued using rod building techniques of tape and cotton twine. The primary wood is spalted Oregon Maple. The end caps are Oregon Myrtlewood.

If you want to make your own bamboo rod I highly recommend these required tools:

Hand plane - https://amzn.to/3UbngxI
Sharpener - https://amzn.to/48C1aZE

Dial indicator - https://amzn.to/3HyPlaB
60 degree tip - https://amzn.to/3HpYsuv
Indicator base - https://amzn.to/3vQNhYV

Purchasing from an affiliate link may result in a commission being paid by the seller to this associate. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

Happy Trails,
Dave

Purchasing from an affiliate link may result in a commission being paid by the seller to this associate. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

Thank you for the creative commons music:
64888 by Balfo and Titi
Nice and Easy by Jason Shaw