American Fisher Flv- ume 1 lum~e Keturn lrip The split-cane I-otl, in use by Sly ness, hut the long-term succrss of the nicluc. But was he? We'll let you dccitle. in this couritt-y fot- l~atnboorod can be attributed, quite We tlevotc this issue 01 the An~~ricn~z more thitn a ccntut-y,hzts l~eenI he sirnply, to its durability ;tnd its lightness. Fly Fi.shpr lo the history of the develop- most disc~tssctlimplement of all Furthermore, bamboo can be efficiently tnrnt of the split-cane rod in North Amer- ~~~srctot-ialrcgali;~-and rightly machined to very high tolerances, so a ica. We havc rcprintetl, in addition to so. Aftcr all, without this rc- wide selection of tapers can be easily Henshall's aforcmcntiot~eclOZL~ITZR arti- m;trkahlv tlelic-ate instrument, achieved. cle, several picccs that have :I direct bear- etitlowed with just thc right amount of Rut what of the history of tliesl~lit-cane ing on the topic. These wot-ks have been "power" ant1 "action," c.onstructctl I)y rot1 in North Arncrica? The six-strip con- SI-rqnently~uoted and ;iIludcd roovcr thr omnisciet;t c:-::ftsrnen possessed of mysti- struction techniqrt', with the cane's years by numerous ;ttngling wr-itet-s/liis- cal powet-s ancl skills, how could wc3make enamel on the outside, has Ixen in ttsc torians; 1)ut to out- knowledge, this is the the pet-fect i:incty-foot ~1strrcluir-etl to since circa 1845 and is genrrally consi- first time this original material c-atcll the fish ~isingtight "11 ;tg:tinst a dered to hr of American ot.itrin. For the has bccn collcctivc~lyp~~l)lished. Our hank, in ;I 1xtc.kwatct-,;tnd utidcr ;tl)out history of split-cants rod constr-uction in intention is to provide an easily accessi- three hertat-es (:I dense hr-ush, while the this coittitry, we are indebtecl to Dr. James ble point of rcfcrcnc-c for those intcrestrcl I~lnckflies ;tntl moscluitocs at-c Sict-ccly A. Henshall, ~rhoseprclirninary account in the histot-y of thrc.anc r-otl. We make no attacking ;111 csl~osctl;trc:rs of our epitlci-- on thc subject appcared in his Book of claim as to esha~~stivcncssant1 invite our tnis! Special rod t:t~)ct-s.unicl~tcly cngi- Blnrk Bn.s.5 (1881). An amplified, revised readcrs to :ttlvisc 11s of additional matet.ial ncercd let-rules, special glues, impregria- version was published in O~~ti~zgrnag:t- pertinent to tliia arcit of arigling history. tion, ancl secret varnishing tc.chniclues dine (May 1902). Since then much has Mo~.co\,ct.,we fee1 it is itnpt~tat~\~cto re- arc among the to11ic.s usu;llly ~tssoi.i~ttcd been published concerning just who was tlati to the soul-c.cs1)c.r-iotlic-ally-nor only with the mystical lore ol split-cane rot1 responsible for the invention of the six- to glcitn new inaiglit. 11r1t to tn;tIic sure nianufacturc. Sure, sornc of thcsc things strip canc rod. Henshall gives Samurl that histot-iral al~crt-;ttiorishavc not oc- arc germane to the cane rotl's effective- Phillippr credit for first using thc tech- c~trrctlclue to S;tulty transcription of fact. d Volume 13 Number 3 Split Bamboo Rods ................ 2 T. S. Morrell Making Split Bamboo Rods-Amateur Work ....4 T. S. Morrell The Split Bamboo Rod-Its History, Etc. ......8 William Mitchell The Split Bamboo Rod-Its History, Etc. ..... 10 Iskender The Split-Bamboo Rod from a German Standpoint 11 Iskender Anleitung zur Angel-Fischerei ........... 12 Richard Hoffman Charles F. Murphy ................. 14 Fred Mather Origin of the Split-Bamboo Rod .......... 20 James A. Henshall Notes and Comment ................ 26 Books ....................... 27 Museum News ................... 28 :lr/ l)fr?, lor LI;II tli:~l'i1011. AI~I\v~II (.'O/)\~ /';//ftflJ I)~;III:Ibl. MIJIIt,\ Split Bamboo Rods by T.S. Morrell T. S. Morrrll, a nznrlrrnth-crn- well made, with proper rare should last a stand them on end on a piece of white tury rportlng ZLI~Z~PTUI/LO wrote life-time. I have one that has seen eigh- paprr, draw a lin? around [the] outside under the psrudonym Old Izaak, teen years of use all over this section of with a pencil; if for six-strip divide the contrzbutrd thr follozuzn,q artzcle country, and has never needed repair. I circumference into six equal parts with a to the March 13, 1880, znur (7101. would state that my best rods I never lend pair of compasses, then rule a line from 13, no. 5) of tllr Ch~cagoField. (I keep ash and lancewood ones expressly point to point, so that they all meet in the After Pytollzng t/!r uzrtue~ of for this purpose.) I propose to give some centrr. Thc difference in size of ferrules splrt-cane rodr, /zr ~II~Td~rrctzon~ for description of the split bamboo rod and will show thc amount of taper required. tlzrzr constructzon. HPcrrd7tsE. A. Grren some account of their inventor. For the, butt draw a plan on paper of the for thr znz~rntzonofthr ~pl~t-bamboorod. The best bamboo, in fact the only kind swell of the hand hold; from this plan Both Morrell and Grrrn rerzdfd zn worth cutting up, is the clouded Calcutta mark your bamboo clearly with a pencil, Nrwark, Nrw Jercry. cane. The clouded appearance is formed and saw it out; never attempt tosplit it for by the burning off of little vine-like there may be just enough twist in it to NEWARK,N. J. branches growing from each knot or spoil your joint. If you have grooved EDITORCHICAGO FIEI.D:-That the split joint; these branrhes wind around the boards the size of each strip you can plane bamboo rod is the best for any or all stalk tightly, and are so tough that burn- your strips quickly and accurately. If not, angling purposes is now pretty generally ing is the only practical method of remo- trust to jack-knife and file, or use a piece admitted, though I often meet with those val. It is very difficult to get good of stc,el, withavcut intoit theshape your who dispute it, and swrar by therecital of bamboo, not one cane in a hundred is fit strip shoulcl be, sharpen this, and draw wonderful catches of many and big fish to cut up. The best test is to cut across your strip over it until redured to the by ash, lancewood and greenheart-, that grain with a sharp knife; if it leaves a correct shape. In gluing your strips the latter cannot hc beatm. I have only to smooth glossy surface, at lrast half uJny togethrr much care must he taken; have ask these grntlcrner~to try for oneday ;I sis- througli, ant1 from the inside you can the glue thin and boiling hot; work in a ounce split 1,alnl)oo against a rod of :uny pull off long, tough threads, your bam- warm room; spread with a brush the glue other material of thr s;llncs propol-tions. boo will pay for cutting. If it is dry and on the bamboo for about one foot, com- which ~roul(lI)c. at least I hrclcs ounces brittle it is good for nothing, The thick or mencing at the thick end wind it tightly heavier. Your ac.hing h;ic-k ant1 wrist butt end only should be used. Four-strip and closely with a fishing line, draw it would scbttlc the rnatter I)cyontl tlisl~ute. rods when glued together are nearly very tight as far as you have put on the Split bamboo rods are now made for all square, the corners are filed off to approx- glue, then proceed as before until you sorts of angling. The righteen or twenty imate rounclness. The six-strip when havr wound your joint. Now straighten feet salmon, the eight to ten-feet striped glued together is hexagonal, and if in- your piece carefully and lay it on a shelf bass, with jewrllrd guides and tips, the tended to b' round only a small portion for twenty-four hours. Finish off with a skittering rod of sixtren feet, the chum- of the enamel has to be filed off. They are filr and sand paper and it is ready for the ming rod, perch rod, black bass rod, and a great improvement on the four-strip. frrrules and silk lashings. Care must be lastly the elegant fly rod for trout. Before cutting into the bamboo get taken in putting on the ferrules, so that A split bamboo of first-class material, your ferrules, take them for each joint, thr rod will be straight. If you have made Masthead of the Chicago Field in which Morrell's article on thesplit- bamboo rod appeared. The Chicago Field runs a short-li71rd sporting miscellany (1878 to 1881) .similar to Forest & Stream. Its drpartmrnts included Trap Shooting, Rifle, Kennrl, Amusrn~ent.s,Game and Shooting, Fish and Fishing, Natural History, and The Horse. your joints the size of the outside of the Andrew Clerk and Mr. Conroy, who each ferrules very little filing will make them expressed their approbation, and sug- fit on easily. The edges of the enamel of gested that he should find a good mech- the strips to be glued together should be anic to make some for sale, and Mr. Green very sharp, and the surface to be glued persuaded Mr. Charles F. Murphy to try perfectly flat, then the joints cannot be the experiment.These rods, though then seen.