It is also possible to find some of the middle line production rods needing repairs for a good price and sending them off to a good bamboo repair artist and have a rod that fishes well and will increase in value for a reasonable amount. Condition; Full length, straight, two tips, original tube ; Ring cork, nickel silver ferrules & seat, wood insert; wraps, ferrules in good condition. For example, use a bamboo fly rod … Premium Bamboo Fly Rods and Repair Services. “Craft worlds in general tend to be closed but the old masters are particularly conservative,” Akiba said. All over the country, it is widely known that Japan’s famed apprenticeship system has broken down. Bridging the gap between the boxed sets of the Fifties and the contemporary craftsmen from Japan today are middle of the road rods that are perfectly acceptable for light duty fly fishing. His reality, I soon learned, was much more complicated. I started my inquiry at the workshop of Saochu, the top wazao craftsman still working today. I apologize in advance if this turns out to be a 'Japanese Rod'. $1,295.00 US Hoffhines, R.W. Includes bottom section mid section and multi option top sections as well as sleeve and box. Like most fishing around the world today, this is a catch-and-release sport. spoonsou. 2. By this point, the average age of the dozen or so remaining makers who are active in the wazao guild is about 70 years old. #dreamingofbamboo.”  In the winters, he uploaded pictures of forests where he went to forage, searching for the perfect stalk of bamboo. Tom Morgan 7′ 3wt. All sections are full length... View full product details . Fly Rod has 2 Fly Rod Tips and 1 Casting Rod Tip" This rod is in very good condition.The Rod Box is in good condition with some water staining. Many artisans now have to learn not only their craft but also how to make the tools for their craft. Not a single one has an apprentice. Coming from the Tosaku line, Toryo has advantages that other young wazao makers can only dream of: a solid customer base, the full backing of his parents, a workshop with an ample supply of tools, and the best bamboo money can buy–many of them harvested at a time when the bamboo forests were properly manicured. To keep our online magazine free of ads, and to avoid charging you for our material, the Craftsmanship Initiative relies on grants, individual donations, and institutional partnerships for our funding. 14 followed in 1927 and it was in the late 1920's that names were added to better distinguish each rod. Vintage Fishing Rods | eBay. This example of wazao, the traditional Japanese bamboo fishing pole, is a rare masterpiece made before World War II by the father of a master, Saochu, who is now in his mid-eighties. Lebbeus Wood .. If the minimalist approach to fishing appeals to you—or if you’re already a devotee, and would like to explore the world of high-end bamboo fly rods—please see our sidebar to the right, about keeping fishing simple. Still, since the survival of the craft was at stake, didn’t he feel some obligation to pass on his knowledge? But he is the exception. While the working class used rough, homemade bamboo poles, nobility, kabuki masters, and prominent politicians used rods tailor-made to each season and fish species. Having grown up in Japan, I knew of a number of traditional crafts that were struggling for survival. Since today’s economic imperatives no longer support such a culture, traditional Japanese crafts find themselves in a true no-man’s land—unable to sustain an old system, but without viable alternatives for a new one. When perfection is achieved, the finished item should look very simple. Our fly rods are handcrafted in Vermont, in the style of the early rod makers, with an emphasis on durability and performance to meet the needs of the modern fly fisherman. In 1974, the government passed a law to protect Japanese crafts, and Akiba’s association was formed a year later. Most of them came in wooden boxes, and they were combination rods, meaning they came with two fly tips and a bait/spinning rod tip. His reality, I soon learned, was much more complicated. Now 85, Saochu has become a legend, and he only makes poles for those he considers worthy. “You can’t get good bamboo if they don’t get enough sun or ventilation.”, Today, however, the decline in crafts that use natural materials like bamboo have made it a waste of time and money to cultivate these forests. To make matters worse, the country’s lacquer industry has also declined (without good lacquer, a wazao’s finish will not shine or age properly). by DT4F » 08/12/13 09:58, Post These makers were profiled this year in the erstwhile Australian publication, "Flyfisher Issue 14. After thriving for generations, the wazao industry almost collapsed in the late 1970s when it was nearly obliterated by the introduction of carbon fiber rods. by Royalpark » 08/14/13 06:28, Post In part, this is because each example is hand-crafted upon the customer making a purchase. Even then, Tomoki said, Judaisaku wrestled with his decision to take Tomoki on as a student, because he didn’t want to be responsible for sending a young man into a dead-end business. Not only are there different species throughout a forest, but on every tree, the joint spacing, thickness, curves, and fiber qualities are different. Each rod is a unique work of art, as individual as the craftsman who makes it. The boxed sets have hardware that's chrome over. Lacquer is made from sap, collected from the urushi tree by making small slashes in the tree’s trunk and running the sap into buckets. DJ Duck 204E 2/2 7' 3" for 5 wt Line *SOLD* Douglas J Duck 204 E SOLD. Today, a small, but avid group of fishermen uses the smallest versions of these poles to fish for tanago, a freshwater species no bigger than a couple of inches. 25- 30 bucks tops - not fishing rods - display pieces. Fairly durable and can be … It can’t be helped. This made me curious to see what differentiates good bamboo from the bad. The original covering is marked in blue ink, hand written, purchased in 1965 Yokohama by C F Benninghoff III. By this point, lacquer has gotten so expensive that many craftsmen use Chinese lacquer, which they find to be cheaper in both cost and quality; the finer Japanese lacquer is then saved for the finish. - 7'9 5wt Bamboo Rod. One of the few stories that Saochu did share was about his process for bamboo selection. I assumed that my cousin’s interest would be welcomed by the wazao masters because it meant that their craft would survive. To learn more about Japan’s efforts to preserve traditional crafts, visit the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries. ↳   Information About Makers and Manufacturers, ↳   Appraisals & Identification of Bamboo Fly Rods. Fly Fishing Rods Vintage Grampus Kiraku Split Bamboo Made in Japan Original Box. 2. To get rid of the last remnants of moisture, it is then dried outdoors for three months and indoors for another three years. Nice Starter Bamboo Rod For Sale - The Classic Fly Rod Forum Orvis rods with two sections and one tip can be very good rods, They Impregnated and do not have varnish except for the wraps. “It’s difficult to say in front of another pole maker,” he said, glancing at my cousin. As to under $50, that's not likely to happen unless it is a bottom of the line rod in need of a lot work. On my way out, when I mentioned to Toryo’s brother, Shuhei, that another aspiring maker, Tomoki, was my cousin, he asked me to give him a message: “Gambatte,” he said. 2171 Union St., Suite #5 The reasons for the decline abound. As we talked, I began to appreciate the traditional Japanese meaning of the word “apprentice.” It was not simply a term for someone the masters were training. “If you look around, there are still a lot of [bamboo] forests in Japan,” Tomoki said. My goal in building bamboo rods is to offer a quality product at an affordable price. He wasn’t about to share his hard-earned status easily. New three-piece SC rods designed and built in collaboration with Naoki Hashimoto of Hokkaido, Japan is synonymous with idea... Noble profession that requires years of training think most of the more common ones i 've is... 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