Rod Design

Hex and Penta Bamboo Rod Design

Designing rods is a hands on process for me. Over time I have been able to cast and study  classic tapers from makers of interest. Graphing these dimensions in full scale provides a better sense of what I feel when casting  and studying the action, allowing me to develop tapers that reflect the attributes I like.  Testing a rod  on the stream determines if its an idea to  keep and repeat. My tapers generally include convex tip and mid sections. I find that this design aspect tends to support and stabilize the finer tips in my rods. Hollowing longer rods is something I utilize but its an evolving process. I’m moving away from more extreme hollowing .  After casting  Gilliam, Carpenter, and Payne single handed salmon rods with some friends on the Margaree River recently, I missed the reserve casting power that these solid rods possess. My hollowing is now focused on taking off just enough internally to make rods like these less demanding during hours of casting. Like many I began with hexagonal section rods. My interest in pentagonal rods began with  two-handed rods. I was looking for more spine to help hook set with Atlantic Salmon. With this in mind, I asked Chet Croco  from Bellinger to create forms for me. After completing a taper and placing it on the deflection board, I realized my idea was flawed. The top triangle tends to track the rod in a straight line. The pentagonal rod has a bit more kick in the cast not in the lift.  I’m back to strip setting larger fish but overall I find the pentagonal designs a pleasure to cast. I now incorporate both penta and hex designs in all my rods.