Bamboo Tips - Contributors
Paterson, Ken

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I started off casting my Grandfathers bamboo rod some 50 years ago but never fished with it but loved the feel of fly casting. Some 35 or so years later I bought a cheap fiberglass fly rod and learned how to fly fish. I started tying my own flies using my dad's old fly tying kit and a friend Charlie Abe at work started to fly fish and build some graphite rods. I brought in an article about Mike Clarke's cane rod building and Charlie who was a machinist thought he should be able to make some planing forms for us to start making bamboo rods. Ted Knott was just starting up the Grand Cane Gathering so we both signed up for the first gathering and our journey began. Charlie moved back to British Columbia to start a rod building and fishing guide service in Williams lake. I stayed here in Ontario and continued to build rods mainly as a hobby selling rods to friends and family. I now only build rods using my own tapers which I find adds to the enjoyment of creating a bamboo rod. I spend a lot of time on various rod building and fly fishing sites on the web and fly fishing and bamboo rod building is still an important focus in my life and I'm sure it always will be. I also belong to several conservation groups that help to improve water quality and improve the fishing experience for others.