The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

How on earth did the culm make its way to the UK ????!!!! Do we have any pictures of it still growing, leaves and all?

That's what I was wondering. Hand luggage?
The end shot of the culm doesn't look like Tonkin cane.

Pete

It came with my checked in luggage, it was growing a couple of weeks back.
It was cut, dried outside and the 4 m length split into two and then cut in half.
It was sprayed with pesticide twice and inspected for any bugs, so it came in clean
I posted some pictures of the bamboo a few posts back on the same thread, we have lots of it.
It might not be the same species as Tonkin but I'm sure that it will make a good fishing rod
Best regards
Mem

It may well make a good rod Mem. I'll be interested in the outcome. There are Japanese rod makers using species local to them and there was an Argentinian maker who used to use a local bamboo so it doesn't have to be Tonkin.

Pete

It is pretty similar to the "Tonkin" culms that I have - it looks to have a good density of power fibres towards the surface and sufficient wall thickness for coarse rod building. The external node surfaces are slightly flatter (yippee!) but it does have quite a few cosmetic marks, so will need a fairly dark flamed finish. It's worth remembering that the term Tonkin covers about 400 species of bamboo - much of what gets shipped for rod building is selected by and goes through the hands of a very limited number of people, so we all get used to seeing the same product and assume that's all there is that can be used for rod making - but as Pete says, there are other builders around the world using other locally available cane. I'm really interested to see how this cane performs - I'm pretty confident it will be good.
I just read an interesting piece on some research done comparing Moso bamboo with "Tonkin" - one of the most striking features of the Tonkin type in comparison with Moso was that it will absorb significantly less water while retaining more strength. Possibly one reason it was chosen for rod building?

Cheers
Steve

Crucian wrote:Purchased an Aero Wizard 906 from a good friend and fellow forum member today.

It's a lovely rod and one I've always fancied. The butt and middle sections are in good order, the cane is excellent and showing no sign of delamination...The tip however, has been replaced at some point with hollow glass.

I wish to make a new tip section for it but don't have the tapers. I have looked at my Allcocks Wizards, but the Aspindales is a much more powerful rod.

All I need is the size of the thin end of the tip as I am fairly sure it would be a straight taper, possibly part hollow built?

Any help much appreciated.

You clever bugger Paul, good to see the finished rod, with the newly home planned replacement tip,

What a lovely rod it is, so powerful, I now know why these Aspindales rods are so sought after