Bamboo Tips - Contributors
Cole, Charlie

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My name is Charlie Cole. I'm from Reidsville, NC. I am a retired tobacco buyer for Phillip Morris USA 40 years traveling the USA buying green leaf tobacco at auction. I cut my teeth flyfishing on a cane rod that was made by granddad out of what ever was available to him, was not pretty but it worked. I grew up on his farm in south side of VA and spent my summers with him  growing tobacco the rest of my teenage life was spent in Roanoke, VA, were I was introduced to trout and small mouth bass. I bought my first real bamboo rod at the tender age of 10 years old along with reel and good fly line, real leaders and flies. Boy, I thought I was in heaven, cost (1955) 15.00 dollars. I still have that old rod and reel the line too not useable but the rod and reel stills work. I guess you could say I am self taught, even though I never took a class, I read Wayne Cattanach’s book and George Barnes, made a lot of my tools and jigs, thanks Harry Boyd for the loan of our plane making jigs. I have made 5 rods so far for myself and a friend and my granddaughter, never had so much fun completely losing my mind, I also make hex cases for my rods, something that pretty deserves a good case to house it in.