While I was testing the 3 wt and the 6 wt last weekend. I put the three wt down along side me in the canoe. I guess the edge was over the gunwales, because when I turned to do what ever it was I was intent on doing I heard a "splash." 

Luckily I was fishing a floating line and had several feet stripped out.  I was able to retrieve the rod.  Fished it the rest of the day, with no apparent harm. 

I always hang my rods up in the rod bag when I get home from fishing them, for a day or two. Seems like I always splash them, or dunk them. 

This is the first time I've ever submerged a complete rod. (Terry Kirkpatrick)

I got a little overzealous when dressing a ferrule on my three weight. This spring I cast the tip section off the rod twice in the same trip. That sucker sank right to the bottom of the stream. Luckily, it wasn't a deep stream and I recovered the section both times. The next day I squished that puppy in a heavy chuck. Now it's tight as a... Well, it's tight. [;-)]  (Dennis Haftel)

My first rod suffered a similar fate!  My 10 year old daughter was handing me the rod in a tube, open end towards me while I was sitting in a canoe at dockside. Both sections slid out and I managed to catch the butt, but the tip went to the bottom like a rocket.  We tried to retrieve the tip, but the water was deep with a black silt bottom. The only good thing about this was that it was the incentive to make a second rod. My daughter is 39 this fall, so that was 29 years and many rods ago. (Ted Knott)

I spent the last seven years bringing up my 3 children at home and building bamboo rods in my (very scarce) spare time. By a strange quirk of fate I started working for a major fly fishing dealer here in Germany three months ago. They are now holding a 4 day refresher and workshop course at the beginning of May. I have been asked to hold a talk about the care and handling of Bamboo Fly rods. I see it as a chance to try to bring across the difference between graphite and Bamboo and to dispel some of the myths about the vulnerability of fly rods made of split cane.

Does anybody have any interesting tips on the care and handling of Bamboo fly rods? I am a bit nervous about this and I want to get it right and try and convince a few people to convert to using a Bamboo rod. So please let me have your suggestions, it will come as a great help to me as well as the rest of the list no matter how trivial your idea may seem. (Stuart Moultrie)

If you have, or have access to Ron Barch's "Best of the Planing Form", there are a number of tips on the care and feeding of bamboo rods in it. Good luck with the talk. (Neil Savage)

I'm sure there is a long list of do's & don'ts for the care of bamboo and graphite rods but most of it boils down to common sense. IMHO I don't believe either type, bamboo or graphite, are much vulnerability different.

Here are a few do's/don'ts that are big on my list:

Clean/wipe-down after use. When not in use, keep in rod bag. Don't leave assembled and propped/leaning in corner for long periods of time. Storage - Hang rod, in rod bag not in rod case in a closet inside your home. When traveling, keep rod in bag & rod tube. Don't leave in closed up vehicles parked in sun for extend periods of time. And above all - don't kill snakes with your rod! (Don Schneider)

1. After use, always wipe the rod down with a soft cloth and allow complete drying before putting into a bag.

2. Don't store it in a hot attic or damp basement.

3. And the first thing I tell a novice; DO NOT twist the sections when joining or taking apart. (Ed Riddle)

Anybody have a short list of suggestions or recommendations for first time cane rod owners? I'm about to deliver a rod and need some guide lines for the new owner. I remember Best of Planing Form had some suggestions in the margins but my copy was lost in the last move. (Brad Love)

Try this, with reference to BPF:

1. Never put rod away wet. Keep rod clean and dry, bag as well

2. Store rod, out of tube, in a bag, thin ends up in a dark place with little temperature fluctuation. Never horizontally

3. Never leave rod leaning against anything, especially cars. Always put your rod in tube when finished fishing. First order of business. Rod tube is intended for transporting and going through doorways.

4. Never pull a snagged fly by the rod. Pull the line by hand.

5. Never wax, oil or varnish the cork. If dirty wash with mild soap and water.

6. Keep ferrules meticulously clean in side and out. Never oil. NO NOSE GREASE

7. When assembling push ferrules home as far as they will comfortably go. Don't store assembled. Never twist when taking down. (Show client how to hold rod to take down - also good idea to teach him two man take down for stubborn ferrule).

8. Never stick hooks in cork.

9. Check frequently for damage and attend to ASAP. (Darrol Groth)

Below are the contents of a rod care brochure I send with each rod.

Use and Care of Your New Rod

A quality bamboo fly rod from my shop represents about 60 hours of painstaking labor. In its natural state, Arundinaria Amabilis, or Tonkin Cane, is an amazingly strong material, much stronger than many modern synthetics. A certain modicum of care is still required to keep your rod in its best shape. Here are some commandments and some suggestions:

First, when you assemble and disassemble your rod, Thou shalt repeat the mantra - “Hands Together, Rod Together. Hands Apart, Rod Apart.” To assemble the rod, align the guides and place your hands as close as possible to the male and female ferrules. Push straight together with no twisting. If the guides are not properly aligned, disassemble the rod and try again. To take the rod sections apart, place one hand near the male ferrule. Place the other hand at the opposite end of the section with the female ferrule, and pull straight apart.

Do not use any sort of lubricant on the ferrules. Grandpa’s suggestion to use nose grease is a bad one. Any grease causes dust and grit to accumulate and will cause premature wear on your ferrules. All new rods come with the ferrules fit rather tightly, and oxidation will occur for some time. If you have difficulty assembling or disassembling the rod, carefully use some 4/0 steel wool to polish the male ferrule only, or send it back to me and I’ll refit the ferrules.

Second, Thou shalt not carry thy assembled rod through a door. Any time you go through a door (or through the woods) with your rod, the rod should be disassembled, and preferably in a case. That means any door, from car doors to aircraft hanger doors. Car doors and screen doors break more rods in a week than all the fish in the world ever have.

Third, Thou shalt not attempt to free thy stuck fly by jerking on the rod. Instead, pull enough line off the reel to allow you to grasp the line and pull only the line straight towards you.

Fourth, Thou shalt not fight a fish with the rod held vertically, or beyond vertical. Holding a rod straight up with a severe bend in the tip places far too much stress on the rod and may cause tips to snap or take a set. Long leaders make us tempted to do just that. Be extremely careful any time the line leader connection is inside the tiptop.

Fifth, Thou shalt never, ever put thy rod away wet. Buy a chamois and use it each time you place the rod in its bag. The finish on your rod is very durable, but can be severely damaged by moisture in a short period of time. When you will not be using the rod for an extended time, hang it in its bag in a cool, dry place. Also, don’t leave your rod assembled and leaning against a tree or a building for long periods of time. This can also make the rod take a set.

Experiment to see which line you like best with your rod. This rod is designed for a specific weight of Weight Forward Fly line. Move up or down as much as one full line weight. More than one line weight will over stress the rod and may cause it to fail.

Finally, if two tips are provided with your rod, rotate tips each time you use the rod. Each tip s usually marked at the ferrules and tiptop. Use one tip one day, the other tip the next day. I suggest removing the outside tip from the bag first, then move the remaining tip to the outside section of the bag so that you will use it next time.

A fine bamboo rod should last for years as is evidenced by those we have inherited from our grandparents. Use care and common sense and this rod will last a lifetime. Finally, use this rod. It’s not a toy, and not a museum piece, but a fishing rod. Catch lots of fish, and let most of them go. (Harry Boyd)

Good suggestions. You may also want to mention that when inserting the rod into the tube, form an "O" with your forefinger and thumb over the end of the tube to prevent damage to the guides. (Ron Grantham)

Here are the instructions I provide with each rod. They aren't original, but collected from various places on the web.

Care and Handling of Your Bamboo Rod

A wise old fisherman once told me that the only things that break bamboo rods are doors and feet. This means that your rod should be the last piece of your angling equipment to come out of its case, and the first piece you put back in its case.

1.   Cleaning: Keep a clean cotton wiping cloth with your tackle. Use this cloth to wipe the male ferrule clean of any dust, dirt or grime. Never, never use any kind of lubricant, to ease ferrule fit or abrasive/steel wool/commercial polishing cloths to clean the ferrules.

2.   Never twist rod sections to align the guides or when assembling or disassembling the rod. Over time it will cut a groove in the ferrules, and they will have to be replaced.

3.   When walking with the rod assembled, carry it with the rod tip to the rear.

4.   When finished fishing for the day:

• Use a cotton wiping cloth to wipe down the grip, rod sections, reel and the reel seat.
• Never put a cane rod away wet, as the moisture will affect the finish. Watermarks on the varnish look unsightly.
• After fishing in the rain or having managed to immerse your rod during fishing, you should remove the rod from the tube, keeping it in the rod bag, and hang it in a safe corner or other out of the way place in order to permit the rod to dry completely.
• Do not let the rod and bag drop into the tube, permitting the ferrules to impact the bottom of the tube.
• Use your ferrule plug that comes with your rod faithfully.

5.   Don't leave your rod assembled and propped/leaning in corners or against a tree for long periods of time, or in closed up vehicles parked in sun for extended periods of time.

Finally, have fun. Now that you have a new bamboo fly rod, get out there and catch some fish. That's what it is built for isn't it?

END OF SEASON, OR GENERAL ROD CARE

1.   Ferrule cleaning is not necessary with every assembly. Once a year is fine when you go over your tackle in preparation for the new season, or when things seem to be getting a bit too tight. Ferrules may be cleaned by moistening a Q-Tip with a common household surface cleaner (nonabrasive), such as those packaged in pump spray bottles and by gently rubbing the surface clean.

2.   To clean and polish the varnished surfaces, use a mild polish intended for fine antique furniture and a clean, soft wiping cloth. As a rule of thumb, if your polish of choice is an aerosol then it's the wrong stuff. Do not ever use an abrasive cleaner as it will damage or remove the finish.

3.   If you find that hook strikes have damaged the surface of the bamboo rod shaft, then a little more effort is required. In such a circumstance return the rod to me for an inspection and repair.

If you take care of your fly rod it will be a pleasant companion for years to come. (Don Bugg)

I like to fish in the winter, there are a couple catch and release areas that allow for that on the river I fish. My question is - Is this bad for a Bamboo rod, I don't go when it is below 30, but a day like today, 32 degrees, a light snow falling, makes for some interesting fishing, an occasional Blue Winged Olive hatch or Winter Caddis. (Pete Van Schaack)

Gosh, I hope not. Best fishing in these parts is December through February. I've often had to clean ice out of my guides every few casts, and so far have discovered no ill effects. Well, at least none to the rod. Fishing when it's cold outside does horrible things to one's self-esteem. Sure makes you wonder if those folks who think we are crazy might be on to something. (Harry Boyd)

I fish nothing but bamboo, fish it year round... snow & ice storms or blistering heat. Just exercise proper care of the rod (don't put it back in the tube with ice chunks in the guides, etc.) and you will have no problems. (Bob Nunley)

I have fished many times with ice in the guides with no adverse effects (on the rod). That would be in 20 degree F weather. (Reed Curry)

I'd worry about plastic rods, not bamboo ones, in real cold. I've fished at -15F and colder with bamboo several times and never had any problems beyond ice on the snake guides. (Barry Kling)

My rods seem to hold up just fine in extreme weather and with the proper care I have noticed no ill effect. I will however like to caution at least in my case the use of silk line below zero. I have several short lines that have just snapped in cold fishing. Maybe someone can tell us of a preferred dressing for silk in cold weather!

These were old lines but in good shape though, I have only had it on extreme days most of the time I have no problem. They first seem to ice a lot before this happens so I usually just change over and give that line a good cleaning once I get home. The icing seems to cause a loop to be thrown into it and then it tightens on itself causing a week spot. (Not A Knot)! The weak spot will show in the form of a hinge and if the line is used more it will often break. It is almost like I am not getting a good dressing on them and the get impregnated with water freeze and break like ice. (Ron Rees)

Our trout season in Minnesota opens Jan. 1 I fish all winter. There's no bad weather just bad clothes. I fish my bamboo rods with no apparent problems. I have a winter rod with all #5 snakes made from very light wire by Dave LeClair.  (Dave Norling)

There a whole slew of us here in Conn. that stop bamboo at 45 degrees. Can't remember where we got the info from but we have been using it as bible for the last 30 years. We could be all wrong but I think it was one of the rod makers that told us to do it?   (Rich Colo)

On it's first outing, I banged up my last rod something awful. I had it laying in the back of a quad without a tube or sock on the way to a bass pond. I wasn't worried about the tip breaking but didn't give any thought to the finish. Well after bouncing around for a half hour I ended up with a bunch of chips and scratches in the finish. I'm not so worried about that but I also ended up with a small dent on one of the corner sections (above second male ferrule).

I'm wondering if there's any chance that I've created a possible shear point and if I should secure with a wrap.

Here's what I'm talking about:

(For those single minded folks. Yes, I fished the rod anyway and yes we caught fish. Two strong enough to break 3x) (Jim Lowe)

Now you know how not to care for a rod. Little experience with quads, but in my opinion no wrap is needed. Most of the nicks and dings are cosmetic and can be repaired. The one out of the corner is probably never going to look the same, but so what if it is your rod. Fish it until time for redo then tackle the problems. (Ralph Moon)