First Bamboo rod

[Islander]

The clouds parted just enough today to deliver my first bamboo rod!! :) ...A South Bend #177 9' 3/2 5/6 WT.

Overall the rod is in solid shape with no sets, cracks and all original guides in green and gold wraps. It does appear to be missing a guide on the butt section but I can't say for sure. There are some wraps where I think a guide should go but it could just be a cosmetic feature. Does anyone have any insight on this?

Also, and more importantly, I can't get the tip-sections to fit completely into the mid-section. I'm hoping to get some sage advice on this one...

I should say, I have a week to return the rod if I like, but I'd like to hear from ya'll if this can be remedied at a decent price? I didn't pay much for the rod, so I don't mind investing a little to get it working right.

tight lines!

[Buck Henry]

Islander,

Congrats dude! I love old South Bend rods, I own two myself. If the 177 is like most 9 foot SB rods, the butt section should have only one line guide on it; that being a fairly stout stripping guide mounted near the female ferrule. If you don't have a stripping guide, then you will definitely need to get one. The model 177 came with a basic stainless steel stripping guide.

Stripping guides can be pretty cheap ($5 to $10) for a basic metal one, or you can spend some coin on a nice agate lined stripping guide ($35 and up). Wrapping the guide on is no big deal, but finding the thread to match can be challenging and it will set you back $5 or more for a spool of verigated thread.

Concerning your ferrules, try and clean the inside of the female ferrule with a Q-tip wetted with isoprophyl alcohol. Don't go crazy with the alcohol, but get the Q-tip wet enough to clean the inside of the ferrule. Follow the wet Q-tip with a few dry ones to make sure it is good and clean down in there. For the male ferrules, lightly polish with 0000 steel wool. Don't go crazy here either, you just want to clean off any oxidation that might have occured. This should allow the ferrules to now fit nicely together. BTW, you actually have a good problem, most old SB ferrules fit too loose due to age.

Have fun with your new rod, and please post some pics if you can.

[Islander]

Thanks for the info Buck!

After inspection, it does have all the proper guides in place. The stripping guide is stout but not very large and I was expecting the opposite.

Also, the ferrules still don’t fit together completely but I think a few more cleanings will get the job done. I’m looking forward to testing it out on the DH!! I just need to find a short rod for the small streams and I’ll be set.

I’ll post some pics this week!!

(Pics Added)

[Islander]

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff262/NYIslander/DSCF2630.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff262/NYIslander/DSCF2626.jpg