Just nicked this off the Denver Dave site Kai posted. Good advice for bamboo and general rod care:
Welcome to the wonderful world of Bamboo Fly fishing, if you are new to the sport I have included some tips on caring for your new purchase. If your an old hand at fishing a bamboo fly rod, these tips might be of help to refresh your memory or give you insight into another
way of thing about it...
Bamboo fly rods are not the delicate items of times long ago, if fact they are very tuff and can take more abuse then graphite or fiberglass rods in most cases. Bamboo is a natural material and has more tinsel strength then steel, with proper care and maintenance can last several life times. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy and maintain your bamboo fly rod, so you can pass it down to your children...
Do not assemble your bamboo fly rod indoors, or walk
indoors/outdoors with an assembled rod. Just like an umbrella, It's bad luck and can lead to damage to your rod or even worse a broken tip...
Always walk with the grip in your hand and the tip of your rod behind you, not in front of you...
On long hiking trips carry your rod in the tube, to protect your rod on the way in as well as on the way out...
Alternate tips on your rod every trip, this will help even out the ware on your rod and help in not putting a set in the tips...
Fight the fish using the butt section of the rod not the tip, it's also a good idea to turn the rod over ( guides up ) to fight a fish every once in a while...
Never try to jerk a fly lose from the bushes once your snagged, wade across and unhook or give the line slack and pull the line free with your hands...
On return to your vehicle at the end of the day, always
disassemble, sight down the tip, if there's a slight set, apply a slight bend in the opposite direction of the set and hold for a few minutes. Most sets cane be taken care of in this manner, if left unattended they can become permanent. Wipe down and put the rod and reel away first, then dress down and talk about the days adventure...
Most damage to bamboo fly rods ( or any rod ) happen because of neglect by the user, use good since your the keeper of this little piece of history...
Always wipe down the rod after use with a 100% cotton cloth, even if the rod dose not appear wet...
Always store the rod in it's tube in the closet corner in a
vertical position, prolonged storage in a horizontal position
may cause the rod to form a set...
It's a good idea to always keep a Silica Gel package in the
bottom of the tube at all times, this will absorb any light
moisture that is present. If a Silica Gel pack is not available,
you can make your own using a small amount rice sewn into a small piece of cloth...
If rod is lightly wet leave cap off tube for 12 to 24 hours on
your return home, hotel or camp, this will allow the rod to dry or at least get fresh air so mildew dose not start growing...
If rod and sock are wet lay everything out of the way on a
horizontal surface for 24 hours ( including Silica or Rice
package ), make sure it's out of reach of children, dogs, cats or anything that can cause damage to the rod...
If you have a vintage labeled tube do not use it in the field, get a spare tube to use in the field to protect your investment...
When inserting or removing rod from tube, form a circle around the mouth of the tube with your thumb and forefinger to protect the rod and guides from hitting the lip/sides of the tube causing damage...
When assembling the rod never twist the ferrules, always
straight on and straight off. When assembling the rod place your fingers close to the ferrules, then insert the male inline and straight. When disassembling the rod spread your hands away from the ferrules and apply pressure inline and straight out...
Never force tight ferrules together, if there to tight, dress
the female and male ferrule with WD-40 using a cotton
swab then remove excess with a dry cotton swab. Repeat the process if necessary, never use oil or grease as they attract dust and dirt that will damage your ferrules...
If ferrules are too lose, you can apply a coating of wax ( bee's wax or white canyon ) This is a temporary solution and caution must be used as the wax will attract dust and dirt, inspect ferrule before use and if dirt is present wipe clean and reapply a fresh coat of wax...
Always inspect your vintage bamboo fly rod on a regular bases for damage, if damage has occur do not fish the rod and contact your craftsmen for advice or repair...
lefty
