Author Archives: JE Arguello

It’s Memorial day! So you have been planning this weekend for quite some time. Long weekend, weather is getting much better and the bug life is really starting to bloom! Did all the yard work, or at least enough to … Continue reading →

Matching a reel to your new bamboo fly rod can be quite an experience. Here is an area where we can get pretty crazy! Just what do you need… and what do you want? Well let’s talk about what is … Continue reading →

Leaders…furled, braided, hand tied knotted, tapered one piece. That about covers it! What’s the best one? Well that’s kinda up to you and how you define ‘best leader’ For a long time I used commercially available tapered leaders with a … Continue reading →

So you decided you want a bamboo fly rod! Is this your first one? Or are you adding to your collection? Are you gonna fish with this rod of buy it as an investment? These and many other questions may … Continue reading →

So you have been bitten by the Bamboo Rod Bug! Well, here’s the bad news, there is no known cure! The good news… yes every cloud has a silver lining! You are in for a trip that is full of … Continue reading →

Like many people I have always been fascinated by knives. So I thought I should make one, you know not just grind a piece of metal but forge it! Always looked cool when I would see a blacksmith forming a … Continue reading →

Here’s my latest effort, this rod went to Japan, second one for the same customer. It has all custom made components and is based on a Garrison 204e. Click on the thumnail for larger view, Thank you for your interest, … Continue reading →

When I started making bamboo fly rods back in 1991 it seemed that it was somewhat difficult to find components that I felt would compliment a fine bamboo rod. Aluminum reel seats have never been an option for me although … Continue reading →

When I first started building rods, somewhere I got the idea that if you found a taper and made it within .001 of the published numbers then it would be the exact published line weight! I also believed that since … Continue reading →

There has been quite a bit of discussion lately about making agate stripping guides on various forums. I thought I would talk about my journey into this area. When I first started making rods, maybe the first couple of years, … Continue reading →