Calviello Rods: August 2007

Talking about tapers.

Whenever I tried to make something, I always want to give my best, that's why I never get involved anyone into my projects. What I'm trying to say is, that one of my rules is not to copy anything into any rod signed by me. I have full respect for all that gentlemen that in the past contributed to the rod making process. Every day I try to honor them making my job.
My years as an avid collector and fly fisherman, allowed me to test many rods and get a clear idea of what a good fishing rod would be. After that, I took the work of analyze and to compare each one of those tapers and understand the "why, the how and the for what".
Them, I made my own mess and after a not easy stage of "trial & error", I got my first taper. And you know what?... I love it!!!
Doubtlessly, my BOBFS (Bamboo on Bamboo Ferrule System), force me in that direction, but this happened after my first taper and rod was made, and for sure this gave me the confidence to face the new challenge.

I always loved tools, and that ones used for measurement are my favorites. They help me a lot at those time where don't was so easy to get rod measurements like now, with "internet" and "tapers collections". I've learned a lot and understood many things taking this measures because the measured rod was in my hands and in addition I was able to cast it and compare results.
Those were wonderful years of discoveries, but the years that were about to come, gave me the knowledge of an ability that I did not know... This was the ability to understand and incorporate the meaning of those "cold" numbers.

Now after many years, ever I work on a new taper, numbers just flow from...
Yes they flow..., don't ask me from "where, why or how", but this is what happens to me.
When the last station was finished, I make a review and make some adjustments if I feel that they were needed or something make some "noise" to me.
It's just like "dance"... hear to the music, feel it and leave your body, it will do the job.
Fast rods, slow action rods, parabolic ones, four's and six's, 5' , 7' 9" or 9', 2/2 and 3/2 are the resulting of "dancing with boos" a sensual mixture of feelings and numbers.

The process of making a new rod can't be compared to any other building process because you're transforming a death piece of grass into a "full of life" fishing instrument. You need to have very clear what you're looking for, what would you need and how you can help in the hole raising process. The best way to work in my humble opinion is to take a culm, feel it, and decide what you can get from it.
But this is not the common way. Because of orders, this process begun in a different way. You get an order and them you look for the piece of cane that can fill the necessities to make it. Into that culm resides the soul of the future rod, so here begins the "dance". Like in a dance many details will point you if you made the right choice or not. And in dance partners are partners.

I have a privilege at that point, I take my bamboo from plantation, so I select very carefully if a culm is ready or if it need to grow in capabilities. Also I can select that ones exposed to wind, instead of that ones that live protected in the middle of plantation. This culms are strong because of their constant flexing fighting for life. Here I also look for straight and external good looking qualities.
After this selection, bamboo must be exposed to sun for the "cures" process.
I own a good place to storage so I have my culms pre selected for using them on different tapers. Also I'm able to keep them full long, so at the time of selection I make the necesary cuts.

Argentine native bamboo gave me all what I need to make my rods. Great amount of powerfibers, 2' to 2.5' in diameter, 10 up to 14 feet long, interesting node spacing and straightness, plus the advantage to select each cane that is going to be taken, extra work but you learn a lot walking into the plantation.

Wonderful print from Mr. Bob White, master artist, guide and flyfisherman.

One of my Fly Boxes...

I learn this simple advice, after losing many days of work in my beginnings. Sometimes the "rush" take us to a point where what we have done cannot be repaired and the piece was lost.
In my personal experience I like to make my grips over the blank. I know that is dangerous... but I have always done it this way and after more than 200 rods I never found a problem if my work was planned with order and time.
When I decide to work on grips I always repeat the same routine.
1) I work with the blank, I take the needed measures and make some marks as a guide.
2) Calculate the amount of material that I will use and prepare 25% more, just in case.
3) I made all the meticulous work like joints, reel seat adjustments and fighting butts (if the rod takes one).
4) I get together all the tools that I will need.
5) I put everything over a table and make the last review for something missing.
6) I prepare the glue and do the work.

Peacock Bass, (Tucunaré) Paca , Río Matupirí (Amazonas) Brasil.

One of the best allowances that fishing gave to me were "pals". One of them is very near me from many years ago. He is irreplaceable at any of my fishing trips, he is my fishing partner, he is "my friend", he is my son... Sebastián start fishing at a very young age and he crossed next to me innumerable rivers here in Argentina and others around the world.

I have nothing to said about his casting abilities, although I must confess that I'm always pressing him to improve, as any father with his little "boy".
This year when I design the new SSS's (Swelled Sealed Series), I made a 7' #4 for him and ask for an extensive test.

The first day, at night I received a mail with this praise "Dad the rod cast like a dream!!!, and here you have some pictures to prove that". He was fishing at the Pulmari river, at one of our secret spots. The mail finished like this "there you have a rainbow and a brown, you need more?. The following was at the same spot but with different fish.

We love this little rods and they really make a good job at any medium size river.

When I wake up this morning I was prepared to take care of one special rod. I'm making a Salmon rod for my friend Dr. Paul Hermann. Yes the one that made so wonderful reels that I showed at "The Beauty and The Beast" post. After taking breakfast I went to the shop and start looking for the stuff. I leaved all prepared yesterday but, something was wrong nothing was at it's place. When I decide to prepare the glue something happened and the middle goes into the floor. Sheet!!! The phone begun to ring, one, two... ten times and yes I decide to quit.
I need and always select my days for different jobs, that's why I always like to have rods at different stages of process.
Walking around the house, I felt like a lion in jail, so I took my golf bag and ran to the golf course. I have one ten blocks from home. It was a wonderful day I hit my driver like I have never done. Finish the 18 holes and my head was clean and ready to try the work again.
When I returned, all was magic, all the stuff were at their place and the work flowed from my hands like music.

This grip was special because I want to make an attached fighting butt into this rod. All my standard process change and I have to position different jobs at different stages. But as you can see, at this time the rod owns the new grip and a reel seat that would be perfect for Salmon style fishing.
The rod is a 8' 6" 2/2 #7 Hollow Build Series. CFH867
Here you can take a look at the rod with Paul's reel attached. Paul now I'm ready to varnish and wrap your new "Golden Salmon Rod".

Hi folks

I'm looking to optimize the blog, so I will need your help. When I begun this project I did it as a new way, a modern way to be in touch with all the Bamboo community. I'll try to use every minute and break time at my working day at the shop to keep it updated. I'm very happy with the new idea, lots of subscribers, but now I need to know a little about any of you.
Are these the type of articles you want to read?, what you prefer? histories, fishing trips, rod making, rod pictures... I'll need your help to know what you really need or want to read.
If you have any comment about this Blog or if you have question about rods, rod making, fly fishing, fishing bamboo rods or fishing Argentine waters please let me know, make your comment, or ask your question. I need to know if this is interesting and useful for you.
Please use the comment button at the end of any post or send it to my mail you can find it at my profile.
I'm very happy making this blog every day, because I can share all my passion with all, but I need to hear for you. Sure you have something to say, good or bad it will be welcome.
Help me to improve this communication!!! We can make it better together.

Thanks and best regards from Argentina.
Marcelo

After more than 35 years of fishing and collecting bamboo rods, I can tell you that I got the perfect sense of what I look for, into a rod. I had many, many rods and I can tell you that any time, when I had to choose my rods "to go", always my preferences were into 2 or 3 between more than 60.
Sometimes when I decide to give a chance to another one, I don't feel well, something was missing. When you got a real contact with a rod everything magically change. A big repertory of opportunities appear

Now as a rod maker, "friendly" is my first thought when I design a taper. I made fishing rods, not the ones to hold on the wall, the ones that love to be fished.
What I mean with friendly...? simply a rod that merge with your fishing style, a rod that simply work short or large, slow or fast when you need.

A straight line as the one in the picture gives me perfect control of my fly and leader. Modern fly fishing, without the big populations of the "Golden era" force to extreme every cast and you need to trust that you're doing your best. All your senses must merge in one, rod included.
Another thing that usually happen is that in our hurry world we don't have a month to fish. Our trips are for a day, three days or a week. I really missed that 50 days of continue fishing of my young days. This don't give us to much time to accommodate our casting to any rod. It must be
automatic. We are not able to lost one day trying to find a rod action.

So friendly is my concept to go when I design any taper. The BOBFS (Bamboo on Bamboo Ferrule System) was a great help with this find. Happen that they allow that any of my rods can do practically anything I ask to. In our waters, specially into the big rivers is usually to change from a #6 rod to a #4. This change could be dramatic if you have to adapt yourself to a completely different action. Friendly rods allows you to enjoy and get the most of you out of a fishing day. Can you think in a 10 feet's cast and them a 100 feet's?, that is what I try to mean.
Think how many of your owned rods are "friendly". How many of them just rest for years at their tubes...

We can make big changes if we take the right decision. Work together for one dream is the way to go. We have to take part, for our sons, grandsons... and for us. WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO???

"Tararira" Hoplias Malabaricus, this is a native species that lives at any space with water in Argentina. This fish is like a "Bass" and is as a teacher to anyone that make his introduction to Fly fishing. You'll find it everywhere and always ready to take your fly and fight hard with multiple kind of acrobatics.

Today our trip is to Japanese waters. Mr. Katsuo Omiya fishing his CFH806 8' #6 Hollow Build Series at one of his loved rivers in Japan.

Thank you Mr. Omiya for fish my rods on those wonderful waters.

Magical and mysterious, distant and desolated, it's called "The last border of the world", but... Tierra del Fuego and his Rio Grande are one of the most famous places to fish along the planet. Big Sea Runs enter every year into the river. Every season they lay eggs into this waters turning it into a destiny dreamed by many fly fishermen. Strong winds fight against you and your line every day, in order to don't let you put the fly where you want. I must confess that is not my preferred style of fishing but... I'm addicted to this waters.
My last trip was done about 3 years ago with Sebastián my big son and fishing partner. Was not a long trip, 3 days because of work... but was sufficient. The trip was arranged with Danny Lajous and he guide us during these unforgettable days.

18 pounds Brown resident.

We fish into 6 different "pools", and got more than 30 Sea Runs from 7 up to 18 pounds.

I took with me my bamboo stuff, but this time the winds did not allow me to use them.

All the fish were strong and in great shape and many of them made us walk more than 100 meters before being able to remove them from the water.

Now with my New SSS I'm will be prepared for my next trip and will use my loved bamboo rod to give a try to this big beauties.

If you're thinking big and want to make the trip of your life don't miss Rio Grande at Tierra del Fuego, for sure it will be unforgettable.

Magical and mysterious, distant and desolated... but perhaps here lives, "The Trout of your Life".

I've just uploaded some rods for sale. Please take a look.

CataBlog

I take the following files from a pdf document made a few years ago. Here is the explanation on how I design and made my own Bamboo on Bamboo Ferrule System. This is not the result of an engineering but of common sense. Personally I think that is a great innovation and some day all rod will be made this way. Only you have to cast one to notice what I'm trying to mean.

BOBFS Step by step

Enjoy and please visit my CataBlog