YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, FISH CANE ………..
After moving to Vermont last fall, I sort of put the 2 handers away and focused on traditional dry fly fishing for trout and blue lining for our native brook trout. I was getting the itch to fish cane, and with the Great Lakes a short drive away and some steelhead trips to the Ronde with friends on the books, I put my deposit in with David and waited for my rod to be built. It came in today, and of course I immediately pulled it out of the bag and was blown away. The color looks so good in real life (especially in the sun), the wraps are perfect, and the reel seat sets it all off. Even the rod bag is awesome. Can’t say enough how helpful David is during the build process, I had many questions and he answered them all and then some. After getting it taped up and strapping on the Hardy, I brought it to a smallmouth river to get a feel for the cast. It’s one of the only rivers in the area that’s large enough to enjoy casting a long line. I hitched a Steelhead Bee on, and the first cast shot out into a pile. After slowing down and learning the nuances of the rod, it came easier. These rods feel so good, and load up practically through the cork. I was fishing a Bridge Tributary 5/6 @ 475 grains. I was able to skate up a few smallies and the feeling of fighting a fish on this rod is indescribable. Now I can’t wait to swing it on every river that’s wide enough, for trout, salmon, or steelhead! Thanks again David for the rod of a lifetime.
Jake Roy
Review of the David L. Reid Winter Run 7/8 Custom Cane Rod
This has been too long coming and I apologize to David for the delay. However, time has given me a chance to play with the rod on different rivers, different conditions and for different species. This rod it awesome. It’s a dream to cast, light in hand and just gorgeous to look at.
When I received the rod I was fishing the Upper Columbia with Bruce Kruk. I took it out to the river in the evening just to get a feel for it. It didn’t go well at first but as soon as I figured out how she likes to be handled the rod came alive. The best line we had on hand for it was a 400gr Elixer. This line worked well but when I arrived home I ordered a Gaelforce ESH 8wt. With a nice slow and steady bottom hand pull I was shooting line at a good distance. I think this is the magic line for it. Recently I was casting a 480gr Rage. Casts just as well with a shorter line and a little easier to pick up too.
About the rod:
Once you start looking it over it doesn’t take long for you to realize the craftsmanship involved. The finish is perfect(and durable). The thread wraps are tight and just pop. The agate stripping guide matches the thread wraps perfectly. The quality of the cork and milling is nothing short of perfect. The rod easily becomes an extension of your arm and looks good doing it. These are definitely heirloom quality and will be enjoyed for generations.
These aren’t your grandfather’s cane rods.
David is right, life is short, fish cane!
Thank you David, sorry for the delay.
Dan
Buying a cane rod is an investment. I’ve never owned a brand new Spey rod. I’ve always purchased used rods as a way to be cost-effective while both learning to cast and learning what types of rods suit my casting style. I bought a used Sharpes Scottie last year after speaking with a friend about how casting bamboo can improve your two-handed casting in general. I was in love with both casting and fishing cane once I landed my first fish, but the 1960s rod left a little to be desired. It was heavy after a day of fishing.
My mind was made up that I wanted to fish cane almost exclusively from my experiences, but the big two rod builders that I knew of had longer wait times than I wanted. Luckily around the same time I discovered David Reid and started to ask questions. We talked on the phone for a little over an hour and my hesitation in investing that much money in a piece of fishing equipment disappeared. We talked fishing, casting and what other rods I was currently using. It was clear that Dave was getting a feel for which one of his tapers would suit my casting best. That was one of My biggest qualms, what if I have this rod made and I can’t cast it? I felt much more comfortable after Learning a bit about each taper and what he recommended would be best based on how I prefer to cast and fish.
I’ve attempted to have other custom rods built before and felt like I was getting shoehorned into a rod that maybe the maker wanted to put me in but it wasn’t necessarily what I wanted. After agreeing on the taper we talked cosmetics and components and how I would like my rod to look. My goal was to have a rod that resembled an old smoking chair in dark green and brown wraps. When my rod arrived I was immediately blown away by the quality and craftsmanship, as I took the 12’ 8/9 butt section out I was stunned. He absolutely nailed the color scheme and the grip is by far the nicest grip I’ve ever held.
While these rods are truly beautiful works of art, they are a fishing tool as well. The true beauty lies in Dave’s tapers and how they perform. It’s hard to put into words a description but they cast as a modern rod with all the benefits of cane. Lightweight and crisp are the two words that come to mind. Add powerful but elegant and smooth and you have the complete picture of how these rods cast.
If you are curious about bamboo you owe it to yourself to call David and have a conversation. His passion for fishing and building, rods are contagious but at the same time there is no pressure, it’s more like talking fishing with a close friend.
David managed to take my vision of what I thought a cool idea for a custom rod would be and turned it into the most fun and enjoyable rod that I’ve ever cast. Thank you David!
Steve Szeliga
Upstate on the Fly podcast and Blog
“I have enjoyed fishing bamboo rods since childhood … Initially inheriting hand-me-down fly rods from uncles, brothers and friends … Then as time went on, I was allowed to purchase or trade up for a few others over these many years.
It has always been a great joy for me to fish them, and without question; they have also been a great inspiration for me in regards to the development of my composite two handed fly rod designs as well.
I am fortunate to now have several bamboo rods in my quiver that I do especially enjoy spending time with on the river, and among them would be my David Reid 8’0″ 4wt.
… She is a delightful rod … Sensitive, crisp, and totally responsive in all regards.
A lovely Spring Creek dry fly rod …
… My favorite dry fly rod for fishing with friends and companions on the High Desert Spring Creeks of Eastern Oregon.”
Bob Meiser <> R.B. Meiser Fly Rods
“When I approached David about a spey rod for dry fly work he had a couple of options that fit my needs and with the most excellent communication from David we were able to settle on the Fall Run 12′ for an 8/9 wt.
The rod is not only stunningly beautiful but a perfect match for what I was looking for and is a great casting rod and perfectly balanced in hand, it is also a actual “fishing” rod not just a show piece and sits in my boat taped up and ready to go at all times.
Thank you David for a rod that will stand the test of time.”
Bruce Kruk
“If you are looking for a great casting and great fishing rod, especially if you are interested in a top quality cane rod, don’t hesitate to purchase from David Reid. I’ve fished and cast several of his rods and found them to be wonderful and beautiful. I offered my long-time fishing buddy a choice between one of David’s rods or a guide trip of comparable cost as a thank you for some big favors. My friend didn’t know David, and was hesitant, but after casting several of David’s rods he found the choice very easy, and he picked a light trout spey to help round out his quiver.
David is a master of the sport of flyfishing, and became a keen student of the art and science of rod-making. He is now a master cane craftsman, building both famous tapers and tapers of his very own to pair with modern lines and techniques, especially spey. Top quality hardware graces the rods. David is also a great guy and family man you can trust to build to optimally meet your needs. Regardless of whether you are looking for a small, light single-handed trout rod, or a rod for steelhead on big rivers, I doubt you could find a finer or more beautiful rod than those built by David L. Reid. They are modern fishing tools of museum quality.“
Bill Koran
“I was looking for the right cane rod builder to work with me for my first two handed cane rod. David Reid was recommended to me by several well known people in the world of spey and two handed rods. I could not be more happy that I chose David for my new cane spey rod. David spent considerable time with me over several phone calls to learn about what I was looking for and which rod build would be the perfect match for me. He went over his tapers and actions, and explained the differences with each. We talked about the rivers I would be fishing and how I intended to use the rod. We agreed that his Winter Run 11’ 9” 7 weight in his parabolic taper would be perfect for what I was looking for. When the rod arrived, I was stunned at how beautiful my new heirloom turned out! David’s craftsmanship and attention to detail are evident from the finish (medium flamed for me) to the Belding Corticelli #4425 Tangerine Orange tipped with Pearsels Black wrappings. I chose the Oregon Spalted Maple insert with Lemke Nickel Silver Hardware and Banded Amber Agate Guides. He uses the finest materials available and works with you to customize your rod to you. I could not be more happy with the entire process of working with David. While wait times may vary, I received my rod within four months of ordering it. My journey into the world of bamboo rods is off to a great start.”
John Putnam
“When I first started to consider purchasing a bamboo rod, David spent quite a bit of time on the phone with me. We discussed what I would be using the rod for, where I would be using it, and what I wanted the rod to be able to do. With his help, I settled on a 7’6″ 4/5 wt. We stayed in constant contact throughout the entire build process…discussing eyelets, thread wraps, grips, and the different types of wood for the reel seat. He took all of this time and a very personal approach to ensure that the finished product was exactly what I wanted, and it most definitely was. David’s rods are not just functional fishing tools, but they are also true works of art.”
Eric Conner
“I’ve known about Davids cane rod building for some time now but it wasn’t until summer of 20′ that I decided to pull the trigger on a couple of Davids trout speys for a trip to the Deschutes chasing the infamous Redsides. David was very accommodating and made sure my rods were completed on time. The workmanship on his rods are top quality and second to none. I have other cane rods from two other famous builders and Davids quality and tolerances are truly impressive for someone relatively new to the game. The flex and bend from tip to cork are as exciting for a lightweight trout spey as it gets. Next up…if BC ever opens its borders again is a couple of Davids 7-8 wt Chrome “chasers!
Kz Hsue
“I have to say that I loved every step of getting this rod from Dave Reid. From the very beginning, Dave worked with me to determine what I wanted to use it for and completely catered the rod to what I needed based on how and where I fish. When I received it in the mail, I pulled the tube out of the box and was instantly impressed with the quality. After unscrewing the heavy cap and pulling out it’s contents it just kept getting better. I absolutely love the materials and craftsmanship that went into this rod. Everything from the tube, the bag, the cork, the bamboo, the agate stripping guides to the snake guides and tip, everything is clearly high quality. I was a little bit nervous about going with the splice joints instead of ferrules, because I have never fished a rod without ferrules and I was nervous about how well they would stay together. But now that I have used it, I’m so glad that I trusted Dave and went with this style. It bends from tip to but without any stiff spots. I used clear hockey tape to connect the three pieces together, like Dave suggested, and when it is all together you can’t even see the tape. All you see is the bamboo and it is beautiful. There’s just something about bamboo that speaks to the soul. The rod turned out to be much lighter than I expected and it feels amazing. The rod is perfectly balanced for my Hardy Marquis 8/9. Casting it, you can feel the line loading and the rod really transfers the power to send the line out and lay it down gently.”
Thank you Dave!
John Lewis
“Hey Dave ! WOW !!! Just got home and opened up my new rod ! It’s my birthday today so what a wonderful gift
My whole Family watched me open it and everyone is in awe of your workmanship ! Can’t wait to fish it. What tape do you reccomend? And is there any advice or video on lining the pieces up, etc. ? Thanks again. What a Beautiful work of art !!”
Mark Danhausen
