[.ca] Splitting Cane: Conversations with Bamboo Rodmakers (ISBN 0811700089)

bamboo book:
Surveys only some of the better rodmakers - Brackett, Jennings, Jenkins and others - and describes test casting and action of each...Observations were interesting, but not much of a reference. This is not an updated reference book a la Marty Keane (which is thin also) but more of a musing through rodbuilding, action etc. The rodbuilding/collecting/fishing community is lacking a comprehensive reference of fine contemporary cane rods. This book helps but does not go far enough. Pictures are desired in this type of book but sadly are missing. Many of the chapters appeared in a small fly fishing journal out of Livingston in the past so you may have seen them before. And a piece by John Gierach, surprise, suprise.

Good but could have been better:
Engle's book is an introduction to many of today's bamboo rod builders. The results of test casting each of the builders' rods seemed to run together as the descriptions of the actions were different but the meaning was the same. I am not sure I could pick a builder through these similar descriptions. The interviews about the builders' philosophies would serve one better. Overall, I thought the book was informative but with no color plates of the rods, the detailed descriptions lost much of their value. Still a good read.