So now I have put my feet in the water and caught some fishies with the sweetgrass rod I built. Love it! I cannot see going back to the dark side for graphite or fiberglass.
Natural is about the best adjective I have found for fishing with a bamboo rod. The bamboo effortlessly loads on the back cast then dynamically releases its energy on the forward cast sending out the line to gently land the fly right in front of a gorgeous brookie. Sweetgrass gives me a more organic connection to fly fishing.
So, to supplement that natural cast you will find with "sweetgrass" I suggest using 406 Fly Lines in dual taper 4, 5 or 6 weights. That's a shameless endorsement for a small right-minded company.
Nothing beats catching fishies with a sweetgrass rod you built with your own hands (also goes for flies you tie).
Here are a couple references.
Books:
A Master’s Guide to Building A Bamboo Fly Rod,
Everett E. Garrison
I obviously have a ton of material resources having got this far down the rabbit hole. Reach out and I'll share what I know. phillthill@gmail.com
608.692.9836
