Casting a Spell by George Black
 

I picked up a copy this past weekend, anyone read it?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0919/p17s01-bogn.html
-tom

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
I picked up a copy this past weekend, anyone read it?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0919/p17s01-bogn.html
-tom

I have not read this.
Thanks
It looks really good and I will order it ...

So- I went to Amazon and found a companion book

A Wisp in the Wind: In Search of Bull Trout, Bamboo, and Beyond - Jerry
Kustich

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/096...JRBTE M1O0T53

Has anyone read this?

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"Fred Lebow" wrote in message
...
"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
I picked up a copy this past weekend, anyone read it?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0919/p17s01-bogn.html
-tom

I have not read this.
Thanks
It looks really good and I will order it ...

So- I went to Amazon and found a companion book

A Wisp in the Wind: In Search of Bull Trout, Bamboo, and Beyond - Jerry
Kustich

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/096...JRBTE M1O0T53

Has anyone read this?

I haven't read "A Wisp in the Wind" I guess because I'm a little afraid to
read it just yet. I will when I'm ready. I know it sounds dumb, but as you
know Kustich being a part of the "Booboys" from Twin Bridges, I'm sure there
were some ill feelings when they all left. You may find some hilarious, and
or sarcastic moments in Casting a Spell when you get to the section on R.L.
Winston.

I do have mixed feelings about the author George Black. Like when he brought
in the bamboo rod he treasured so much in his early days, only to find out
that it wasn't worth a nickel when he got it appraised. It was the value of
the rod that made the difference, not how it cast. Also the section on the
movie; "A River Runs Through It", I'm not going to go into details on this,
just let you read it, but you may want to skip over that part. I kind of
wish I hadn't read that part of the book.

In all I loved Black's research on the history of the Bamboo rod and how he
expressed it in his writing without boring you to death.

Let me know when your done reading it Fred, I would love to hear your take
on the book,
fwiw,
-tom

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

Tom Nakashima wrote:

I picked up a copy this past weekend, anyone read it?

Finished it a couple of weeks ago (it's in my local public library).
Much better than I had expected it to be. Primarily a brief history of
split cane rod making in the U.S., focusing on a small number of the
best early and contemporary makers.

If you have an interest in the Winston/Sweetgrass team, you may find the
profile of Glenn Brackett as appealing as I did. Type of fellow you'd
want to give business to "just on general principle," as the saying goes....

- JR

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"JR" wrote in message ...
Tom Nakashima wrote:

I picked up a copy this past weekend, anyone read it?

Finished it a couple of weeks ago (it's in my local public library).
Much better than I had expected it to be. Primarily a brief history of
split cane rod making in the U.S., focusing on a small number of the
best early and contemporary makers.

If you have an interest in the Winston/Sweetgrass team, you may find the
profile of Glenn Brackett as appealing as I did. Type of fellow you'd
want to give business to "just on general principle," as the saying
goes....

- JR


Ditto, that was great when Glenn slammed the bamboo rod against ground, then
against the bench...
I could just picture those two woman with their jaws dropped.
fwiw,
-tom

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...

In all I loved Black's research on the history of the Bamboo rod and how
he
expressed it in his writing without boring you to death.

We read in the CSMonitor review:
"Generally four or five, sometimes even six sections of this particular
species of bamboo are carefully milled over many hours, tapered according to
their particular mathematical formula, splice sectioned, and the line guides
wrapped."

This suggests that either author Black or reviewer
Leigh Montgomery is seriously misinformed.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...

In all I loved Black's research on the history of the Bamboo rod and how
he
expressed it in his writing without boring you to death.

We read in the CSMonitor review:
"Generally four or five, sometimes even six sections of this particular
species of bamboo are carefully milled over many hours, tapered according
to
their particular mathematical formula, splice sectioned, and the line
guides
wrapped."

This suggests that either author Black or reviewer
Leigh Montgomery is seriously misinformed.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)


I believe Black was talking about a particular builder who spent many hours
milling the tapers according to mathematical formulas. I don't see what was
misinformed about this, then again I'm not a builder, but perhaps you could
educated me? When I picked up my custom bamboo rod from RK Bolt, he gave me
a run down on his shop. Robert also mills his selections to tight
tolerances and has mathematical records of the behavior of the rod just as
Gary Howells did before Bolt took it over. The many sections part I took as
piecing together to get the great long lengths. I think you also have to
read the section leading up to the part that was quoted in the CSMonitor to
get the overall picture.

By any chance are you Don Phillipson of the famous Phillipson Bamboo rods?
fwiw,
-tom

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"Fred Lebow" wrote in message
...

So- I went to Amazon and found a companion book

A Wisp in the Wind: In Search of Bull Trout, Bamboo, and Beyond - Jerry
Kustich

Has anyone read this?

Yes, it's an OK read. I found the endless hero worship of the winston boo
shop a little too much "holier than thou" but he is a good writer and parts
of the book go really well. I think his book previous to "whisp" titled "At
the River's Edge was a better read."

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

Wayne Knight wrote:
"Fred Lebow" wrote

A Wisp in the Wind: In Search of Bull Trout, Bamboo, and Beyond - Jerry
Kustich

Has anyone read this?

Yes, it's an OK read. I found the endless hero worship of the winston boo
shop a little too much "holier than thou" but he is a good writer and parts
of the book go really well. I think his book previous to "whisp" titled "At
the River's Edge was a better read."

Wayne, how 'bout "Bamboo Fly Rod Suite: Reflections on Fishing And the
Geography of Grace", by Frank Soos? I've had it in my Amazon.com
Saved-Items-To-Buy-Later cart for a couple of months now, but it keeps
getting edged out by other titles for promotion to the Buy-Now cart.

Should I be giving it a higher priority?

- JR

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"JR" wrote in message ...

Wayne, how 'bout "Bamboo Fly Rod Suite: Reflections on Fishing And the
Geography of Grace", by Frank Soos? I've had it in my Amazon.com
Saved-Items-To-Buy-Later cart for a couple of months now, but it keeps
getting edged out by other titles for promotion to the Buy-Now cart.

Should I be giving it a higher priority?

Can't help you with that one as I have not acquired it yet. It's on my
winter reading list tho.

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"JR" wrote in message ...
Wayne Knight wrote:
"
Wayne, how 'bout "Bamboo Fly Rod Suite: Reflections on Fishing And the
Geography of Grace", by Frank Soos? I've had it in my Amazon.com
Saved-Items-To-Buy-Later cart for a couple of months now, but it keeps
getting edged out by other titles for promotion to the Buy-Now cart.

Should I be giving it a higher priority?



Another one to add to my wish list
Luckily my bday is coming soon.

Fred

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

On Oct 3, 3:56 pm, "Tom Nakashima" wrote:

By any chance are you Don Phillipson of the famous Phillipson Bamboo rods?

No such luck: I would trade in at least two of my three cane
rods for a good Phillipson . . .

My point is that 99 per cent of all split-cane rods made over the last
150 years have six splines. The review's "generally four or five,
sometimes even six sections" suggests that 4 or 5 splines are
common, which is untrue, and that 6 is rare or exceptional --
which condemns either reviewer or author as ignorant about rods.

Don P

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"Don P" wrote in message
ups.com...

.. . .

My point is that 99 per cent of all split-cane rods made over the last
150 years have six splines. The review's "generally four or five,
sometimes even six sections" suggests that 4 or 5 splines are
common, which is untrue, and that 6 is rare or exceptional --
which condemns either reviewer or author as ignorant about rods.

"Generally four or five, sometimes even six sections of this particular
species of bamboo are carefully milled over many hours, tapered according to
their particular mathematical formula, splice sectioned, and the line guides
wrapped."

Could he have meant that the bamboo used to make the 6 splines came from 4,
5 or 6 different nodes of the bamboo? To imply that the maker had to shop
around carefully to select the right pieces of raw bamboo to mill?

--riverman

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"riverman" wrote in message ...

"Don P" wrote in message
ups.com...

. . .

My point is that 99 per cent of all split-cane rods made over the last
150 years have six splines. The review's "generally four or five,
sometimes even six sections" suggests that 4 or 5 splines are
common, which is untrue, and that 6 is rare or exceptional --
which condemns either reviewer or author as ignorant about rods.

"Generally four or five, sometimes even six sections of this particular
species of bamboo are carefully milled over many hours, tapered according
to
their particular mathematical formula, splice sectioned, and the line
guides
wrapped."

Could he have meant that the bamboo used to make the 6 splines came from
4, 5 or 6 different nodes of the bamboo? To imply that the maker had to
shop around carefully to select the right pieces of raw bamboo to mill?

--riverman

Very close answer (riverman) without reading the book, and I don't have the
book here with me, but I'll go memory.
I will go back and reread the point in question, but I believe Black was
referring to "sections" in length.
When Bamboo rods hit the US. market there was such a demand by the wealthy.
This was even before the Asian invasion of cane. The reason why, it was
such a demand by the wealthy because of the fine craftsmanship, the elegant
look, and the outrageous price. Mind you, most were not your die-hard,
in-the-water fly-fisherman, but enthusiast, some even famous were willing to
pay big money to have such a fine handmade work of art. Of course came the
demand for longer cane rods, thus piecing together many sections. The longer
the better to the enthusiast and collector. There were also aesthetics,
gold silk wrappings, fancy machined reel seats. This is why I said you have
to read the book and the section leading up to the quote in the CSMonitor.

I most enjoyed reading the Hiram Leonard chapter, his design of a beveling
machine in 1870 to precisely put in the angles of the hexagon. That's
pretty awesome! what the average master bamboo rod builder was producing
40-50 cane rods a year, compared to Leonard's 1000+ output.

On a side note: I have a Lew Stoner bamboo rod made in May of 1945, made
when he was part owner of Winston. It's a split cane hollow 8 1/2 in
length, 2 piece 5wt. in fine condition. I also have a custom made 2006 R.K.
Bolt bamboo rod 8' length, hollow, 2 piece 5 wt. Both cast like a dream,
and I do mean effortless, but I'll have to say, although they are 61 years
apart, the workmanship and the action are very similar. btw: Bolt uses
mathematical formulas in weight and length to produce his rods, just as Gary
Howells did.
fwiw,
-tom

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

Just noticed this discussion of my book and the reference to 4, 5 and
6-sided rods in the review in the Christian Science Monitor. If I had
made this error, I'd suggest that all copies of the book should be
burned. My jaw dropped when I read this, and even though it was a nice
review it made me wonder if the reviewer had actually read the book.
One portion of the book deals with the quadrate (4-sided) rods made by
Bill Edwards, and I think there may be one reference somewhere to the
5-sided format. But the book says, of course, that the vast majority of
bamboo rods are 6-sided.

Thanks to all for the interest.
George Black

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"Canebrook" wrote in message
ups.com...

Just noticed this discussion of my book and the reference to 4, 5 and
6-sided rods in the review in the Christian Science Monitor. If I had
made this error, I'd suggest that all copies of the book should be
burned. My jaw dropped when I read this, and even though it was a nice
review it made me wonder if the reviewer had actually read the book.
One portion of the book deals with the quadrate (4-sided) rods made by
Bill Edwards, and I think there may be one reference somewhere to the
5-sided format. But the book says, of course, that the vast majority of
bamboo rods are 6-sided.

Thanks to all for the interest.
George Black


Wow, what an honor to have the author respond.
Mr. Black, I do admire your in-depth research on the history on the art of
bamboo rods
Would it be any trouble if I sent you my book for you to sign?
thanks,
-tom

Casting a Spell by George Black
 

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...

"Canebrook" wrote in message
ups.com...

Just noticed this discussion of my book and the reference to 4, 5 and
6-sided rods in the review in the Christian Science Monitor. If I had
made this error, I'd suggest that all copies of the book should be
burned. My jaw dropped when I read this, and even though it was a nice
review it made me wonder if the reviewer had actually read the book.
One portion of the book deals with the quadrate (4-sided) rods made by
Bill Edwards, and I think there may be one reference somewhere to the
5-sided format. But the book says, of course, that the vast majority of
bamboo rods are 6-sided.

Thanks to all for the interest.
George Black


Wow, what an honor to have the author respond.


Yeah, that's pretty cool.

So George Black, do you lurk here often? And do you know where I can find a
Leonard rod?

--riverman