Top Secret Covert Black Ops

[Bruce Day]

Damascus barrels and bamboo rods. Two anachronisms. Maybe we are, too.

So much hand work and craftsman ship in our beloved older doubles, especially the Damascus barreled and also true with the bamboo fly rods- each maker had their own "secret" finish, other items we are still eager to know today in a world of graphite rods (aka- "lightning attractors") and autoloading shotguns with plastic stocks-

[Big D]

I was in Bob Summer's shop this summer. How anyone can turn out such works of art in such a cluttered, dusty shop is beyond me. Bits and pieces of rods scattered about - some new production, some old rods in for repair. How he keeps it straight is a mystery. Cast one of his 4 wt rods. If I wasn't so impatient, and unwilling to wait 3 years for delivery, I'd sure like to put one of them in my rod rack