The most sophisticated, totally handcrafted bamboo split rods designed by Carlos Tam and Marcelo Morales.

Slim split bamboo rods have been forming part of the fly fishing magic for many years. The natural beauty of a carefully crafted bamboo fly rod brings us memories of older times, when this art was a tradition, really appreciated as such, and not a rarity as it is nowadays.

Fly fishing differs from other types of fishing because it consists in luring the fish in an elegant way, using such odd elements as a Chinese bamboo rod.

The making of these rods begins by selecting an original Tonkin cane, which has the appropriate fiber density needed for bamboo rods. The craftsman hand splits the cane pole, following the grain of the cane and taking special care not to cut the grain through, as a machine or saw would do. The nodes undergo a special filing process, in order to avoid having to sand off the beautiful primitive fibers at the sides of the nodes. Each bamboo strip is tested for resistance to ensure uniformity and is then double-tempered, laying the foundation for a rod of outstanding resistance and action.

Each bamboo cane challenges the craftsman to discover the rod that hides within – the craftsman’s skill makes the great difference.

More than two hundred hours of meticulous labor and many thousand manual operations turn the raw bamboo strips into a delicate finished rod, which will provide fishermen long hours of pleasure throughout their lives.

We like making each rod as if it were for ourselves, and we hope the buyer of a T & M rod will enjoy as much as we do while manufacturing the rods.

The designs of T & M rods may be adapted to the fishing conditions of our windy Patagonia and may be built to the exact tapers of the great masters’ originals: Leonard, Payne, Garrison, Gillum, Dickerson, Thomas, Young, Ritz, Heddon, Granger or Halstead.
 

Characteristics
 
Tonkin bamboo canes are especially matured and selected for each rod.

• T & M rods have an elegant dark color as a result of a unique process of heat treatment and not of a superficial dye.

• Cane is completely hand-planed, guaranteeing 0.001-inch tolerance.

• Strips are cut at a sharp 60º angle to allow tight gluing.

• Reel seats come in silver or nickel silver, with exotic wood inserts.

• Unwelded ferrule plugs are manufactured in our workshop from solid silver and nickel silver bars.

• Fine silk wraps are tipped with an ornamental thread.

• Each rod is finished with a multi-layer varnish for protection against the elements.

• Wrappings are varnished individually, to avoid varnish remains at the guides, as it occurs with wellknown rods.

• Rods come in an elegant aluminum tube with brass lids
  

Models

Name                              Length           Piece              Line           Action

Mediterranea  L                6'8''                    3                     #3             Soft

Mediterranea                    6'6''                    2                     #3             Medium

Club                                  5' 5''                   2                     #4             Medium             

Midge by P. Young           6'3''                    2                     #4             Medium  P    

Perfection                         7' 6''                   2                     #4             Medium  P   

Marta Mary by P.Young    7' 6''                   2                     #5-6         Medium  P    

Quilquihue Riiver Special   7'6''                   3                     #4             Medium 

Quilquihue Riiver                7'6''                   3                     #5            Medium

Malleo River                       7'6''                    3                    #5-6         Fast

Chimehuín River                 8'                       3                    #6           Medium

Collón Cura  River              8'                       2                    #7           Fast