We speak a lot about "Pre-Embargo" cane in the bamboo fly rod world. This term depicts Tonkin cane brought to America before the embargo brought on by the Korean War (and not resumed again until the 1970s). The embargo with communist China meant that only those with deep stocks of cane could continue to build split bamboo rods after this.
What is of interest is that this was NOT the first time that bamboo for fishing rods was in short supply in America. In 1890, as we'll discover, there was a cane shortage that affected American rod makers and anglers alike. Here are a pair of articles from the summer of 1890 discussing this "Cane Shortage." The first is from The Pittsburgh Dispatch, 01 June 1890 and the second is from New Ulm Weekly, 06 August 1890.
The Supply of Rods Doesn't Keep Up with the Supply of Anglers
The manufacture of fishing rods are in a state of mind over the fact that the stock of Calcutta bamboo poles from which the rods are made has given out, and it is impossible to secure another stock of those poles until next July, which will be too late for this season's trade. It shows that the anglers are increasing faster than the rod dealers imagined they would, and the dealers are totally unprepared to meet their demands.
The Japanese bamboo is almost as tough as the Calcutta variety, but the joints are so close together it is difficult to cut it up to any advantage. The action of the Japanese is perfect, but the tip is fatally weak and cannot be used as a substitute for the Calcutta tip. It is not generally known that America makes the best fishing rods in the world.
Bamboo Fish-Poles
The manufacture of fishing rods are in a state of mind over the fact that the stock of Calcutta bamboo poles from which the rods are made has given out, and it is impossible to secure another stock of those poles until next July, which will be too late for this season's trade. It shows that the anglers are increasing faster than the rod dealers imagined they would, and the dealers are totally unprepared to meet their demands.
Such a state of affairs never existed before in the history of fisherman's supplies, says the New York Evening Sun. It shows that the anglers are increasing faster than the rod dealers ever imagined they would, and the dealers are totally unprepared to meet their demands.
Split bamboo rods will therefore go up in price during the rest of the season.
These bamboo poles are imported in bundles of fifty, and usually brings about $15 per bundle. Today one of these bundles could not be bought for love or money. This particular bamboo is sought after and used in preference to others owing to the strength of its enamel. Its life as a rod is twice as long as that of a rod made of a Japanese bamboo, for instance.
The Japanese bamboo is almost as tough as the Calcutta variety, but the joints are so close together that it is difficult to cut it up to any advantage. The action of the Japanese is perfect, but the tip is fatally weak and can not be used as a substitute for the Calcutta tip.
It is not generally known that America makes the best fishing-rods in the world. They last longer and the workmanship is far superior to those produced by the best English makers.
-- Dr. Todd
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