Bamboo is cheaper than you think, Evan B, especially if you do you research and buy used. I've got a collection of Winston, Sharpes, Granger and Phillipson bamboo rods with an average price of $398/rod. Purchased them from ebay, used tackle dealers, craigslist and members of this site and the classic fly rod forum. Part of the fun is doing the research and bargain hunting...
Maybe some day. Like I said, I do very, very little fishing that would call for it (mostly due to proximity to that type of fishing...nothing close by). Hard for me to put up that kind of money for something that will be an ornament most the year.
Understood. I've switched to bamboo for almost all my fishing. An impregnated 9' 6 weight bamboo rod for the salt water. 10', 12' and 13' spliced Sharpes bamboo spey rods for steelhead. 9' Grangers and Winstons and Phillipsons for bull trout and low lakes. 8'6" Phillipsons and Sharpes and Grangers for high lakes and rivers. Small bamboo rods for mountain creeks. The only non-bamboo rod I've fished this year was a Tenkara rod on a meadow stream and I soon gave it up and switched back to my 6'9" Constable.
