Cane Pole

A cane pole is easy and fun to use, add a fishing bobber, a fishing weight, hook and a fishing worm and you are ready to start to fish. They cane fishing poles offer an inexpensive means that makes a child a great first fishing pole.  Rather than having to learn how to cast, your fishing consists of simple raising the rod tip and swinging the bait out into the water. 

These simple cane fishing poles act as a mechanical devices, or lever, and consists of long bamboo sticks, with a fishing line attached to the end or tip. On the end of the line is tied a hook, and often a worm is used as the bait. A fishing weight is attached above the hook so that the fishing worm and hook will sink down to where the fish are swimming.

Simple Cane Pole

Father and Son

Mother and Daughter

Fishing Bobber

A fishing bobber can be attached above the weight which serves two purposes. First you can adjust the bobber to a specific distance from the hook depending on how deep you think the fish are swimming.  The bobber also allows you to see when a fish hits your bait - the bobber will "bob"  causing ripples in the water. 

Fishing Rod vs. Fishing Pole

The terms pole and rod are generally used to describe different types of fishing instruments.  Fishing pole usually means a simpler device, of which the cane pole made from bamboo is a member. A fishing rod usually refers to a more sophisticated, fishing device with multiple eyes through which fishing line passes, and a handle to which you attach your fishing reel wrapped with your fishing line. These will be discussed on a separate pages.  No matter which term you use, get out there and go fishing!  Two Friends Fishing below...

Bamboo Plant

The bamboo plant from which cane poles are made is an interesting plant. The bamboo plant flowers infrequently and at lengthy intervals which can range up to several years. Planting bamboo from seed can take up to a year to sprout.  Once it sprouts however, it can grow rapidly.   It has been reported that one grower measured a 47 inch growth in one day. More common is for the plant to grow 12 inches in a day and 60-80 feet in a growing season.  

Raising Bamboo From Seed

A book by this name:  "Raising Bamboo From Seed" is available and serves as a good resource if you feel this could be a fun and rewarding hobby.  Written by Gib Cooper in BAMBOO, August 2005, Vol, 26, Issue 4, p. 14.    Making your own cane fishing pole can add pleasure to your fishing activity.  There are many resources on line that discuss how to do this including How to Make a Cane Fishing Pole on  eHow.com.   Cane is shown cut and drying below.

Cane Fly Fishing Rod

Cane fly fishing rods are another matter and can be very expensive. These can take up to 100 hours to complete. The following bibliography serves as a good reference if you want to read more about the history of making cane or bamboo fly fishing rods.

  • Black, George (2006). Casting a Spell: The Bamboo Fly Rod and the American Pursuit of Perfection. Random House
  • Campbell, A.J. (1997). Classic and Antique Fly-Fishing Tackle. Lyons & Burford
  • Garrison, Everett (1977). A master's Guide to Building a bamboo fly rod. Nick Lyons Books
  • Phillips, Don (2000). The Technology of fly rods. Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
  • Homel, Daniel (1997). Antique and Collectible fishing rods. Forrest Park Publishers
  • Gierach, John (1997). Fishing Bamboo-One Man's Love Affair with Bamboo Fly Rods New York: Lyons and Burford. ISBN 1558215913

Historical Cane Poles

Cane poles have been used for years.  You can find cane fishing poles at many different types of stores including sporting goods stores, discount stores, and even hardware or farm stores.  Most are inexpensive in the $10-15 dollar range.  You can even find them packaged with everything you need to go fishing including fishing hook, line and sinker or weight - just add your bait.  Here is a 100 year old historical advertisement for fishing poles from a hardware store:

Cane Fishing Pole Advertisement

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