By the 20th century companies like Leonard, Payne, Montague, Horric-Ibson and a host of others were making bamboo fly rods commercially.  Fly rods were going for the outrageous price of $3.00, some as high as $15.00. Several smaller companies also emerged. Between them, these companies supplied sport fishing needs for the new middle class. The quality of the rods built by these companies ran all the way from junk to fly fishing works of art. 

In the early 20th century rod makers also discovered a new bamboo.  Tea stick bamboo, commonly called Tonkin bamboo, became the standard. Tonkin bamboo came, not from the Tonkin area of Southeast Asia, but from a small province in China.  It's qualities of straight sticks, long node spacing and strong outer fibers made it ideal for fly rods. It's still the standard today. 

the "Golden Age" of bamboo rod making stretched from the '20s to the '50s.  Not only were rods mass produced by such companies as Wright and McGill, Heddon and Sons, Shakespeare and Southbend, but many rods were also produced by small, high end companies. New material and processes allowed the creation of some of the best fly rods made to that time.. Intermediate wraps disappeared as newer stronger glues became available.  Reels were held in place by screw locking, spring or other means.  Fly rod quality was available for every pocket book.  Most fly rods sought after by today's collectors come from this period. 

The golden age ended in the early '50s with two events.  President Harry Truman placed an embargo on Chinese goods ending the import of Bamboo and Shakespeare released the "Wonder rod," made of fiberglass. Between these two events, bamboo fly rods almost became extinct. Companies such as Orvis and Winston continued to build bamboo rods but only as a sideline, almost a curiosity.  Many other rod companies could no longer compete and disappeared. (Thomas & Thomas  purchased the old Montague Rod Co and facilities.  T&T only built cane rods for several years before they also introduced a line of carbon fiber rods and slowed the production of their Bamboo rods.)  But bamboo fly rods didn't disappear.  It's a tribute to the material that bamboo fly rods continued to be sought, not only by collectors, but by fly fishers as well. 

As production rods disappeared, custom rods from small makers began to take their place. Over the years a number of makers have been willing to share the art with those interested in making their own bamboo fly rods.  A few books appeared on the market, explaining how to build bamboo rods.  Thanks to these authors a new generation of makers has taken up the standard.  New materials, new techniques and new tapers continue to enter the market.  A cottage industry came into being. Names like Tony Young of Australia, Terry Ackland of Canada and host of Americans such as Cattanach, Boyd, Gould, Curry, Thramer and others build not only great copies of yesterday's rods, but some of the best rods ever made.  Some say that we've entered a second "golden age." 

It speaks highly of the rod builders of the past and present that bamboo continues to be what many consider the pinnacle of the fly fishers tools.  But if bamboo weren't as pleasant to use -- as fun to fish as any other material, the bamboo rod would have long ago joined Ironwood and Greenheart to gather dust in the attic.