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The Golden Age of Bamboo

  • Updated: September 16, 2009
The Golden Age of Bamboo

The Golden Age of Bamboo

Jean Crooks with a huge snook taken on a bamboo rod out the Tamiami Trail west of Miami, circa 1948. Jean died tragically when a tractor on his farm overturned on him. He was a gentle man among the fly-fishing crowd and loved the sport. Courtesy Ebbets Photo-Graphics
The Golden Age of Bamboo

The Golden Age of Bamboo

Baseball great Ted Williams rigging some bamboo outfits in preparation for a full day of fishing the flats of the Florida Keys backcountry. Courtesy Ebbets Photo-Graphics
The Golden Age of Bamboo

The Golden Age of Bamboo

Joe Brooks demonstrates the strength of early bamboo rods, helping to hoist a beautiful tarpon over the gunnels. Courtesy Ebbets Photo-Graphics
The Golden Age of Bamboo

The Golden Age of Bamboo

Joe Brooks and friends rigging some bamboo outfits prior to a day in the Florida Keys, circa 1949. Joe and Mary Brooks had a home in the Keys and often hosted groups of friends for fishing weekends. Courtesy Ebbets Photo-Graphics
The Golden Age of Bamboo

The Golden Age of Bamboo

Snook were plentiful in the Everglades backcountry for fly-fishers with bamboo rods in the early days. Courtesy Ebbets Photo-Graphics
The Golden Age of Bamboo

The Golden Age of Bamboo

Redfish were a common target with bamboo fly outfits in the Florida Everglades during the 1940s. Courtesy Ebbets Photo-Graphics
The Golden Age of Bamboo

The Golden Age of Bamboo

Charlie Ebbets in the late 1940s with a Florida Keys bonefish taken on a bamboo fly rod. In addition to being one of the outstanding photographers of his day, Charlie was a member of the earliest group of men who began fly-fishing for saltwater species in the late 1930s and early 1940s. He and Joe Brooks fished together often, and they also fished with Ted Williams, frequently staying at his house in Islamorada. Courtesy Ebbets Photo-Graphics
The Golden Age of Bamboo

The Golden Age of Bamboo

J. Lee Cuddy led Charlie Ebbets to this fly-caught tarpon on a bamboo rod, circa 1950. Cuddy was an active member of the fishing clubs and Miami Metropolitan Fishing Tournament, as well as a pioneer in forging the advances in fly rods and tackle. He had a shop in Miami where components for tackle were sold. Courtesy Ebbets Photo-Graphics
The Golden Age of Bamboo

The Golden Age of Bamboo

Herbie Welch took this 12-pound, 4-ounce bonefish on a bamboo fly rod in Islamorada, Florida, in 1948. At the time, it was the largest bonefish ever caught on fly tackle. Courtesy Ebbets Photo-Graphics
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