Schliske Bamboo Fly Rods

This rod defines the Rattlesnake Creek Krew's experiences fishing for wild trout on the fabled “Rattlesnake Creek.” The dark-colored rod brings out the venom in every angler, enabling him or her to strike pocket water with precision. The Rattlesnake rod has a rich mahogany finish to the cane with vintage hand made red and black jasper silk thread windings with single red intermediates. The furnishings on the Rattlesnake are bright nickle silver with walnut hardwood. Hand made black rod bag with contrasting red stitching and striking aluminum rod tube.

The Rattlesnake is made in the following lengths, # of sections and line weights:

6'6" 2 piece 3wt (6632), 7' 2 piece 3 wt (7032), 7' 2 piece 4 wt (7042), 7.5' 2 piece 4wt (7642), 7.5' 3 piece 4/5 wt (76453), 7.5' 2 piece 5 wt. (7652), 7.5' 2 piece 6 wt. (7662), 7'9" 2 piece 5wt (7952 - The Original Rattlesnake), 8' 2 piece 5wt (8052), 8' 2 piece 6wt (8062).

Two Piece Single Tip Rod - $1700
Two Piece Two Tip Rod - $1900
Three Piece Single Tip Rod - $1900
Three Piece Two Tip Rod - $2100

We are offering two special Original Rattlesnake rods for 2011. Included with these Original Rattlesnake rods (MGS7952) are a custom, hand made fly reel (made by Mark Shamburg or Gary Lacey), a new silk or modern fly line suited to the rod, a custom engraved Wheatley fly box filled with appropriate flies (hoppers, wulff, caddis and streamers) and the chance to fish with the maker of your new heirloom bamboo fly rod, Matt Schliske on the stream that inspired the rod, fishing for the wild 20"+ brown trout that inspired the rod. Also included are photographs by Matt Schliske and a DVD of your trip if you so desire. This special package is customizable and starts at $4000. Please contact me for additional information or to reserve your 2011 Schliske Bamboo Rattlesnake Creek Fly Rod package.

The Finespot is a rod inspired by the wild, native finespotted snake river cutthroat trout of Wyoming. A rod built for a friend for the perfect hatch on that special stream that inspires warm memories to last you through the winter. Made for casting green drake mayfly dries to big hungry cutthroat high in the rocky mountains. The finespot is a flamed rod with a varnished black ash reel seat spacer. The Finespot features bright Nickle Silver hardware and silk windings of vintage, black and white jasper silk thread, no tipping, with a single dark claret intermediate wrap between guides. Standard measuring wraps in dark claret gossamer silk. Select 1/4" ring cork half wells grip. Engraved butt cap and signature wraps.

6'6" 2 piece 3wt (6632), 7' 2 piece 3 wt (7032), 7' 2 piece 4 wt (7042), 7.5' 2 piece 4wt (7642), 7.5' 3 piece 4/5 wt (76453 - the original finespot based on my Goodwin Granger 7630), 7.5' 2 piece 5 wt. (7652), 7.5' 2 piece 6 wt. (7662), 7'9" 2 piece 5wt (7952), 8' 2 piece 5wt (8052), 8' 2 piece 6wt (8062).

Two Piece Single Tip Rod - $1600
Two Piece Two Tip Rod - $1800
Three Piece Single Tip Rod - $1800
Three Piece Two Tip Rod - $2000

We are offering two special Original Finespot rods for 2011. Included with these Original Finespot rods (MGS76453) are a custom, hand made fly reel (made by Mark Shamburg or Gary Lacey), a new silk or modern fly line suited to the rod, a custom engraved Wheatley fly box filled with appropriate flies (green drake mayflies, hoppers and caddis) and the chance to fish with the maker of your new heirloom bamboo fly rod, Matt Schliske on the stream that inspired the rod, during the green drake mayfly hatch that inspired the rod, fishing for the native finespotted cutthroat trout that inspired the rod. Also included are photographs by Matt Schliske and a DVD of your trip if you so desire. This special package is customizable and starts at $4000. Please contact me for additional information or to reserve your 2011 Schliske Bamboo Finespot Bamboo Fly Rod package.

The Rio Grande Rod is made for casting dry flies, dry & dropper, or streamers on the mighty Rio Grande in southern Colorado. Designed for the big hatches on the river just after runoff when everything is coming alive. This is the goto, do it all rod. The rod you grab on the way out the door because it's already rigged up with the right leader and fly from slaying trout yesterday. The Rio Grande features Blonde cane, Olive Green wraps tipped dark claret, silk wrapped ferrules with triple tipping. Light colored hardwood spacer to match the blonde cane with bright Nickle Silver or Duronze hardware. Select 1/4" ring cork half wells grip. Engraved butt cap and signature wraps.

The Rio Grande is made in the following standard lengths, # of sections and line weights:

6'6" 2 piece 3wt (6632), 7' 2 piece 3 wt (7032), 7' 2 piece 4 wt (7042), 7.5' 2 piece 4wt (7642), 7.5' 2 piece 5 wt (7652), 7.5' 2 piece 6 wt (7662), 7'9" 2 piece 5wt (7952), 8' 2 piece 5wt (8052), 8' 2 piece 6wt (8062).

Two Piece Single Tip Rod - $1800
Two Piece Two Tip Rod - $2000
Three Piece Single Tip Rod - $2000
Three Piece Two Tip Rod - $2200

Slayer is a rod with deep juju. Inspired by the inhospitable, wild waters of Rattlesnake Creek, Slayer is the rod you grab in the toughest of conditions. Slayer rod lives up to it's name. It's a rod that performs under pressure. The dark, rich mahogany finish is made to turn heads. Reminiscent of the mahogany and browntoned rods of the classic makers including Goodwin Granger, Fred Thomas and Eustis Edwards. Slayer has a traditional look that will turn heads. Slayer is not a subtle rod, it's a show off and made to slay trout. Slayer features black and white jasper wraps tipped claret with full claret intermediates. The nickle silver hardware is blued and the reel seat insert is redwood or walnut to match the deep hues of the bamboo. Slayer features full signature wraps, half wells or torpedo grip, matching black rod bag with claret hang tag and matching black aluminum rod tube with brass domed end caps.

Slayer is made in the following standard lengths, # of sections and line weights:

6'6" 2 piece 3wt (6632), 7' 2 piece 3 wt (7032), 7' 2 piece 4 wt (7042), 7.5' 2 piece 4wt (7642), 7.5' 2 piece 5 wt (7652 - the original Slayer), 7.5' 2 piece 6 wt. (7662), 7'9" 2 piece 5wt (7952), 8' 2 piece 5wt (8052), 8' 2 piece 6wt (8062).

Two Piece Single Tip Rod - $2000
Two Piece Two Tip Rod - $2200
Three Piece Single Tip Rod - $2200
Three Piece Two Tip Rod - $2400

As always, you can have your Schliske Bamboo Fly Rod made custom for you. You can be as involved in the process as you would like. I encourage you to help in the creative process of deciding exactly what kind of rod you desire. However, I'm also willing to give my input on any of the details you'd rather not worry about. You have the option of choosing the taper, the line weight, the number of sections, the number of tips, hardware color (blued or bright), cane color (flamed, browntoned, or blonde), grip shape and length, and silk wrap colors and style.

Generally, Schliske Bamboo Fly Rods are two or three piece rods between six and eight feet long in line weights three through seven. The rods I use for trout fishing in the Rocky Mountains are a 7' 3/4wt, a 7.5' 5/6 wt, and an 8' 6 wt. The 7.5' 5/6 wt in a 2 piece is my favorite rod for most of the medium sized rivers I fish.

"I am constantly surprised by the effortless power casting of the rod you made me. I can easily fire and place tiny dry flies right where they need to be. It is truly a joy to fish. Thank you for your effort and trust. I appreciate it more than you can know."
- Michael Johnson
Avondale, Arizona

If you would like a Schliske Bamboo Fly Rod custom made for you, please feel free to contact me.

I require a 40% deposit to get your name on the build list and start on your rod. Then you can pay the balance off as you'd like, with the balance due upon completion and sending of the rod. Payments can be sent via PayPal, check or money order.

All Schliske Bamboo Fly Rods come standard with nickle silver hardware, silk wraps with contrasting tipping, measuring wraps at 16, 18 and 20 inches, agate stripping guide, bamboo ferrule plug, custom Schliske Bamboo rod sock, and labeled brass capped aluminum rod tube. You have a choice of the makers name engraved on the butt cap, or a hand signed rod.

Two Piece Single Tip Rod - $1600

Two Piece Two Tip Rod - $1800

Three Piece Single Tip Rod - $1800

Three Piece Two Tip Rod - $2000

Blued hardware add $100

Browntoning add $100

Intermediate wraps add $200

Hollow Building add $200

"I am fortunate enough to have cast and fished extensively two Schliske rods. The first is an 8 ft 5wt that Matt custom built for me. It is a gorgeous blonde rod finished in a classic dickerson style and is absolutely gorgeous, but the beauty of the rod isn't the way it looks, it is how it casts. This rod comes to life in my hands, it loads easily and fluidly and handles short pinpoint casts as easily as it throws for distance. It also gives me the luxury of bouncing bottom or fishing dries without losing any feel or touch in either instance, and that is a real rarity for a single rod to cover both fishing situations that perfectly. I was so impressed with the first rod that I bought my son a 7 ft 3wt for his sixteenth christmas. His is one of the prettiest rods I have ever seen, but again it fishes like a dream, although he rarely ever lets me touch it. And yes my youngest has already put his order in for what he wants on his first bamboo when he finally turns 16 and It will definitely be a Matt Schliske rod.

I truly love your rods and am very impressed with their beauty and quality, but more importantly with their fishing attributes. The silky smooth actions that work at pinpoint range, but can also throw for distance with minimum casting stroke variations. Your rods are designed by a fisherman, but built by an artist. Best of all they are intended to be fished.............. hard........... and in the end how they fish is where the true value of a rod is earned."

"I cannot address the finer points of bamboo rod building, so I cannot speak to technical issues such as node placements, culm selections, etc. However, MY whole thing about this (having a rod made by you) is about the aesthetics of fly fishing. I realize that this feeling, or point of view, or whatever you want to call it, is a niche; a little back-eddy of people that have their own opinions and points of view as to what fly fishing means to them, but the one thing everybody that fishes a bamboo rod has in common is that their eyes sparkle when they hold one. It's about the beauty of a natural thing re-shaped, re-invented, and brought to life for a different purpose, one that seems almost perfect. The tapers are usually classic , the actions bringing every bamboo-fisher into a weird metronomic cadence, a universal fly-fisher's rhythm. Pretty cool stuff when you stop to think about it.

I'm learning very quickly all about my new "partner". What a pleasure to fish. Its all true. It makes me cast like a champion - I'm telling you, I'm spooky accurate and this is only after 100 casts, total. Not bragging - just reporting. Very easy to toss a hook-curve with her. So far the best combination has been a 9' tapered leader (6X) to a #14 caddis. She reminds me to be patient, but doesn't slap me if I'm not. Bottom line: I waited too long to do this....

From the way she looks to the way she casts, I am impressed in every respect. Your attention to detail is terrific - the depth and quality of the finish really shows! But, I am especially happy with the 'trueness' of her casts; very consistent, very forgiving, very accurate. Thanks once again for making me this fine rod."

"Matt Schliske recently finished a gorgeous 7' 3/4wt for me based on a Granger 7030 taper. I wanted to share just how pleased I am with his work and how well this rod fishes. If I possessed the ability to make bamboo rods myself, this is the rod that I would have started with. It is perfect in every way!

I have been fishing this rod for about a month now and as crazy as it may sound...I feel as though it has made me a better fisherman. I swear I can feel things with this rod that I never felt with my other rods. I can feel every head shake straight up to my shoulder (even on little fish), I can feel the take of a dry fly before I actually see it. Again, I wish that I had discovered this years ago...I feel the same way about fishing this bamboo rod that I did when I discovered fishing with flies...

Not only is this rod gorgeous in every way, it casts the way my brain wants a rod to cast. (does that make sense?!) "

David Armstrong
Hudson, MA
December 2007

"There are times in my life when I really don't have the words - and this is one of them - although I am going to try. I knew I had an insured package waiting for me at the post office this morning and I knew it could only be one thing. After a quick cup of coffee, the dog and I drove into town - both filled with much anticipation - although I would submit mine was far greater than his. He thought he was getting a walk but I knew what I was getting - or at least I thought I did. When they brought up the telltale, long triangle box, my pulse quickened - just a few more minutes now and I will get to hold her in my hand for the first time. Home felt too far away even though it is only a 5 minute drive.

I actually held my breath as I took the rod from the tube and then from the bag. I have admired bamboo rods for years, but this rod - this rod - took the breath I had held away from me. While Matt is a wonderful photographer, the pictures do not do her justice. I was almost afraid to touch her - until I felt the juju - serious juju. No idea if that will translate into more fish - and don't know that I care - but it has already translated into more desire to be on the water, more desire to watch the loops unfold, more desire to drive hours to reach trout water and more desire to hold a fly rod (this one in particular) in my hand as often as possible.

I took her out later for some air and exercise. Outside she is even more beautiful. The intricacies of the flaming, the pattern of the bamboo, the depth and quality of the wraps and finish become even more apparent and even more breathtaking. And casting her - well that is like a dream - a long, lovely dream. A dream that convinces you are really there where your mind's eye has wandered. She is in every way more than I could have hoped or imagined Matt. I have never felt a fly rod feel so alive, or feel so much a part of me. It feels like a gift - a rare and beautfiul gift - and one that far exceeded any expectations.

I don't know if I can say this enough Matt - but thank you. Sure I paid for
the rod, but most of what is in there money can't buy - it's bigger, more
fundamental than that - it's about you as a maker - I can feel it. Besides -
you did have your rods way under priced and probably still do.

I already cherish this rod and I believe that will only grow deeper with
time. On the other hand, don't be surpirsed if I contact you in a few
years inquiring about a 7' 4 weight dry fly rod. It appears that yes indeed
I have fallen in love with bamboo - and it is all your fault."

Rebecca Allen
Laingsburg, MI
February 2008

Matthew,

The 5/6 that you made me is a sight to behold. The beautiful craftsmanship of the rod makes it look like it was built for Ike Eisenhower instead of for just Mike Jacobs. Thank you for all the time and effort it must have taken you to build that rod. It has an incredibly sweet stroke and puts flies right on the money. I am one happy camper and now have a pretty darn decent Schliske rod collection.

Regards,

Michael J. Jacobs
Chicago, Il
May 2008