Hi Fellow Bamoo Brothers
I don't know how you all feel like, but to me life doesn't get any greater, than when I am standing on a river side with my bamboo rod in my hand :O)

Two years ago I were fishing for a week in Slovenia, here I met a German guy who were casting extremely beautifully - aprecise and a very delicate presentation - in every cast.
I just had to sit down and watch this guy casting for a while, it was a pure pleasure to watch!! - We began to talk and I simply had to compliment him for his unique casting skills - he just smiled, and replied "it's all in the rod - it's a magic stick" - I smiled and first I thought he was kidding me, but then he asked me to try his #5 hand build cane rod - and I must admit it was a magic stick!!
It had a soft spine, and yet a stiff top section, witch gave it a very unique feeling of precise control of the presentation, at the same time I was able to use spey casting, as well as overhand - no problem. I was even able to do some amazingly long cast, which came in handy on very shy fish.
I simply had to buy some of this magic - I asked him about the details of who build this fantastic rod - a German guy named Robert Stroh - I wrote his name down, put the note in to one of my pocketes in my west - and forgot all about it!!
Several months after I was fishing in Sweden for Graylings, and then I found the note, this time I decided to find out about this guy Robert Stroh, I had to explore the internet, had to check out the prices one on of these magic sticks.
I ended up buying one - and I may ad to this story that I already own a splendid Orvis cane, and two sublime Hardy cane rods as well - but now I hardly ever use any of these rods - when it comes to choosing rod, there is only one cane rod that really matters - my RS cane rod.
I can ad a little thing to this little story. When it comes to RS rods, then they are made with a lot of soul and precession, because when Mr. Stroh needs new bamboo material he always travel to China, and here he personally choose, and hand cut every cane down by him self - and it is of course The Tonkin canes he uses, so every little part of the process of making these magic cane rod means a lot for this guy.
As he said when I picked up my rod personally at his home " it is like a part of my soul, is sold with every rod" :O)

I was invited to Slovenia last year to fish from a hotel close by the border in Austria - a quiet and very nice little place by the way, called Hotel Wutte - here in the middle of now were I suddenly bumped into Mr. Stroh - funny how small this wonderful planet sometimes seems.
We had a splendid time and I have made a 20 pages photo story about this trip in Pool 32 Mag - among other stories from the Morrum river, Em river And the beautiful Argard river in Norway.

Tight lines out there
Mark W.

"Fly fishing isn't just a sport
- it's a state of mind!!"
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