After recently breaking my Scott 3-wt. rod a couple of weeks back, I was curious about how strong graphite and fiberglass rods actually are. With that in mind, I started looking up some information on cane/bamboo rods and why some fishermen choose to use natural cane rods versus rods made of man-made materials.
Other than feeling a sense of piety and being better than fishermen who don't use cane rods, what are the real benefits of using cane rods? Are they just as strong as the graphite rods? And I can assure you, after looking at some prices of handmade cane rods, the prices are certainly not better.
Al, have you ever used a cane rod? What's your opinion on cane vs. fiberglass/graphite?