“THE MAKERS”

Michael D. Clarke

MICHAEL D. CLARK

South Creek Ltd. — The Colorado Tradition

Among contemporary American bamboo rodmakers, Michael D. Clark occupies a distinctive place. Working from his shop in Lyons, Colorado, Clark has spent more than four decades producing finely crafted split-bamboo fly rods, combining traditional methods with tapers developed from a lifetime of fishing the rivers of the American West.

His rods are perhaps best known through his long association with the late angling writer John Gierach and master fly tier A.K. Best. Yet Clark's reputation rests equally upon the qualities of the rods themselves: carefully considered tapers, meticulous construction and a particular understanding of the demands of practical trout fishing.

In an age when much of the fishing tackle industry has moved towards industrial production and synthetic materials, Clark has remained committed to the traditional six-sided bamboo rod, made slowly and individually by hand.

THE BEGINNINGS OF SOUTH CREEK

Michael Clark began making bamboo fly rods in 1979, working from a modest garage in northern Colorado, heated by a wood stove.

From the outset, his approach was deliberately traditional. Bamboo strips were prepared and planed by hand, using steel forms and block planes rather than mechanised production methods.

What began as a small independent workshop gradually developed into South Creek Ltd., a respected name among American bamboo enthusiasts.

Today, South Creek is associated with its historic premises on Main Street in Lyons, Colorado, a town situated near the St. Vrain River and the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

The shop has become something of a destination for collectors and anglers, offering not only Clark's own rods but also classic tackle, books, artwork and other objects connected with the history of fly fishing.

Together with Kathy Jensen, Clark has maintained a business that reflects the character of a traditional specialist tackle shop, where knowledge, craftsmanship and personal relationships remain central.

THE RODMAKER'S CRAFT

Clark's methods have changed remarkably little since he began making rods.

Each South Creek rod is built from carefully selected Tonkin bamboo, with the sections of an individual rod taken from the same culm. The cane is aged in the workshop for several years before construction, helping achieve consistency in both colour and material characteristics.

Node placement receives particular attention. Clark commonly uses a spiral arrangement, while heavier and longer rods may employ a three-by-three pattern. On two-tip rods, the tips are matched with corresponding node arrangements.

Every rod passes through a considerable number of individual operations, from splitting and straightening the cane to planing, gluing, fitting the ferrules and finishing the wraps.

Clark has described the process as involving more than 1,400 separate operations and inspections.

Rather than reproducing the tapers of historic makers, Clark has developed his own designs. These can be adjusted to suit an individual angler's casting preferences, but the underlying philosophy remains consistent: a bamboo rod should be judged by its performance on the water.

The resulting rods are traditional in appearance, yet distinctly individual in character.

JOHN GIERACH, A.K. BEST AND THE LYONS CONNECTION

An important part of the South Creek story is Clark's friendship with two of the most influential figures in modern American fly fishing: John Gierach and A.K. Best.

All three were closely associated with the Colorado fly-fishing community around Lyons.

Gierach became one of the most widely read fly-fishing writers of his generation, celebrated for his understated humour, observations on trout fishing and affection for the small rituals of the sport.

His books, particularly Fishing Bamboo, helped introduce a new generation of anglers to the pleasures of split-cane rods.

A.K. Best, meanwhile, became internationally recognised for his beautifully proportioned trout flies, innovative tying techniques and practical understanding of aquatic insects.

The friendship between Clark, Gierach and Best brought together three complementary disciplines: rodmaking, fly-fishing literature and fly tying.

Their association was more than a commercial arrangement. It grew from shared fishing experiences, common interests and a practical understanding of what makes a fly rod useful.

For many admirers of Gierach's writing, South Creek became closely associated with the kind of fishing he described: unhurried days on trout streams, familiar companions, carefully tied flies and bamboo rods chosen for their character rather than their novelty.

THE GIERACH/BEST SPECIAL TAPER

Perhaps the best-known South Creek model is the Gierach/Best Special Taper, developed through Clark's collaboration with John Gierach and A.K. Best.

The familiar 8'6", two-piece configuration, designed around a five-weight line, represents a particularly versatile interpretation of the modern bamboo trout rod.

At a length often associated with larger rivers and more demanding conditions, the rod combines the progressive feel of traditional bamboo with sufficient authority for longer casts, wind and a variety of fishing techniques.

Its appeal lies in its versatility.

Rather than being designed exclusively for delicate dry-fly presentations or heavy subsurface fishing, the Gierach/Best taper was conceived as a practical all-round trout rod.

Owners have praised its ability to handle dry flies, nymphs and streamers, with a smooth, progressive loading action and a reserve of power when required.

The model has consequently become one of the most recognisable rods associated with South Creek Ltd.

It also represents something rather unusual in modern rodmaking: a taper connected not merely with a celebrated maker, but with two influential figures whose writing, fly tying and fishing helped define a particular period in American trout fishing.

THE CHARACTER OF A SOUTH CREEK ROD

South Creek rods are distinguished by their traditional construction, careful finishing and the individuality of their tapers.

The familiar six-sided bamboo blank is complemented by carefully fitted ferrules, traditional silk wraps and thoughtfully selected reel-seat materials.

The appointments are generally restrained, allowing the craftsmanship of the bamboo and the proportions of the rod to remain the principal attraction.

In casting, Clark's rods are often described as smooth and progressive, with a measured transfer of energy through the blank.

The longer trout rods, including the Gierach/Best Special, are particularly admired for their ability to combine a traditional bamboo feel with the power required for fishing larger Western rivers.

This is an important distinction. South Creek rods are not simply reproductions of historic American tapers. They represent Clark's own interpretation of what a modern fishing rod made from bamboo can accomplish.

SOUTH CREEK AMONG COLLECTORS

The reputation of South Creek has developed largely through the experiences of anglers who fish the rods, together with the recommendations of fellow enthusiasts.

Discussions among collectors on The Classic Fly Rod Forum repeatedly emphasise their fishing qualities, particularly the versatility of the longer Gierach/Best models.

The relatively limited production of individually handmade rods has also contributed to their desirability.

For collectors, the most interesting examples generally retain their original configuration, ferrules, wraps, grip, reel seat, rod bag and tube.

Serial numbers and documentation may help establish the history of an individual rod, while the relationship with John Gierach and A.K. Best adds a further dimension of historical interest to the signature models.

Nevertheless, the essential appeal of a South Creek rod remains its purpose as a fishing instrument.

These are rods made by an experienced angler for other anglers, with an emphasis on practical performance rather than ornament or fashion.

THE SOUTH CREEK LEGACY

Michael D. Clark belongs to the generation of independent American craftsmen who helped preserve and develop the art of bamboo rodmaking during the late twentieth century and into the twenty-first.

His work demonstrates that traditional methods need not produce merely traditional results.

By developing his own tapers, maintaining direct control over construction and remaining closely connected to the fishing for which his rods are intended, Clark has established an individual place within the modern American bamboo tradition.

His friendship with John Gierach and A.K. Best gives the South Creek story an additional significance, connecting the physical craft of rodmaking with two other enduring expressions of fly-fishing culture.

Few contemporary rodmakers can claim such a close association between the rod, the fly and the written word.

For the angler and collector alike, a South Creek rod represents something increasingly uncommon: an individually made fishing instrument, shaped by experience, tradition and a lifetime spent close to trout water.

MICHAEL D. CLARK AT ALDER CREEK

Alder Creek has handled examples of Clark's work, including a South Creek Ltd. Gierach/Best Special Taper, measuring 8'6", in a two-piece, two-tip configuration for a #5 line.

Serial number 20141, accompanied by its original rod bag and tube.

The model is a particularly interesting example of Clark's collaboration with John Gierach and A.K. Best, combining the craftsmanship of South Creek with a taper developed for versatile trout fishing.

Explore South Creek rods at Alder Creek, or contact us if you are searching for a particular model.