Mature cattail heads are highly useful as tinder. I have used them to catch the tiniest of sparks, such as old school flint and steel or a discarded Bic lighter that was out of fuel.

"Make a bowdrill fire" is still on my bucket list. But my first attempts led me to immediately add spare Bics to every jacket, pack, and vehicle that I owned. The drilling and cursing was pretty good cardio though, and the blisters healed after a while.

That's the extent of my expertise. I'm sure there are other sites on the web that provide exhaustive detail.

Good luck!