“If I ever get adept at this, I’m going to teach other people.”
Almost 30 years ago, while pacing through our makeshift basement workshop, Bill made this poignant decision as he wrestled with the arduous process of making his first bamboo fly rod.
In the late ’90s, the Internet hadn’t yet become the information juggernaut it is today, bamboo fly rods were waning in interest, and the few makers who knew the craft were…well let’s just say not enthusiastic about sharing.
Over the past several decades, Oyster’s bamboo fly rod making school has taken on the proverbial “life of its own”.
Thousands of students have entered Oyster’s workshop and left with more than a bamboo fly rod they made with their own hands. They gain a renewed appreciation for a uniquely American craft, form lasting friendships, and become “accidental” ambassadors for the craft—advocates for fly fishing and conservation alike.
We say… the more the merrier.
We believe YOUR interest in bamboo fly rod making has strengthened and revived a long-forgotten community and extended its life for future generations.
🙏So, thank you all.
And Bill… you are adept at making bamboo fly rods.
✨Careful what you wish for…
“Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach" -Aristotle