Oyster’s October 5-10, 2026 bamboo fly rod making class brought back 6 repeats and 4 new students…and a new induction into OYSTER’S 10 CLASS CLUB🍾
Slayyyyyyyton was here from Conway, AR, for his 10th class!🎉 His favorite rod that he has made at Oyster is the 8' 9wt he built during his 7th class for saltwater fly fishing. For his 10th rod, Slaton chose a 7'6" 4wt for himself. Congratulations, Slaton—see you soon!
John was back for his 37th 🤯 bamboo fly rod making class. He says his favorite rod to fish is his 8' 7wt with a fighting butt, and his favorite hand-engraved bamboo rod is his Cosmic rod (John…what about the mushroom rod?!🍄). This time, he crafted an 8' 6wt as a gift for a very special person.🏎️
Hart joined us for his 15th (yes, 15) bamboo rod making class. He splits his time between Seattle, WA, and Kennesaw, GA. He said the best rod he has made at Oyster is his 8’ 4wt 50th wedding anniversary bamboo fly rod, which features the initials of his kids and grandkids.❤️ We were so fortunate that he brought a friend…👇🏽
Robert, also from Seattle, attended class with Hart. He built an 8' 6wt for trout fishing on the Yakima River. It was his first bamboo rod—made to fish anywhere there are trout. Thank you for making the trip, Robert…and for bringing Ruth! 🪼
Randy joined us for his 11th class from Roswell, GA. His favorite rod he’s made during an Oyster rod making class is a 7’9” 6wt but he shared his favorite rod to fish is an 8' 7wt, made for his wife, Barbara. 😉
Duncan was here from Nashville, TN, for his 1st bamboo fly rod making class. He built a 7'6" 5wt for dry fly fishing—matching the hatch with flies he tied, using a rod he built by hand was his ultimate goal. ✅
Ken from Augusta, GA, attended his 1st fly rod making class at Oyster. The class was a gift from his wife. Ken built a 7'6" 5wt and said he will fly fish wherever the rod takes him.
Jimmy was here for his 5th class. He splits his time between FL and the Blue Ridge Mountains. He says his favorite rod is always the next one he will build. His favorite rod to fish is the second one he built at Oyster Bamboo—he fished it the day after class, and on the first cast, caught a fish. He says the class is a great week, and Pepper is the best.🐶
Dave joined us from Cumming, GA, for his 1st Oyster bamboo fly rod class. He says it’s been on his bucket list for years, and that making a rod and catching fish on it is the perfect combination. Dave built a 7'6" 4wt for fly fishing local waters in Georgia.
Philip from Texas was back for his 3rd class. He came to his first class after Slaton convinced him to sign up. Fast forward—he was here to celebrate Slaton attending his 10th bamboo rod making class. Philip’s favorite rod he’s built at Oyster is his first—an 8' 6wt.
WOW! There were 81 classes taken by the repeat students alone! A HUGE thank you to all of our Oyster students and congratulations again to our new “10 Class Club” inductee! More on the Slay later! 💫