Ten classes. Ten bamboo fly rods. One Slaton. 🎣
Building a single bamboo fly rod is quite the accomplishment, much less 10.
Welcome Slayyyyyyton to the "Oyster 10 Class Club"! 🤍
Slaton first walked through our doors in 2019, originally a gift from his wife who thought he "might" like the class.
Then he came back. And again.
After a few classes, I start to recognize familiar faces, and Slaton's bench sat right beside my (Shannen here) old office. Whenever I passed it and he wasn’t consumed with his rod, he was so lost in thought that I nicknamed him "our thinker." The name stuck around the shop
Class after class, in came quiet, humble Slaton.
Around class five, he told us he'd decided he was in this for 10. He stuck with it, brought his children along, and coordinated classes with so many of our other repeat students.
For his 10th, he was joined by several fellow Oyster "repeat offenders," and suffice it to say they had a hella time. What a week of shenanigans.
This time, he built a 7'6" 4wt for himself with ties to the universe (see hand engraving).
Slaton, thank you for trusting us with your time and for being part of the Oyster crew.
Your bench will always be here. 🤍
🔏Editors note: Slaton has a full-blown bamboo fly rod making workshop at home. He attends our classes for so much more than rod building. Oyster is a magical place for many of our students. Don’t take this as a flex. We are simply a conduit and get to see the best in people week after week.
Slaton, we said this at the time, but let us save it for posterity in writing: from all of us at Oyster to "our thinker," our student, and most importantly, our friend. Congratulations. 👏
#ithinkthereforeiam