one woman’s journey into the bamboo fly rod making abyss
My class was on March 3rd and through all of the ups and downs…I successfully made another bamboo fly rod without crying impaling anyone. About a month before my class, I sent out an email asking for advice concerning my new bamboo fly rod. I asked Oyster clients to help design it…I did it…it was […]
Read More My Bamboo Fly Rod, a Can of Worms and the Sentimental Nature of it AllWhen I woke up this morning, I had no intention of shooting. With Bill on the other end of the planet on his annual trip to Argentina for a few weeks, my schedule goes from hectic to quasi insane…not to mention lonely (days are good…nights stink…see reference to my co-dependent nature). Self admittedly, I could probably go a […]
Read More Shooting in Pajamas, Bamboo Fly Rods & letting go of the Martyr“If it were easy…everyone would do this.” Those are the words that Bill whispered in my ear almost daily in the beginning of 2012. As the year wore on, Bill’s whisper grew into a dull roar and those words’ final resting place became my mantra. At the end of 2011, we had a plan for 2012. What’s the expression…no good deed, […]
Read More Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods…2012 Year in Review…The Best Laid Plans of Bamboo and Fly RodsWhile diamonds are presumably a girl’s best friend… my shotgun has become my BFF. This blog needs no introduction. 10. Even if I gain 10 pounds, my shotgun still still fits!9. A diamond does nothing but just sit there and I swear my shotgun loves me back…it does.8. Having my shotgun “sized and fit” […]
Read More 10 reasons why I love my shotgun more than a diamond.“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.” – Robert Fritz Late night in the shop…my class! Over three years ago, we had outgrown our “cottage” inspired home workshop after a decade plus and needed more […]
Read More Bamboo Fly Rods, Change and the Accidental RetailersThe above photo is a direct result of the following: 6 months of planning, 7 friends (including my Aunt from Seattle) and 74 hours of work (I was slow and others had to assist me…hence the “tribal” in the rod)… Originally I had planned to write out a thoughtful blog each day of the class […]
Read More My tribal bamboo fly rod!…and this bamboo fly rod making class. Okay, I skipped a day because the second day of class started out with straightening strips and the night ended with math! So, I decided not to tell the tale. However, I got through it and finally tamed my bamboo strips. This is how the day started […]
Read More About last night…After my first day in class making my first bamboo fly rod, I have discovered the following: Bill’s job is so much better than mine. Of course, we started with a raw stalk of Tonkin bamboo and 9 hours later ended up with something that kind of resembles some (12) strips of Tonkin bamboo. Surprisingly, […]
Read More Bamboo Fly Rod Class Day One…So…after 14 years, I am taking my first bamboo fly rod making class tomorrow. Why 14 years? Well, like many of you reading this, it’s something I have always wanted to do but life has been in the way. Let’s see between work, 2 small children, building a new bamboo fly rod making shop, new office, […]
Read More Confessions of A Bamboo Fly Rod Maker’s WidowDear Daniel, Yesterday, I finally surrendered and went to the doctor after being sick for 2 weeks. It was a fairly unremarkable visit until I start filling out all of those monotonous forms. You know the ones…you and I usually don’t have much to check personally until the family history page. Let’s be honest, our […]
Read More An open letter to my brother