American Dreams and Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods

Tick, tick, tick…time. …vintage Bill…circa 1993 …vintage Shannen…circa 1993 Time is a gift and a bully…a constant “in your face” reminder of your inner most weaknesses but when confronted head on, the time bully can also be a reminder of your greatest strengths. ♥ Oyster headquarters from our basement to our cottage to Main Street […]

My Jeep Wrangler, an ode to a blue minivan and Oyster Bamboo Fly Rod Rods

I had an epiphany today. You go where you look. And it all revolves around an electric blue minivan. Let me explain…it all started several months ago when my Jeep Wrangler was trashed by softball sized hail (if you think this is an exaggeration…it’s not). the hail that started it […]

Cast and Blast at Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods…and this time…it’s me!

Roni taking a stroll down Main Street attracting a crowd My children have grown to be quite the conspirators in the progress department wherever we may go in our small mountain community. I spend the majority of my day “preparing” to be efficient while Cutter and Veronica have a completely different agenda. While there are […]

2010 Lists from the perspective of a Bamboo Fly Rod Maker’s Widow

As 2010 slipped away, the Oyster Bamboo family has the desire to reminisce (at least I do). We are grateful for all of the palpable events that life beautifully produces…family, friends, fish (the norm). However, because we are bamboo rod makers (or married to one), our life is completely swallowed by the craft. So, my […]

Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods, Halloween and just about everything else you can imagine!

Wow! Where to begin…the last 2 months have been eventful to say the least. We kicked of the fall by spending a few days in a Yurt in Western North Carolina. It’s the closest Bill will get me to camping these days. It’s so rare that we get away without work in tow so it […]

Bill wins a Winston!?!?!?

So, Bill won a Winston Boron rod this weekend. Yes, I know that we make bamboo fly rods and yes, I know that a bamboo fly rod maker should not be seen with a boron rod but the story is funny. While presenting at the SE FFF show, Bill decides last minute to enter his […]

Top 10 Ways You Know You’re Married to a Bamboo Fly Rod Maker

A moment with the maker and Veronica in the workshop. 1. He grew a beard because it looks “more professional”. 2. Your coat closet is a varnishing room. 3. Bamboo shavings are are regular accessory. 4. When you fill out any type of general questionnaire, there’s never a “bamboo fly rod maker” box to check […]

Bamboo Fly Rod Making…is it Art?

Do we call this a workshop or studio? Cutter always tells people he wants to make bamboo fly rods when he grows up (and be an “army man”, fireman and hero). Yesterday, a woman was in the shop and she asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Cutter quickly replied, “an […]

Snow, Bamboo Fly Rods, Classes, more snow…oh my!

Snow days and bamboo fly rods… So…a few days of snow in North Georgia is fun and charming. BUT, this winter has been brutal. It has snowed a lot this winter…a lot. My five year old does not even look up when it snows. However, snow or ice…Bill makes it to our bamboo fly rod […]

Whew! 10th straight year at The Fly Fishing Show in Charlotte, NC

Whew…we left the Oyster Bamboo Fly rod workshop for the Charlotte fly fishing trade show at 9:30PM on Friday after another insane week of bamboo fly rod building. We always take the entire family. That includes us, our 5 year old son, Cutter and infant daughter, Veronica, Yogi and the grandparents (our official groupies). No […]