Fishing in Georgia

During the last week's class, while we were waiting for our final varnishing to be dried with our rod, we had a couple of hours to fish in Toccoa river.

Something funny happened to me on the way to fish. I mean we all get excited to certain point when you are in transit to go fishing but the jittery feeling I had at the time was way too intense. I guess all that intense rod building escalated the emotion. After all, we were spending crazy amount of effort ultimately to catch fish...

Randy, Steve and Tom gearing up.

Feel like that more often than not these days...

Tom with his restored antique bamboo rod.




Steve with a trout at the end of his line

My first bamboo rods

Please allow to me gloat over my new bamboo rods...

One on the left is one I've made at the Oyster Bamboo Rod class and one on the right is the one Bill Oyster made for me.

bamboo rod class: final day

I am having hard time trying to describe what my experience was like for the last six days. Yes, I'm super excited the fact that I have a beautiful bamboo rod which I made with my own hand but the real excitement I think came from the people i've met through this class. I will write about it in detail when i get back but for now I'm at my motel room trying to absorb all the good things that happened during my stay.

Riley burnt some midnight oil to varnish our rods.

Vanishing process, Bill Oyster Style!

Second coat of varnish and our signature had been added.

Ken's signature should read "Mac Daddy"

WAZZUP!

Graduation dinner Shannen prepared at their beautiful home. Good food, good people and good time....

bamboo rod class: day5

One thing I am learning about building fly rods is that there are no short cuts. It involves paying attention to every details and executing it with utmost care. Don't mean to be philosophical but life lessons can be taught through this experience.

Positioning of guides.

Wrapping of silk thread.

More wrapping and more wrapping...

I now have a bamboo rod ready to be Finished!

bamboo rod class: day4

This trip is turning into the experience to remember. Not only I'm learning something new to build but the whole new cultural experience as well. The people I've met through this class has something wonderful to share and it has been very exciting as well as educational for me...

Today, our canes morphed into " almost fly rods" after the painstaking works.

Binded, glued, and baked rod.

Sanding and more Sanding...

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Attaching ferrule

Ferrule is glued on.

Practicing the "separation"

Stacking up cork rings for your grip.

Shaping of grip.

My "George the Asian cowboy" cigar style handle (don't ask)

Ken the mac daddy here graciously invited us for dinner to his very intriguing and beautiful self sustainable comune and treat us with an wonderful food and fellowship.

One of artwork from Ken's house.

bamboo rod class: day3

Today was the longest and strenuous day yet very rewarding as we now have binded blanks. a lot of elbow greasing went in today's work as it was all about planing after planing.

Ready to start the day.

Steve and Randy putting a lot of elbow grease and patience

Finished strips

Ready to be glued

Two part epoxy application

Barry binding his rod

Finally, we have something that resembles fly rod.

Tom displays his battle scar and new found respect for rod building

bamboo rod class: day2

using alcohol lamp to straighten canes.

straightened strips.

Planner specifically designed for bamboo rod building

After a couple of runs through the planner, isometric triangled strip

Strips gets baked for thirty minutes at 300 degree farenheit

Calibrated the planner block for further planning for tommorrow

Finished the day with local beer

bamboo rod class: day 1

Today was my first day of 6 days course of bamboo fly rod class. I arrived in Blue Ridge, Georgia last night and just came back from the first day of class. Today we spent all day flamming and splitting a cane which will be planed down tomorrow. I'm with five other gentlemen from all over the states. its good to be with other fishermen who are passionate about this sport.