March 27, 2009
Talk of the South
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Left photo by Chuck Pittman; Right photo by Tom Regina
Go South
Fly Rod Camp
In a world of high-modulus graphite, a handcrafted bamboo fly rod is a pure and beautiful thing. Even more so if it was your hand that did the crafting. Sound like more than you can handle? That’s where Bill Oyster comes in. A master bamboo rod maker, he has created fly rods for the likes of Jimmy Carter and Ted Turner, and at his new cottage workshop in Mineral Bluff, Georgia, he’s willing to teach you how to make one of these beauties for yourself.
Classes at the six-day tutorials (or two three-day weekends) are limited to six people and taught solely by Oyster, and everyone walks away with a finished rod. (If you’re interested, sign up early. A handful of spots remain for the fall, and folks are already starting to reserve for next spring.) The place is run like a bed-and-breakfast, so you can stay on-site, and Bill’s wife, Shannen, will cook for you. Which works out nicely, because this is important business you’ll be engaged in here, and you won’t have time to be jaunting off to town for long lunches. Not that there isn’t plenty of downtime in the evenings to relax on one of the porches or check out the river. Did we mention the workshop sits on four wooded acres with private access to the Toccoa? So don’t forget to bring your favorite rod with you as well. Of course, it’ll probably be the last time you’ll ever use it.
