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| Bill tames a healthy rainbow with his Oyster Bamboo rod |
The
first time that Bill Oyster witnessed fly fishing was while growing up in the
northwestern town of Powell, Wyoming. Ironically, it wasn’t until
Bill moved to the warmer climate of north Georgia that the obsession really
stuck. Bill would often hike for many miles and camp alone along the
crystal clear trout streams of the Appalachian wilderness. With
trout in the back yard, Bill soon discovered that it was a half day drive to
the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic to pursue, sea trout, redfish, and
tarpon. In other words… this area had virtually no limit to keep
entertained even the most enthusiastic fly fisher on a year round
basis. While attending the University of Georgia in Athens, Bill met
his wife Shannen who would be a large part of his success at turning his
passion into a career. Soon after leaving college to compete as a
professional road racing cyclist, Bill and Shannen were married and moved to
Gainesville, GA. Just after the ’96 Olympic Trials Bill suffered a
career ending fall while training. Suddenly he had time and energy
to spare and poured it all into his fly fishing interests. He spent
time doing anything he could in the fly fishing world from tying flies at the
trade shows to teaching casting and guiding for area fly
shops.
Still in his twenties, he soon took an interest in bamboo fly
rods. He loved the beauty and history and hoped to obtain one for
himself. The more he learned about these rods, the more he became
intrigued by the craft itself. At that time there was no one around
to mentor his interest in rodmaking and no internet with its endless stream of
information. So it was through a small stack of dusty books and
countless hours of trial and error that Bill slowly put together his own style
of employing these traditional techniques. Each rod produced was a
bit better than the one before, and his experience in all manner of fly fishing
(as well as his casting knowledge and abilities), quickly put him on the road
to creating classic rods that could satisfy a more modern expectation of
performance. His art training led to an aesthetic that set a new
standard for the kind of beauty that could be achieved in the most high-end
niche of the market.
Many hours are spent at the engraving vise
creating his hyper customized rods for clients from around the
world. When he’s not crafting rods for customers, he shares his
craft through the Oyster rodmaking school. Drawing on his own
experience and struggles with all techniques and methods of rod construction,
he has created what is by far the largest school of rodmaking in the world
today. Each year over a hundred students travel from around the
world to spend a week with Bill completing their own rod using the very same
techniques employed on every Oyster rod. When not working, Bill
often leads groups of his clients on fishing expeditions where they put their
creations to the test in some of the most exotic and beautiful destinations in
the world. These days Bill and his wife run their production shop
and rodmaking school in the quaint north Georgia mountain town of Blue Ridge,
where they live with their two small children Cutter and Veronica.
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| Bill and family at home on the river |
Q & A With Bill Oyster:
What were your beginnings in fly fishing?
Who got you into it?
Its really just
something I stumbled into on my own. Nobody in my family had any interest
in fishing, but I was captivated by it from my earliest memory. I first
saw fly fishing as a kid growing up in northwest Wyoming. At the time I
wasn't too impressed as my Zebco and can of worms seemed to do the trick just
fine. It wasn't until college when I picked up a fly rod to chase the
trout in north Georgia that I was really struck by, not just how effective it
was (and not very at first), but how beautiful it was as well.
Why bamboo?
I have always
had what you might call an artistic sensibility. The romance of a bamboo
rod, a wooden sailboat, or classic motorcycle - it's not something you can
explain, and certainly not something you can justify. It's just
either something that stirs your senses, or it isn't. For me it was, and
still is.
Are there any rod makers that have
influenced your technique?
For me it was
every rod maker who ever wrote a book. I've read them all many times
over. I think that Everett Garrison's book might have to top the list.
It made the whole process seem like such a serious and impossible
undertaking that I just had to give it a try!
What do you do differently than everyone
else?
Strangely, I
think the biggest difference between me and other rod makers is that I don't
take it too seriously. Fly fishing and fly rods should be fun. Yes,
I am serious about always trying to make the finest fly rods I can, because to
me that IS fun. I don't mind if others like different styles or use
different methods. I'm not interested in debating tapers or plane
sharpening angles. I know what works for me and enjoy every minute of it.
How did you learn to engrave and what goes
into that process?
Early on I
experienced a demand from my customers for personalization. I took a
chance on myself and travelled to an engraving school in Kansas to see if it
was something I might be able to do. Fortunately, it stuck. I talk
directly to the customer and combine their interests and history with my
experience to design and create the custom engravings. I sometimes spend
upwards of a hundred hours designing, drawing, and cutting the most elaborate
pieces.
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| A few fine examples of Bill's engraving prowess |
What is the creative process that you go
through when making fly rods?
It all starts
with the customer. I need to know how and where they will use the rod.
Also, if they have any strong preferences in rod action or feel.
All of the practical considerations come first. Only then do we
discuss aesthetics. First and foremost the rod must perform properly,
consistently, and reliably. Otherwise I might as well just paint them a
picture instead! Some are only looking for a simple and understated
style, and we are happy to comply. Many of our more complicated rods are
ordered as heirloom pieces and my engravings are based on highly personal ideas
that will stay in that family for generations.
What was your favorite fly rod that you
have made?
There is no
question that it is the first rod I ever made #001. It took me six months
of trial and error, reading and re-reading, head scratching and cussing, but I
finally achieved something I had dreamed about for years. I'll never sell
this rod. It's MY family heirloom.
What was it like fishing with and making a
rod for President Carter?
I guided Pres.
Carter again last week, and it's always the same - highly rewarding, thoroughly
enjoyable, and more than a little stressful. He is after all a serious
dry-fly man, and those big boys aren't always looking up on demand. He's
a hell of an angler though, and we always get a few to the net. The rods
were originally purchased as a fundraiser by the Carter Center. The idea
they had was that he would autograph it before I varnished it, he would fish it
for awhile, then it would go to auction as a fundraiser. However, after
fishing the first rod for about thirty minutes, he decided that a new rod
should be commissioned because that one wasn't going anywhere! It was a
real honor for a young guy from a one red light town working all alone (at that
time) in his basement!
Were there any challenges or adversity you
had to overcome?
Well, starting
out as a twenty something year old kid in the Deep South didn't really help me
fit the stereotype for a bamboo rod maker. None of the "big"
guys in the industry really gave me the time of day back then. That's
when I decided that I wouldn't spend too much time worrying what others thought
of me. Instead I set out to make rods that were so fine, worked so well,
and looked so good that it didn't matter who made them, or where. That
still pretty much sums up our business philosophy, although with the grey beard
things are getting easier! In fact, all of the closed doors I experienced
when starting out is what lead me to teaching rod making classes. I found
that rejecting the enthusiasm of would-be rod makers just plain felt bad.
That wasn't the feeling I wanted mixed up in my life's work.
Instead, I decided to find a practical way to make people feel good.
To this day I've helped more people complete their first bamboo rod than
anyone in history, and that makes ME feel good. See how that works?
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| Busy at work at the Oyster rod shop |
What is your favorite fish to go after -
do you prefer chasing hard to find fish and experiencing the different places
you catch them in or staying local and going after the football rainbows in
Georgia?
I will fish
wherever I have the opportunity, and have certainly spent my share of time
harassing the local trout. However, like any drug, a real junkie always
needs more. This year alone I've fished for trout and stripers in Ga,
bull reds in Louisiana, big Browns in Patagonia and tarpon in the Keys.
Next month I'll be heading to northern Argentina for golden dorado, and
in November it's Andros Island for bonefish. I am an addict through and
through.
Any special memories from the rod shop or
people you encountered?
The shop is my
home, where I sleep is less important. Employees, friends, and fishing
buddies are one in the same. My wife handles the business end of things
from her office, my kids do their homework sitting in bamboo shavings, our dogs
sniff everyone who walks in. This is where we hang out on our days off,
and meet up when we go out. This place and the people that frequent it
are what allows us all to live the life we want.
Have
you taught your kids to fly fish or have they shown interest in picking up the
rod building torch?
My kids enjoy
fishing like most kids naturally do when given the chance. I am careful
not to push them too much, since I don't want to chase them away. I would
love it if they choose to carry the torch someday, but only time will tell.
What are your thoughts on fisheries
conservation?
I've seen first
hand the effects of development, deforestation, pollution and overcrowded
waters. It's a problem we've all created and must find a way to manage.
Mother Nature simply can't keep up if we continue in a thoughtless and
careless manner. Still there are those (fisherman even!) who act like
there's no tomorrow and take without giving. It's a problem for sure, but
one that could be managed if enough people would stop thinking about their
tomorrow and instead think about their children's. Rant over...
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| Bill puts the Oyster 9 wt. taper to the test in Big Pine Key |
Ok. One rod, one reel, one fly and you’re
on a deserted island. What do you take?
Hmmm, an island,
must be saltwater, gonna need to eat... 8'9wt Oyster bamboo (solid built for
durability) with my trusty Tibor Signature Series reel, and a good old Clouser
Minnow. Let's go fishing!
