Interested in fly fishing and how custom bamboo rods are made?
Local woodworker Fred Pickett will be giving a talk and demonstration on the craft of making these special fishing rods Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Ferrero Room at Rock Springs Library.
This event came from the display Pickett had at the Community Fine Arts Center this winter of his rods, a canoe and kayak, as well as skis and marquetry designs. The process on the art of making bamboo fly fishing rods from start to finish will be explained in photos, narratives, and examples of the stages of making a fishing rod.
Pickett, a Wyoming native, has been drawn to woodworking because of his other interests. Floating the river was the first step to making canoes and kayaks. Recently he has begun to make cross country skis to use on his own trips out on the snow.
Pickett has had a long career in television production working at first in Thermopolis and Riverton then coming to Rock Springs nearly 35 years ago.
“Somewhere around the age of 50 I decided to take up fishing as a hobby for my retirement years. Being a woodworker it only seemed natural I should make my own bamboo fly rod,” Pickett said. “It took approximately three years to put together all the tools and equipment I needed before I could actually start making fly rods.”
He learned most of the craft from books and information on the Internet. After constructing his first rod, Pickett attended the Colorado Rod Makers Gathering, which takes place each July. There he met other bamboo rod makers, exchanged ideas and information and had the chance to see and try out rods made by others. Workshops on casting and evaluating bamboo rods also helped Pickett learn the art.
“Today, I am still learning the basics of fishing and I enjoy fishing but I am not an avid fisherman. For me the best part of fishing is making and testing the bamboo fly rods I make. If I happen to catch a fish, that’s good, too!”
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