Bamboo Fly Rod Making Class Montana

bamboo fly rod making class bamboo planing

Total Class Price $2,900.00

Join our hands-on bamboo fly rod making class in Bozeman, Montana. Reserve your seat with a $500 deposit and spend five days building your own custom fly rod—from raw culm to finishing. Small class size (2:1 ratio) ensures personalized instruction. Balance of $2,400 is due 60 days before class start. Perfect for fly anglers looking to learn rod building from scratch.

Rod models to choose from:
You can choose from these great options:

7’6” ~ 4wt
8’ ~ 4wt
7’6” ~ 5wt
8’3” ~ 5wt
8’3” ~ 6wt

In class you will only have time to make one tip for your rod. We offer the opportunity for you to have an extra tip made by me, so you can have a total of two tips. If you would like to have me craft a second tip for you, just let us know!

What else is included:
You’ll learn how to wrap guides and finish your wraps like a pro. Every rod build comes with a custom rod tube and sock to keep it protected and ready for the river.

Oh—and we’ve got lunch covered for four days of the class. Just let us know ahead of time if you have any dietary restrictions!

Class Balance & Class Refund Policy

Refund Policy
We keep our classes small so every student gets plenty of personal attention. Because of that, it can be hard to fill a spot if someone needs to cancel on short notice. To be fair to all, our policy is:

A $500 deposit secures your spot, with the remaining $2,400 balance due 60 days before class begins at which time you will be invoiced for the balance.
If you need to cancel 6 months or more in advance, we’ll issue a full refund.
If you cancel 3–6 months before class, we’ll happily give you credit toward a future class or merchandise.
If you must cancel within 3 months of your class, the deposit is non-refundable.

2026 Class Schedule

3/30/26 - 4/3/26
4/13/26 - 4/17/26
5/4/26 - 5/8/26
5/18/26 - 5/22/26
6/8/26 - 6/12/26
6/22/26 - 6/26/26
7/13/26 - 7/17/26
7/27/26 - 7/31/26
8/10/26 - 8/14/26
8/24/26 - 8/28/26
9/7/26 - 9/11/26
9/21/26 - 9/26/26
10/5/26 - 10/9/26

Private Classes available for an additional fee - give us a call if you’d like more information

What To Expect From Our Bamboo Fly Rod Making Classes

Expert Instruction

Learn from the best in the business. Master Rodsmith Ric Plante has built thousands of bamboo fly rods and has mentored over 150 rod makers in their pursuit. Our 2:1 student teacher ratio keeps instruction personal and

choose your own fly rod weight and length in our bamboo fly rod making classes.

Choose Your Own Rod

Build the bamboo fly rod you've always wanted. In the class, you'll be able to choose from:

7’6” ~ 4wt

8’ ~ 4wt

7’6” ~ 5wt

8’3” ~ 5wt

8’3” ~ 6wt

Each of these bamboo fly rods has a unique action and use case. Not sure which one to pick? Let's talk about it.

Learn The Tools

During the week long class, you'll become familiar with all the tools necessary to build a bamboo fly rod, including the Bamboo Hand Plane. The Hand Plane is a crucial piece of equipment for building bamboo fly rods and has been specially designed by Ric to produce the best results.

Students will have the opportunity to purchase their own Hand Plane to continue the passion of building bamboo fly rods at home.

From Our Students

"I have had the pleasure of taking two bamboo rod making classes with Ric Plante. I had learned so much in the first class that I chose to take another to ensure I had all of the information. I wanted to get as much experience possible working under Ric's tutelage.

Ric is an excellent teacher. He is well versed in bamboo knowledge and knows how to explain things well. Ric is a pleasant, likeable person. He was always extremely patient with me. He had such great insights and wonderful explanations to the techniques of how we build bamboo fly rods.

I have wanted to build bamboo fly rods for approximately the last 20 years but have had difficulty getting started. My time working with Ric gave me such confidence and understanding of the process that I was able to build six rods immediately after taking classes with him. I felt very confident in all of the rods I have built. My rods have turned out very well.

In my mind, there is no greater bamboo teacher than Ric Plante. He has great experience, knowledge, patience and the ability to explain in ways that I could clearly understand. I owe my rod building skills to Ric. I cannot endorse him enough for the excellent education he provided me in the art and mastery of bamboo rod building."

-Mark F. Ozog, M.D.

Bamboo Fly Rod Making Class FAQs

What's included in the class?

You choose rod length and weight rod you want to make. You also get to choose your reel seat, handle shape and thread color for the wraps and you get a rod bag and tube with a laser engraved cap for the bamboo rod you made.

Do you (Ric) teach the classes?

Yes I teach every class with Bob helping out 90% of the time.

What rod can I make?

We have rod tapers from 3 wt to 8 wt. However we do not recommend you make a 3 wt for your first rod.

What do I wear to class?

You should wear whatever you would wear to work in your own garage or shop.

What do I do to prepare for class?

Absolutely nothing, besides get excited. We have had many people with absolutely no idea of what's involved in making a bamboo fly rod. At the end of the week they have a beautiful rod they made.

Can I take notes or pictures?

Yes, feel free to take notes, photos or videos and ask as many questions as you like. We have no secrets here. Our goal is to take the mystery out of Bamboo Rod Making.

Can you recommend some fishing while in Bozeman?

You bet, with the Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin all close by there is plenty of fishing to be had and we are happy to recommend guides if needed.

When should I arrive in Bozeman?

We suggest a day ahead of time to get settled in and because we start at 8 am on the first day.

How long is each class day?

Some days are longer then other. The first two days you could be working till 5 pm. It depends on you the bamboo rod maker.

When are we finished?

We are usually finished on Friday by noon in case you need to catch an afternoon flight.

Can we actually finish making a bamboo rod in a five day class?

Yes, you will leave on the last day with a bamboo fly rod ready to fish. We have had people leave at noon and send us photos of fish they caught on the Madison River later that afternoon.

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2026 Bamboo Fly Rod Making Class - Reserve Your Spot with a $500 deposit