What To Expect From Our Bamboo Fly Rod Making Classes
Your Instructor - Ric Plante
Ric doesn't like to talk about himself. After everything you're about to read, you'll understand why we do it for him.
Ric spent twenty years as a precision screw machinist — from 1974 to 1994, working to tolerances measured in thousandths of an inch, developing a feel for metal and measurement that most people never acquire in a lifetime. Then he spent more than twenty years in coaching education, teaching Montana's youth soccer coaches how to teach — how to read a student, how to meet them where they are, how to get the best out of someone without ever making them feel small.
Then he found bamboo.
Ric has been building bamboo fly rods since 2009. He learned the craft directly from Tom Morgan — a name that needs no introduction to anyone who loves this art form. Tom Morgan was a genius of the craft, a man whose contribution to American bamboo rod making is immeasurable, and Ric was privileged to work alongside him and absorb everything he had to teach. He has been teaching the craft since 2018. He has mentored over 150 students. Not one of them has left without a finished rod. Not one of them has left without being changed by the experience.
His students call him gifted. Patient. Clear. The best instructor and coach they've ever had. Ric says thank you and asks for pictures of the fish.
There is a certain kind of teacher you meet once in a life, if you're lucky. The kind who sees exactly where you are, meets you there with patience and precision, and walks beside you until you've become something more than you were when you arrived. Ric is that teacher. Tom Morgan was his.
Which Rod Will You Build?
This is usually the first question people ask — and it's a beautiful question, because it means you're already imagining yourself here.
The right rod depends on how you fish, where you fish, and what feels right in your hand. Ric will help you figure that out before you ever arrive. He calls every student personally — a real conversation, not a form, not an email — because he wants to know you a little before you walk through the door. Once you've decided together, we'll confirm your choice in writing so everything is ready when you get here.
Here are your options:
- 7'6" ~ 4wt — Light, precise, perfect for smaller streams and delicate presentations
- 8' ~ 4wt — A little more reach with the same finesse
- 7'6" ~ 5wt — Versatile and forgiving, a great first rod for most water
- 8'3" ~ 5wt — The workhorse. Handles most situations beautifully
- 8'3" ~ 6wt — When the wind picks up and the water gets big
Most first timers land on the 7'6" or 8'3" five weight. But whatever you choose, know this — by Friday that rod will feel like it was always yours. Because it was.
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.
From Our Students
