Prized for the elegance and soft, graceful action they offer, traditional bamboo fly rods have been used for millennia. Today, there is a renaissance amongst traditional fly fisherman to return to this noble fishing tool, crafted from carefully harvested and prepared materials. Building a bamboo fly rod will allow the student to understand and appreciate how these tools are assembled and used. Students will use British Chapman pre-made bamboo blanks using vintage tapers, German Nickel Silver rings and ferrules, flor cork, British bronze snake guides and fine Japanese silk whipping threads. Students will learn the vocabulary of rod building, along with the skills necessary to build a complete a two piece, two tips 4/5wt fly rod that is 7.5ft long. After completion of the rods, the class will head out on a short fly fishing excursion to a nearby stream or lake to try out their new fishing rods, as time and weather allow.