Description
Bill Oyster makes fishing rods out of bamboo, a technology that graphite passed by decades ago. His rods were beautiful and in such demand that buyers waited four years for one. He was also working seven days a week until 3 AM. When he finally sat down with a pen and paper, he realized he would never earn a middle-class income that way.
So he changed what he was selling. Instead of selling rods, Bill started teaching people to build their own. Today Oyster Bamboo runs 24 classes a year with 10 students each. That’s 240 students a year, and the classes are booked solid for two years.
In this episode, Bill explains how a phone call from one determined wife turned into his first student. He talks about why every student leaves with a finished, fishable rod, and why other rod makers sent him angry letters when he started teaching. He also shares the piece of advice he got from Lefty Kreh’s story that changed everything: people don’t care how good you are, they want to know how good they can be.
Captain Rhett Morris joins us to tell the story of walking into Bill’s shop by accident and building a 10-weight he named “The Permit.” He then spent three years chasing one of the hardest fish in the ocean with that rod, and he says landing it was a soul-shaking moment.
We also get into rods built for President Carter and a British royal wedding gift. Bill explains why his saltwater bamboo rods are all eight feet long, and why bamboo rods are meant to be fished hard, not hung on the wall.
Whatever business you’re in, this story will make you rethink what you’re actually selling.
🎣 Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods: https://oysterbamboo.com
📍 Blue Ridge, Georgia
🎙️ Listen to my earlier episode with Capt. Rhett Morris (More Fish Florida)