Years ago, for Christmas, I gifted Jacob his first bamboo rod. Ever since then it's been a steady stream of learning to build and gathering all he could find. He completely immersed himself in the art of bamboo.
Since then, I've learned more about 'boo' than I ever thought I would, but it was still his. I've cast a bamboo rod from time to time, gave them the 'wiggle test', and admired from afar. I've got my glass rods, they catch fish just fine. I figured bamboo would be a world in which I was always an outsider and even a 'boo widow.'
While in Colorado, our friend, Dave (Animas Rods) invited us to a weekend on the Dolores. We set out on a Friday towards the Green Snow Oasis, with dreams of bigger fish and more quality time with friends; Jacob looking forward to a whole weekend of bamboo.
The weekend flew by, with full nets and full hearts, surrounded by new friends, in a place I'll never forget.
A fly fisherman lives by the words "one more cast," and that's exactly how we played it, right up to the last moment. I asked Jacob if I could fish with the bamboo rod he'd bee using all weekend, one of Dave's builds. Reluctantly, he handed it over. The sun was directly overhead and I figured it would just be a session in casting. I watched the little ant drift slowly across the surface of the water, followed by a leisurely slurp.
Sometimes it takes a stranger walking into your life to force you outside of what's familiar and to reexamine what's comfortable. I count myself lucky to have so many people, that I now hold dear, who have done that for me.
Just as soon as that ant slipped under the water I realized that I finally had a fish on a bamboo rod. "It's my first fish on bamboo" I screamed! At that moment, I gathered the magic in the rod, it felt as if I was catching my first trout all over again.
I'm not sure I've completely gone to the "flamed side," but now, thanks to the kindness of a stranger (now friend), I know the magic and I've got my own 'boo!'
