Rod fair casts favor on Camp Sherman

There was a little bit of Hollywood and a whole lot of the finest bamboo rods in North America at the fourth annual Metolius River Bamboo Rod Fair held at Black Butte School in Camp Sherman over the weekend.

Jason Borger, who did the fly casting scenes for Brad Pitt in the 1992 movie A River Runs Through It, provided the Hollywood aspect of the event. Much more than just a movie double, Borger is the director of Fly Casting Education for the Fly Casting Institute and the author of the book “The Nature of Fly Casting – A Modular Approach.”

A fly fisherman since his youth, Borger actually got his break for the movie based on the instructional videos that he helped his father produce. Borger’s celebrity status may have attracted people’s attention, but it was his instructional clinics that were especially valued by participants at the fair.

Borger is a master instructor who held 40-50 people completely rapt during a 45-minute session on Saturday afternoon, explaining to the crowd that a solid technical foundation is key to any type of casting.

He cautioned “Before you get too caught up in improving your casting skill, try to remember every time you’re out on the river that you’re supposed to be having fun! How many times have you seen guys out on the river who had obviously forgotten the fun part?”

His modular approach means that he breaks down the motion of casting into bite-sized chunks.

“I like to help people learn one skill at a time and then reassemble the whole package,” he said.

The fair is hosted by Roger and Kathy White who operate the Camp Sherman Store. Borger stayed at the Whites’ cabin and got to get out on the river four or five times during his stay.

“We thought it would be cool to get Jason here for all that he has done surrounding fly fishing,” said Roger White.

“We feel this is a natural place for such an event. Its a classic river with classic bamboo rods in a low-key, beautiful atmosphere.”

The event included some 40 exhibitors under big tent with booths ranging from antique collectibles to hand-tooled leather creels. An estimated 800 people passed through Saturday, according to White.

Local fly fishing guide, instructor and author John Judy was on hand to give an exhibition on spey casting, a little-known two-handed technique that originated in Scotland.

“It is truly amazing the value of the rods and reels we had on hand at the show,” said White.

Roger Fairfield, who has lived in Sisters for five years, has been making fly rods at his home for about nine years.

He brought his tools along and was working on a rod amidst all the activity around him.

“I like to come to events like this because I develop questions during the course of the year and I can get most of them answered here,” he said.

Fairfield sells his rods at The Fly Fisher’s Place and the Numb-Butt Fly Company in Bend.

Dave Holloman, proprietor of the Payne Rod Company of Sisters visited with passers-by while son Daniel took in the instruction of Jason Borger.

While the focus of the show centered on bamboo rods, Borger is no purist.

“I am a techno-geek artist,” he said. “Give me most cutting-edge titanium rod or a carefully and lovingly hand-crafted bamboo rod and I’d love them both.”

White is planning on the fifth annual event possibly spanning two days, but things are still in the planning stages.