One More Thing |
Gone Fishing
by Sam Boykin photos by Glenn Roberson
Fran Park reels students in
W
hile just about anyone can pick up a rod and reel and cast a lure into the water, fly fishing is unique, with distinct and ancient methods and what some would call an artistic beauty. “There’s something about fly fishing that attracts a different kind of person,” says Fran Park of Huntersville. “It’s very serene and peaceful, but it also takes a lot of skill to lay down a fly the size of a pinhead precisely where you think the fish are.”
Lake Norman Currents | August 2009
Above: “It’s [fly fishing] very serene and peaceful, but it also takes a lot of skill to lay down a fly the size of a pinhead precisely where you think the fish are,” says Fran Park. Right: Fran Park grew up fishing in upstate New York.
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Park knows all about such things. Not only is he an avid fisherman, but he also teaches other anglers how to build their own fly rods. Park grew up fishing in upstate New York with his grandfather, who took him to Oneida Lake where they fished for bluegills, catfish and rock bass. Park soon developed a passion for anything that involved “a rod and reel in my hands,” he says. Years later, when Park moved to Colorado in the mid-90s, he started making his own fly rods. “When winter came and I couldn’t fish, I started looking for something to do to pass the time until fishing season got here.” He came across a local fly fishing store that offered fly rod building classes, and before long he had a new hobby. Park, who works full time as a broker with Coldwell Banker United Realtors, is certified by the Custom Rod Builders’ Guild as a professional builder and is a member of Rod Builders International. For the past three years he’s been hosting fly rod building classes at Madison River Outfitters in Cornelius.
Park explains that the fly rod construction process starts with what’s called a “blank,” which is a pole that forms the core of the rod. He stresses that in his classes he only uses highquality parts from reputable dealers, and students can select the exact blank and components they want to suit their specific needs. Each class meets for three evenings over a three-week period, during which time students learn the basics of rod building, and “when it’s all said and done you’ve got a brand new rod you’ve built yourself,” says Park The average cost for each rod is between $300 and $400, including the $75 class fee. Says Park, “The goal here is not to save money, but to learn why a rod performs the way it does, and how you can build a custom rod that does exactly what you want instead of trying to find one on the shelf.” LNC The Scoop Visit http://gfrods.wordpress.com to find out more about Fran Park and his fly rod building classes.