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Freeman, Joe

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My name is Joseph (Joe) Freeman, I restore and refurbish old Bamboo fly rods, and I am currently working on my Planning forms, so I can start the process on my first Bamboo. I currently own about 5 or 6 fishable bamboos.

I recently moved from Fayetteville Arkansas to Burnett Washington, I really miss Arkansas. I was lucky when I started Flyfishing, I fell in with a good crowd, with names like Frank Brown, Bill Combs, Rip Collins and Duane and Marlene Hada, and Leo Eck. I first fell in love with Bamboo when a shop in Little Rock, loaned me an Orvis 8' for 5wt, for a weekend on the Little Red, I don't remember what model it was, but needless to say I was hooked. Bill Combs intensified that growing interest, by showing off his closet full of storied rods, including a Thomas & Thomas Browntone,  that was the most beautiful rod I have ever seen. I own several "plastic rods" and fish them from time to time, But I am really looking forward to the day when I can do a cross body roll cast with a 7ft 4 wt, that I have made myself, to a pod of 6-8 inch mountian Cutthoats in  a little tiny stream very near my house.