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Burkett, Floyd

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I’m Floyd Burkett, and live just outside of San Antonio, Texas. Though it might seem un-usual it is a great place to live and fish. I’m just south of the Guadalupe River (about 20 minutes), and the Texas Hill Country. Rivers and streams abound in this area and the fishing is good year around. During the summer its warm water fishing and during the winter month’s trout fishing is great below Canyon Lake Dam on the Guadalupe. When time is a problem I can stop at Cibolo Creek for an hour since its just five minutes from home. We get to fish 12 months out of the year down here.

I’m a graduate of Wayland Baptist University, a minister, 62 years old, and own a small pest control company. Owning the pest control company allows me to do ministry without the need to make money. I like it that way.

Being from Indiana farm country I never knew anyone who fly fished. We did have a pond, within a stones throw, of the back door that I spent many hours on during lazy summer days. That was just part of being a farm boy.

The fly fishing came along about eight years ago, and that’s a story in itself. I have three sons aged 20, 22, and 25 that all enjoy fishing so it just came naturally. Bamboo rod making came along shortly after we began the fly fishing. My youngest son had been helping an elderly couple around the house and came home with a bamboo casting rod. Intrigued by it I began to research through the local library and internet. I used the instructions from Barnes’ first book (from the library) on cutting wooden forms on a table saw to make the first adjustable wooden forms which in turn I used to make the first rods. Instead of waiting until I had all the stuff I made each tool needed for the next step as the first rod progressed. So if you haven’t started yet don’t wait until you have it all. What do you need to do the first step? A piece of bamboo, knife, torch for heat treating, vice, and a file and your on your way. I’m a hobby builder although I have sold and traded a few rods, and tools to help the hobby along. It has been a continuous upgrade of tools, and techniques since.

When I finally found this list I believe my first comment was I wished I had found it sooner. It is actually the only list I belong too since I try to limit my computer time. These computers can suck up a lot of hours if you let them, but this list is required reading for the bamboo rod maker.