Art Form: Bamboo fly rod making

Location(s): Fremont (Newaygo County)

Wesley V. Cooper

Wes Cooper with one of his bamboo fly fishing rods

Wesley Cooper (1927-2024) was born in Akron, Ohio, and settled in Fremont, Michigan where he worked as a high school teacher and raised a family of three boys. He grew up fishing for bass in the lakes of Ohio, but grew interested in trout fishing in Michigan’s Au Sable River and became an ardent trout fisherman. Influenced by his uncle Ralph, a champion caster, Wes grew partial to using bamboo fly rods.

Wes’s love of fishing extended to a concern with maintaining water quality and trout habitat. In 1959, he became a charter member of Trout Unlimited, an organization that has grown to over 150,000 members in over 400 chapters throughout the country. Wes also founded the White River Watershed Council which worked to conserve the habitat and water quality in his local area waters.

Making bamboo fly rods captivated Wes in the 1980s. He couldn’t find an instructor to help him. In those days there wasn’t much written information or training programs to learn this craft, but Wes found the book, A Master’s Guide to Building A Bamboo Fly Rod by Everett Garrison and Hoagy B. Carmichael (not the jazz composer). This book, in fact, was instrumental in generating a renaissance in bamboo fly rod building.

Wes perfected his fly rod making techniques over three decades. The intricate process of building a bamboo fly rod by hand takes approximately fifty five hours, and Wes only made five or six rods each year, using bamboo imported from a small region of China. He was one of only a handful of bamboo rod makers working in Michigan. The steps take the time, practice and patience of a master.

Wes’s bamboo fly rods are sought after by fishermen throughout Michigan. He made rods of different weights to order for fishermen who wait years on his waiting list. He also did rod repairs. According to the website that handles some of his rod sales, Wes is the “Master of the Scarf Joint.”  Wes didn’t have his own website, but found sales through word of mouth.

Wes gave back to the fishing community in several ways. He was generous with sharing his expertise with other rod builders and taught many others his techniques. By donating handmade fly rods for auction, Wes also used his craft to benefit Trout Unlimited in their efforts to preserve and protect the fishing habitat throughout Michigan.  He gave rods as gifts to many lucky recipients in his family and circle of friends.