I’m Charlie Nichols

The owner and rod builder at Classic Bamboo Rods and Fly Fishing

“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; if you teach him to fish, you feed him for life.”  Lao-Tzu, Ancient Chinese Philosopher

My first experience with fly fishing was on the Bighorn river in Montana.  I was hooked from the start.  I loved the art of casting, the gorgeous trout and the beauty of God’s creation.  We caught and released a ton of fish, but I left without the knowledge and the confidence to fly fish on my own.  The knowledge needed to fly fish can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.  I spent my career managing and coaching sales professionals and still believe that the best technique in all we do is to keep it simple. I want to teach beginners how to fly fish with the hope they can fish for a lifetime on their own!  

My journey of learning began with casting instruction from the first Master Certified Instructor in North Carolina, Mac Brown of Mac Brown Fly Fish in Bryson City, NC.  I have also attended Mac Brown’s specialized Casting School and the Mac Brown Guide School.  In addition I also love building bamboo fly rods.  I attended a week-long rod building class with Chet Croco at Bellinger,Inc in Lebanon, Oregon.  I learned additional techniques from W.L. Beach rod builder in Atlanta, Ga. and how to finish rods from Jim Mills at Raven Fork Rods.  Between Bill Beach and Jim Mills they have 75 years experience building rods!