Blue Ridge, Georgia, the inaugural bamboo fly fishing rod commissioned by Oyster for President Carter, finely veneered mixed hardwood handle, with intricately engraved metal hardware, with extra top segment, 93-3/4 x 1-1/8 x 1-1/8; fitted leather and suede bound presentation case with seal of the President of the United States to interior, 4-1/2 x 32-1/2 x 3 in.

Provenance: The Estate of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter

Note: President Carter was a lifelong fly fisherman and possessed an earnest and unabashed passion for the craft, even holding a "fly fishing summit" at Camp David during his presidency. His personal library is replete with books on the subject, and by the end of his life, he had accrued a truly impressive amount of fly fishing equipment. This rod was one he received later in his life, but from a letter from the former President to the rod's maker, Bill Oyster, it is clear he was quite fond of it. That letter can be read below;

To Bill Oyster

I am extremely proud of my beautiful new Oyster rod!

During several decades of avid fly-fishing, Rosalynn and I have accumulated a wide range of rods, ranging from those for two-weight to 10-weight lines. They include those made of graphite, boron, and bamboo.

It is obvious to me that this Oyster rod will be my favorite, and you were able to assess personally how well its action suits my casting technique. I was glad that you also were able to observe how the rod performed as several very large rainbows were brought to the net.

The engraving is a special treasure, including the presidential seal on the rod's base.

Thanks, and best wishes,

Jimmy Carter

This letter can be found on the Oyster Bamboo Fly Rod website via the following link: https://oysterbamboo.com/blogs/featured-oyster-bamboo-fly-rods/jimmy-carter-s-oyster-bamboo-fly-rod?_pos=3&_sid=a1edf8299&_ss=r