Recently I hopped in my pickup and headed an hour-and-a-half to the “Feathered Hook,” a local fly shop and bed-and-breakfast in the tiny hamlet of Coburn, about 23 miles south and east of Bellefonte, PA. My buddy here in DuBois, Bob Hallowell, is a well-known bamboo fly rod craftsman, and has extended an invitation to a “Gathering” of fellow fly rod casters and craftsmen that have been an annual highlight here for a long while. When I eventually arrive at the Feathered Hook on Main Street, I see a group of six on the sidewalk engaged in happy and animated conversation. I pull over while watching Bob catching up with the gang, all here for the Gathering. After hopping out and several warm sidewalk introductions, Bob disappears –but then reappears again minutes later with several highball glasses filled generously with “Old-fashions” for the sidewalk gang. I suspect this is going to be a weekend of great promise….
This “Coburn Gathering” is an annual event and a sacred ritual. 2022 marks the 15th year this group of about 20 stalwarts convene to celebrate fly rod casting, food, camaraderie and connecting. The original “ringleader” and namesake of the Gathering, Mike McFarland, started this event as a venue where “glass” (fiberglass) fly rod enthusiasts could meet, cast, fish and enjoy each other’s company in a perfect setting back in 2007.
The little Hamlet of Coburn is a slice of heaven, and Penns Creek flows just outside the front doors of the Feathered Hook, and it’s therapeutic to sit on the deck and smell the clean spring air and hear the sounds of the stream, the songbirds greeting, and witness the beauty of Penns Creek flowing through town. The heart beats slower and heightens the awareness of everything that surrounds us. And as I meet and take in my new friends and downtown Coburn, I see Gathering members practicing their casting on the expansive grassy area alongside the Feathered Hook property. Penns Creek is one of the most beautiful and notable streams in the state, hell, in the nation.
There may be close to twenty here for the Gathering. The youngest I meet is Brandon in his late 20s from central Pennsylvania, and there are others in their 30s through early 80s who’ve come from North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and other parts of the eastern US. Most craft fly rods from various materials including fiberglass, graphite and bamboo. I pay attention to their conversations as I wait for a turn to cast Gathering members’ latest creations on the grass easement. I’m amazed at their passion and detail of their conversations, and by the sheer elegance and craftsmanship of the rods they’ve brought here to share. This is the beauty of the annual Gathering.
Dinner on Friday is epic! Ray Schon, (Gathering alumni) has some culinary talent so he’s been appointed to be the dinner “capo” to the group for the entire weekend. Friday night’s feast is baked salmon and grilled chicken with assorted vegetables. Some of us have brought wine and spirits and it’s totally off the hook as Ray is humble and everyone offers praise. It’s really San Francisco good. After dinner, it’s time to get out casting these amazing pieces of art on the easement, and the Gathering continues….
We survive a night’s late conversations, casting and cocktails, and in the morning Jonas Price (owner and chef of the Feathered Hook), adorned in full apron, makes a king’s breakfast served to each and every member of the Gathering. He’s a transplant and he’s part hippie, part entrepreneur, part foodie and part fly fisher. The breakfast is hearty and a 10-plus, and the Gathering gets ready yet again for some heavy casting of fly rods whether fished in Penns Creek, or the easement on the edge of the Feathered Hook. Many members of the Gathering have brought several rods, crafted of bamboo, graphite and fiberglass. This will be a learning experience for all involved, especially me, and my definition of rod-crafting will change after this weekend.
Most of Saturday is spent on the easement talking rods and learning more about real rod builder’s techniques. We get rain, snow and sleet but the casting continues. There’s the 4-weight rods Bob Hallowell brought, a “Blonde with Dirty Roots,” and the “Brunette” which were part of a three-part set he made at the end of last year. The “Blonde” was a rod of the same specs which I’m proud to say is now mine. These rods are nothing like any I’ve ever casted before. I’ve been to Bob’s shop and have seen the process in action and it’s all about crafting art.
I get to cast a beautiful 4-weight bamboo rod crafted by North Carolina business owner and entrepreneur Munsey Wheby. It’s a beauty with a soft rhythm and will be a dream for tossing flies for dry fly fishing here in central PA during May and June. The custom wooden case he’s hand-crafted is as beautiful as this rod.
Then there’s Steve Altshuler, psychologist from Albany, New York who’s brought about a half-dozen rods he’s made, and I get to cast all of them. One of which, a 5/6-weight bamboo allows me to shoot my line far and very accurately which surprises me. Bamboo rods are made from natural material which is heavier than synthetics like graphite or fiberglass. The rod action is slower and the feel starts at the shoulder and works itself to the line shooting out from the tip of the rod. Bamboo rods are a heavenly answer to art in fly rod fishing because the rod really becomes an extension of whatever side you’re casting from, starting at the shoulder.
And one of the last, and most memorable rods I get to cast is made by Mike McFarland, the emcee of the Gathering. Mike makes amazing rods from bamboo, graphite and glass which makes him rare. He signs and numbers every single rod, and he’s brought a one-of-a-kind treasure – a 5-weight, 8’6” rod that’s made of both graphite and fiberglass which he calls his “Hybrid.” It combines the desirable characteristics of both materials in that it’s light, has a smooth, deep bend and feels like an extension of my right hand. Extraordinary. All these men, these rods, when combined with the beauty of Penns Creek, Coburn, the smells of the cold wetness in the air, and the sounds of the stream are simply unbeatable.
All told, I leave the Gathering with five rods. Two Hallowell 4-weights, a Wheby 4-weight, an Altshuler 5/6-weight, and my prized McFarland 5-weight Hybrid.
Stay tuned for some adventures as I put these beautiful pieces of art to work on the streams of Pennsylvania!
Ray Hunt is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys fly fishing, kayaking, mountain biking and hiking in the PA Wilds. He is a member of the PA Outdoor Writers Association (POWA), PA Wildlife Habitat Unlimited (PWHU), Trout Unlimited (TU), and can be reached at raygwhunt@gmail.com.
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