For one week every May, eight Veterans work painstakingly from morning till night in the town of Lovells, in northern Michigan, to craft handmade split bamboo fly fishing rods.
They are taught the traditional art form from world-class crafters, who guide them through the meticulous fabrication every step of the way—splitting and planing the cane, flaming it and checking bending tolerances, and then fitting the pieces together into a precise hexagon with no gaps.
Jaron, a Veteran participant from Ohio, recalls the demands of the work on body and mind. Daily, his hands and back ached; he was exhausted by the effort.
“But,” he writes in a reflection on the week, “the reward is something priceless: a piece of functional art that represents not just the craftsmanship but also the healing and connection built over the course of an unforgettable week.”
Veterans have been attending this week of handcrafted healing since 2012, the year the Bamboo Bend Project was founded by two Veterans from the Grayling, Michigan region.
The founders invited a small group of injured and wounded military Veterans for a week-long experience to build split bamboo fly rods as part of their recovery and healing process.
Bamboo Bend is now a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers. The original spirit and intent of the project remains the same—to give Veterans the opportunity to take their minds off their ailments and work with their hands to create bamboo rods, following techniques that have been honed since the 19th century.
“We've had men and women from across the country, from all of the military services from Vietnam forward,” says Mark Mackey, volunteer president of the Bamboo Bend Project.
Mackey was a student in the 2016 cohort and took over as president the following year.
“I built a beautiful rod, which I still use to this day,” adds the Wisconsin native, noting that a handmade bamboo fly rod can command $5,000 if made by a known rod maker.
The Bamboo Bend experience is free for participants who are selected from a long waitlist. Donations from individuals and businesses fund travel expenses and room and board; in-kind contributions of supplies and services round off the experience. For example, while the rods are curing, local fishing guides take the Veterans out to fly fish—using traditional bamboo rods, naturally.
We at Enbridge have been supporting Veterans in Canada and the U.S. for decades and have prioritized the creation of inclusive work environments for them, whether they’re transitioning out of their military career or are active reserve or guard.
