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Miramas Gathering: 15 - 16 November
South of France
On
Saturday 15 -Sunday 16 November, in a sunny but cold week-end because of
a Mistral wind blowing from the North, a group of 14 Italian bamboo rod makers
all belonging to the IBRA association met with French collegue Pierre Perrot,
already head of the local Miramas Fly Angling Club, along with his fellow
members and others friends, interested, beginner or experienced bamboo rod
makers coming from other regions of France (e.g. , Aix-en-Provence, Lyon
area). It was a pleasure to meet again our French friends Paul Agostini and
Christian Diacon whom we met for the first time in Sansepolcro
in May of this same year at the recent gathering.
The group of Italians was composed by Gori Gabriele (IBRA President), Poratelli
Alberto (IBRA co-president), Borriero Moreno IBRA PR and translator, Giuliani
Massimo , Natale Andrea, Pandolfi Saverio (also a Slow Food instructor!),
Oltolini Luciano, Rovigo Ivano, Brunelli Alessandro (myself, who extemporarily
helped with some French translations), Testa Claudio and spouse, Azzoni Alberto
(Head Editor of the IBRA Newsletter) and spouse, Bugalla Silvio and spouse.
The
meeting was a great success under all aspects: in establishing a link with
IBRA and so the International community of European bamboo rod makers, in
exchanging bamboo rod making experiences and procedures, in comparing and
testing fly rods, in sharing emotions between two schools, one of which,
the French School of very long and memorable History.
Gabriele Gori donated and signed the recent book by Roberto Pragliola (an excellent book destined to become a milestone in the fly fishing landscape and about which I will soon write an article) to Pierre Perrot. Pierre Perrot and Alberto Poratelli exchanged each other a bamboo rod of their own, a cavalry tradition which roots in centuries of European History. A moving gesture, indeed.
Gabriele
Gori presented his impressive theroretical study on bamboo rods geometry
versus performance on the first day, while Alberto Poratelli presented his
and Gabriele Gori's streamlined TM bamboo ferrule the following day. Our
French friends showed us their rod making tools, their keen interest in
making their own hardware parts such as Nickel-Silver ferrules and reel-seats.
Claudi Testa on the other end impressed all of us
by showing the agathe guides he made himself in his laboratory. Also to mention
Luciano Oltolini beautiful wood-and-metal planing forms for quad rods which
he, a master cabinet maker, made himself in a few days!
Our French friends were enthusiasts by the gathering which reportedly went beyond any expectations. A fly fishing gathering in the maritime Alps' Vendon river, South of France was schedule for next Summer in order for the two Groups to meet again prior the Second European Gathering in Sarnen, Switzerland, due for the Autumn of 2009.
In the evening of the first day, a raffle was held to end the workshop moment. Aperitive and dinner together finished the long day in the best way.
On the Sunday Morning, after Alberto Poratelli's presentation, we moved
to a nearby pond for a casting session and then we rounded off the two days
with a final lunch together.
As
for the leisure activities, really no time was left for them (at least for
us men, spouses could visit nearby attractions, villages and a spectacular
Van Gogh lightshow in a former undergound cave), but we were lucky to happen
in the midst of a local food fair and so in the evening of the first day
we managed to have a taste for excellent cheese, escargots, " saucissons",
salami, sweets, local dishes and of course French wines and champagnes, not
to mention Armagnac....
On
Saturday 15 -Sunday 16 November, in a sunny but cold week-end because of
a Mistral wind blowing from the North, a group of 14 Italian bamboo rod makers
all belonging to the IBRA association met with French collegue Pierre Perrot,
already head of the local Miramas Fly Angling Club, along with his fellow
members and others friends, interested, beginner or experienced bamboo rod
makers coming from other regions of France (e.g. , Aix-en-Provence, Lyon
area). It was a pleasure to meet again our French friends Paul Agostini and
Christian Diacon whom we met for the first time in 
The
meeting was a great success under all aspects: in establishing a link with
IBRA and so the International community of European bamboo rod makers, in
exchanging bamboo rod making experiences and procedures, in comparing and
testing fly rods, in sharing emotions between two schools, one of which,
the French School of very long and memorable History.
Gabriele
Gori presented his impressive theroretical study on bamboo rods geometry
versus performance on the first day, while Alberto Poratelli presented his
and Gabriele Gori's streamlined TM bamboo ferrule the following day. Our
French friends showed us their rod making tools, their keen interest in
making their own hardware parts such as Nickel-Silver ferrules and reel-seats.
Claudi Testa on the other end impressed all of us
by showing the agathe guides he made himself in his laboratory. Also to mention
Luciano Oltolini beautiful wood-and-metal planing forms for quad rods which
he, a master cabinet maker, made himself in a few days!
Our French friends were enthusiasts by the gathering which reportedly went beyond any expectations. A fly fishing gathering in the maritime Alps' Vendon river, South of France was schedule for next Summer in order for the two Groups to meet again prior the Second European Gathering in Sarnen, Switzerland, due for the Autumn of 2009.
As
for the leisure activities, really no time was left for them (at least for
us men, spouses could visit nearby attractions, villages and a spectacular
Van Gogh lightshow in a former undergound cave), but we were lucky to happen
in the midst of a local food fair and so in the evening of the first day
we managed to have a taste for excellent cheese, escargots, " saucissons",
salami, sweets, local dishes and of course French wines and champagnes, not
to mention Armagnac....
