Rick Weisberg built and used the first Oasis Bench in the late 1980’s. At the same time, he donated a copy of his first bench to his local Trout Unlimited banquet. When he saw the large number of bidders vying for the bench and what it sold for; Rick thought he might have something. In the beginning they were built part time while Rick pursued his music teaching career. He began making benches full time in the summer of 1998.
Rick put himself through college in the late 70’s with a small woodworking shop, but the woodworking was put on hold while he pursued a teaching career. He began fly tying in high school. After taking some tying classes in Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the early 80’s, tying became a passion.
Rick has been a guest tyer at five Federation of Fly Fishers International Conclaves in the mid 1990’s. He has done tying demonstrations at a number of regional and local fly tying fairs and has run the fly tying classes with his local clubs for many years.
For six summers in the 1990’s, Rick worked in fly fishing shops in West Yellowstone, Montana ( 2 summers at Madison River Outfitters and 4 summers at Blue Ribbon Flies) where he was exposed to the retail fly fishing industry. Seeing the number and quality of vises, rods, and reels that were offered to the fly fisher reaffirmed his belief that a need existed for a better line of fly tying benches.