HOT STUFF TATTOO - Getting Inked By Danny Reed

You might have caught it mentioned in other posts through this year but in September, I turned 50 years old.  At the beginning of the year I made a mental list of things that I wanted to have happen and one of those things was being tattooed by Danny Reed of Hot Stuff Tattoo in Asheville, North Carolina.  He and I have talked about it for years and I'm really glad that we made it happen.

I always figured that a tattoo should tell a story or have a certain meaning to the artwork.  The more that I thought about it, I wanted to do something with our daughter and son in mind.  Their middle names of Wrynn and Finneus made it fitting to approach Danny with the idea and reference of a bird and a fish that would be inked on either side of my chest.  

In grade school, I was nose deep into a large format heavyweight edition of John James Audubon's Birds of America that followed me from classroom to classroom for the first six years of school.  I can remember sitting at my desk, flipping pages while gazing at the large prints instead of studying or being attentive in class.  I asked Danny if he'd create a piece for the right side of my chest of a marsh wren in somewhat of an Audubon-esque posture.  What he came up with was perfect. 

As the year is winding down, Danny reached out with a mid-week afternoon opening.  I left work early last Wednesday and made it up to the shop as he was finishing the artwork.  I as stoked that I'd be able to get both tattoos done before the year was over and appreciate Danny fitting me into his always busy schedule. 

Growing up, the first fish that I caught with my dad was a bluegill and the first fish caught with Hadley and Finn were bluegills on crickets in the family pond through the woods from our home.  It only made sense that the left side of my chest would be a colored up bluegill that I am so stoked about.

These sessions where split up between Danny's personal studio and at Hot Stuff Tattoo, which are each located on Haywood Road in downtown Asheville.  Both experiences were exceptional and if know you'll be in Asheville well enough in advance, book some time with Danny Reed.  Following him on Instagram is the best way to keep up with when he's accepting appointments and where he'll be a guest artist at next.

HOUSE OF FLY - R.L. Winston Rod Company Tour

The team from House of Fly recently made a shop visit to the R. L. Winston Rod Company and even though the it's heavy on graphite fly rod talk, I can't help but hope and think that a modern glass fly rod offering from them would be wonderful.  They are just a few years away from their 100th anniversary so maybe, fingers crossed, we'll see it.



Visit the House of Fly website and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.  They have a glass offering with the Fly Project Haka fly rod that I hope to demo and review soon. 

Give the Gift of Glass This Christmas

If you're feeling like me, Christmas and gift giving has completely snuck up and now it's just a couple of days before the holiday.  There are still ways through placing an order, being emailed a gift card, or getting on the list of a small shop builder, to give the gift of glass.  Or maybe, you've been good this year and it's time to gift yourself.  This is a no judgement zone...

The Fiberglass Fly Rod Makers list is a good place to start with a thorough list of all the builders, blank rollers, makers, and fly rod companies that are offering glass.  With a 100+ links, it can be a little overwhelming.  I'm always happy to help with suggestions through email.  I can also help with fly lines and fly reel suggestions, too.

From tiny full flexing trout weight fly rods to stout cannons for heavy warmwater and saltwater, along with everything in between, there is no better time to be a GLASS GEEK.  There are choices in so many line weights, tapers, colors and price points.

Again, if you have any questions, reach out with a note to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com.

Who is Santa bringing a fiberglass fly rod to this Christmas?  Let me know.

EMERGER FLY FISHING - Notes On Designing and Refining Products

I often check in on gear makers and talked to Chris Freeman of Emerger Fly Fishing a few months ago where he told me about several changes that he had made to the Cameron Side Bag. As he was telling me, I couldn't believe that an inch in depth could make such a difference. He offered to send one to demo on a late summer trip to the Driftless (See those posts HERE, HERE, and HERE) and am now a firm believer. 

Chris took the last generation Cameron Side Bag, that was just a little too small for me to carry all the necessary gear and a DSLR camera, and created a bag that will hold all of that an more.  A second lens?  No problem.  More fly boxes or fly wallets?  Also, no problem.  The new leather shoulder pad is also a step forward in comfort to carry this bag all day on the water.

I asked Chris if he'd send an update to the three-part series of posts that we did in 2018, which highlighted all the steps in building one of these timeless waxed canvas side bags and this post talks about refining an already wonderful piece of kit to make it that much better.  You should re-visit the build posts HERE, HERE, and HERE as those posts really show the workmanship that goes into everything that leave's the Emerger Fly Fishing shop.

Chris wrote...  "Practically, Emerger Fly Fishing tends to be design-centric and not product-centric. I would rather have a few products that I believe hold up to our rigorous standards of form and function than have a lot of products. This means we constantly test our products to the limits, find out what works and what doesn’t, and then adjust accordingly. It also means listening to our customers. I love hearing from the guides who have our bags, those who put their gear through the paces on a daily basis — some easily logging 150 days on the water each year. They’re feedback is incredibly valuable to us.

When we first released the Cameron in 2016, I felt pretty good about it — better than I had about any product we had released up to that point. Over time, we heard from a few guides that they felt like they needed just a bit more room in their bags.

So we made it slightly bigger — I mean an inch overall in the depth of the bag. As it turns out, that made a huge difference. We also reworked the internal pockets of our main compartment in order for fly boxes to sit better in the bag and maintain good organization. We also added a big shoulder pad to our straps to help the bag sit more comfortably on the shoulder when spending long days on the water.

We also made some less obvious changes that we think have made a big difference, like moving to YKK #10 brass zippers because they are smoother and tougher than the smaller size we were using.

The end result is a bag that is bigger, tougher, and yet slightly lighter than the first generation Cameron. As a craftsman, it energizes me to focus more on making things better than just making more things. That doesn’t mean we won’t have new products (and there are some coming), but it does mean that the products we make will be thought out, purposeful and crafted to our extremely high standards with customers in mind.

As with honing any craft, it’s a journey — one that I am grateful to be on, with the folks who have chosen to travel along with us."

If you need a Cameron Side Bag, or anything else on the Emerger Fly Fishing website, place your order by December 16th, it'll make it in time for Christmas.  Use code "HOLIDAY2024" for 15% off.

P.S.  If you order a bag, a wallet or several are essential.  I am especially fond of the Hybrid Wallet.

CONNECT - A Confluence Film

Yellow Dog Flyfishing continues to unearth Confluence Film classics.  Press PLAY and enjoy...

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MOONLIT FLY FISHING - Buy One Glass Fly Rod, Get One 60% Off

I mentioned it the other day that Moonlit Fly Fishing had something in the works for the holidays and today through Monday, December 9th, when you buy one fiberglass fly rod, you can choose another for 60% off.  If you use THIS LINK, the discount code of "TFMGlass24" should automatically be applied in the cart.  This is a deal that should be hard to pass on.

 

I've written and highlighted both the NIRVANA PhoenixGlass and Lunar S-Glass fly rods on T.F.M. over the years and I continue to believe that they are some of the best values in contemporary fiberglass fly rods.  The NIRVANA PhoenixGlass rival the performance of fly rods that cost two and three times as much and the Lunar S-Glass are in a class of their own for sub-$200 fly rods.

Visit the Moonlit Fly Fishing website to shop the sale and if you have any questions, send me an email.  I'm always happy to hash out any "What should I get?" decisions.

6 Cool Things

As we are approaching Christmas, you might be looking for some neat or unusual gifting ideas to put under the tree and this post has some good ideas to consider across a mix of price points.

Happy shopping...

VINTAGE TROUTS - A NEW DAD CAP TO REP

WHISKEY LEATHERWORKS - THE PASSPORT WALLET

SMITHEY IRONWARE - NO. 11 YELLOWSTONE SKILLET FOR A CAUSE

NOSO PATCHES - A.D. MADDOX COLLECTION TO PATCH YOUR GEAR

TOM BECKBE - CANVAS TAILGATER BAG

E. HINKLEY - BEAVERKILL CREWNECK

What's on your Christmas list?  Let me know on the T.F.M. Instagram story post this weekend.