Weekend Giveaway - Favorite Gierach?

There are just a handful of fly fishing related writers that I've read just about everything they have ever put in print and John Gierach is one of them.  His books are always an enjoyable read and a tattered copy of Trout Bum has gone along on many a fly fishing trip stuffed in my backpack, read on a lazy afternoon in the hammock, or paged through on a cold evening in my chair.  His books will stand the test of time and he's a long standing character within fly fishing.  He continues to live the writer and trout bum lifestyle and has somehow figured out how to make it work for the past forty or so years.  Lucky fellow.

Gierach's latest book, All Fisherman Are Liars, was released this week and is a collection of essays on his travels across North America from coast to coast and covering subjects of all sorts.  I've read a few chapters and this is certainly another Gierach book to add to your library.

WEEKEND GIVEAWAY
Simon & Schuster has graciously offered to give away three copies of John Gierach's new book to the T.F.M. readership, so please check out the the rules of the giveaway outlined below.

THE RULES
1.  Send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com and tell me which is your favorite Gierach book of all time?  If you've never read a book written by John Gierach then still send in an email and this may be your first.

2.  Please send only ONE EMAIL submission per email address.  Duplicates will be deleted.

3.  Submissions will be accepted until 6:00 a.m. Monday, April 21st, 2014. 

4.  On Monday morning THREE WINNERS will be chosen by random number generator and then listed at the bottom of this post.  Winners will also be contacted by email as well.

5.  Each winner will receive a copy of All Fisherman Are Liars.

Visit John Gierach's new website for more information on All Fisherman Are Liars along with his other books published by Simon & Schuster.

T.F.M. CupsCo Cups Have Arrived

Yesterday morning I picked up a large and very heavy box packed full of CupsCo Retro Fly and Comrade stainless steel cups and I am really impressed with how they came out.  The cups are sturdy and the artwork printed exceptionally sharp.   If you're looking for a new favorite pint sized drinking cup then this just may be it.

For all those that placed pre-orders, your cups will go in the mail early next week.  I did order quite a few extra and if anyone would still like to get one or a couple please let me know.

The price for the T.F.M. CupsCo Retro Fly or Comrade cups is $15 for one cup shipped with a couple T.F.M. decals and then $10 for each additional cup.  International shipping available for a few dollars more.

Please email thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com to place an order.  I can take payment through PayPal, check, or credit card.

Thank you for the support. 

A Tight Loop - Spring 2014

The latest issue of a Tight Loop is live and full of Midwest fly fishing goodness of all sorts. 

CHECK IT.

Gierach Talks Tenkara

Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA sits down with writer and troutbum John Gierach and talks the tenkara method.



Oh yeah...and Gierach has a new book out.  Check back tomorrow for a chance to win one of several copies during new weekend giveaway.

A Couple Days On The Missouri River

Last week I spent a couple days in the front of the skiff with John Arnold from Headhunters Fly Shop on the sticks.  I've known the fellows at Headhunters for several years now and greatly respect the fly shop and following that they have built over the years.  John and Mark (along with Julie, Sara, Ninch, and the entire guide staff) have a keen sense of the industry and always know what's going off on the Missouri River.  I was stoked to get to spend a couple of days and nights in Craig hanging out with the Headhunters crew and already looking forward to getting back at some point.

The first day on the Missouri River was tough with a few trout caught but John and I left the river kind of frustrated.  We picked up a couple on nymphs and dry flies but it wasn't the day we expected it to be.  Luckily more of the pieces of the puzzle fell into place on the second day with better conditions (the wind didn't show up until the afternoon) and nymphs working from the start of the day with a few skwalas taking over in the afternoon giving us a better dry fly bite.    

John and I banged around the river for a couple days and here's a few notes from the trip...

- I brought a bunch of fiberglass fly rods with me but ended up spending most of my time fishing the Swift Fly Fishing Epic 686, Graywolf Rods Signature S-Glass 9' five weight, and Orvis Superfine 8' five weight.
- Wind is the great equalizer on the Missouri River.  No wind means easy casts and the possibility of hatches.  High winds can about wreck a day and make casting not a lot of fun.
- The right nymphs, in the right colors and sizes, can make a huge difference on the Missouri River.  Thanks to Ninch and Jared for putting a selection together that worked. 
- I am still very impressed with the Epic 686 and it did everything on this trip from big foam skwala flies, to nymphs, to streamers.  The Epic 686 worked good in the wind which was definitely needed on this trip.
- Orvis Sonic Guide Waders are bomber.  John's been wearing a pair of prototypes for months now and I've spent a few days in mine and both of us are nothing but impressed.  Good fit and durable.  Now, if Orvis can design and manufacture a sturdy, guide worthy, wading boot they'll have the complete package.
- The Craig Trout Camp cabins are a great basecamp while in Craig.  The cabins are clean, priced right, and in the backyard of Headhunters Fly Shop and Izzak's.  
- This was the first trip with the Bozeman Reel RS 527.  I like it.  The matte finish and look might not be for everyone but it performed flawlessly and I didn't have to worry about it getting banged up or scratched in the boat.
- The skwala might not have been around in big numbers but getting a few eats against the rocks and grassy banks was worth fishing a big dry fly instead watching a bobber all day.
- The new Orvis CFO purrs wonderfully and is the perfect compliment to the Superfine Glass fly rods.
- Adipose Flow skiffs are total lux for floating river water.  Lots of room, storage for gear, and extremely stable.
- Craig might not have a lot of options for eats and drinks but Izaak's Restaurant was a great place to end each night with a big dinner and a couple pints.  The brisket and slaw gets high marks.

Here's a mash up of snaps from the two days on the Missouri River from our cameras.  Click images to view larger.

All in all a very good time and I really appreciate John taking the time to hang out and fish me for a couple days.

Headhunters Fly Shop is all over the internet so follow along on the Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, and Instagram to get your Mo fix daily.

Peter Can't Fish Worth A Damn

The boys at Kokkaffe Media sure know how to put together a fun film and this one will make you laugh a few times at poor Peter's expense. 



This one was great to watch on the big screen in Missoula at the Down The Hatch Film Fest the other weekend and I'd say it was a crowd favorite.

More video goodness on the Kokkaffe Media Vimeo page.

Southern Culture On The Fly - No. 11

The latest issue of Southern Culture On The Fly is live.

Totally awesome sauce.

CHECK IT.