To see more of Mark's amazing brush work check out his blog, Yuhina Illustration. Many fine fish sketches and paintings there that were no doubt fueled by late nights and red wine.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
T.F.M. Spotting - Yuhina In Studio
Mark Liu (yuhina) sent this photo of himself "in studio" on the floor of his apartment working on one of his latest watercolors while wearing his T.F.M. t-shirt.
To see more of Mark's amazing brush work check out his blog, Yuhina Illustration. Many fine fish sketches and paintings there that were no doubt fueled by late nights and red wine.
To see more of Mark's amazing brush work check out his blog, Yuhina Illustration. Many fine fish sketches and paintings there that were no doubt fueled by late nights and red wine.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
O'Keefe's Fiberglass Adventures
Recently I emailed Brian O'Keefe asking if he'd be willing to provide a couple lines of copy and a photo that could be used on the blog. What he sent is nothing short of a grand adventure and personal history of fly fishing with fiberglass fly rods that I am honored to share here.
"In 1960, my brother and I learned to fly cast on my Grandfather's front lawn. He was a strict casting disciplinarian. And, after we were allowed to hit the water, it was the Big Blackfoot River near his home in Missoula, Montana where we tied on Joe's Hoppers and caught some uneducated trout. Years later, when I read the now famous book, A River Runs Through It, I thought it was incredibly similar to my upbringing.
For about eight years I kept my hand me down bamboo rod intact. I would rub Mucilin into the silk line and dream about a new rod and a modern Air-Cel fly line. Finally, after saving money from mowing lawns and washing cars, I bought a first generation Fenwick Feralite FF80 and a Scientific Anglers Ivory Air-Cel DT-8-F. I think I bought, like everyone, a Pfluegar Medalist 1494. The following years were great. Montana was still an annual trip, sometimes for a month or more. My local waters in western Washington were good for bass and trout. I tried for steelhead a couple of times but did not have any success. That changed in 1972, when I visited the North Umpqua River in Oregon. I had an SA Wet-Cel full sink eight weight line and a couple traditional Skunk patterns. In cut off Levis I landed a nice seven pound steelhead."
"I took my Fenwick to New Zealand in 1973, right out of high school. With a backpack and a map, I walked from the tip of the North Island to the southern tip of the South Island and fished every river I encountered. The durability of the Fenwick was amazing. It was slow, as we all know, by today's standards, but I could bush-whack, fall down and torture the heck out of it on big fish and it never faltered."
"Eleven months later I took the Fenwick to Western Australia, then to Borneo, where I even used the Fenwick, in it's original brown tube, as a weapon and fended off an angry group of lepers who wanted to steal my stuff. Then across Asia to Kashmir where I taught skiing for the winter of 1974-75. In the spring, I fished several Himalayan streams for brown trout. On one of those outings I ran into a wealthy Indian who was so impressed with my rod, he bought it for $50. I think I paid $39.
When I got home from that adventure I went to Alaska for a summer job in the Forest Service. I took a new, second generation, Fenwick FF856. I lived in a cabin on Kenai Lake and fished the Upper Russian River, the Kenai River, and several good lakes for rainbows and grayling.
That rod made many trips to Montana, British Columbia, and all over the northwest. One time, on a buddy trip to Montana, we traveled in an AMC Gremlin with rods rigged up and ready, in a ski rack. Somehow the tip of my Fenwick came off and was dragged for fifty miles behind the car. The rod was fine.
When I moved to Bend, Oregon in the fall of 1975, I joined the Deschutes River Chapter of Trout Unlimited. There I met guys who knew the Deschutes for steelehad and I started a long love affair with swinging flies for summer steelhead. I don't remember what happened to my FF856, but I know I had a Cortland fiberglass rod on many of my first float trips. I began to hear about Lamiglass S-glass rods and added one to my quiver.
Today, I have a Scott Fibertouch F703/3 and love it. I think a solid history of early glass rods has made a better, smoother caster. Those first Fenwick rods were very nice and nver let me down."
Check out Brian O'Keefe's latest endeavor, Catch Magazine, a high resolution multi media fly fishing experience.
"In 1960, my brother and I learned to fly cast on my Grandfather's front lawn. He was a strict casting disciplinarian. And, after we were allowed to hit the water, it was the Big Blackfoot River near his home in Missoula, Montana where we tied on Joe's Hoppers and caught some uneducated trout. Years later, when I read the now famous book, A River Runs Through It, I thought it was incredibly similar to my upbringing.
For about eight years I kept my hand me down bamboo rod intact. I would rub Mucilin into the silk line and dream about a new rod and a modern Air-Cel fly line. Finally, after saving money from mowing lawns and washing cars, I bought a first generation Fenwick Feralite FF80 and a Scientific Anglers Ivory Air-Cel DT-8-F. I think I bought, like everyone, a Pfluegar Medalist 1494. The following years were great. Montana was still an annual trip, sometimes for a month or more. My local waters in western Washington were good for bass and trout. I tried for steelhead a couple of times but did not have any success. That changed in 1972, when I visited the North Umpqua River in Oregon. I had an SA Wet-Cel full sink eight weight line and a couple traditional Skunk patterns. In cut off Levis I landed a nice seven pound steelhead."
"I took my Fenwick to New Zealand in 1973, right out of high school. With a backpack and a map, I walked from the tip of the North Island to the southern tip of the South Island and fished every river I encountered. The durability of the Fenwick was amazing. It was slow, as we all know, by today's standards, but I could bush-whack, fall down and torture the heck out of it on big fish and it never faltered."
"Eleven months later I took the Fenwick to Western Australia, then to Borneo, where I even used the Fenwick, in it's original brown tube, as a weapon and fended off an angry group of lepers who wanted to steal my stuff. Then across Asia to Kashmir where I taught skiing for the winter of 1974-75. In the spring, I fished several Himalayan streams for brown trout. On one of those outings I ran into a wealthy Indian who was so impressed with my rod, he bought it for $50. I think I paid $39.
When I got home from that adventure I went to Alaska for a summer job in the Forest Service. I took a new, second generation, Fenwick FF856. I lived in a cabin on Kenai Lake and fished the Upper Russian River, the Kenai River, and several good lakes for rainbows and grayling.
That rod made many trips to Montana, British Columbia, and all over the northwest. One time, on a buddy trip to Montana, we traveled in an AMC Gremlin with rods rigged up and ready, in a ski rack. Somehow the tip of my Fenwick came off and was dragged for fifty miles behind the car. The rod was fine.
When I moved to Bend, Oregon in the fall of 1975, I joined the Deschutes River Chapter of Trout Unlimited. There I met guys who knew the Deschutes for steelehad and I started a long love affair with swinging flies for summer steelhead. I don't remember what happened to my FF856, but I know I had a Cortland fiberglass rod on many of my first float trips. I began to hear about Lamiglass S-glass rods and added one to my quiver.
Today, I have a Scott Fibertouch F703/3 and love it. I think a solid history of early glass rods has made a better, smoother caster. Those first Fenwick rods were very nice and nver let me down."
Check out Brian O'Keefe's latest endeavor, Catch Magazine, a high resolution multi media fly fishing experience.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
FANGS!
I spend a fair bit of time on the Itinerant Angler website and came across a photo posted by Corey Kruitbosch that is just wicked cool. Look at those biters! They are a sure reminder that trout don't just sip mayflies.
Corey lives and fishes in Utah and his photo work is really impressive. So far he has been published in The Drake and Trout Magazine.
Corey gives us a breakdown his fly fishing photo gear...
"The equipment that I currently take with me is a Canon Xti, a Pentax Optio waterproof, and a few lenses. I like my wide angle lenses quite a bit (Sigma 10mm fisheye and a Canon 10-22mm) for a low perspective close to the water. I also use a my Canon 'Nifty 50' (50mm f1.8) quite a bit as well."
If you'd like to see more of Corey Kruitbosch's work check out his blog and flickr account.
Corey lives and fishes in Utah and his photo work is really impressive. So far he has been published in The Drake and Trout Magazine.
Corey gives us a breakdown his fly fishing photo gear...
"The equipment that I currently take with me is a Canon Xti, a Pentax Optio waterproof, and a few lenses. I like my wide angle lenses quite a bit (Sigma 10mm fisheye and a Canon 10-22mm) for a low perspective close to the water. I also use a my Canon 'Nifty 50' (50mm f1.8) quite a bit as well."
If you'd like to see more of Corey Kruitbosch's work check out his blog and flickr account.
Friday, November 21, 2008
T.F.M. T-Shirt Order - NEW COLOR!
Several people have asked if we could do a second color choice for the The Fiberglass Manifesto t-shirt order. Rick Marcum of xdzines.com emailed me two images of the shirt in a dark red. Scroll down the blog to see the shirt in black for comparison.
Please email me at heddonpal@fiberglassflyrodders.org if you have any questions or would like to place an order.
Please email me at heddonpal@fiberglassflyrodders.org if you have any questions or would like to place an order.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Chasing Chum
Mike McCreary (tonemike) from the Fiberglass Flyrodders site posted a few photos of a father and son trip to the Skykomish River and I knew I had to share this one here.
Mike breaks down his salmon fly gear down too.
"I have two old System2 8/9 reels spooled with type 5 sink tips so I can get down properly. Then I use my special chum fly. I start out with a 5x strong #6 nymph hook (fairly short shank or you'll straighten 'em out). Then I tie in a short marabou tail and then tie on medium bead chain eyes on the middle of the hook (so it'll ride bend back and decrease you fair hook to snag ratio by 50%). Then I wrap the body up with chenile (krystal chenile or regular medium chenile are both fine) and that's all there is to it. The fly ought to be chartreuse at first light, and when it gets brighter, I'll switch to hot pink or pink and chartreuse. My rods are a stout System 11, a new 8'6" 9wt Fenwick, and a couple of plastic rods as well. An older Lamiglas (G-1000 series) and a tried and true Fenwick HMG."
Great photo Mike. The smiles in this photograph tell the whole story.
Mike breaks down his salmon fly gear down too.
"I have two old System2 8/9 reels spooled with type 5 sink tips so I can get down properly. Then I use my special chum fly. I start out with a 5x strong #6 nymph hook (fairly short shank or you'll straighten 'em out). Then I tie in a short marabou tail and then tie on medium bead chain eyes on the middle of the hook (so it'll ride bend back and decrease you fair hook to snag ratio by 50%). Then I wrap the body up with chenile (krystal chenile or regular medium chenile are both fine) and that's all there is to it. The fly ought to be chartreuse at first light, and when it gets brighter, I'll switch to hot pink or pink and chartreuse. My rods are a stout System 11, a new 8'6" 9wt Fenwick, and a couple of plastic rods as well. An older Lamiglas (G-1000 series) and a tried and true Fenwick HMG."
Great photo Mike. The smiles in this photograph tell the whole story.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Rattan
Sometimes you see something for the first time and it just leaves an impression so deep. This lightly flamed rattan grip did just that.
A great hobby fiberglass builder, Alan Tomich (Mojorizing), built this parabolic five weight on a Mike McFarland Spruce Creek blank and it is a classy build from start to finish. The Hardy Lightweight reel isn't to shabby either.
Excellent work Mojo!
A great hobby fiberglass builder, Alan Tomich (Mojorizing), built this parabolic five weight on a Mike McFarland Spruce Creek blank and it is a classy build from start to finish. The Hardy Lightweight reel isn't to shabby either.
Excellent work Mojo!
Friday, November 14, 2008
T.F.M. Spotting - Kevin in North Carolina
A couple of weeks ago Kevin McGuire (middlemac) and I met outside of Asheville, NC on an out of the way trout stream. I caught this photo while Kevin was putting his gear together for an afternoon on the water.
This was the perfect fall day with a constant rain, cool temps, and withered leaves whirling in the breeze.
We topped the day off with a splendid lunch back at the vehicles. Kevin brought along a couple tomatoes and a few jars of bounty from his summer garden. His garlic pickles can't be beat.
Fly Fishing, Friends, and Fish (or at least trying for them) are all ingredients to the perfect day.
This was the perfect fall day with a constant rain, cool temps, and withered leaves whirling in the breeze.
We topped the day off with a splendid lunch back at the vehicles. Kevin brought along a couple tomatoes and a few jars of bounty from his summer garden. His garlic pickles can't be beat.
Fly Fishing, Friends, and Fish (or at least trying for them) are all ingredients to the perfect day.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
T.F.M. T-Shirt Order!
Earlier this year I put a small t-shirt order together through Rick Marcum of Xdzines. Since then I've had numerous people ask me about getting a t-shirt of their own. Over the course of the next couple of weeks I'll be taking orders for both short sleeve and long sleeve t-shirts.
T.F.M. T-Shirt Front:
T.F.M. T-Shirt Back:
Prices for the t-shirts will be $20 for the short sleeve and $24 for the long sleeve. Prices include shipping to the lower 48 states. I'll ship elsewhere but I'll have to check on shipping cost to your location. PayPal, check, or money order accepted. I expect these t-shirts to ship late December or early January.
I am looking forward to a new batch of "T.F.M. Spotting" photos to be sent in the near future of interesting and unusual places where you fish, work, play, eat, and drink.
If you have questions please feel free to email me at heddonpal@fiberglassflyrodders.org.
T.F.M. T-Shirt Front:
T.F.M. T-Shirt Back:
Prices for the t-shirts will be $20 for the short sleeve and $24 for the long sleeve. Prices include shipping to the lower 48 states. I'll ship elsewhere but I'll have to check on shipping cost to your location. PayPal, check, or money order accepted. I expect these t-shirts to ship late December or early January.
I am looking forward to a new batch of "T.F.M. Spotting" photos to be sent in the near future of interesting and unusual places where you fish, work, play, eat, and drink.
If you have questions please feel free to email me at heddonpal@fiberglassflyrodders.org.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Truth...
Ron McAlpin (bulldog1935) posted this comment a few weeks ago on the Fiberglass Flyrodders website and his words spoke the truth to me.
"I went to vintage tackle because I was bored-to-tears and jaded catching fish-after-fish on graphite rods and disc drags."
"I would still rather be horsed around for awhile by massive fish on my vintage tackle and have them escape, than to land them on a disc drag and yawn about the whole thing.
I much prefer the challenge - and the adrenaline - when my tackle is outclassed by my quarry and it's the quality of my skills and not the technology of my gear that generates the success."
"I went to vintage tackle because I was bored-to-tears and jaded catching fish-after-fish on graphite rods and disc drags."
"I would still rather be horsed around for awhile by massive fish on my vintage tackle and have them escape, than to land them on a disc drag and yawn about the whole thing.
I much prefer the challenge - and the adrenaline - when my tackle is outclassed by my quarry and it's the quality of my skills and not the technology of my gear that generates the success."
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Memories of Fall
Lately I've been replaying a memory sequence which takes me back to a crisp southwest Michigan afternoon over a decade ago on an out of the way river.
A friend and I were swinging spey flies through riffled runs for steelhead when my line went taunt and minutes later a silver and beige hued lake run brown trout was tailed with a black hackled fly hooked solid in the jaw.
This was the first fish I had taken on a swung spey fly and the experience will always come flowing back from the recesses of my mind when the leaves change from green to gold and I hear rumors of large brown trout, salmon, and steelhead rushing into those Michigan rivers from the big water of the lake.
A friend and I were swinging spey flies through riffled runs for steelhead when my line went taunt and minutes later a silver and beige hued lake run brown trout was tailed with a black hackled fly hooked solid in the jaw.
This was the first fish I had taken on a swung spey fly and the experience will always come flowing back from the recesses of my mind when the leaves change from green to gold and I hear rumors of large brown trout, salmon, and steelhead rushing into those Michigan rivers from the big water of the lake.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
T.F.M. Spotting - Mike in Maine
A great friend of mine, Mike Boward, was sent from Colorado to Maine for work purposes and sent along this photo where he was repping T.F.M. while out at the pub with friends.
From the sounds of it the class was great...but the local beers, fresh seafood, and catching up with old friends made this trip epic.
From the sounds of it the class was great...but the local beers, fresh seafood, and catching up with old friends made this trip epic.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The Fight
Background: 20 inch Bonneville Cutthroat vs. Japanese Yellow Fenwick/Edgar Sealey clicker reel.
This fish lazily rose to a large dry fly and then broke bad all over the creek.
This fish lazily rose to a large dry fly and then broke bad all over the creek.
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