T.F.M. Spotting - Tim's Salt Adventure

Tim Angeli, student and international fishbum, recently emailed a report from his first New Zealand salt adventure off the coast of Auckland.  It took four emails to get all the photos into my inbox but it was worth it to see his stellar T.F.M. Spotting photos and the fish that they caught that weekend. 

I thought you might be interested in seeing these photos.  I got the opportunity to head out and do some saltwater fishing on an island off the coast of Auckland over the weekend.  It turned out to be one of the best weekends of my life.  I essentially got to live in paradise (right on the ocean) for two days, fish all day, and spend the weekend with great people.  I landed my first saltwater fish, on the fly no less, within the first 5 minutes of fishing.  The day didn't slow down from there either.  The group consisted of me, my good fly fishing buddy from Auckland, and his friend who we were staying with.  His friend is a really keen saltwater fisherman, but not a fly fisherman.  He let us have some fun with Kahawai on our fly rods for a while, and then we turned our attention to the big boys.  We used the fly-caught Kahawai as live bait to target Kingfish, which are basically the biggest, baddest creatures with fins down here (aside from sharks).  We caught a ton of snapper throughout the day, more Kahawai on the fly, and I ended up landing a beast of a Kingfish which weighed 43 pounds to be exact.  

Honestly, it was one of the best weekends of my life.  I was rockin' my T.F.M. shirt that day, which has now been catapulted to the top of the list of "lucky shirts".  Although the Kingie didn't come on fly gear, the "bait" did, so it all started with the fly.  I'm using quotes on "bait" because catching the Kahawai on the fly was one of the best parts of the trip.  They are a phenomenal sport fish, respond well to a fly, and fight for all they are worth when hooked.  We also got a smaller Kingfish to chase a fly on the next day, but it turned away at the last second.  Just the chase was enough to get the adrenaline pumping though.  My mission now is to land one of these beasts on the fly.

Tim's T.F.M. Spotting photo is going to be a tough one to beat this month.  Unreal fish.

The game is getting stepped up in the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest with photos, videos, and trip reports that are making this contest nothing short of epic!

F H Paddock and Kabuto Rods

Recently I added two new T.F.M. Approved Rod Shops to the listing on the right side of the page.  Both are doing excellent work and worth a look if you are considering a custom fly rod build.

Fred Paddock has been carefully putting his business together for the past year and the fly rods he is offering are his own design from the tapers to components.  I have cast several of his fly rod prototypes and was quite impressed.  Fred Paddock has great attention to details in all parts of his builds and he is certainly a rod builder to watch in the coming years.  Give a look to the F H Paddock website for more information.

Yasuyuki Kabuto is starting an exciting new rod shop under the Kabuto Rods name in Japan.  His offerings are striking with translucent fiberglass blanks and stacked bamboo reels seats.  His craftsmanship also looks very high grade.  The Kabuto Rods website is still coming together but you can view more discussion of his fly rod builds on the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum.

 Look for "Glass Builder" interviews from both of these rod makers in the coming months on T.F.M.

Love At First Sight

T.F.M. Reporter Rich Schaaff is back again with his report of picking up his new F.D. Lyons build last week. Granted this post might leave you thinking "Hey Rich...get a room." but I am just very glad that he is enjoying his first fiberglass fly rod so much. F.D. Lyons truly does inspired work.

It's only been 122 days, 14 hours, and 31 minutes since I first set my eyes upon her beauty. She was so responsive the first time I held her in the palm of my hand and she felt so right. She was deep caramel in color and wore just the right amount of wraps. In addition, she had class and when the sun hit her just right her agate would shine so brilliantly. Her seat was made of the most beautiful Spanish cedar. I wanted her all to myself and wouldn't take no for an answer. She insisted that I be patient and if our partnership was ever going to mean anything that we needed to let the Master decide when we could meet again. I was ever so tempted to call and ask about her progress but did not want to put any pressure on this relationship.

(I sure hope my wife doesn't walk past the computer right now and peak over my shoulder. She may assume the wrong thing here.)

I am of course talking about the eight foot five weight custom built glass rod by F.D. Lyons of Portland, Oregon. Okay...maybe I am getting carried away here but if you have never owned a beautiful fiberglass rod then I suggest that you do not judge me to harshly.


I had written a previous post for T.F.M. late last year regarding my initial meeting with the rod builder, Dwight Lyons, which ultimately led to this post. If you have read it then you may be less judgemental.

The day had recently come to pick up my beauty at the Master's home and bring her back with me. She was as beautiful as I remembered but I am wise enough to understand that any good relationship is built on more than just a physical attraction. I needed to test out our relationship as soon as possible so I decided even though my intention are to spend most of my time with her on rivers throwing dry flies that I had to get her on the water where I knew she would feel right at home. I hopped into the truck and went up to "THE LAKE" for our first date. 

Like any new relationship you are going to have yourselves tested and it was no different when we arrived at the lake. The winds were blowing hard and this was not what you want when you are starting off casting a new rod...especially an eight foot glass rod. I puttered across the chop in near white cap conditions to a little cove that I felt might give us a little privacy. I pulled her out of her case, introduced her to the other half, an Orvis CFO III lined with Sharkskin, and put a #16 Elk Hair on since that in time will be a familiar bug that she will get used to seeing attached to her. 

I waited for the wind to lay down enough to give her at the very least a fair chance to show me what she's got. I knew it was not going to be an easy first date but I was determined to make it a worthy one. The wind died down for just enough time to let me hear her sing. At first I was nervous because I knew a glass rod is used to a different rhythm and like a tango dancer one must follow the lead. I owed her that much to at least let her find her comfortable pace. 

When I did I found that she can sing in the wind. I could hear the Sharkskin whistle through her guides as the sun glistened over her caramel blank which illuminated her agate stripping guide. It was what I had hoped for all along and proof that you can fall in love at first sight. Right Julie? 

Rich...enjoy that new fly rod and I am sure this will not be the last post that we read about her.

The Lost World of Mr. Hardy

I am bringing a little old school with this T.F.M. Sunday Cinema post with the trailer to "The Lost World of Mr. Hardy" DVD.  The film looks very interesting with it's mix of history, footage, and interviews.  It's definitely on my Must Order list.

The Lost World of Mr Hardy (trailer) from Trufflepig Films on Vimeo.

I've been trading messages with the producers of this film and should soon have some extra cut footage to share with the T.F.M. readership in the coming weeks.

D.I.Y. Projects and The F Stop

Mrs. Manifesto and I have been deep into a series of home improvement projects, both inside and out, for the last several months.  Last night we put together a few prints that we had made from both film and digital media with a stack of large frames that we picked up from IKEA.  

We had looked at similar frames that approached $100 a piece but found these excellent Ribba frames for $20 each.  Four large frames with mat already cut = $80.

I took a trip down to see Grant at The F Stop yesterday to pick up our prints.  We had taken a few digital photos from our recent trip to Tofino, B.C. and asked Grant to print them in 12X12 inch squares.   He also printed up a film photo that I had taken in college into another 12X12.

Columbia, S.C. is fortunate to have a place downtown that offers film supplies, dark rooms, studios, workshops, and a place to glean more information on how to use cameras that don't have a media slot.  Grant is great to talk to and I'm going to be spending more time there when I finally break open the box to my Holga camera.

The F Stop looks and feels exactly how you'd expect it to feel.  Indie, eclectic, stashed full of interesting photo finds.  

So after the trip to The F Stop to pick up prints we're $60 lighter but still not a bad deal for six 12X12's and a short stack of 4X6's.

Last night I put everything on the walls in the bedroom and bathroom and I'm pretty impressed with how it all looks. 

So all in all we spent less than $150 to change the looks of several rooms of our house and it is really gratifying to have our own art on the walls as well.

T.F.M. Spotting - Hooked on Utah

Recently Paul Swint of William Joseph spent a day with the crew from Hooked on Utah and recorded a show on fishing ice off on a lake in southern Utah. So cool that Paul wore his T.F.M. t-shirt for the episode.

 (Photo courtesy of Finpusher Media of Paul on a recent day on the water.)

The Hooked on Utah show is broken into four segments on YouTube.  Check out segment #3 for a great explanation about the William Joseph gear used on the show.

SEGMENT #1

SEGMENT #2
SEGMENT #3
SEGMENT #4

Did you catch that Jumping Jack Tent Trailer?  Never seen those before and sure would be neat to have one for group trips.  I wonder if the Honda Element could tow one of those loaded down with gear and kayaks?

T.F.M. Review - Backwater Paddle Company Predator & Piranha Paddles

T.F.M. has a history of uncovering interesting companies working out of their basements, sheds, and garages who are producing gear that ends up being genius.  Backwater Paddle Company may just be another one of those companies. 

Last week Ed Halm of Backwater Paddle Company contacted me and said that he'd like to send both a Predator and Piranha paddle to be reviewed on T.F.M.  The paddles arrived today in the mail and I called Ed to say thank you.  We had a great conversation and wouldn't you know it I found out that Ed makes these paddles in his garage.

 
First thoughts on the Predator and Piranha paddles is that they are solidly made and really a deal for $20 a piece.  I can see where using one of them in the kayak will be very helpful and a lot easier than putting my fly rod down to grab the kayak paddle.  I'll be interested to see how each paddle handles and which one I end up liking better.  Stay tuned as T.F.M. begins this long term review.  I can't wait to get the kayak wet again. 

Follow Backwater Paddle Company on both Facebook and Twitter for upcoming contests and announcements as they expand their line up of paddles.   

T.F.M. Spotting - Riki on the Bentong River

Time and space must have collided (T.F.M. Time Machine?) to take Riki Rahman back to 1932 where this video and photos were captured of a special Sebarau caught on his Larry Kenney fiberglass four weight and Hardy Lightweight LRH reel.

Riki and his band of "Malaysia Boys" continue to send in stellar submissions for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest.

Bug Slinger on Patrol

A few weeks ago I was assigned a new truck for work and needed a front license plate. I looked around and didn't find anything that caught my eye. I sent an email to Rob McAbee of Bug Slinger and asked him if he had any ideas.   

Last week a box arrived from Bug Slinger with four t-shirts (two were on sale for a steal of $17.00 each) and a bad ass Cross Sticks front plate. The Cross Sticks art has always been one of my favorite Bug Slinger designs and it looks right on this truck.  This isn't just a sticker slapped on a black front plate but the artwork has been etched into the plastic for a long lasting and durable finish.  

The Cross Sticks front plate isn't on the Bug Slinger website yet but Rob says he's going to add it soon. Check out the Spring/Summer line up and drop an email to Rob is you want to toughen up your ride.

Little Miss Fisher Gatherer

Saturday morning over breakfast we started mapping out our plans for the weekend.  One of Hadley's objectives was to go fishing and bring back enough bluegills for dinner.  

Sunday morning and we were off to a friend's pond that is full of good sized bluegills.  Hadley fished her Lamiglas Fly/Spin, a cricket, and Thingamabobber to catch the strike.  On almost every cast she picked up a hand sized bluegill and it didn't take to long before our bucket was full.   

Last night we had a small feast of fried bluegill filets and slow cooked grits.  Hadley was quite proud of herself for catching dinner and happily ate up everything on her plate with a smile.    Good times and lessons learned showing her the process from pond to plate.

T.F.M. Spotting - The Newest Moen

Todd Moen, of Catch Magazine, and his wife welcomed the birth of their daughter, Stella Faye Moen, on the evening of April 14th.  Todd sent along an email saying that his wife had brought his T.F.M. t-shirt in the "go bag" for the hospital.  Points for Mrs. Moen on her careful packing.   

 I don't know what it is about T.F.M. and newborn photos but by my count is the fourth T.F.M. Spotting post in the past year with babies that are just days old.  Fishy Kids in the making for sure.

Mellow Yellow

Tom Anderson, a.k.a. "Duff", sent along a few photos of his favorite "Mellow Yellow" fiberglass fly rods from his stunning collection.

Let's all try not to be jealous.  I'm still trying.

The River That Must Not Be Named

 There are more secrets than answers in this post but the short of it is that Rocky Maley, Mike Nutto, Rich Schaaff, and Stephen Vance spent several days fly fishing and in spirited fellowship at "The River That Must Not Be Named". 

They caught brown trout on small flies, fished graphite, glass, bamboo, and took a few T.F.M. Spotting photos as well.

T.F.M. Spotting - Koz Teaching Bugs

Brian Kozminski, a.k.a. Koz, sent this photograph a few weeks back of a day he spent teaching macro invertebrates to a class in northern Michigan.  Great to see T.F.M. friends teaching the next generation and turning them into Fishy Kids!

This is the first T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest submission for the month.  Let's see a few more for April!

First Touch - The Apple iPad

Yesterday Mrs. Manifesto and I took off for a date day to Charlotte, N.C. (read...no children) and had a famous time with stops at IKEA, Dean & Deluca, the bookstore, dinner at Cheesecake Factory, and then a quick stop at the Apple store to get our first look and touch at the iPad.   

The short of it we want one...I mean two.  His/Her iPads?

I see a lot of potential in this device and the T.F.M. blog looked pretty spiffy on it as well.

Costa Sunglasses and Project Permit

A few weeks ago Lisa Jones of Full Circle Public Relations sent along an email about a new program that Costa Sunglasses is a significant part of called "Project Permit". 

"I wanted to make sure you knew about this latest initiative called “Project Permit.” It’s the first known extensive permit tagging program taking place in Florida, as part of a partnership with the Bonefish &Tarpon Trust and Costa Sunglasses."

"The program hopes to activate fisherman to tag more than 6,000 permit as they’re out fishing this season. The data that comes back over the next five years will serve to guide policy and regulations formed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Project Permit will kick off on March 14 in Key West at the March Merkin fishing tournament. Anglers can start requesting their tagging kits now."

Check out the "Protect Out There" tab on the Costa Sunglasses website for more information on the growing list of programs and organizations that they support which are making a difference in the waters we all fish.

R.M.N.P. Flashback

With temperatures in the high 80's this week in South Carolina I'm starting to think of a few summer adventures that are planned out west.  It reminded me of a stack of photos that Mike Boward had sent me of a trip last summer to Rocky Mountain National Park of him fishing his Fenwick 605 and Martin tuna can outfit last summer .




I think Mike found a very special place for this short glass outfit and I can't imagine a better match.

T.F.M. Spotting Contest February Finalist

This post kind of got past me but wanted to pass along that the "Malaysia Boys" have carried the first two months of the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest with Al Pocono becoming February's finalist.

Nice work Al!  Let's keep the submissions coming.  I only have a couple for this month so far.

T.F.M. Spotting - Tim "Studying" in N.Z.

Tim Angeli graduated from the University of Michigan and what did he do next? He was off to New Zealand for more school, to fly fish, and tells his stories on his blog Fishing Phd.

Tim recently sent along a cool T.F.M. Spotting photo from one of  his weekend adventures on the islands.

Check out his blog, Fishing PhD, and try to remember he's there to study which I think we all know was one of the greatest excuses ever to live (and fish) in and around Auckland.

Fiberglass Flyrodders Soft Hackle Swap

A week or so before leaving for the P.N.W. a package arrived in the mail from Corey Layton which contained my set of flies from the Soft Hackle Fly Swap that he had organized on the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum.


All the ties were exceptional and I am really looking forward to sneaking off to some trout water soon to swing these through the riffles.

T.F.M. GEAR

Yesterday I added a page to the T.F.M. blog to allow readers to find out how you can order up a couple free decals or a T.F.M. t-shirt.  Please check out the page link just above this post called "T.F.M. GEAR".

As long as there is interest I will be placing T.F.M. t-shirt orders monthly to Rick Marcum of xdzines.  I'd like to see as much participation as possible with the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest.  There are still eight more months to get your submissions in and become a finalist.

To ask for a couple free T.F.M. decals or to purchase a T.F.M. t-shirt please send an email to heddonpal@fiberglassflyrodders.org.

K-9 Ice - Rest In Peace

I have been thinking about what I wanted to say in this post for over a week now on how to properly express my sadness in the passing of K-9 Ice.  He was my partner at work, a member of our family, and a trout pup at heart.  It isn't often that the combination of all three come together in a working dog but K-9 Ice certainly was it.

A couple weeks after his formal retirement from law enforcement work, K-9 Ice received the Key to Lexington from Town Council.  A proud moment that capped off a great career for him.

K-9 Ice, who was a narcotics detection canine, and I worked together for six years until his retirement in 2008.  My family and I were honored to have K-9 Ice continue to live and accompany us camping, on road trips, and trout trips to the mountains as well.  He truly was happiest when in the water whether it was the family pond, creek, or a river.  
 

Trips to trout streams in North Carolina would find K-9 Ice and I wading together through the water.  He would never stray to far away and easy to take him along with me.  His interest was always perked if he caught sight of a rising trout and would stop and stare at that point on the water looking for the next rise form.  Exhausted from wading and swimming in river water all day, K-9 Ice would sleep most of the way back home in the back of the car.  A day well spent no doubt.

K-9 Ice was a remarkable dog and he is missed by my family and I and the Lexington Police Department in which he served.

Wet Fly Dry Blog

A friend of T.F.M. who wishes to remain anonymous started a new project and blog this week called Wet Fly Dry.

He mentioned in an email that this will be his daily outlet and brainstorm and even he isn't sure where it is all going...but knowing his past work I am more than sure this is worth a follow from the beginning.

Follow Wet Fly Dry on it's facebook Fan Page and Twitter as well.

VOTE MARCH'S FINALIST!

March's T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest poll just went up so that the T.F.M. readership can vote for last month's finalist.  Please take a moment to check out the poll on the right side of the page and place your vote!

This is a reminder to all those that have T.F.M. t-shirts that there is a yearlong contest which is sponsored by Hardy Greys and we'll be giving away some very nice gear in early 2011.

Email your T.F.M. Spotting photographs and stories to heddonpal@fiberglassflyrodders.org.