T.F.M./Bug Slinger Facebook Contest

A couple of weeks ago Rob McAbee of Bug Slinger and I tossed a couple emails back and forth about a contest for the T.F.M. readership.  The end result is a month long photo contest that begins today on the T.F.M. Facebook page. 

There will be two ways to win this month.  First, we want to see your most hardcore fly fishing vehicles.  The tattered pickup truck with sleeping bags laid out in the bed, the trusty sedan with the back window covered with various decals (there may be extra points to the vehicle with both Bug Slinger and T.F.M. decals on it), or the SUV with fly rods and gear falling out all the hatches.  We want to see your hardcore ride!

  The Bug Slinger Mothership

For the second part of this contest we will chose a random winner from all the photos that are posted so it's worth tossing up a photograph of whatever vehicle takes you from the house to the water.  You can even upload that "Swagger Wagon" that sees more soccer fields than fly shops.

  
THE RULES:
1.  The T.F.M./Bug Slinger contest will run from June 1st through June 30th, 2010.
2.  Participants must be a Fan of both T.F.M. and Bug Slinger on Facebook.
3.  Upload a photo of your "Fishing Vehicle" up on the T.F.M. Facebook page. 
3.  This contest will have two ways to win.  Rob and I will determine which vehicle posted is the "Most Hardcore" and then there will be a "Random Winner" as well. 
5.  The winner of the "Most Hardcore" Fishing Vehicle will win a Bug Slinger Cross Sticks front plate and a 25% Discount Card for a purchase on the Bug Slinger website.  The Random Winner of the contest will win a Bug Slinger Cross Sticks front plate. 
7. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com.

Let's have a good time with this and toss up your ride on T.F.M.'s Facebook page!

T.F.M. Reminders for May

With the month of May quickly ticking by I thought I'd remind everyone of a few T.F.M. and Fishy Kid related goings on.

 The Fishy Kid Writing Contest ends on May 31st and if you are 17 or younger you should really consider submitting an essay.  The grand prize is a 10' or 12' NuCanoe, worth over $900, and we'll have prizes for all twelve finalists.  In all we'll be giving away about $2,500 worth of gear.

 The South Fork Rod Company 25% OFF discount ends soon and there is still time to place an order for a custom fly rod.  This discount applies to all of their rod series.  David and Margot Redington build an excellent fly rod for a more than reasonable price.

Send along your T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest submissions to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com.  I'll be looking for contest photos to place on the blog for June.  Remember that monthly finalists will have a chance to win gear from Hardy Greys at the end of the year.

Don't have a T.F.M. t-shirt?  Want one?  Check out the T.F.M. GEAR section of the blog and send along an email if you're interested.  I'll be sending the next order off on June 1st.

What's going on this summer at T.F.M.?  Look for several interesting interviews that I am currently working on, a few new gear reviews, and a few monthly contests with Bug Slinger, Korkers, Backwater Paddle Company, and William Joseph.  T.F.M. likes giving away free gear!

T.F.M. Spotting - Riki's Fiberhammer

Riki Rahman goes big in a couple ways with his T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest entry for this month and I couldn't be more impressed!  Riki was fishing and figuring out his new Scott Fly Rod Fiberhammer and gives his thoughts on his experience and the steps he made to make this rod work for his Malaysian waters.

It is a premise which is described as "pay pond".  You pay as you fish...not unlike a "whorehouse".  Nothing fancy and no hassle.  The fish are all there.  You just need to figure out what they're taking on that day.  I guess that's the only game you can get from a man made water like this. This particular one I've been frequenting lately is what we see as the "veteran" one.  An old-timer who has been in the business for the past fifteen years. It is the first sports fishing center where besides fishing; classes, competitions, and gatherings are held. A truly nostalgic place. This is the very place where we learned how to do proper tagging for freshwater species. And that word "old" comes hand in hand with "wisdom" and obviously "size".  The variety of Carps, Catfish, and Pacu species which were released more than a decade ago has really grown into Monsters!

This is my take on the Scott Fly Rod Fiberhammer rod...  I'm still far away from figuring out this rod.  To be honest, the first wiggle test after it came out of the box really didn't impress me at all.  The rod is too soft and wobbly and with that kind of length it is kinda sluggish and sloppy for my standards (something that I loathe on a rod).  But I know zilch about switch or spey casting for that matter.  Mind you that my previous experience with a longer (than usual) rod is with my GL CrossCurrent casting out big streamers to the saltwater surf.

So I took the Fiberhammer out for a test drive the very next day to this very pond. I coupled it with a Tibor Everglades reel (which I think is a tad too light for it) installed with the (recommended by a the review on the Deneki Outdoors website) Airflo Skagit Compact 570 grains head. Even though I personally think a Scandi type of line would be a much better candidate for it but since I primarily wanted this rod to turn bigger flies and tackle stillwater monsters I opted for Skagit head.  On the water the simple roll-casting of the Skagit was alright in my inexperienced hands.  It turned the #2 fly very well at around forty to fifty feet even when I'm using a very short 5 foot 16lb leader (Pacu loves to whack a suspending subsurface fly).  The only problem was accuracy (which actually I blamed myself more rather than the rod/leader configuration).  Seven out of ten times I would miss the rises by at least five feet.  Besides using a smaller fly and a proper tapered leader, this can be easily be overcome by practice I'm sure.

But the rod sings in my hand after I changed the line to the weight forward SAGE Performance Bass Taper 330 grains line.  I know it's a very unconventional choice but I had to assimilate our Malaysian style of switch/spey to suit our waters and fish. Using the same leader and tippet I am able to control the presentation much better. The distance improved by another ten feet or so and the accuracy is... well...not spot-on but way better. HA!  Only after I used this was I'm able to hook up the fish in the photos.  I don't think I need to elaborate more on controlling the fight on a glass rod since I'm very sure all of us know how it feels. ORGASMIC...!

 My problem is that we don't have anyone here who fishes spey or switch rods.  So I learned all this only through readings and YouTube.  Hence mistakes and irregularities are very much expected. HA!  And since we don't also have big clearwater rivers like our Scandinavian or Alaskan friends, I think it's just apt to find ways for us to enjoy these unique type of castings.  Maybe few guidelines need to be dropped and rules bent but in our case, I guess it's forgiven.

Oh by the way...the bugger in the photos is a Pacu.  A Piaractus Mesopotamicus to be exact.  A Red-Bellied variant...and not the black one.  It's not a native (brought upon from South America for food supplies) in the 1970's.  Since then they are everywhere.  It's willingness to take any kind of bait has made it very popular for local anglers.  As for flies, they are more frequent that not partial to huge (size #2) beadhead nymphs and (natural-colored) woolly buggers.  As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the most stubborn and hard-fighting fish ever on a fly rod.  The ultimate rod-breaker...I mean on graphite that is.

The Flyfish Journal Arrives!

With the wife working late and the children asleep in their beds, I had a chance to settle into T.F.M. Headquarters (my large leather chair with feet kicked up on the ottoman) and leaf through the latest issue of The Flyfish Journal which arrived  yesterday.

I said it in my first post about The Flyfish Journal last year that I am really impressed with this magazine from the content, the writing, and the photography that it contains.  This is art...pure and simple.

Don't expect to find a couple dozen copies of The Flyfish Journal waiting for you at your local book store.  The Flyfish Journal is doing something a bit different and is only printing what they have orders or subscriptions for.  Think of it as a "green" printing practice.

Last fall the Fish Schtick interviewed Jeff Galbraith of The Flyfish Journal and if you haven't heard it yet it's worth a listen.  Jeff explains their philosophy and focus for The Flyfish Journal and I appreciated the magazine more after hearing this podcast. 

This magazine is one worth subscribing to if you haven't.

T.F.M. Joins The W.J. Pro Staff

It has been a few months in the works but I am excited to announce that William Joseph has asked me to come on as an Ambassador within their newly selected Pro Staff.

This is both a unique and exciting opportunity for me and I am looking forward to working with William Joseph as an Ambassador. Look for more reviews of William Joseph products, first looks at upcoming gear, and more promotions and contests.  Hopefully this will be yet another excellent excuse to be on the water more.  

Check out the new and still improving William Joseph website.  Some elements of the site are still coming together but this is just the beginning of some really cool happenings at William Joseph.  To the future!

T.F.M. Spotting - Howard at Work

There are times when the workload in the office has to be pushed aside for a few minutes of fresh air...even if that means casting practice into waterless landscaped rivers and lawns.

Howard Levett, who writes the Wind Knots and Tangled Lines blog, needed a few minutes to decompress and was found casting one of his vintage outfits outside the office. 

Spring weather has finally reached the Denver Front Range in the past week. Unfortunately just because the weather has started to cooperate doesn't mean I can play hooky from work and hit some of the beautiful small streams just miles west of Boulder where I work.

I have however found a nice solution to too much work and not enough fishing. Here I am standing on a footbridge practice casting on an imaginary small stream in the backyard of the Center for People with Disabilities where I work. 

Of course I had to rep T.F.M. while practicing with my 1961 Wright & Mcgill Featherlight and Orvis Rocky Mountain reel.

I can see those ladies looking out the office windows cackling about "Hey Ol' Man Howard is throwing flies at the rocks again."  HA...

Scott Fiberhammer Review Begins

With the river levels down to 600 CFS and finding myself with a rare weekday off, I spent a few hours on the Saluda River to begin the review of the Scott Fly Rod Company Fiberhammer Two Hand Assist rod.  This 10'6" fiberglass seven weight switch rod really surprised me and it was great to finally get it on the water.

While gearing up this morning I had to figure out which line to start with.  I decided to go with the Airflo Skagit Compact 420 grains head since it was the line that was closest to what the boys at Deneki Outdoors recommended on their review of this rod and I figured that they might know a thing or two about casting two handers and switch rods.

There is something strange about fishing in downtown areas.  I parked at the Gervais Street bridge, which leads into downtown Columbia, and listened to the morning commute buzzing over me like bees as I walked upriver.  The Saluda River is a bit tricky to wade and I was glad for a wading staff which has become essential gear when I'm on big water.

The flies used this morning were several colors and sizes of Intruders which were tied by Scott Behn over the winter.  I had told him I wanted something that looked flashy and fishy.
 

These flies look perfect in the fly box but even better wet.  I'm sure the stripers will not pass them up...that is...once I find where they are at!

So...the Fiberhammer review begins and I went fishless, which was disappointing, but it really gave me a chance to work this rod out.  I really didn't know what to expect since I have limited experience with two handers, and even less so with switch rods, but after one morning on the water with it I can understand why so many that have demoed this rod have called Scott Fly Rod Company and asked how much it would cost for them to keep it.  

I was really surprised how similar the Fiberhammer felt to the ECHO Dec Hogan two hander that I have.  The Dec Hogan is described as "Medium Action" and the Fiberhammer felt like it's little brother...with a deeper and fuller flex.  I guess fiberglass can feel like graphite and likewise.
 

The Fiberhammer handled the 420 grain Skagit Compact head quite nicely and though it wasn't pretty at times I was able to make casts perched from rocks into the deeper runs that I was very happy with.

At the end of the morning session it dawned me how many false casts were saved by fishing this switch rod with spey type casts.  It really is quite enjoyable to fold your line upstream, D-Loop, and cast a long length of line across the water.  

One of the things that surprised me about the Fiberhammer is that it didn't feel heavy in my hands and I really think that it is essential that you find a heavy fly reel to balance this rod out.  The Fiberhammer weighs in at just over seven ounces which isn't skinny by any means but not out of line for a rod over ten feet long.  In my case I was using a brick of an old Martin MG-9 reel that made this outfit feel right in my hands.  Balance is essential.      

Look for future (hopefully soon) installments of the Fiberhammer review to include Airflo Scandi Compact heads in 300 grains and 390 grains.  I also have an Airflo Nymph line in seven weight which might be interesting on this rod as well.  The Fiberhammer may be just as good at traditional fly casting as it is with short to medium length spey type casts.

T.F.M. Spotting - Fishing Poet In The PNW

Matt Smythe, who writes the Fishing Poet blog, recently took a trip to the Pacific northwest. Besides a few T.F.M. Spotting photos for the contest Matt sent along an excellent write up complete with more photos from his trip.

True, I was making the trip out west to fish. Equally as important, I was making the trip to get my head and priorities back in order. I was reconnecting with an old Army bud who lives in Portland. Someone I hadn’t seen since we were stationed in Germany...17 years ago. It was like no time had passed, except for a few signs of maturity (and I use that term very loosely here).

Three rivers were on our 7-day agenda: the Fall, Deschutes and Crooked. But since the Crooked was running at four times it’s fishable level, we substituted it with the Metolius…a serendipitous choice that wound up making the whole trip for me. Funny how things work out.

The Fall was beautiful, but tough. Tough like, I’d have a better chance casting to goldfish at a carnival-tough. Thin, wide water with no place to hide. Plus it was sunny and 70, which doesn’t bring already spooky fish out to play either. We didn’t catch a thing. But we sure as hell ate well.

Bad weather showed up our first morning on the Deschutes. So did the fish. We spent the day fishing primarily BWOs for rising rainbows and browns. The canyon and river were exactly as rugged and difficult to navigate as you’d hope Pacific northwest trout water would be. We fished hard and ended the day tired and very happy.

The Metolius. Bonus river. I had all sorts of intimidating preconceived notions about it before we pulled up to the Wizard Falls Hatchery. But the day and a half we spent on its banks and gravel bars fishing into massive pools and smaller off-current chutes and eddies turned out to be some of the best time I’ve ever spent on the water. Add a couple beautiful rainbows and a big-shouldered brown that elected to avoid my net at the last minute…my trip was complete. Can’t wait to go back.

Check out more on this trip on Matt's blog, Fishing Poet.

SAVE THE PERE MARQUETTE!

Matt Dunn from Third Coast Fly recently sent me an email about a letter writing campaign that they have initiated asking the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to extend new gear restrictions on a large section of the Pere Marquette River which would protect spawning and nursery habitat on this exceptional river.

Third Coast Fly is sponsoring an email writing campaign and giving away a TFO TiCr X 9' 8 weight with the two handed conversion kit, a TFO LA375 reel, and a Scientific Anglers Mastery 360 grain Skagit head and running line to a random email writer.  A chance to win $900 of gear for two minutes of your time.

Being a Michigan native and now living away for over ten years I've really come to miss those cold sweet tea colored rivers of Michigan and took a few minutes this morning to write my letter. You should too.

Check out the Third Coast Fly website to read more about this cause.

New DeYoung Trout Decals

I've been long looking over Derek DeYoung's website and making a list of prints that I would like to someday have on the walls of my home and office.  In the meantime I thought I'd order up a few of his cool looking decals for the car.

 A few days later four of the two by four inch trout decals arrived.  Hadley's first question, as I pulled the decals out of the envelope, was "Which one can I put on my car?"  I guess she wants her Jeep to look like Daddy's badged out Honda Element. 

Hadley's favorite fish is the brown trout so it was an easy choice which decal was going on her motorized car.  Looks like she still has some room for some more decals...

Luckily I was able to find room on the Honda Element and added a brown trout decal to my vehicle as well.

These are high quality decals and look great.  Now to save up for a couple prints... 

Check out Derek DeYoung's extensive website to see what new and exciting projects that he has been working on lately.

T.F.M. Spotting - The New Homeowners!

A few weeks ago Dusty Montgomery sent along a photo of he and the wife after they had signed papers to the purchase of their new house.  Glad T.F.M. could be a part of such a special day.

Anyone else suddenly want to watch The Hangover again? 

Dusty writes "For some reason, I get told on a weekly basis that I look like Zach Galifianakis. Personally, I think I am far more purty."  

 HA...  Congrats on the new house.

T.F.M T-Shirt Order

I am now taking T.F.M. t-shirt orders throughout each month and the turnaround to receive your shirt is hopefully no more than a couple of weeks. 

Check out the T.F.M. GEAR section of the blog and send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com if you're interested in a T.F.M. t-shirt in this order. 

By the way...I will be sending out fifty or so T.F.M. t-shirts out this coming Monday for all those that placed orders last month.  Thank you for your patience.

Sleeping In The Dirt - Volume 3

Aaron Otto and his band of photogs have put together another stellar issue of the online magazine, Sleeping In The Dirt. 



This issue is all about road trips and after giving it a look I'm ready to load up the Element for a week on the water chasing fins.

T.F.M. Interviews S.F.R.C.

I thought it would be a good idea for David and Margot Redington of South Fork Rod Company to introduce themselves and explain their two excellent series of fiberglass fly rods that they offer.  

Can you tell us a little bit of you and Margot's history and background within the fly fishing and rod building industry? How long has S.F.R.C. been around?

I started building rods in 1974 at the age of 12. As a freshman in high school I started working for Custom Rod & Gun and stayed there through high school. In the 1980’s I did subcontract work for a company called Fish-n-Stik. In 1987 Margot and I started Redington Customs doing retail custom rod sales and O.E.M production for Sam Scott Rods, Bob Schneider Lures, and Fish-n-Stik. In 1988 I met David Leopold, he was a good friend of Wes Jordan who worked for Orvis. David would tell me stories how he and Wes would hang out after work to build and design bamboo rods. Soon David was teaching me about building and restoring fly rods. We then became a blank dealer for Thomas & Thomas and Sage. In 1992 Jim Murphy and I started talking about a need for a new company that could sell a good quality rod at an entry level price. In the summer of 1993 we started Redington Production. Levels started at fifteen per week and rose to a peak of 625 in 2000. Margot did quality control and I handled production. In 1997 we sold to Orvis and Redington Custom stayed on as an assembler for both Redington and Orvis. In 1999 started Banner Blanks and hired Wade Cunningham as an consultant. We built offshore and inshore fiberglass blanks, graphite spin, bait cast, and fly rods. At the time there was zero interest in glass fly rods. In 2004 we sold Banner and Redington Custom. In 2006 we kept getting inquiries about building the original Redington rods, so in the fall of 2006 we started South Fork Rod Company. Our mission statement was to remain small, sell only what we could build ourselves, and use the best components available.


What is your background with fiberglass as a rod building material and why do you think it is enjoying such a resurgence for the past several years?

Three reasons. Reason #1...Most Fly fisherman these days started with a fast graphite rod and that’s all they knew so all of sudden they cast a glass rod and realize you feel so much more, better tippet protection, and presentation in the smaller rods. Reason #2...bamboo started to gain popularity, fisherman realized the glass rods were similar in action and feel, and are a lot cheaper. Reason#3...for us older guys it's like going back to our childhood when our dads and uncles put a glass rod in our hands and said stand over there and fish that pool.

Of the Classic Series blanks, which are rolled by Lamiglas, which tapers are your own and which are traditional Lamiglas tapers?

All of the Lamiglas tapers are there own. I can’t explain the difference in feel except that we spine our blanks a certain way. Also material can have subtle differences from batch to batch that can change the way rods may feel.
Our Pioneer series is the one with the original tapers we started Redington with.

Interesting that you have added a second series of fiberglass into your offerings with the South Fork Glass series. Where did the idea come from to design and begin rolling your own blanks for the South Fork Glass Series? How long have they been in development?

Most all of our design are driven by our customers. We were getting more and more request for longer and faster rods in glass. The longer rods are in two piece and the lighter line rods are in three piece which were made for the hikers and mountain bikers who where going after the smaller mountain trout. These rods turned out to be good just about anywhere there are small streams.

When we owned Banner I purchased about one thousand mandrels (tooling) that were from the old glass company called Dynaglas. I cherry picked about fifty of these, waxed them, and put them in storage. When we sold Banner (now called Blackfin) Margot stayed on as manager for blank production and that is where she is today. It only seamed natural to do our own glass blanks. I started to build my own bamboo blanks so I already had the oven and binder.

In the winter of 2008 I picked some faster tooling for the two piece rods out of what I saved and started with a basic flag pattern. Margot started rolling parts. We would make changes until we where happy with the casting characteristics I wanted. South Fork Rod Company would have what I called a "Casting Party". We'd get six good casters together, order pizza and a case of beer, and then write down all there remarks as they were casting the rods. We'd take the best and bring them to market.

What are the diffrences in tapers, casting characteristics, and other considerations when deciding on a fiberglass fly rod build or blank in the Classic and South Fork Glass Series?

As before customer input has the most influence on rod design. There is a fine line between the taper and amount of material (weight) to design a rod. With a faster mandrel you can use less material and keep the weight down. All prepreg material has modulus rating number. E-Glass has a rating of 750.000 to 1.000.000. Graphite is 38.000.000 to 70.000.000. The higher the number the stiffer the rod. That is why graphite rods can be smaller in diameter. The more ferrules you add to a rod the stiffer it gets so you need to consider a slower
taper to make up for the difference.

Check out the South Fork Rod Company website for more information.

LOOP ARMY DISCOUNT

Idaho Joe of Castaway Fly Fishing Shop recently passed along the latest LOOP discount list and though the spreadsheet is shorter than in months past there are some unreal deals to consider.

Please send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com if you'd like to check out the list.

If you do decide to give Idaho Joe and the fellows at the shop a call remember to tell them that "Kojack" sent you.

T.F.M. Spotting - "Utah Boys" Adventure

The "Utah Boys" made a recent trip over to Montana to wet a line and a full out adventure happened. Corey Kruitbosch and Christopher Andelin (a.k.a. "Griz") joined up to send along this report with Corey providing the photos and Chris writing up the copy.  There is also a T.F.M. Spotting photo for the contest in the mix as well.  

Springtime in the Rocky Mountain West, a virtual melting pot of weather and fishing conditions. Trying to plan a fly-fishing road trip in April here is like rolling loaded dice. The weather can feel like July one day, but turn abruptly, feeling like deep winter the next. These variable climate changes can amount to stellar-good fishing just as well as sticking the fish to the bottom, with a hard case of lockjaw, but as dedicated fisherman we push forward, with high spirit. This time around we were pushing forward straight into big sky country. 

The four of us joined up early for departure; Paul Swint, Corey Kruitbosch, Bryan Gregson, and myself. With drift boats and gear in tow, we put the pedal down and headed north. The air was filled with energy and anticipation. Recent reports had promised good fishing and even muffled chatter of skwala sightings...which really got our blood pumping. The weather played nice as we made the six hour drive into the heart of Montana’s great trout Mecca. When we arrived, we were met by Greg Smith, owner and guide for Four Rivers Fishing Co. out of Twin Bridges. Greg showed his good nature and hospitality from the get-go and we were soon on our way to the river.

The day was sunny and the winds calm as we slid the boats in to the easy currents of the river. Paul was fast in to fish on a skwala dry while Corey and Bryan wasted no time sticking nice fish on big gnarly streamers. One after another, beautiful healthy trout were hooked, brought to the net, and released into their cool Montana hideouts.

The next three days brought more of the same, but also brought a mix of spring weather including rain, heavy winds, and at last six inches of snow on our final morning. This put the stone hatch on hold but ramped up the streamer fishing. No reason to complain though, any four days fishing Montana is a good four days no matter how you look at it.

If you ever find yourself in Twin Bridges, Montana look up the fine folks at Four Rivers Fishing Co., their kind attitude, service and hospitality are second to none.

F.D. Lyons Build Arrives

The eight foot three piece five weight arrived this week from glass and bamboo builder F.D. Lyons.  I spent a few minutes test casting in the yard with a 5DT fly line.  I really like the style of the build and it is quite a fine casting fly rod.  I've been in a warmwater mindset for the past couple of weeks but this rod has me thinking trout again.

Not sure if a J.W. Young or Hardy reel will end up on this build but this minty Condex sure looks right on it, eh?

Thank you Mr. Lyons.  I could not be more impressed with this build.  Your work speaks for itself.

At the McGuire Cottage

Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Manifesto and I took off early from work and drove up to Asheville for the night to catch a concert and stay with our friends, Kevin and Anne McGuire, in their backyard cottage.

We arrived to find the garden table set with hors devours and drinks and had a wonderful time under the trees catching up.

 While sitting at the table Kevin and I realized that we were both wearing our T.F.M. t-shirts which made for the perfect excuse to snap a few photos on the iPhone.

Kevin has an ever growing Martin reel collection and these No. 7 and No. 11 tuna cans are high on the list of his most prized and collectible.

Thank you McGuire's for hosting us for the night.  We can't wait to get back up again this summer!

Bluegills Save The Day!

I spent a few hours at the lake yesterday with a friend.  We were up against high winds, colder than normal temperatures, and neither of us really know the "lake game".  Fortunately for us we found a few bluegills which were eager for a slowly twitched Briminator.

What did work out nicely was I was able to spend quite a bit of time casting the South Fork Rod Company seven foot 2/3 weight and eight foot 5/6 weight glass rods.  I am really impressed.  The 2/3 weight is wonderful and the 5/6 weight was zipping out casts with ease using a Scientific Anglers Sharkskin 5WF line. 

I was also able to use the new Z-Reel Natural 5 reel which allowed me to fish both the South Fork Glass rods with a quick and simple spool switch.  I really like this reel.  It has a quality feel, smooth click, and the leather brake pad just sets it apart from so many other reels that are out there.

Yesterday was a good reminder that to have a good time on the water all you need is a fly box full of bluegill flies, a light line rod, and a sheltered cove away from the wind.