A Look Back At 2011

We're standing on the doorstep of another year and over the past couple days I've taken some time to look back at the past twelve months. Going through the photos it looked like I was on the water more than I thought that I was.  In reality it's never really enough.

The year was summed up as one which held a lot of new experiences with new friends, new places, and new fish.  It was far less about trout and much more about smallmouth bass, carp, shoal bass, bluegill, and redfish. I very much enjoyed the diversity of species caught on the fly and didn't miss the lack of trout one bit.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

What's in store for 2012?  T.F.M. will continue to see daily updates since I really enjoy the process of putting content up each morning.  I never for once think that I am much of a writer, or a photographer for that matter, but I do enjoy highlighting what is going on in the fiberglass fly rod realm and also reporting on my own version of what's cool in the fly fishing industry and beyond.

Plans are being made and the travel card is already filling up with a few fly fishing trips, conclaves, shows, film fests, and gatherings, so you may see T.F.M. in places that you've never seen it before.

Thanks to each of you for your readership and also the sponsors and advertisers that make all good things possible on T.F.M.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

Happy New Year and I wish everyone a fish filled 2012.

Madness and Magic - The Year That Was

Tim Schultz of Madness and Magic wrapped up 2011 with a slideshow of his images chronicling the year on the water and living in and around Voelker country.



Follow the Madness and Magic website on Facebook too.

T.F.M. Spotting - Hanging With The Fonz

Aileen Nishimura Ellis sent this T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest image in posing with Henry Winkler, a.k.a. "The Fonz", at a recent book signing.

Aileen wrote...  "My daughter, McKenzie, and I attended our local fly shop's book signing event for none other than Henry Winkler for his book, "I've Never Met an Idiot on the River".  We were first in line!"

Aileen...cool photo and let me know how that book reads.

Simon Spreads The Glass Gospel

The "Reverend" Simon Chu continues to spread the good news about fiberglass to his New Zealand brethren and sent along a few photos of their trips using his yellow staffs. 
 

Check out more of Simon's gospel spreading in the latest issue of Fly Fishers Inc. and the Evolution Of A Flyfisher blog as well.

Can I get an Amen?

2012 Changes For Catch Magazine

I just got word from Brian O'Keefe yesterday that here are some big changes in the works for Catch Magazine which start with the next issue which goes live on January 1, 2012.

These changes include a subscription fee of $12 for the year and the ability to view the magazine on all mobile devices including all Apple and Android phones and tablets.  Catch Magazine will view in a larger format with enhanced navigation and videos and slideshows will fill the screen for better viewing.  

It is understandable that Catch Magazine moves to a pay to view format since there are certainly costs and investments involved with producing such a high quality online magazine and I sincerely hope that the readership supports this with a purchase for the subscription.  I know that I will.  

Tom Pipic's F.H. Paddock Blank Build

Tom Pipic, who is also known as tiptop on the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum, continues to show his excellence in rod building artistry with this build on a 7'10" F.H. Paddock blank

Tom wrote...  "I was inspired by a fifty year old Wanigas bamboo rod owned by a friend of mine which was built on a PH Young Martha Marie blank.  It had all black wraps and hardware and I liked the reel seat, grip shape, and winding check very much.  As it turned out, I decided not to do entirely black windings, it seemed like a shame not to work with the beautiful translucent color of the blank.  I did try to reproduce the shape of the rod from the forward winding check back to the reel seat.  I'd never done a cone shaped check before so I was pretty much flying blind.  I decided to shape the grip to the final shape including the check and then cover the cork with thread.  If I had it to do over again, I'd probably turn a separate cone out of maple or some other material and use that to wind the thread onto.  I had to smooth the cork with epoxy before applying thread to try to insure a smooth result.  I also stepped the cork down about a half a millimeter to allow the final build of the thread and epoxy to be at the same level as the fore-grip.  I think about the only advantage of doing the cone shape the way I did is that the curve of the grip flowed exactly into the curve of the cone -- it would have been hard to achieve that with a separate cone shaped check."

"I've not had the rod out on the water yet, and probably won't until late winter or spring due to nasty weather.  I have done some lawn casting and I like the action a lot.  I prefer it with six weight line but a double taper five weight works well too...just a bit faster with the lighter line.  It's a powerful medium fast rod and I think a double taper six weight wouldn't be a problem for it."

Tom...so very classic yet built on a contemporary fiberglass blank.  A perfect union.  

T.F.M. Spotting - Duck Duck Goose

Early in the month Lane Pelissier and Coy Quibideaux went out on a waterfowl hunt and Coy was caught representing for this T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest submission while holding up the day's bounty.

Lane wrote... "Here's a picture of one of my fishing buddies, Coy Quibideaux, with a T.F.M. shirt he wore on a recent goose hunt.  Geese and ducks have been a little scarce during the first split so the fact that he has some of both is good."

Quibideaux?  I guess that is just a little bit Cajun, eh?  

The Backcountry Journal

A couple months ago Ben Smith of Arizona Wanderings decided to create a website to highlight excellence in outdoor writing by featuring both known and new writers which is called The Backcountry Journal. 

The Backcountry Journal is more than just field and stream and also covers other outdoor pursuits as well.  I am really impressed by the quality of work that is already showing itself with each post and expect this only to grow in quality over time.

Follow The Backcountry Journal on Facebook and Twitter too.

Graywolf Rods 805-3 Signature S-Glass

I obviously can't post, or even keep up lately, with every single glass build that Graywolf Rods is completing but I am especially keen on this 805-3 Signature S-Glass build since the orange silk wraps look so neat on the tea colored fiberglass blank (both before and after varnish) and the agate striping guide is the perfect color match as well to the thread color.

Shane Gray just placed another Signature S-Glass blank order and most of those are already spoken for by customers for future builds. 

I've been patiently waiting to place my own order for an 805-3 S- Glass until I see the alternate blank color choice that Shane has in the works but this build might have changed my mind.

View more images of this build on the Graywolf Rods Blog and Facebook page.

Topo Designs Accessory Bags

There is no denying that I am a bit of a neat freak, bordering on O.C.D., when it comes to keeping my fly fishing gear organized. It just makes everything so much easier if I know where it is.

After years of wasted ziplock bags I finally found a set of fabric bags from Topo Designs which will be a big help in keeping items where they are supposed to be in my packs and gear bags.

The Topo Designs Accessory Bags come in three useable sizes and in a mix of different color combinations.  I opted for the set of three for $40, which aren't a bargain, but these will last near forever. 

Topo Designs uses high quality and durable fabrics in their gear and all items are made in Colorado.

Check out the Topo Design website for more information and to see their other offerings.  The Mini Mountain Bag is next on my purchase list.  

A Couple Days In The Lowcountry

Earlier this month David Grossman and Steven Seinberg from Southern Culture On The Fly decided to make the trip from Asheville to Charleston for a couple of days looking for redfish in the marsh.  While there they linked up with the fellows from Lowcountry Fly Shop, Captain Paul Rose, and Mike Benson a.k.a. Mad Mike. 

Even though they had stacked the deck with guides and boats, they only lucked into one small redfish over the two days.  In short the conditions were tough but Steven returned with a stack of digital images including a couple neat T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest snaps as well.

Gifford Scott getting work done at Lowcountry Fly Shop.

Captain Paul Rose representing while in the skinny water.

Check out the SCOF blog post for more images from this trip.

Merry Christmas

Just a quick note hoping that you are spending quality time with your family and friends on this holiday.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Shawn's iPad Art

Shawn Bichsel of Lines In The Dirt blog has been messing around with Autodesk SketchBook Pro on his iPad and took an image from my recent kayak redfish trip to the coast and created a piece of artwork from it.

Looking pretty damn good for Shawn doing this with his finger.

Check out more of Shawn's art in his latest Lines In The Dirt blog post.

Reverb

Third Year Fly Fisher's latest film in the works is called Reverb and is a mix of old school Chicago punk rock and fly fishing the Driftless area of Wisconsin.



A seventeen minute version of Reverb has been accepted for the 2012 Fly Fishing Film Tour with DVD's hopefully available early in 2012.

If the first three trailers that I've seen are any indication, the next F3T would appear to be less about fish porn and more about the soulful experience of fly fishing.

Field & Stream's The Honest Angler Blog did a short interview with Robert Thompson of Third Year Fly Fisher and it's worth a read for more background on his new film.

Tenkara USA Booklet Now Online

A couple weeks ago a little square booklet arrived from Tenkara USA which is packed with all the best knowledge on this fly fishing technique and also has some very excellent images as well.

In a time when everything is online, Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA decided to put something real into the hands of everyone in their database. Daniel is now offering this same booklet in digital form. Click "Expand" to view.

Open publication - Free publishing - More backpacking

All truth told, if I wasn't such a glass geek then I'd be all over tenkara.  It is a wonderful way to fly fish and as time goes on devotees will continue to push the envelope and show that this technique has more application than just on tiny water looking for little trout.  

Black Bear Fly Fishing Pack Rod

I am always looking for new and interesting fiberglass fly rods and was tipped off on an offering from Black Bear Fly Fishing of a 6'6" eight piece 2/3 weight Pack Travel Rod that is surprisingly priced at $100. 

I am hoping to demo and review one of these early next year and it's great to see yet another economy priced fiberglass fly rod on the market.

This little pack rod scores extra credit points for being small enough to fit in your back pants pocket since when this eight piecer is broken down it measures only eleven inches.

Check out the Black Bear Fly Fishing website for more information.

Glass Horizons

Adam Tsaloff is a chino wearing (he doesn't have a single pair of jeans in his closet) certified fiberglass and bamboo addict, and after spending a few days fishing with him this past summer in a few of his haunts, including Voelker's Pond, I had the chance to get inside his world a bit. 

Being the grandson of writer John Voelker, Adam had a very early exposure to fly fishing and over the years has fine tuned what he really enjoys in a fly rod.  Adam sent along this excellent write up explaining his attraction to long length fiberglass, especially the new S-Glass blanks that Mike McFarland of McFarland Rods has begun offering.      

Long light line fly rods have, for many years been the territory of graphite. When you think of a 9’ four or five weight rod you think about the standard bread and butter rods of the large fly rod companies. This is about to change at least in the small enclave of slower action fly rod addicts that tune into T.F.M. and other sites devoted to the non-graphite lifestyle.

Fiberglass rods in trout line weights longer than eight feet are nothing new. Scott Fly Rod Company had models at 8’3” for 5WF back in the day and Cortland has, for years, offered an 8’6” four weight. My all-time favorite bluegill rod is the incredibly weepy South Fork Rod Company Classic Series 9' five weight. To have a bull bluegill put an arcing bend in that rod is a Right of Spring the memory of which helps get me through the long cold Northern Michigan winter.

But recently, Mike McFarland has come out with a series of S-Glass rods, a few of which are changing the game on what I thought was possible with a rod made of glass. He created the first 8’ two weight rod, which is a surprisingly efficient fishing tool in a variety of stream and river situations. But the rods that really caught my attention were his 9’2” five weight and his new 8’8” four weight. I have been bugging Mike for a few years to make a long four weight for our beaver pond in Michigan’s U.P., but the rod he sent me last month was way more than I had ever imagined a glass rod could be.

Last spring at Michigan’s big fly fishing expo down in the Detroit area, I caught up with Mike at his booth and the first rod he handed me was his new 9’2” five weight. I took it to the casting pond and was shocked at the power found in this rod. As I cast, the rod kept pleading for more line until I blasted out a 90’ cast that frightened me. The guys on either side of me turned in unison and asked “What rod is that!” I walked back to Mike and he grinned, “I thought you would like that one, I made it with you in mind." He knows I have a penchant for deeply loading rods. Needless to say, I bought the rod immediately, so as not to let anyone else cast my new best friend.

The 9’2” five weight rod and Mike’s newest rod in the series, the 8’8” four weight are deeply loading rods medium in action. They are, however, not noodles by any stretch of the imagination. Both are crisp and very smooth rods full of sophistication. They have the greatest feeling of sensual power when loading and unloading of any traditional action glass rod I have cast. It is a feeling usually reserved for parabolic or semi-parabolic rods from cane masters like Summers and Wojnicki. I warn you, these rods are hard to put down. They stroke the ego like few others. Mike likes the Triangle taper lines, and I have found supple four and five weight forward lines respectively work well for me.

Imagine a glass rod that can throw a four weight forward line 80’ with touch and accuracy without any gyrations or heroics on your part. A Spring Creek dream rod wouldn’t you say? These rods would be fantastic for any still water or slow water situation. They are perfect for swimming flies like John Wood’s Film Star and Aw Shucks in the surface film, handling long fine tippets needed for these presentations with ease. The rods are tremendous roll casting rods, as well. I used the 9’2” rod last summer at our pond and roll cast 65’ with a five weight forward line, and I’m sure that a Triangle taper line would add ten feet. The length of these rods also is great for mending, and on smaller streams even dapping. I plan to use the four weight rod next season on a small stream I know of where a series of beaver dams are connected by deep narrow stretches of water we call “the trenches”. It is where the big brook trout live. Casting is difficult because I will be up to my wader tops in water. The extra length of the rod will help keep my casts above the dense stream side brush that makes creeping along the bank impossible.

As classic action rod fanatics we are living in a golden age of invention in rod building. Builders like McFarland, Kabuto, Larry Kenney and their fiberglass brethren, experimenting with materials, and the likes of Wojnicki, Branden, the Boo Boys and other innovative bamboo makers experimenting with hollow building and straying from traditional hexagonal wall shapes, are finding new and until recently thought impossible tapers. I hope that you are supporting inventive makers. If you do they will help give your fishing a boost in the enjoyment department. Life is short and you can’t take it with you. Remember, as my Grandpa always said, the fisherman that is having the most fun is the best fisherman.

(Special thanks to Tim Schultz of Madness and Magic for providing the photographs for this post.)

Give The Gift Of Stream Explorers

Looking for that last minute gift idea for a young angler on your gift list?  How about give the gift of Stream Explorers? 

Stream Explorers is Trout Unlimited's youth geared program and besides access to the interactive website, youth members also receive four issues of the Stream Explorers magazine, TU calendar, official TU membership card, and sticker.  The price for a membership is $12.

For $24 your child's membership can also include a copy of Tyler Befus's A Kid's Guide To Fly Fishing or Mel Krieger's Beginnings: An Introduction To Fly Fishing DVD.

Check out the Stream Explorers website for more information.

2012 T.F.M. Apparel Artwork

Last August while at IFTD, Paul Puckett of Flood Tide Co. and I had a conversation at his booth and within five minutes a few things were quickly ironed out.  He agreed to be the artist for the 2012 T.F.M. apparel items and that he would do two pieces of artwork as well so there would be a coldwater and saltwater choice.

There are some fish that are forever etched into my mind and the twenty inch dry fly eating Bonneville Cutthroat that I caught a few years ago in Wyoming is still seared into my memory.  Paul took a few photographs of this trout and did an excellent job of recreating it with ink.

It's no secret that the redfish curse had been tough to break but I had enough faith in a few trips which were lined up for this past fall to ask Paul to provide artwork of a redfish for the saltwater apparel choice.  Paul's redfish face bears a striking resemblance to the first redfish that I caught a couple months ago and really looks stellar screened on the back of the T.F.M. t-shirt.

The first batch of 2012 "prototype" t-shirts arrived yesterday and they look great.  For the first couple orders I'll only be offering the shirts in black but hope to add a couple other color choices early next year.  I am also very close to offering a couple technical shirt choices as well.

The T.F.M. t-shirts are priced at $20 for a short sleeve and $24 for a long sleeve with $4 shipping for one item and free shipping if multiple pieces of apparel are ordered. 

I am also offering black hoodies made with either the Cutthroat or Redfish artwork if there is interest.  T.F.M. hoodies are priced at $36.

Please send an email to place an order or if you have questions.  The next order goes to the printer the first week of January with delivery around the middle of the month.

Special thanks to Paul Puckett for providing the artwork for next  year's apparel pieces.  I am very excited about both of them.  

Breathe.

The refreshed Imago Fly Fishing website went live this week and with it the trailer for Breathe.

Breathe. Presented by Imago Fly Fishing. from Imago Fly Fishing on Vimeo.

Breathe. is a film project by RC Cone and will be featured on the Rise Fly Fishing Film Festival.  I am looking forward to seeing the full cut film in the coming months.

Indi River Rods

A few months ago Callum Ross of Indi River Rods emailed to say that he was working on a new website and that he was intending to start building more on fiberglass blanks.

Callum is based in Australia and though much of his experience is with bamboo, he is starting to build on a few fiberglass blanks from the U.S. and Japan as well.

Check out the Indi River Rods website and blog for more information and updates on what he's working on at the shop.

Callum's photography is most excellent and his builds, both fiberglass and bamboo, are very well done.

T.F.M. Spotting - Grizzly Joe

Late last month Joe Kayafas of the Troutman blog met up with Lucas Carroll and Brian Bradfield and spent a cold afternoon fly fishing a local tributary.  Lucky for Joe, he's already sporting his "winter coat" with full beard to stay warm.

Included in these images from the lens of Lucas Carroll is a T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest submission with Joe in happy face.  Nice work.

It's hard to be to upset with the onset of winter in New York when you have fly fishing for big browns and steelhead to mix it up with.

JP's Last Weekend Before Christmas

Jordan Ross of JP Ross Fly Rod & Co. spent this past weekend at his cabin and was struck with a bit of "spirited" inspiration before bed which he shares in this post.

Jordan Ross wrote...

"It's the last weekend before Christmas, and I still have over a dozen rods to ship out tomorrow for last minute orders that came through. So after the last one was epoxied, I sat in the Cabin with Montana and Patton, listening to Jimmy Buffet. I could not go in just yet. There still was something left I had to do...something creative. So I grabbed a glass and poured a pinch of creative goodness and started working on The Fiberglass Manifesto rod case cap.

Trying to make a theme rod for Cameron is a lot of fun, especially when you have a Facebook following and a website like he does. Everyone loves giving their opinion about what should go on The Fiberglass Manifesto Eagle Creek Special. But many people do not realize that this is what we have been doing for fifteen years. I started JP Ross Fly Rod & Co. before I could legally drink that glass of scotch I just poured. For over a decade we have been making corporate theme rods for people, just like this one, except this one is a bit more special, because its glass."

"I enjoy making this rod for Cameron for two reasons, it's fun to do for a nice guy like him, and its probably one of the last fiberglass rods I will be making.

The influx of fiberglass fly rod makers to the scene has really taken the wind out of my sales with glass. There are so many new makers that I probably will go back to my strong suit and make quality graphite small stream rods. Kabuto Rods and Scott Fly Rod Company in my opinion are the leaders, and I tip my hat to them. I wish Tom Dorsey at Thomas & Thomas would push his designs more. He is a great guy and a terrific designer. As for me? The Reuben Wood was my biggest achievement for the glass market. No one had the guts to put a silver ferrule on a glass rod, but we did. To me the Reuben Wood is a testament to old world glass. Probably like Cameron, I had been fishing glass fly rods for many many years before the glass boom he pretty much created. Fenwick and Garcia were by far my favorites, and still are. All with metal ferrules.

So as the temp dips down some more, and the glass of Johnny Walker Blue Label begins to evaporate into my throat, I put the finishing touches on this quaint case cap. I hope that Cameron gets as much enjoyment out of this rod as I have gotten from making it.

More to come. This week I wrap it with silk."

Look for more updates on the T.F.M. Eagle Creek Special build as it comes together.

I really appreciate how much time and consideration that Jordan is putting into this build and I look forward to seeing it continue to come together step by step.

Scale Magazine - No. 3

This issue of Scale Magazine has been out for a couple weeks now but still worth a look if you haven't checked it out yet.

The Northern Lights piece, which was shot in Norway, is well worth flipping through to the near end of the magazine to get to and there is a lot of fly and spin fishing in between worthy of a look.

Graywolf Rods Signature S-Glass Order

Shane Gray of Graywolf Rods is preparing to make another order of his Signature S-Glass blanks and is taking only three more pre-orders with a deposit of $150.00.

The Signature S-Glass blanks are available as eight foot two weight or five weight three piece blanks.  The blank color is translucent tea, which is brownish red, and the blanks are sanded with a high gloss finish.  Shane describes the taper as medium action with a progressive taper.

If you are interested in securing one of the last three builds on the Signature S-Glass blanks please contact Shane by email.

12 Days Of Christmas Finished

As of this morning I am still getting quite a few emails about the 12 Days Of Christmas and just wanted to let everyone know that the gear giveaway is finished.  Maybe next year I'll have to extend it until Christmas.    

I want to thank everyone who participated by sending emails in each day.  Over the course of the twelve days there were over 6,800 emails sent in, which is far more than I expected, and I was glad to have fifty excellent prizes to hand out.

Lastly, thanks to the seventeen gear sponsors that made this even possible.  It was a lot of fun to give some of my favorite pieces of gear away daily and there was certainly enough interest to make it possible to do something like this again next year.

BioLite CampStove

Last weekend a good friend tipped me off on the BioLite CampStove and I am interested in this concept of part stove and part recharge station for gadgets and as a power source for an LED light.

I am also really impressed that their idea goes beyond "glamping" as they are working on safe cooking alternatives and in the process creating electricity for those without.

Introducing the new BioLite CampStove - Reserve now! from BioLite on Vimeo.

I am on the reserve list and look forward to giving the BioLite CampStove a try when it becomes available.

Check out the BioLite website for more information and follow along for updates on Facebook and Twitter as well.

A Tight Loop - December 2011

The December 2011 issue of A Tight Loop went live this past week and is a mix of Christmas gift ideas and gear reviews. 

The new issue is worth a look especially if you're stumped on what to give that fellow fly angler on your gift shopping list.

12 DAYS - Cabela's C.G.R. Fly Rods

PLEASE NOTE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS tfmcontests@gmail.com.

Today marks the end of the 12 Days Of Christmas posts and what started with the giveaway of a couple fiberglass fly rods ends today with four Cabela's C.G.R. fiberglass fly rods to be given away as prizes. 

I spent more time with the Cabela's C.G.R. fly rods this past year than anything else in the rod basket in preparation of writing the review on the full series and then also because I just liked fishing with them.  The 7/8 weight model became my go to kayak bass fly rod and I'm going to put a redfish on it before to long as well.

Please check out the full review of the C.G.R. fly rods but the crib notes version is that they are a lot of fly rod for $100 from the models offered, the quality and details in each one, and then how nice each of these fly rods casts.  They are well worth the asking price and a great fly rod choice for the dedicated "glass geek" or someone that has always wondered what fiberglass is like. 

T.F.M. CABELA'S C.G.R. SERIES REVIEW

THE GIVEAWAY
For today's giveaway Cabela's is giving away four of the C.G.R. fiberglass fly rods with the winners choosing the model of their choice from the five fly rods offered.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com.  You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received.  Only one email per person please.  Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNERS
There were over 600 emails sent in yesterday and the random number generator picked four random winners who are Daniel Byrne, Stephen Rodriguez, Jeff McElravy Sr., and Greg Mitchell.  Congrats. 

Agate Guide - Darker Or Lighter?

The Eagle Creek Special yellow fiberglass fly rod build continues in the JP Ross Fly Rods & Co. shop and yesterday he posted up a photo on the T.F.M. Facebook page asking for opinions on whether he should use the darker or the lighter agate stripping guide.

I could go either way with the agate guide.  I like the darker for contrast and the lighter for match with the blank.  I'll look forward to whatever Jordan sees as the perfect fit for this build.

Leave a comment here to let Jordan know which agate stripper you think he should use and follow along the T.F.M. build on the JP Ross Fly Rods & Co. website.

12 DAYS - RIO Products/Sage

PLEASE NOTE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS tfmcontests@gmail.com.

The 12 Days Of Christmas are quickly wrapping up and today features prizes from RIO Products and Sage with of a few pieces of fine gear including an "almost new" fly reel.

RIO PRODUCTS TROUT LT FLY LINES
The Trout LT fly lines are billed as a technical trout anglers dream line and I agree with these attributes.  These fly line shine with dry flies, emergers, soft hackles, and even with small nymphs and are one of the few fly lines in the industry that are available in both Weight Forward and my personal preference of Double Taper.

I've been using a couple Trout LT fly lines and found that they can really do well on light line fiberglass fly rods.  I found these fly lines to be an excellent presentation fly line and one I'd fully recommend to spring creek and small water anglers.

The Trout LT fly lines are offered in line weights 000 to seven weight and priced at $75 each.

Check the RIO Products website for more information to to order.   

SAGE CLICK IV FLY REEL
Of everything that has been won and given away during the 12 Days Of Christmas gear giveaway, the Sage Click IV fly reel is the only item that has been carefully used.  I fished with the Click IV a few times this fall and had a great time with what I consider an "undercover clicker".

Most of the fly reels in my collection are vintage click and pawl models and when they sing...they really sing.  The Click fly reel however follows the design lines of the the rest of the Sage line up and unless you really give a look to the mechanics, you might not realize that you're looking at a new school clicker.  When a big fish runs the audible sound from the reel is toned down and controlled and the function of the clicker against the inner rim of the reel spool is flawless.  The click and pawl of this fly reel works great and looks great too.  

The Click IV is a great choice for fans of a click and pawl drag system but who still want modern styling in their fly reel.  The Click fly reel series is available in four sizes to cover line weights from 00 to five weight and priced from $280 to $320.

Check out the Sage website for more information.

THE GIVEAWAY
For today's giveaway RIO Products is giving away two of their Trout LT fly lines and Sage is giving a Click IV fly reel.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com.  You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received.  Only one email per person please.  All emails must be received by midnight tonight to qualify for this gear giveaway.  Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNERS

There were over 700 emails sent in yesterday and the random number generator gave up three numbers this morning picking winners Shawn Bichsel, Bob Meacham, and Terry Greiner. 

Shawn Bichsel won the Sage Click IV fly reel and Bob Meacham and Terry Greiner both won a new RIO Products Trout LT fly line.  Congrats.

Support Free Fly - Get A Free Cap

This is pretty simple...  Make a purchase from Free Fly between now and December 19th and you'll receive a Free Fly cap with your purchase. 

Take a few minutes and check out the Free Fly Apparel offerings along with their Giving page as well.  Free Fly is committing a portion of their profits to Water Missions International to help make a difference in the availability of clean water to those in need.

I have been wearing a Black Bamboo Tech Longsleeve for the past couple weeks and it's a great choice as base layer for winter angling but moisture wicking as well for when it warms up.

Check out the Free Fly website to check out their wares and to place an order.