T.F.M. On The Road

If posts on T.F.M. seem a little irregular going up over the next few days just know that T.F.M. started a road trip yesterday that essentially won't end until next weekend.

Yesterday I ran Hadley down to Bruinswick, Georgia to meet my dad since they have most of the grandchildren for almost two weeks in Orlando relaxing at the resort and doing the various parks.  After I dropped Hadley off I was en route back to South Carolina and spent about nine hours on the road.  I only got stopped by blue lights once.  Hadley said "Why are we stopping?  Daddy...are you going to get a ticket?"  Luckily I scraped by with just a warning.   

This afternoon I'll be taking off to Raleigh to check out the Fly Fishing Show tomorrow and staying over tonight with Kenneth Lolensgard, The Literary Fly Fisher, and his family.  I appreciate their hospitality greatly.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the show has to offer at it's new venue in Raleigh.

After the show I'll be making the trek home and working Monday.  Total drive time will be eight hours or so. 

Tuesday Mrs. Manifesto, Finn, and I will be tripping down to Orlando where we'll spend the rest of the week full of family time and Disney World (Read NO FLY FISHING.  No way.  No how.).  This trip will entail over sixteen hours of drive time or more depending on how many potty breaks, gasoline full ups, snack stops, traffic back ups on I-95, etc.  Fathers and mothers that read T.F.M. know the deal.    

As with any time I'm on the road for extended days I'm never sure if I'll have WI-FI access or even time to keep T.F.M. updated but I hope to get some new content out over the course of the next week.  Stay tuned...   

T.F.M. Spotting - Alex At The Vise

Recently Alex Cerveniak, of Hatches, Midcurrent, 40 Rivers To Freedom, and Bottom Hand reputation (the dude is BUSY), sent along a late night photo at the vise where he is proudly representing both T.F.M. and Fishy Kid decals slapped onto the back wall of his tying desk.   

Alex wrote...  "I was just playing around while waiting for the batteries to recharge on the hair clippers.  I picked up twenty hares masks last week or the week before and I've been working on getting them all shaved down.  I'll be graduating from college in a few months and plan on tying and fishing as much as I used to before I went back to school.  I used to break 100 days out each year, but only have been getting to about the 50-75 range the past few.  This year I'm gonna make up for lost time and break 150 and I'll need a lot of dubbing to get me through."

Graduate college?  Shave down twenty hares masks?  Fish over 150 days in 2011?  Like I said...the dude is busy.

The Kabuto Experience

This week Tom Anderson, a.k.a. "Duff", received from Yasuyuki Kabuto in Japan the Kabuto 7033 that he has ordered some time back.

Needless to say Tom was impressed and these photos do an excellent job of showing the care that Yasuyuki takes when shipping one of his custom fiberglass fly rods to a customer. 

The Kabuto 7033 is a flawless gem and Tom's fly reel choice with the Hardy Perfect couldn't be any better either.

T.F.M. T-Shirts (Finally) Sent

Just a heads up to those that placed orders for T.F.M. t-shirts over the last month or so that most of the order has shipped this morning and you should be finding packages in your mailbox soon.  I'm still waiting on a few more addresses and the rest of the shipment will go out on Monday morning.

I am really impressed with how the T.F.M. Retro Fly artwork turned out and will be expanding the gear choices next month to include a second color choice for the T.F.M. Retro Fly t-shirts, sweatshirt hoodie, and a long sleeve microfiber UV protection shirt too.

Thanks again to Rick Marcum of Xdzines for getting this large T.F.M. order done.  Everything looked great.  

Jeff Kennedy's Patagonia T-Shirt

Besides having his Retro Fly artwork on the 2011 T.F.M. t-shirt, Jeff Kennedy's Green Butt Skunk fly art is featured on a Patagonia t-shirt as well.

Now I'm wondering who stole who's idea of putting Jeff's artwork on a t-shirt?  HA...  Or more likely Jeff's fly artwork just makes a great screen for a shirt.

The Green Butt Skunk fly art t-shirt is available online and in stores through Patagonia.

Congrats Jeff.  It is really neat to see your artwork out there more and more.

The Fish Fighter Mini Fly Patch Clip

One of the things that I get really excited about is finding new and well thought out fly fishing products that I can highlight on T.F.M.  I get especially interested when I happen across a piece of gear being produced on a small scale in a basement or garage since they don't always have the media machines and chances for exposure like the larger companies do.  

 Last week while eating lunch in front of the computer at the office I noticed that Jeff Ryan at The Freshwater Fly had a new product called the Fish Fighter Mini Fly Patch Clip up on his website.  I immediately sent an order in for one since it looked like it could come in handy on the brim of a hat while fishing.

The Fish Fighter arrived this week and I am impressed.  Jeff has a great and useful product and the clip is quite strong with little worry that it will slide off unexpected.

The Fish Fighter can be clipped to a hat, strap on a gear bag or vest, lanyard, pocket, or any where else you might need to stash a few flies.

 

Check out The Freshwater Fly General Store to order your Fish Fighter and make sure you follow on the Facebook page as well.  Jeff will be giving away a few Fish Fighters when the page reaches 100 Fans and running other promotions on the page as well. 

Middle Provo Holgarama

As much of the country is covered in snow I thought that Brian Schiele's wintry holgarama from the Middle Provo was somehow fitting and beautiful at the same time.

Brian was recently interviewed by artist and writer Bob White and in the latest issue of Fly Rod & Reel which features several of his holga photos and a background on his artistic process.

Follow Brian on The Holga Master website and on his Flickr Photostream as well.

New Becca Schlaff E-Store

Michigan artist Becca Schlaff has recently opened a merchandise page on her website where a growing selection of her stellar fish prints can be purchased.  Becca has sixteen different prints available at this time.

Becca is offering her prints in two sizes and they are reasonably priced at $25 and $45 depending on the size chosen.

Check out Becca Schlaff's website for more information.  

T.F.M. Spotting - Tom's Kitchen Project

Tom Sadler, of Fish Tenkara and AFFTA fame, sent along a T.F.M. Spotting contest photo along with a few lines of copy to copy.  I guess life isn't all fishing "reelless" fly rods and industry doings for Mr. Sadler.     

Tom wrote...  "I guess you would call this a "lifestyle" entry.  As you can see we are still in the midst of kitchen renovations.  Here is a photo of yours truly hard at work on cabinet installation.  As you can see my reward for a job well done is close to my right elbow…"

Thanks Mrs. Sadler for snapping the photo and I can't help but wonder if she's standing watch to make sure Tom doesn't break into the "reward" before a full work day is done.  HA...

T.F.M. Gear Orders

I thought I'd better let everyone know that has T.F.M. t-shirts on order that there has been a bit of a delay but I should have the entire shipment later this week.  Orders will be out in the mail as fast as I can get them folded into envelopes with a couple T.F.M. decals tossed in for good measure.  I apologize and appreciate your patience.  The wait is almost over.

For those of you that would like to place an order for a T.F.M. t-shirt or decals check out the T.F.M. GEAR page of the website and then send along an email with your order.

You must have a T.F.M. t-shirt in order to submit photographs for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest which this year is sponsored by Scott Fly Rod Company.  The next T.F.M. t-shirt order will be sent off to the printer on March 1st.

I am currently working on a few new gear items with the T.F.M. Retro Fly design which consist of a second color choice for the t-shirts, a black hoodie sweatshirt, and long sleeve UV protection microfiber shirts for the coming summer months.

I appreciate everyone that represents T.F.M. by wearing a shirt or slapping a decal on their car, fly box, or other ingenious location.  It gets noticed.

New Twintail Clothing Co. GST Buffs

Matt Jones of Twintail Clothing Co. recently announced that their new GST Buff Headwear are now in stock and available for order.

If you have any questions or want to place an order please contact Matt by telephone at 214-219-2500 or by email.

Blood Knot Magazine - Why Glass?

It was really neat to start off 2011 with an article in the "Blogger Issue" of Blood Knot Magazine.  For those of you that didn't check it out yet I thought I'd post the article that I submitted for the issue.  Give it a read and let me know what you think.  

WHY GLASS?

Twenty years ago I walked out of a discount sporting goods store in Northern Michigan with a painted yellow fiberglass fly rod, a simple clicker reel, and a cheap blue plastic fly line. After a couple years of teaching myself how to fly cast and catching hundreds of bluegills on foam spiders I put away the gaudy fly rod and purchased several graphite fly rods which I fished exclusively for years. Little did I know that my preferences for fly rods would go full circle and my first fly rod would open the door fifteen years later to an ever interesting realm of fly fishing with it's own history, rod builders, anglers, and collectors.

There are a lot of good reasons why I prefer to fish fiberglass and it’s not because I want or need to double haul a whole fly line. Fiberglass fly rods shine in the trout line weights, cast superbly at distances where fish are, and are best in lengths to about eight foot (give or take a few inches) long. Glass blank makers also haven’t forgotten how useful some of the atypical fly rod lengths can be and it’s not hard to come across a seven foot five weight which is a personally one of my favorite fly rod configurations since it does great work on canopy covered rivers and creeks.

There is a thought process among the masses that glass rods are nothing more than floppy whips and unable to control big fish. This simply isn’t true and I’ve found that a full flexing fly rod can provide unreal leverage since you are fighting the fish over the entire length of fly rod. There is a strength in those glass fibers that can deftly turn a fish with relative ease all while you can feel the cork bending under the pressure in your hand. It’s a neat experience for sure.

I have a thing for fishing small flies on 6X or 7X to large trout and find that glass fly rods protect tippets to the point that I hardly worry about breaking fish off. If the knot’s good then the tippet separating is typically not an issue. The medium action of the glass rod absorbs the shock of violent head shakes, jumps, and runs of the fish upstream and down.

There is a geek factor to all of this as well since I enjoy fishing glass fly rods (reels too) that are nearly twice as old as I am and find that vintage does not mean fragile. These rods can do work just like they could decades ago. I also get very excited to collect fly rods from talented blank makers and builders who are pushing the envelope of what contemporary glass can do. New advancements in taper design, build techniques, and raw materials are creating generations of glass fly rods that are certainly changing the minds of those that thought glass was so 1960’s.

Taking the idea of the typical fiberglass fly rod to it’s most elementary terms and you have a tool that is just a thrill to fight fish on, big or small. Fishing glass is a different experience over much of the new age graphite out there and it’s sure to leave you with a smile on your face when the rod is bent double and you can feel every part of the fish’s fight like you never have before.

F.F.R. Star Valley Clave

It's that time of year when it's smart to start penciling summer plans on the calendar and I thought that I'd let everyone know that the Fiberglass Flyrodders Star Valley Clave will be from July 30th through August 6th, 2011.  

The Star Valley Clave is generously sponsored by Mike Carlson at Pioneer Anglers in Afton, Wyoming.

Mike has a full week planned and for those that are interested what is already planned for the week there is a day by day itinerary posted on the Star Valley Clave registration website.

All that attend should complete their Wyoming Cutt-Slam by catching the Colorado Cutthroat, Snake River Cutthroat, Bonneville Cutthroat, and the Yellowstone Cutthroat.

Don't fish glass?  No problem but there will be a lot of fiberglass fly rods to demo and fish.  This will be a great gathering of anglers, a family friendly environment, and lots to do for those that don't need to fly fish each day.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Mike Carlson at the shop by phone at 307-880-3331 or by email.

T.F.M. Spotting - Like Dad Like Daughter

Fresh off her OtterBox Photo Contest win, Sandy Tracy sent along a photograph of her husband Dennis and their daughter Ellie walking back from the photo shoot both representing their T.F.M. pride.

It's always neat to see Fishy Kids out with their Fishy Kid parents.

DVD Review - Night of the HEX

Nearly twenty years ago I learned to fly fish in and around Grayling, Michigan, while working at a summer camp outside of town.  Graying is more or less (in my mind at least) the mecca of "The Hex".  I remember being totally captivated when going into The Fly Factory in early summer and seeing large foam boards covered with flies the size of baby birds hanging on the walls and down from the ceiling.  There were whispers in the shop that the bugs came off here or the bugs were supposed to be there.  The hex was a mystery.

I never fished the hex hatch while spending summers up there, which now I look back on as a grave mistake.  I was young however, downright nervous with my elementary skill set as a fly angler, and felt that without a doubt my $100 two tone (one of those being primer gray) Ford Escort would have broken down on some forgotten sand trail of a road in the middle of the night leaving me stranded and without someone to bail me out with a ride.  

It was years before I had a proper "Hex Experience" and for whatever reason I hit it just right.  The bugs started coming off right at dark, they came in waves, they fell on us thick, and before the night was over I had tussled and caught several heavy brown trout.

Robert Thompson's newly released film, Night of the HEX, is an excellent primer for those that have wondered what this hexagenia limbata bug is all about and tells the story of the highs and lows of the experience.


Hex fishing trailer from RT on Vimeo.

Night of the HEX is not just thirty minutes of big fish and hero shots filmed in the dark.  This film keeps it realistic and offers up all the elements that anglers who chase this bug ask themselves every night that they decide to stay up way past bedtime hoping that it all comes together.  Is it to humid?  Will the humidity lead to a thunderstorm that will wash the night out?  Is it warm enough?  Is it to hot?  Will the bugs come off here?  Or there?  Is someone already in my "Hex Spot"?  Will the bugs come off minutes after I've given up and walked back to the car?  It's all still a mystery and for those that dedicate long nights and several weeks each summer to this big bug, it's something that is hard to shake from the system. 

Night of the HEX is well done, filmed and edited masterfully, and tells the story of chasing the hatch from the perspective of both guides and anglers.  It is certainly worth adding to your angling films collection and with a limited run of just 500 DVD's pressed you'd be smart to order sooner than later.

Drawing Flies 365/Fish, Flies & Water

Last year Jason Borger and Jeff Kennedy collaborated on a year long project creating a piece of fly art once each week for the entire year.  For 2011 they've moved past flies and onto various fish species. 

The rules are still the same with new posts dropping each Thursday and each artist taking thirty minutes using any medium to create their idea of a certain fish.  

Jason Borger of Fish, Flies & Water

 Jeff Kennedy of Drawing Flies 365

This past week's project was the bluegill and it's making start seriously contemplate spring time, an ultra light fly rod, and a fly box full of small poppers.

T.F.M. Spotting - Day On The Deschutes

This past weekend Josh Linstrom, a.k.a. stumptownfly, sent a few photos from his iPhone including a stellar T.F.M. Spotting contest photo.     

Josh wrote...  "The pictures are from September and it was my first trip back to the Deschutes River since my youngest daughter was born two months prior.  My neighbor dragged me out for a afternoon float from Nena to Wapinitia." 

"Once we dropped down into Maupin and crossed the river, I knew it had been too long since my last visit.  I don't know the Deschutes as well as I would like and it usually kicks my butt.  That day was no different, the fish were small and few in number, but it was great to get waist deep."

Josh...great iPhoneography.  It's always neat to see what iPhone users can come up with using the camera and the seemingly endless choices of photo apps and filters.

Hardy Classic Fly Reels

This past fall while at IFTD I spent quite a bit of time with the fellows at the Hardy Fly Fishing booth. I'm kind of a pushover for their Classic and Hardy Bros. fly reels and couldn't help photographing the whole mess of them.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

I'm starting to think that a Cascapedia MkIII and Bougle Mk VII can't be to far off in my future.  I haven't found a piggy bank big enough though to add a Hardy Bros. fly reel to the collection...yet.

FOCAL FISH

The FOCAL FISH blog has been linked and mentioned all over the place lately and for good reason.

One photo. No narrative. Different each day. Check it out.

2011 William Joseph Catalog

Late last week William Joseph updated their website with all the new items for 2011. By my count there are twenty-six pieces that have either been tweaked, redesigned, or are entirely new for this year. 

Of note for this year is the use of magnetics instead of zippers on more packs such as the Catalyst and Confluence among several others and the introduction of the waterproof line up which many have been waiting several years for.

The highlights for me in the new product lines are the redesign of the Exodus and Coastal backpacks and then several of the pieces in the waterproof line up such as the Surf, Swell, Riptide, and Eddy.  The Extreme River Wear jackets with the Runoff and Squall are impressive as well.  Look for a review on both jackets soon as I have been wearing them daily for the past month or so.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

While checking out the new products on the William Joseph website make sure you click the 3D VIEW which will allow you to see each product from all angles.

William Joseph has a lot to offer for 2011 with an impressive line up of products and reasonable pricing (reductions in cost over last year on several pieces) across the entire line up due to better sourcing and passing off the savings to the anglers fishing William Joseph gear.    

The new William Joseph products should be available online or at your local fly shops soon.

T.F.M./OtterBox Photo Contest Winner

Last night at the stroke of midnight I took the poll down for the T.F.M./OtterBox Photo Contest. With over 600 votes placed during the last two weeks has been the most popular poll that has been run on T.F.M. so far.

The winner, with over a third of the total votes placed, was Sandy Tracy with a photo of her husband and daughter out on the water with T.F.M. up on the iPad which looks nothing short of risky to me.  Congrats Sandy! 

Thank you to all that submitted photos and to OtterBox for the Defender Series iPad Case to be given as the prize for this contest.

Favorite iPad App - Flipboard

Recently I downloaded the application Flipboard on the iPad and after a bit of a learning curve I think I've got it aced.

Flipboard takes Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, and Flickr and organizes each in a magazine type format. It makes for a clean design and enjoyable read.

The last few days I've been clicking through all my favorite blogs and subscribing to each of their RSS feeds since Flipboard is a better viewing experience than clicking through the T.F.M. Blogroll or the ever growing list of notable blogs on the Outdoor Blogger Network.

Check out this informative video about how Flipboard works...



If you have an iPad...check it out.

The Contemporary Sportsman

Just in time for the weekend comes the latest online issue of The Contemporary Sportsman. I especially enjoyed this issue since it featured T.F.M. friends Corey Kruitbosch with a great winter fly fishing photography piece and an in depth interview with artist A.D. Maddox.

To view the magazine you have to first set up an account but this will give you access to Integrated Digital Publishing's other publications such as The Contemporary Wingshooter and the soon coming Backcast.

The Contemporary Sportsman can also be found in iTunes as an application and viewed on your iPad for a cost of $3.99.

For those with a keen eye there is a T.F.M. Spotting in one of the photos that somehow made it past all the editors in the magazine. Did you find it?

Cabela's C.G.R. Series Available Online

What started yesterday with a message from my contact at Cabela's that the C.G.R. Series would be available for purchase soon was quickly updated later that afternoon that the fly rods were live on the website and the warehouse was already filling pre-orders.

The C.G.R. Series is offered as three piece fly rods (tube included) in five lengths/line weights from three to at an unbelievable $99 price point.

C.G.R. Models:
359-3      5'9"        Three Weight
466-3      6'6"        Four Weight
570-3      7'           Five Weight
676-3      7'6"        Six Weight
876-3      7'6"        Eight Weight

It's great to see yet another affordable option in fiberglass and I'm looking forward to getting hands on the entire C.G.R. Series soon.   Look for a full review in the coming weeks.

Korkers Fisherman Mocs

For the past several weeks I have been wearing the Korkers Fisherman's Mocs and have got to say that these are as comfortable as your favorite slippers but have a dressed up enough look that you might even be able to sneak into the office wearing them.

The Fisherman's Mocs have a waterproof nubuck upper, Kling-On rubber and jute sole, and a collapsible heel turning the shoe into a slip on.  This is a great kick around shoe and at $69 a pair you can't go wrong.

The Fisherman's Moc are just one part of entirely new line up from Korkers.  Check out the Korkers website for more information, dealers, or to place an online order.

Blue River Fly Company

I recently came across the Blue River Fly Company website and was impressed with their product line up (Develo, Idylwilde, Umpqua, and Wheatley to name a few), their prices on these items, and that as a small growing company they are already involved with 1% For The Planet. 

I have been trading emails this week with Jason Adams of Blue River Fly Company and they are planning on adding more fly patterns, more accessories, and expand their business in 2011.

Blue River Fly Company has signed on to advertise on T.F.M. and I greatly appreciate their support.  You'll find their ad on the left column of the page.

Need flies?  Need a couple new fly boxes?  Check out the Blue River Fly Company website and consider placing an order. 

For the rest of January and February if you use the code "TFM" during checkout you'll receive 20% OFF on your entire order.  

The Fly Fishing Show

With winter comes The Fly Fishing Show and this year there will be seven stops across the country. This show does a lot to show off new gear, destinations, provide instruction, and if nothing else gives anglers with a case of cabin fever a reason to leave the house.

The closest venue for me will be the Raleigh show the last weekend in January. I am planning on arriving in Raleigh Saturday evening and attending the show all day Sunday.  I'll have a stack of T.F.M. decals in the backpack so if you'd like a couple look for the (good looking) fellow in the T.F.M. t-shirt.

If anyone that reads T.F.M. would like to meet up please let me know and send an email. 

I'm looking forward to the show and would like to know your thoughts on the shows that you've attended this winter.  Worth your time?  Well attended?  Will you go again?

Skagit Master Volume 2 Released

Besides being a complete glass geek I have a growing interest in two handed fly rods and am excited to pick up a copy of the next Skagit Master DVD featuring Scott Howell on various steelhead techniques.

This is the second volume the in the growing library of Skagit Master films and if it's half the DVD that Volume 1 was with Ed Ward then it is worth the $40 price tag.  
 

Skagit Master 2 was sponsored in part by Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters and the crew sat down with Scott Howell to discuss how to fish the Ska-Opper and ends with some neat on stream footage raising several steelhead on the skated fly.



Pick your copy of Skagit Master 2 through your local fly shop, the Skagit Master website, or if you'd like T.F.M. to get a little kick back (make sure you enter through the "Get Deep" badge on the right side of the T.F.M. page) then order online at Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters.

S.F.R.C. Fiberglass Series Discount

If you have wanted to add a South Fork Rod Company Fiberglass Series fly rod to your growing glass collection January might be the perfect time to place that order since they are giving a 25% OFF discount though the end of the month.

The action of the Fiberglass Series is medium/slow, the build quality is excellent, and you certainly can't beat the price. 

To place an order give David or Margot Redington a call at 772-485-9543.

Rise Fishing Company Launches

It's been a few months coming but Rise Fishing Company's website went live last week with a full line up of freshwater and saltwater fly rod offerings.

The thing that makes Rise Fishing Company especially interesting is their ethos of giving back to the industry through donations to worthy causes such as Trout Unlimited, Recycled Fish, and I'm excited to see that Fishy Kid is listed on their website as well.

For more information on Rise Fishing Company check out the Fish Schtick podcast interview of Amanda Switzer and Michael Gracie's Q&A as well.   

Rise Fishing Company will start completing orders on February 1st but you can pre-order now if you wish. 

Follow Rise Fishing Company through their Blog, Facebook, or Twitter to keep up with what they are up to.

Neat to see a new company giving back right from the start.

The Hobbyist - Tom Pipic

Recently Tom Pipic, a.k.a. tiptop, of the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum completed a very striking build on a Kabuto 8053 blank which is complete with custom wood, cork, and metal work of his own doing.

Tom provide some excellent narrative in his F.F.R. post but then passed along additional information to share here as well...

"This is just a hobby -- I've only finished out a few rods.  I do have some experience with silver and gold smithing and have a good selection of bench tools for jewelry making so that helps."

"I did like working with the osage orange wood which is very dense with closed grain -- one of the hardest, if not the hardest wood in North America. It was prized by Native Americans for bows and clubs.

I turned the cork grip myself on a mandrel and then hand fit it and epoxied it in place. Because of the bit of extra weight due to the dense wood reel seat and brass fittings, a little lighter reel can be used but even a medium weight reel balances the rod well."

"I finished it with three coats of spar urethane. I think I didn't mention that the YLI thread is silk -- I thought everyone would know but shouldn't assume that -- a lot of guys use nylon. I did turn a tapered 3/8" birch spigot/extension on my lathe and removed 3 7/8" of the glass and epoxied the spigot in for the reel seat."

"Kabuto Rods was great to do business with -- great communications and only a week to receive the blank once it was shipped. That's about it I think -- that is until I get to fish it anyway!"

Is it just me or is the Kabuto blank and Kineya Tackle Model 300 Series reel just a perfect match?

Snow, Ice, And Chili

This morning we woke to a couple inches of snow on the ground, risky roads, and I ended up going into work for most of the day. This afternoon the snow turned to a cold rain which is quickly turning everything to ice.

Tonight we enjoyed steaming bowls of homemade chili and now Mrs. Manifesto is curled up on the couch with the children watching a movie. Needless to say we're having a great time. I wonder if we'll get another snow day tomorrow?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Mikey On The Holston River

Mike Ridlon, a.k.a. mikeylikesit, and I were trading messages in the Chat Lounge on the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum last night when he mentioned that he had tangled with a large brown trout on the Holston River that day. Minutes later he text messaged this photo and a few lines of copy for a T.F.M. post.

Mike wrote... "It was a cold and blustery day on the Holston River (proper) with spitting snow and a white chop over the big riffle at Nances Ferry. Suddenly the florescent yarn indicator suspending a Geux Tiger midge (purple/gold zebra) disappears into the chop just twenty feet downstream of my position. There i stand dumbfounded by this massive brown that isn't supposed to be there."

"Surprisingly, I manage to get the line on the old J.W. Young Pridex and protect the straining 6X with the subtle flex of my trusty Fenwick FF 755. Several aerial assaults and a few screaming reel runs later, i haul the massive brownie on the shore for a quick picture and a gentle release.

What a charm for the first fish of 2011!"

Short glass, small flies, and an old clicker reel getting it done.  I am impressed.

Simms 2011 Online Catalog

The Simms Fishing Products 2011 catalog went live online recently and I gave it a couple leaf throughs this weekend. It viewed especially nice on the iPad and there are a few pieces that look really impressive. I'm even starting to warm up to the cowboy styling on all of the button up fishing shirts. I think.

To view the 2011 Simms catalog click HERE.

JP Ross Interviews JP Ross

Maybe it was to many late nights in the rod shop finishing up holiday orders or the fumes from the epoxy when wrapping up the thread work but JP Ross Fly Rods & Co. recently interviewed himself about the Reuben Wood fiberglass fly rod and placed the informative Q&A up on his website.

Metal ferrules on a short black glass fly rod that can handle two through five weight lines?  I'm certainly intrigued.

Friday Online Diversions

The past couple days have gotten a little crazy work wise and kept the daily posts going up on T.F.M., but here are a couple online diversions for your Friday at the office that are especially excellent...

CATCH MAGAZINE

FLY FISHING LIFE MAGAZINE

Pour that second cup of coffee (or third...no ones watching) and enjoy.

William Joseph WST Wader Giveaway

Anyone that has spent time on moving or still water has likely had a scare from wading to deep, gotten caught or swept in a fast current, or lost your footing and have taken an unexpected dip. Over the years I've gained a very healthy respect for rivers...especially a couple in particular.

William Joseph has developed the WST (Wader Safety Technology) Waders to assist anglers in a time of need with an inflatable bladder that can be filled either by the manual inflation valve or by emergency CO2 inflation. Genius idea.  Check out this video that Paul Swint of WIlliam Joseph put together explaining the WST Wader features and demonstrating how they work.

For the remainder of the month T.F.M. and William Joseph would like you to recount your on the water scares and what you've done to be a safer angler? Please email your stories and experiences.

At the end of the month Paul Swint and I will pick a winner with the most stirring and true story. The winner will receive a pair of WST Waders as their prize which retail for $399.00.

Whether you participate in this contest or not, please be careful when fly fishing.  To many anglers are lost each year because they pushed the limits of what was the safe thing to do while on the water.