Patagonia MLC Bag As The "Go Bag"

It didn't take dropping half a paycheck a few times this year on airline tickets to make me seriously rethink trip packing and checking luggage for an added fee.  Add to this that on every flight, either in or out of Montana, my luggage hasn't made it on the same flight I've been on.   On the last trip my travel fly rod tube, which I intended to carry on only to be told to gate check while boarding the flight, somehow didn't make it from the jetway steps to the back of the plane.  This caused a very nervous and stressful twenty-four hours as the airlines couldn't locate the rod tube which held several fly rods which were not my own. 

As this trip approached I figured I'd take on two potential problems of added travel costs and possibly arriving at the Missoula Airport without my fly fishing gear for our post flight afternoon trip to Rock Creek by purchasing a Patagonia MLC Bag to turn it into my "Go Bag".  So even if my checked bag is lost for a day I won't be without what I need to get out on the water.  I might not be able to change clothes or brush my teeth but I'll have the fly fishing gear.  Clearly my priorities are in line. 

Airport Carpeting For Effect

Here's a breakdown of the MLC Bag's contents:

Nikon DSLR with Fisheye Lens
Small Topo Designs Accessory Bag
Miscellaneous Camera Gear/Cords/Chargers
Medium Topo Designs Accessory Bag
Fly Fishing Tools/Accessories
Kineya Fly Reel
Hardy Lightweight Fly Reel
Orvis Silver Sonic Waders
Korkers Chrome Wading Boots
Two Large Fly Boxes
Patagonia Nano Puff Pullover
Patagonia Better Sweater Pullover
Costa Sunglasses
MacBook Air/Charging Cord
Magazines - Fly Rod & Reel/Garden & Gun
Writing Tablet/Pens
Plastic Zip Folder of T.F.M. Swag

Though this is the first jaunt with the MLC Bag, so far I am very impressed with the size and over all design.  The MLC Bag has four separate zippered spaces for oraganizing gear along with a clip in/out organizer in the main storage compartment.   The MLC Bag can be carried with the sling strap or with removable backpack straps as well.

In my mind the MLC Bag is by far the most useful of the Patagonia Maximum Legal Carry-On items when compared with the MLC Wheelie and the now discontinued MLC Burrito.

Check out the Patagonia website for more information.

CAE > ATL > MSP > MSO > TRT

Today I am traveling to Missoula, Montana and hopefully if all goes right with our flights I'll arrive about the same time as best friends Mike Boward and David Lofthouse, who are coming from Colorado and California.  Our friend Joel Thompson of Montana Troutaholics Outfitters has signed up to guide and host us and we'll pile into his pickup truck for a week of trout bumming around Montana.

I'll see you tomorrow.

The week is somewhat mapped out and we're starting things off with a return to "River X" for (hopefully) dry fly sipping cutthroats after a long hike in just to make us work for it a bit.

In short...this week will not suck.

Low & Clear And The Last Fiberhammer

On Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 the Gig Harbor Fly Shop has put together a movie night which will feature Low & Clear and River as Spirit: Rebirth of the Elwha.  This event has been put together to benefit the Wild Steelhead Coalition and Sacred Headwaters organizations.   


A few weeks ago I approached the Scott Fly Rod Company to see if they would like to be a part of this event and as luck would have it they had one Fiberhammer left at the shop which they have graciously donated.  This last Fiberhammer will be raffled off along with items from Patagonia.  The raffle winner of the Fiberhammer will also be sent a T.F.M. swag package of apparel and decals.

The Gig Harbor Fly Shop Movie Night will be held at the Galaxy Theater with tickets available prior to the event available at the shop for $10 each or $12 at the door that night.

Support a couple great conservation organizations, drink a pint of beer with friends, watch a couple great films, and just maybe go home with the last Fiberhammer fly rod if you're lucky enough.

OCD, Flies, And Fly Boxes

Okay...I admit that I may be just slightly OCD...but the fly boxes are ready for Montana.  Whew... 

I took a couple hours the other night and loaded up a couple Green Caddis Outfitters and a Umpqua UPG fly boxes with everything that I thought I might need for the trip. 

Attractor dry flies, nymphs of all sorts and sizes, mayfly and caddis dry flies, and a box of streamers and mice should carry me through the week just fine with room to add a dozen here or there if there is a few patterns that I may need as well.

Super Fly's Flock Of Birds

Do you remember the spun deer hair Carolina Wren that Pat Cohen of Super Fly tied for our daughter late last year?  Amazing work and Hadley was astounded by it.  Since then Pat has added quite a few other spun deer hair birds to the flock and I thought it would be neat to share them with a slideshow.


Created with flickr slideshow.

How does Pat do it? His SF Fugly Packer is one part of the secret to his success.

Here's what Pat says about the SF Fugly Packer...

"You want to pack the tightest deer hair bass bugs?  Amaze your friends, wow your neighbors, impress your kids?  This is my secret weapon..the SF Fugly Packer is like no other hair packer out there.  It is made of forged 1/8 inch steel bar stock with a spring steel bend, then put together with steel rivots, and painted with high gloss metallic lime green enamel and clear coated.  It has finger guards for your protection so you can apply maximum force without worry of slipping into a hook point.  The SF Fugly Packer measures just over six inches long for comfort and stability.  The front of the packer is beveled and a has a hole that accommodates most larger hook sizes.  This is the packer of packers.

The SF Fugly Packer..."Packing them tight since 2011".  Proudly Made In The U.S.A."

Look for a deer hair instructional video early next month from Pat Cohen and for more information check out the Super Fly website as well as the Blog.

Shop Shots - Sweetgrass Rods

T.F.M. reader Ernest Wood stopped in to see the "Boo Boys" at Sweetgrass Rods and snapped a photo of a Dave Delisi next to a T.F.M. decal stuck on the shop's drill press.

Fellows...thanks for representing at the shop.  I've got to get out there one of these days.

Yuhina's Sparrow Fly Rods Review

Mark Yuhina of FLYINTROPICAL spent a few weeks in Boone, North Carolina and demoed the 7'6" 3/4 weight fly rod from Sparrow Fly Rods which is a recent addition to the T.F.M. Fly Rod Loan Program.  Mark sent along this report which includes this thoughts on this fly rod, a few photos, and an excellent casting video as well.

Mark Yuhina wrote...  "Jonathan from Sparrow Fly Rods was kind enough to send me this new rod 7'6 3/4 weight fly rod for a mountain fishing trip in North Carolina.  Thank you, Sir!  What a beautiful rod!  I really love it.  This 3/4 weight fly rod is 7'6 and in three pieces with white spigot ferrules and has a parabolic action that bends evenly across the whole rod.  It has a stronger tip that facilitates throwing powerful loops if the condition is needed.  The rod tip is sensitive and accurate enough to cast to pin point spots.  Sometimes this is necessary for the low water condition, and the dense rhododendron vegetation is so tight that I have to fish with all my "four pods" in many situations!"

"Although this rod is labeled as 3/4 weight, my personal preference (full-flex type of stroke) is to line this rod with five weight forward line.  This rod has a lot of power and can really throw some strong loops into the wind with big dry flies and nymphs."

"I think if you need a “Do It All” fly rod for small creeks to drift boat fishing with hopper-patterns this will be a great choice!  I was throwing leaders with a five weight AirFlo Ridgeline.  In addition, this fly rod is a carefully crafted art and the transparent color matched with the streamside color really nicely.  If you like to fish the modern fiberglass blanks or a little bit fast side of the fiberglass action, this rod cast smoothly with a lot of authority.  I had a lot of fun in controlling the line in various distances.  This is a really nice beautiful rod to add to the quiver."

Sparrow Fly Rods is offering a free ball cap to the first five people that demo this fly rod. Please send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com to get on the list to demo this fly rod if interested.

First Look - Korkers KGB Wading Boot

One of the gear items that I was impressed with at IFTD was the soon to be released Korkers KGB Wading Boot. This wading boot looks to be very durable, has high ankle support, and with a host of interchangeable sole choices anglers fine tune this boot to their wading needs.



The KGB Wading Boot will be available for order the first week of December. Check out the Korkers website for more information.

Gear Review - SmithFly Switch Bag

When SmithFly first hit the scene the one piece of gear that I was very excited about putting my hands on was the Switch Bag.  Fast forward a year so, after a lot of time on the water, and the Switch Bag is still the piece that I am most excited about.  It is definitely one of my most favorite gear bag style fishing packs that I have ever used. 

I am an admitted gear bag junkie and the Switch Bag hits a lot of high notes for me ranging from design to sew quality to execution.  The size and shape of the Switch Bag is just about perfect as it can hold a days worth of trout gear for a river trip or is just as happy with a big bug fly box (or several) and everything that you'd need for a warmwater or saltwater trip in a kayak or boat as well.  High quality and durable fabrics make the Switch Bag about bombproof and the webbing on the exterior makes it easy to make additions with pouches and an El Poquito to keep tools handy.  You can keep the Switch Bag clean with no additions on the exterior or further fine tune it with more easy to access storage with one of several pouch choices.

PROS:
- Made In The U.S.A.
- Quality materials/built to last forver.
- Price.  Reasonable price for the Switch Bag alone.
- Open interior space.
- Rubberized bottom and heavy duty fabric keep bag dry.
- Wide carry strap with removable shoulder pad.
- Customize with various pouches or other pack additions.

CONS:
- Olive is the only color choice.
- Might be to "tactical" for some.
- Price.  Addition of pouches and El Poquito add up quick.



If you are looking for a well designed, non-traditional in looks, gear bag that is comfortable to carry, holds everything that you'd need for a day on the water, and will never wear out give the Switch Bag a hard look.

This month is winding down and SmithFly has offered a 20% Off discount code of "TFM2012" for orders placed in September with shipping free as well.

Also, Ethan Smith and I are looking to receive a few more "Join The Stream Team" submissions.  Check out the T.F.M. post which outlines this contest.  The winner is going to get properly outfitted with a Switch Bag, Switch Belt, and 1X and 2X Pouches.    

Christian's Dr. Howald Purist

It's been awhile since Christian Hörgren has shared new additions to his ever growing collection and recently he sent along information on maybe one of his most valuable fly rods which is one part history and one part simple beauty with this vintage Shakespeare Dr. Howald Purist. 

Pure and simple this is fiberglass fly rod history. 

Christian wrote...  "I don't think I've ever felt like this before about a piece of gear.  The feeling of owning a part of fly fishing history.  Owning one rod that barely exists.  A rod that was forty-five years ahead of its time.

Dr. Arthur Howald was the man who invented the fiberglass rod.  The man who revolutionized the fly fishing market and made Shakespeare "The Great Pioneer" in the industry.  In 1947 Shakespeare launched the Wonderod, the very first rod that was built from composite materials.  The first fiberglass rod.  They say Dr. Howald was obsessed with fiberglass.  He even had a stick of fiberglass rod as a door closer in his office.  But he wasn't completely satisfied with the standard rods the company manufactured.  He wanted something special.  Something for himself.

In the mid 60's, Arthur Howald made the first sketches for the "Dr. Howald Purist", with model number FY-955.  In 1967, Shakespeare launched the rod in a very limited run.  I was told that only two rods were exported to Europe.  The remaining few stayed in the US. The rod was built with translucent fiberglass and natural, un-tinted resin.  The handle and reel seat was all cork to keep the weight at a minimum.  The slide rings were made ​​of fiberglass, and the invisible wrappings were made with no tipping or decorative elements.  At first glance the wrappings look quite poor.  But when you look closer, you can see that they where not made with nylon or silk, but with fiberglass thread.  The female ferrule was turned from bar stock titan, and the male ferrule was made of the fiberglass blank itself, reinforced on the inside.  The rod was 7'6'' tall, and made for a 6wt line, and the weight was only 2.3 ounces or 63 grams.

A few months back I was contacted by an American gentleman.  He was familiar with me and my rods through a mutual friend.  He told me he had a Purist that he wanted to sell to me.  In his last email he wrote:

"That piece of flyfishing history is your responsibility now."

I feel obliged to share this rod with anyone who is interested.  It actually belongs in a museum, but since there is no museum for fiberglass rods, this rod will stay in my home.  The third of it's kind in Europe.  My very own, fabulous "Dr.. Howald Purist"..."

I can't think of a more deserving person than Christian to have possession of this very special fly rod.  What a beautiful piece of fiberglass fly rod history.

Low & Clear

After several years of this film being in the works and a Kickstarter campaign used to put the finishing touches on it, Low & Clear is complete and DVD's are shipping.

My copy of Low & Clear should (hopefully) arrive today in the mail.

Check out the Finback Films website for more information and to order your copy of Low & Clear.

T.F.M. Spotting - Laundry Day

Canoe artist and camo freak James Deloria sent along this T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest image from a couple weeks ago while he was outside doing laundry in his backyard.

James wrote...  "Laundry day in brook trout country at the camo guys' bailiwick where he has never stopped using wind and solar."

Well said and I bet those trees have already started to turn to their fall colors up in northern Michigan now, eh?.  

Xander Fly Rods Steffen Brothers Build

Paul Sas of Xander Fly Rods recently finished a Steffen Brothers 7'6" 3/4 weight build which shows off his talent as an up and coming Romanian rod builder.  

 

Paul wrote...  "I started building rods about eight or nine years ago.  A friend of mine bought a fly rod blank from Cabela's.  I think it was a kit but I'm not sure.  He came to me for some advices knowing I build things which at that time I was building wood custom lures which are called wobblers.  Shortly I realized this is what I want to do so I quit building lures.  I just had the nostalgia remembering how I build fishing rods in the childhood with my grandfather using wild hazelnuts wood rods.  I used to fish those rods by just attaching the line on the top of the rod and a strike indicator made from cork or goose feather, adding lead for balance, and fishing with worms."

Steffen Brothers Build Information:
Blank - 7'6'' Three Piece 3/4 Weight
Grip - Custom Flor Grade Cork
Reel Seat - REC Amboyna 
Guides - PacBay Guides
Agate Guide - Struble
Winding Check - Struble
Thread - Pearshall Silk
Finish - Thread Master Epoxy
 

Check out the Xander Fly Rods website for more information and photographs of this build and others that Paul has recently completed.

September Orders Wrapping Up

It's Sunday morning and I am already anticipating what a blur this week is going to be leading up to flying to Montana next Saturday  morning.  I am wrapping up a couple different T.F.M. orders and wanted to pass along a couple reminders with this post. 

T.F.M. APPAREL
The next T.F.M. apparel order goes to the printer later this week and will be largely Comrade pieces unless there is interest in the other artwork styles which are offered as well. 

If you are interested in a long sleeve t-shirt or hoodie please let me know since I'll work on reaching my minimums in short sleeve shirts otherwise.

Check out the T.F.M. Apparel page for more information.

EAGLE CLAW FEATHERLIGHTS
After several years of receiving email after email asking where to buy Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods it finally dawned on me that I should figure out how to offer these for sale on T.F.M.  All the pieces of the puzzle came together and I have started to offer these surprisingly good and inexpensive glass fly rods on the website.  

I am only able to offer the 6'6" 4/5 weight and 7' 5/6 weight models (I'm not much of a fan of the 8' model anyway) and they are priced at $40 shipped in the U.S.  Check out the T.F.M. review for more on the Featherlight fly rods.

If interested in a piece or two of T.F.M. apparel or a Featherlight fly rod please send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com to place your order.  I will be placing both of these orders on Friday with delivery about the middle of October.

Whole Larder Love - The Smokehouse

This past week I was tipped off on a website and blog called Whole Larder Love, which is written by Rohan Anderson, and is strikingly beautiful from the words to the images.  Rohan makes wonderfully artistic work of his hunting and gathering process.  It makes me want to walk outside with a fly rod, reel, and a few flies with my 50mm camera lens dialed down to f/1.8 and bring home a meal.

Rohan recently built a smokehouse and Smith Journal chronicled the process with this short film.



My wife and I have been reading our way backwards through each post on Whole Larder Love and we are looking forward to Rohan's book to be released soon in the U.S. early next month. 

Please give Whole Larder Love a look this weekend and Rohan can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@wholelarderlove) as well.

Shop Shots - Lowcountry Fly Shop

On our last trip down to Charleston, Finn and I stopped in at Lowcountry Fly Shop to catch up with Scotty Davis and see how things were going.  It was also neat to see that they had hung up the T.F.M. Comrade banner that I had sent down a couple months ago.

Scotty put foam frog and hopper flies in Finn's little hand and we then were off to the beach again.

I can't say enough good about Lowcountry Fly Shop.  Great shop with great people that work there.  If you find your way to the Charleston area, and you should, make sure you stop by and say hello.

First Look - Patagonia Stormfront Pack

I've made a couple mentions lately that I'll be headed to Montana in a week or so.  This is a trip that I take every other year with a couple really good friends and we're fortunate to be meeting up with Joel Thompson of Montana Troutaholic Outfitters for a week of fish bumming around with no particular plan other than fish whatever is fishing best while we're out there. 

This week with friends isn't really about testing and reviewing new gear but I've still put together a couple items to carry along on the trip to Montana with the Patagonia Stormfront Pack topping the list of what I'm excited about. 

I don't fancy myself as being a pro photog shooter of any sort but I still would rather carry my Nikon DSLR with a couple lenses on the water over my little waterproof point and shoot.  Keeping that few thousand dollar investment dry is always a concern and I've had a couple dunking scares with my aging Nikon in the past that I know it's days are somewhat numbered.  I'm doing whatever I can to let it live as long of a life as possible and keeping everything dry while on the water tops the list of needs.

While at IFTD last month I was speaking with Brian Bennett of Patagonia / Moldy Chum and mentioned that I had been looking at the Stormfront Pack for some time. Brian said he had an extra one at the shop and would send it over to use on the trip to Montana.  I just may leave my dry box at home for the trip and let this pack do the work.    

The Stormfront Pack arrived last week and here's the first look Pros/Cons as I see it.

PROS
- Bombproof waterproof fabric.  This pack is sturdy.
- Great size with a lot of usable space.
- Waterproof zipper "locks" closed.
- Harness system detaches to be used as dry bag.
- Internal padded gear bag to hold lenses or other items.

CONS
- Price - No way around it - $299 is an expensive pack.
- No exterior pockets.
- No waist belt.

Look for a full review later this year.  In the meantime check out the Stormfront Pack on the Patagonia website for more information.

REBOUND

The latest film from Shallow Waters Expeditions dropped this week and you're likely to see Rebound all over the web in the coming days. It's that damn good.

Check out the rest of their films on their Vimeo channel. Bulls On Top is still a personal favorite.

Testament Of A Fisherman

In just over a week I'll be leaving for a trip to Montana with a couple friends and have started gathering gear that I'll need to take along.  When I opened my travel rod case I found this small vintage poster that John Voelker's grandson, Adam Tsaloff, had given me this summer on my trip to Michigan rolled up inside.

(Click On Image To View Larger)

I could read this over and over and never tire of it.

I've been thinking a lot about Michigan and Voelker's Pond lately (Brook Trout + Fall = Stunning) and still feel very fortunate to have been able to spend a weekend there last summer.  If you haven't read the T.F.M. post then I think it's worth a look.  

The Spey Company Moving Sale

You know whats better than a small U.S.A. made gear company? That same U.S.A. made gear company growing to the point of having to move into a new facility to keep up with new orders and increased production.

The Spey Company announced this week that they are moving into a new facility and owner Tim Pantzlaff has listed all remaining fly reels on the website in hopes that he won't have to pack them up during the move.

Tim wrote...  "In my continuing endless quest to provide the best reels at the best price possible, I am moving to a larger location. The new move will also insure I am staying safe while working on the reels for you.  Please help out by clearing out my remaining stock of reels so that I can get busy building the next generation of The Spey Company reels this winter."

I own one the three inch Single Spey fly reels and it's a personal favorite.

Visit The Spey Company Online Store to check out the various fly reel offerings which are priced from $300 to $475.

A Visit To Tom Morgan Rodsmiths

(Tom Anderson, a.k.a. "Duff", is proof positive that retirement isn't so bad as his summer travels again took him west for several months of fly fishing and along the way he ended up at Tom Morgan Rodsmiths for this report.)

Some years ago I had the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time - George Anderson's fly rod shop in Livingston, Montana.  Long story short, I was admiring a beautiful Tom Morgan Rodsmiths graphite rod from the rod rack, when I causally asked if Tom was also building glass.  I was told that he was indeed working on some glass tapers and that if I could come back the next day he would have a prototype there for me to cast.  The rod, a 7'11" five weight, was unpainted raw white fiberglass with a rudimentary grip and reel seat but cast a line that was a thing of beauty.  Tom told me that that rod morphed into his 8' five weight with very few changes.

Taking a friend's suggestion, I e-mailed Tom and shortly had a reply saying that he did indeed remember me casting the prototype and that I would be most welcome to visit.  The night before I was to visit Tom, he e-mailed me asking if I needed directions and when I answered that I would appreciate that he followed with specific directions including a general and close-up google maps.

Since in my mind, I was visiting American Fly Fishing royalty, I thought I had better take a closer look in the mirror since I had been traveling for nearly two months and couldn't remember the last time I had a haircut.  Well, I saw what apperared to be a homeless man staring back at me.  When you are a little long in the tooth and blessed with sparse gray hackle, it doesn't take long to transition from shabby chic to homeless guy.  I panicked and begged my wife to see what she could do with the scissors.  She couldn't perform a miracle but did get me somewhere between "Normal Guy" and a Sasquatch.

The next day we drove up Tom Morgan's long drive to his beautiful home and workshop set high on a hill with 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains - a fitting place for a beautiful fly rod to be born.

After being let in, I found Tom waiting to greet me in the living room.  We talked a little about the prototype I had cast and how things had progressed from the early prototypes.  He told me that he had had some of the best casters in the country assisting with the casting evaluations of the new tapers, among them his good friend, Per Brandin.  I made certain that I remembered to tell him how highly he was regarded in the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum.  I asked if I might take a few photos and possibly do a short write-up on the website.  He said, "Duff, take as many pictures as you want of anything you want and stay as long as you want."

After showing me his workshop, actually three separate rooms that included a bamboo shop, a general work area and a coating room, Tom asked if I might like to cast a few rods.  In my initial e-mail I had mentioned that I was very interested in the two glass rods that he had designed especially for the Japanese market, in particular the 6'9" light three weight.  Although he didn't have the 6'9" avaible, he gave me the 7'3" light three weight to try along with a Hardy Featherweight with a double taper three line.

Tom explained that although these were called "light" three weights, they were still true three weight rods.  Tom worked in conjunction with a Japanese friend to get the two rods honed to perfection.  The tapers were sent to Japan for testing and later his Japanese friend came from Japan to test them further at his home.  In the end, his friend pronounced them "perfect".

Now back to that Hardy Featherweight. Do you know how a leader, after being in a reel for some time, can curl back and bury the end of the tippet?  Well, with my mole-like near vision, I simply could not find the tippet end and managed to make a mess of it.  When I finally got it out and stripped off the leader, I was so happy that I quickly wound it back, only to hear Tom say, "Duff, that's a right hand wind reel.".  I looked down at a bird's nest of line.  All this in front of Tom Morgan.  I've never been so embarrassed.

Finally out the door with the lovely 7'3" rod, I found it a revelation.  I stripped off some line, cast it out and gradually threw less and less line until I found the rod would actually cast just the leader. I was just amazed at how that rod performed.  Slow, yes, but very controlled and not at all a noodle.  Tom said that the 6'9" feels exactly the same, the difference being only the six inches.  While I was outside, I took the opportunity to take a few photos of the rod.  The blank color is simply beautiful and the finishing sets a standard.  Tom said that the blanks are actually opaque but that he had made some translucent blanks early on.  He went on to say that the translucent blanks were problematic in that no matter how carefully they were sanded, it was too easy to go too deep invariably resulting in white spots.

Tom had his "normal" three weight brought out for me to compare.  It was a 7'6" #3 that was again a true three weight but noticeably different in feel - a lovely three weight for casting at normal fishing distances. Both rods are sublime tapers and the lovely cosmetics are a tribute to Tom's wife's (Gerri) meticulous attention to detail as she does the finish work on all TMR rods, fiberglass, bamboo and graphite.

In the course of our conversation, Tom mentioned a problem he unexpectedly had with his white ferrule stock.  He had intended using the Winston stock that he had but found that when he miced them he found the tolerances were "just terrible".  He had a machinist grind some new ferrule sections and they were only off by 2/10000 over 10".  Tom said that because of the much improved tolerances, the ferrules should last much longer.

The Bamboo Shop

The Glass and Graphite Shop

The Coating Room

I am almost certain that I want to order a TMR made 6'9" #3 but have not been able to decide on the reel seat.

I could tell that Tom was immensely proud of his new glass tapers and frankly told me that they are the best he has ever done.  Coming away from my visit, I feel that if any glass rod is worth waiting for, it most certainly is a Tom Morgan Rodsmiths fiberglass.

Demo Rods

Reel Seat Options

I want to express my sincere thanks to Mr. Morgan for inviting me into his home and treating me so graciously.  At the end of my visit I expressed again how highly we regard him not only for his legendary body of work but also as a person.  Thank you, Mr. Morgan, for keeping the faith with fiberglass.

T.F.M. Spotting - A Day In Moraine Park

Remember the T.F.M. post from a few days ago about a friend of mine that I sent a few items of fly fishing gear and a copy of A Fly Fisher's Guide To Rocky Mountain National Park with before his trip?  Chris Ellisor and his wife are home now and he sent along this report along with a couple photos for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest.

Chris wrote...  "Well, we got a late start to park but hey we're on vacation...plus with us never having the chance to travel the park I got an even later start fishing.  I loved the RMNP and we must have stopped at every pull off for everyone of God's beautiful creatures that we were blessed to see.  

My plan was to get to Bear Lake Road and hike to an upper lake and as a second choice fish Moraine Park and the Big Thompson River.  Being that I had never visited the park before, being new to fly fishing, and to be honest have only fly fished for bluegill on our private pond...I didn't want to stray too far from the road and the comfort of knowing how to navigate back to my ride.  When we got to Bear Lake Road the road was closed due to road construction.  I spoke to a ranger in the parking lot of Moraine Park Visitor Center and he explained that the road was closed until four o'clock and I couldn't park and walk in due to construction and a full parking area.  My wife and I decided to look at Plan B, The Big Thompson...however we were informed that we had to be out of the meadow by five o'clock due to the rutting elk.  It was about already late afternoon at this point, so down the road to Fern Lake trail head we went.  It was packed with vehicles parked every where and no where for us to park near the trail head.  We settled for pulling off the road in the first area I could and walking into the meadow.

I threw a few casts and wouldn't you know it...the biggest bull elk I have ever seen came into the meadow from my right, bugling and corralling thirty cows with him.  It was one of the most beautiful outdoor experiences in my life.  I was grinning from ear to ear as the elk moved across the river from my wife and I.  I continued to fish for a bit but it didn't take long for every photographer in the area to make there way to us.  I decided to call it a day and broke down my equipment so we could pull up a rock and take in the entire moment.  At least up until that giant bull elk chased a rather large cow onto our side of the creek just twenty yards from us.  I decided it was time to head back to the vehicle and enjoy that magical moment from behind the wheel.

I learned one cannot expect to get some fishing in on your first trip to Rocky Mountain National Park since there is just too many photographic moments.  I will defiantly return and this time pack a tent."

I've spent quite a few days in Moraine Park and this report confirms that I've got to get back there soon.