Xander Fly Rods - Kabuto 7033 Update

You may remember that Paul Sas of Xander Fly Rods is working on a Kabuto Rods 7033 fly rod build to be added to the T.F.M. Fly Rod Demo Program.  There was a thread color change, with contrasting tipping, which really shows up nicely against the white blank.  The build is about complete and will soon be sent over to be added to the lineup.

Paul wrote...  "I changed everything.  The green color I chose at the beginning for the rod didn't show up the way I was thinking after applying the epoxy so I've redone the whole work.  Here are some pictures with my latest work with two layers of epoxy applied and two more layers to come."

Check out the Xander Fly Rods website and Facebook page to follow the latest shop news.

WAYPOINTS

The latest Confluence Films project, called Waypoints, will be released soon and along DVD's (digital download coming soon after), the film will also premiere coast to coast in theaters on November 8th and 9th, 2013.

For more information, and to see where this film will premiere, check out the Confluence Films website.

Glass Is For Musky

This morning I left the Musky Lab and made my way back to the airport in Minneapolis.  A flight change and delay is giving me a chance to catch up on emails and also found a post that Brad Bohen of Musky Country Outfitters put up on his Facebook page after I left the house.  

Brad has always confessed a soft spot for fiberglass fly rods and fishes a couple old school rods on his days off that he built year ago.  This trip was his first exposure to contemporary fiberglass and if you read his status update below I'd say he was impressed.

Brad wrote...  "Glass Is Not Dead!  Never was with me...

Huh? I'm talking fiberglass fly fishing rods here Sportsfans.  You know...those 'junky old rods' that some of us learned to cast on back in the late 1970's and early 1980's before the era of graphite.

Let me tell you all something...there is nothing 'junky' about today's modern fiberglass (and for the record neither is there about the fine quality vintage glass still out there by quality makers).  Three days fishing Musky Country with Glass Guru Cameron Mortenson, of The Fiberglass Manifesto, has rekindled my love for this fiber and strengthened my notion of how relevant fiberglass is for casting big flies for big predators!

I'm already planning my off season rod building around some custom glass blanks from modern makers like Epic.  Fast glass is cool and mark my words is gonna be a hot commodity in the boats of savvy musky fly fishing practitioners.

Glass is slow but that is so, so apropos in this facet of the fly fishing realm.  Nothing in musky fly fishing can be rushed!  Read that again Sportsfans...NOTHING in musky fly fishing can be rushed.

And the slow, sexy nature of fiberglass is just right for casting, presenting and bringing the hook home in this game of musky fly fishing.

Yup...I'm a bonafide "Glass Geek"!  Always have been...and proudly will be more and more...

Thanks for rekindling the fire Cameron!   Safe Travels home and come back soon."

Without a doubt I will be back and I'll be bringing my big musky ready glass sticks with me.

T.F.M. Spotting - In The Doghouse

Jeff Price of J&M Flies went to Beaver Island as part of the T.F.M. hosted trip this summer and even though we hashed his packing list (over and over) he waited until almost the last minute to make some needed purchases. 

If this T.F.M. Spotting Contest Photo is any indication, then his wife was way less than impressed.

Jeff wrote...  "This photo was taken on July 6th, approximately twelve hours before I was supposed to get on a plane to Beaver Island.  The promise I made to Melissa was that I wouldn't spring any last minute "needs" on her before the trip.  Depending on which one of us you ask, that bag contains $200 worth of "needs"/broken promises.  I waited until the last minute to pack and then realized I had nothing to wear.  That pushed my packing back to Saturday night.  Not sure who I disappointed more, Melissa or Cameron."

Jeff...are you still in the doghouse?

40 Inches Of Teeth And Fury

Just another quick dispatch before loading up the Land Cruiser and Towee for one more long day of fishing Musky Country before heading home tomorrow.  It's been a stellar trip in all respects and I really appreciate Brad showing me his world for the past few days.

Yesterday morning I mixed it up with a 40 inch musky to start things off.  The day slowed down after that but I didn't care a bit.

I officially achieved "Zero to Hero" with this brute and I am still totally stoked. 

Bristol Bay River Academy

I recently became aware of the Bristol Bay River Academy and this seems to be a program that could yield incredible benefits on quite a few different levels.



Check out the Bristol Bay River Academy website for more information.

On The Board

Just a quick dispatch this morning, with more details later, that I'm on the board with one (admittedly small) musky after a day of banging around Musky Country in the Land Cruiser with Brad Bohen.  

We are off in a few minutes to check in on a couple musky spots and then do a float down a nearby river.

It should be another stellar day and hoping to come across a larger musky before this trip is over.

T.F.M. Spotting - Jade's Featherlight

A couple years ago at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo I met Mario Garza and his daughter Jade.  I had a couple Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods with me and handed one over to Jade before they left since every kid should have a fly rod and why not start with one of these gaudy yellow stick.

Mario passing this T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest image of Jade along brings a smile to my face and great to see her getting after it.

Mario wrote...  "My daughter and I spent a recent Saturday together on the water.  I love that we have a common interest that allows us to spend quality time together.  As she approaches her teenage years, I find this to be especially rewarding.

The day was great and we caught a few nice smallies.  Jade caught this one on a Conehead Wooly Bugger variant that I tied up.  She is starting to get a feel for casting and drifting flies in the right spots, and being rewarded with a fish was great.  This guy put on a nice aerial display for her.

Special thanks, Cameron, for helping to encourage her to keep pursuing her interest in fly fishing.  The Featherlight is the only rod she likes to use."

Jade...great job.  

A Few Days In Musky Country

If things slow down around here over the next couple days it's because I am up in Hayward, Wisconsin fishing with Brad Bohen of Musky Country Outfitters and we'll be on the water the better part of the next three days looking for musky and smallmouth.  

Brad and I have been talking about getting together for a couple years now.  With a plane ticket voucher to burn and Brad having a few day s off allowed all the pieces to fall together to make this trip happen. 

This will be a few long days of heavy weight glass, big head fly lines, and way over sized flies.

I've been super stoked for this trip and hope to touch at least one musky while I'm here.

Zero to Hero...here I come.

A Day In The Driftless

Yesterday morning I flew into Minneapolis and then drove over to Wisconsin to meet up with Jonathan Marquardt of BadAxe Design for a day of fly fishing on a couple small streams in the Driftless Area.

We had a day of temperatures pushing into the high 90's, full sun, and it was a relief to get into the water from time to time to cool off.  The edges of the creeks were alive with grasshoppers and not surprisingly the best fly of the day was a small foam hopper that would be devoured as soon as it plopped onto the water.

Jonathan's job as a YETI Coolers rep came in handy at the end of the day as he had a couple brews on ice to enjoy as we broke down the gear.

This was my first experience fishing in the Driftless Area and I get the allure.  Thanks again Jonathan for showing me a little part of your world.

Fly Fish Food - Store Grand Opening

The fellows at Fly Fish Food have stepped their game up and this past week announced the grand opening of their online store.  The masterminds behind this website, Clark Pierce and Curtis Fly, will be selling their original patterns here along with a few other items as well.

If you haven't been following Fly Fish Food lately then take a few minutes to catch up on what is an incredible resource for fly tiers and anglers.  The content, flies, and videos are all top shelf.

Follow Fly Fish Food via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.

Ranch Boys

The latest video from Blood Knots has been banging around the internet for a couple weeks and worth a watch on your Sunday morning if you haven't yet seen it.



Check out the Blood Knots website for more goodness.

Limited Edition Colored Bluegill Print

You may remember Andrea Larko's Bluegill Doodle Fish from a few months ago and this week she released a Limited Edition print on her Etsy store of this same fish now vivid with color.

All proceeds from the sales of these prints will help Andrea in purchasing a pair of much needed eye glasses.  Not having insurance is no bueno when making a hefty purchase like this.   

Check out the Andrea Larko Etsy page for more details or to place an order. 

Custom Fly Rod Crafters - All Epic Blanks In Stock

This past week Custom Fly Rod Crafters received a large shipment of Epic blanks from Swift Fly Fishing and they now have all colors and models in stock. 

As the only Epic distributor in the U.S., Custom Fly Rod Crafters is making it a easier and quicker to get a hold of one of these blanks into your hands to build up.   

All Epic blank purchases come with a cloth rod bag and these blanks are priced from $249 to $289 depending on which model ordered.  All Epic blank orders are shipped USPS Priority shipping.

Also in stock are a few of the Epic fly reel seats as well.  Email or call to inquire.

Check out the Custom Fly Rod Crafters website for further details or to place an order.

A Grandson's Manifesto

A few weeks ago an email arrived in my email box as a submission for a weekend giveaway from a young angler named Ryan Page.  His story was so exceptional that I wanted to share it with this T.F.M. post.

The Curtis Creek Manifesto is likely in just about every fly fisherman's library and this is a good reminder to pick it up and read it again.

Ryan wrote...  "Hello!  My name is Ryan, and I am 16 years old.  About a year ago in August, I was introduced to fly fishing by my Grandpa.  He grew up in northern Maine nearby Presque Isle and has forever been walking the local brooks.  Needless to say he has caught some big brookies in his lifetime and it is his passion of the outdoors that made me want to try out fly fishing. 

When I asked him if I could try this foreign sport he looked at me with a passionate glance, and I could see the excitement in his eyes.  He looked at me closely and said, I'll be right back.  He went into the house and retrieved a thin, colorful book.  It was the Curtis Creek Manifesto by .  To any fly fishermen, this book is a fun tutorial with a witty author writing and talking about the ropes of fly fishing.  If you look it up and read it I'm sure you will get a kick out of it.  But to me it was the bible of fly fishing.  

My Grandpa told me to read it once for enjoyment, then read it a second time to take in all of the information.  Only after I had read this book, this bible, could I begin casting a fly rod.  I gave him a warm hug as I left his house, and started to read the book in the car.  That night, I fell in love with fly fishing.  I stayed up all night, with a lamp to my side and the book at my hand, and read the Curtis Creek Manifesto once for pleasure and a second time for information.  While I was reading the book, the words, funny examples and witty remarks made me love fly fishing instantly, and the very next day I drove back to my grandpa's house and told him I had read the book twice.  He looked at me with surprise, but  it seemed like he knew this would happen.  He brought out the first fly rod I had ever seen.  It was a 8'6" four weight glass rod.  The maker was unknown but it looked like gold to me.  On it was a beat up black Pflueger fly reel, one that didn't suit the beauty of the glass rod.  But this didn't matter at all, as I picked up the rod with grace.  This was followed by a two hour casting lesson by my grandpa.  After those two hours, I finally started on the lake that was by his house, and I practiced all the different casts with the glass rod.  Even more than before, I fell in love with fly fishing, and have been a huge fan throughout the year. 

I now know my passion in life and I can't thank my grandpa for that glass rod enough!  Fly fishing will be in my life for as long as I live and that is something I can smile about."

As a side note to all of this, one of the winners from the Orvis Battenkill fly reel giveaway contacted me and said that instead of sending the fly reel to him that he would instead like it to be given to another worthy person.  I forwarded Ryan's email for him to read and he agreed that the fly reel that he won should be sent to Ryan instead.  Thank you to Tom Brodhead for his generosity and congrats to Ryan as I'll be sending a Battenkill fly reel your way soon.  

T.F.M. Spotting - Jorge In Spain

Recently Jorge Señorans of VerdelloFly Verdello sent along this dispatch from Spain along with several stunning T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest images.  That red Comrade t-shirt really pops in these background of these photographs.

Jorge wrote...  "I like to walk mountain brooks of my place of residence and travel through Spain, France, Canada and Japan enjoying my health and enthusiasm by fishing fly in every place where there is a stream.  

I also like to get to a stream that passes close to my house and sometimes it gives me good surprises..."

Jorge...I like those kind of surprises too.

Castapalooza/Streamer Freak Sunday

Schultz Outfitters, along with a long list of instructors and sponsors, have put together an upcoming event that looks well worth your time to attend if you are anywhere near southeast Michigan.  Check out the details listed below.

CASTAPOLOOZA NORTH - SATURDAY

Demos & Other Free Stuff
Held on the river at Riverside Park.
11:00 - Mark Sedotti - "Single Hand Fundamentals"
1:30 - Will Turek - "Spey Casting Fundamentals"
2:00 - Jeff Liskay - "Casting Sink Tips"
3:00 - Tommy Lynch - “Fishing Sink Tips & Streamers”
4:30 - Mark Sedotti - "Casting Large Flies w Ease"

In The Tech Tent
11:30 - Greg Senyo - "Spey Rod Rigging for Steelhead"
12:30 - Jerry Darkes - "Fall Product Highlights"
 2:30 - Mike Schultz - "Indi Rigging for Trout & Steel"
 4:00 - Tommy Lynch - "Fall Trout Streamer Rigging"

Join Jerry Darkes from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for a book signing of his just released “Fly Fishing the Inland Oceans”.

STREAMER FREAK - SUNDAY

Tying Demos
Held at Schultz Outfitters Fly Shop
11:00 - Tommy Lynch - "Enhancing w Clear Cure"
12:00 - Alex Lafkas - "Great Lakes Deceiver"
1:00 - Greg Senyo - "Shanked Steelhead Flies"
2:00 - Mark Sedotti - "Keeled & Feathered"
3:00 - Mike Schmidt - "Lip Service"
4:00 - Mike Schultz - "Heavy Metal Smallmouth"
5:00 - Eli Berant - "Musky Meat"

All Day Hareline Tent - Featuring "free style" demos of great new products from Hareline

Small Group Tying Workshops ($50)
Three hour "Concept Classes" with some of the best fly designers and anglers in the game.  Purpose-driven courses designed to get more out of your fly design. Materials included.  Previous tying experience required. Held at Sidetracks.

10:00 - Mark Sedotti - "Action with Strategic Weighting"
10:00 - Mike Schmidt - "Articulation the RIGHT Way"
2:00 - Tommy Lynch - "The D & D Revolution"
2:00 - Alex Lafkas - "Buckin' Baitfish"

To register for any of the classes or workshops, please call the shop directly at 734-544-1761.  Payment in full is required to reserve your spot as these will fill quickly.

There is no doubt that I miss living in Michigan and especially when events like this come up that I wish that I could make.  It looks to be a great time.

ROD + RIVET

The Rod + Rivet website continues to come together and Michael Chilton released a video this week that has a neat vibe to it from a recent trout trip to northeast Iowa.



Follow Rod + Rivet on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Montana Fly Fishing Magazine

It's time for yet another Big Sky Country fix from the folks at Montana Fly Fishing Magazine.

CHECK IT.

T.F.M. Spotting - The Hastie Brothers

Stu Hastie of Secret Creek Photography recently sent along a few images of his young sons fly fishing together for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest and the images remind me of a few scenes from A River Runs Through It when Norman and Paul Maclean were on the river and learning this craft by figuring it out more or less on their own. 

Stu wrote...  "Lately I've been teaching my kids to fish with an old glass spin rod that I bought for myself when I was about 12 years old. Initially I just threaded some fly line through it, so they could get an idea of how to fly cast, but it wasn't quite suitable.

The rod had a great action, so I took the time to convert into a fly rod. I stripped the old grip off and replaced it, re-used the reel seat as a down locker, and threw on a few snake guides. It turned out to be a really fun stick to use on the smaller creeks we have around here, although not 100% suitable. It's just too beefy in the butt to roll cast, so the long term plan is to get them into an Epic rod before too long. 

In the meantime, we're just going to keep on having a blast with my "new" old glass rod."

Stu...stellar images and I really appreciate you capturing and sharing them.

American Angler - Q&A On Glass

While I was banging around northern Michigan last month, Phil Monahan of American Angler contacted me and asked if I would mind answering a few questions that he had prepped for an upcoming Q&A issue of the magazine.

The fourteen hour drive home (with two children playing, singing, and of course fighting) to South Carolina was more than enough time to think through the questions that Phil had sent and work out possible answers in my head.  Once home, I typed back 1,500 words that Phil thankfully edited down to the one page article that made the latest issue of American Angler.

It was an honor to be asked to participate in this interview to spread the word a little farther on the benefits of fiberglass fly rods and where all of this is heading.  There is a lot going on within this fly fishing niche and it's really neat to be a part of it.

The September/October 2013 issue of American Angler should be arriving in mailboxes and on news stands soon, if it hasn't already.  I picked up a copy yesterday at a local bookstore.  The American Angler iPad Edition should also be going live soon as well.

Check it out and let me know what you thought of it.

Vedavoo - Cordura Fabric Puncture Test

This series of photographs, along with a couple short videos, popped up on the Vedavoo Facebook and Instagram pages recently and I thought it was worthy of a share here since this is pretty damn impressive.

Scott Hunter and the crew at Vedavoo are building an ever growing list of rock solid gear pieces and this puncture test and fix is just another example of why they are committed to every part of their business being "Made In U.S.A.".

From the Vedavoo Facebook page...  

All photos show the same swatch of Cordura fabric without photo tricks.  The value of this fabric speaks for itself and explains why we use it in our gear.

This is a swatch of 1000 Denier American Woven Cordura that we use to build our packs.

Worried about Durability?

A bad day... right?  Well, if we were using a pure waterproof, lesser quality, or overseas lookalike, then yeah, it would be, but with our packs, not so much.

With the awl removed from the swatch, an obvious and dramatic hole remains in the fabric.

Literally seven seconds elapsed since the last photo.  Just scratching the back side of the fabric at the puncture point realigns the fibers and brings the weave back into shape.  The hole is gone.

A few pulls of the fabric (like stretching it) and the hole is completely gone.  The 3X DWR waterproof coating on the back of the fabric is also still bonded to the fabric.  Try this same test with your waders and see if you can reproduce a similar result.  Just don't blame us when it doesn't work.

We use American Woven Fabrics because we know that they are still the best, most durable, and longest lasting option for our gear.  

Accidents happen, but when fabric can heal itself like this, it definitely reduces the chance of failure in the field.  All Vedavoo packs use this fabric. 

Check out the 2014 Vedavoo product catalog to see what's coming next.  This growing company is still on the rise.

Summer Wear - TrueFlies Shorts

I guess living in the South has rubbed off on me a bit and lately I've been drawn to several clothing brands with more of a coastal look with standard dress on the weekends being button down shirts and shorts in airy lightweight fabrics.  It really does make a difference in living through these hot and humid South Carolina summers. 

Hopefully you've noticed it already, but TrueFlies helps to support T.F.M. with a banner ad and they sent a few pairs of their Manasota Chino Short and Manasota Synthetic Seersucker Short that I've enjoyed wearing all summer.  I never thought I could rock seersucker, but these shorts are changing my mind. 

These sharp looking shorts fit in at weekend gatherings and I've even snuck into an outdoor wedding in a pair.  The embroidered shrimp is a nice touch and these shorts are priced at $60 for chino and $70 for seersucker.  Dress up your summer wardrobe with a pair or two. 

Check out the TrueFlies website for more information or to place an order.  Follow TrueFlies on Facebook and Instagram for weekly contests and giveaways as well.

T.F.M. Spotting - Retro Fly Family

This T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest entry from Jeremy Wynn makes me smile and it's good to see fathers outside with their child and little man looks like he's got his style down about right.

Nice work Dad.  Show him how it's done.