2015 - A Whirlwind of Fun and Firsts

Not unlike many of you, when I'm in the grind of work and home obligations, it hardly seems like I am fly fishing enough.  There were many times this year where there were several (LONG) weeks between times on the water but looking over the past twelve months through the scope of the memories, the times that I did make it on the water really counted.  The year was filled with a lot of stellar times mixed with quite a few firsts with new places visited, new friends fished with, and some unreal fish taking the fly...and sometimes a cricket.

Here's 2015 as I remember it with a few photographs and links to previous T.F.M. posts if you'd like to check them out.

PYRAMID LAKE - THE LADDER DIARIES
This place had been on my radar for awhile and this trip was a great way to spark off the year with a plane ride to Reno to fish with Gilligan's Guide Service and spend time with friends.  Standing on a ladder with a glass rod and hucking sinking lines into a lake ain't so bad.  I want to do it again.  Soon.

THE LADDER DIARIES - DAY 1
THE LADDER DIARIES - DAY2
THE LADDER DIARIES - DAY 3
THE LADDER DIARIES - THE CLINIC
THE LADDER DIARIES - THE (LONG LOST) GEAR REVIEWS

A DAY ON THE LITTLE TRUCKEE RIVER
Our Pyramid Lake crew took a day off the ladders to check out the Little Truckee River with Dan LeCounts of Little Truckee Outfitters.   This was beautiful water, we all touched a few trout, and a good change of scenery.

DECOMPRESSING AFTER CARPCON
The month of May found me in the PNW on the Columbia River with five total carp fiends.  We dubbed the trip CARPCON, walked a lot of miles, pricked a few carp, and a lot of times got our asses handed to us on this PHD level water.  John Montana of Carp On The Fly was an excellent host even if he didn't give us any slack...

FAMILY POND TIME
One of my resolutions for 2015 was to spend more time on the family pond and have the children out there with me as well.  Hadley and Finn are getting more and more confident in their abilities paddling the kayaks, fly casting, and of course fishing crickets on their spinning rods.  We are really fortunate to have this pond in our backyard.

A LATE AFTERNOON FIX

10 FACES OF FINN

GUILTY (NOT REALLY) PLEASURE

6 FACES OF HADLEY 

KICKED OUT

TOTALLY CHEATING 

UPPER BEAVER POND ADVENTURE

OPERATION GRASS CARP

 

GREETINGS FROM BEAVER ISLAND

Another summer and another week spend on Beaver Island with the boys from Indigo Guide Service and Grab Your Fly Charters.  This year's trip was really excellent with mostly great weather, carp stacked up in the grass, and experienced anglers with the skills to get it done when it counted.  

The trip also sparked off scumliner's sophmore B.I. effort, TENKARPA, which it was a lot of fun to see this shit show of ideas come together into something awesome once John did his magic behind the camera and edit room.

 

FLOOD TIDES AFTERNOONS

I got left behind after a family holiday trip to Charleston for a couple of (redfishless) afternoon of fly fishing the flood tide with the boys from Lowcountry Fly Shop and Palmetto Fly Fishing.  You don't always have to catch fish to have a good time. 

EL TIBURON

Since we were blanked on two flood tides (with some boat troubles...) and Captain Gifford Scott of S.C. Flats Fishing had just gotten a new big ride, Captain Scotty Davis, Captain Ernest Brighton, and I did a half day off the Charleston coast and the experience of a Blacktip shark taking the fly absolutely blew my mind.  

This image captures it all.  This experience can be attributed to Gifford's expertise understanding the Charleston shark fishery paired with the  teamwork of three Captains all working together and me, "The Sport" with the Epic Bandit and Aspen Reels 450 Large Arbor doing the grunt work.  I still can't believe this shark made it into the boat.

A MUCH NEEDED REPRIEVE

Late October came around and I snuck up to Brevard before a family camping trip to meet up with Danny Reed of Crooked Creek Holler and Dave Grossman of Southern Culture On The Fly for a leisure day on the Davidson River Private Waters.  

If I remember correctly, Danny put a Euro nymph clinic on while Dave and I looked on...

SCENES FROM THE PERE MARQUETTE RIVER

I know that these posts just went up on T.F.M. but a few days on the water with Guide Steve Martinez of STM Outfitters and photographer Robert Yaskovic was a solid way to end the angling year.

SCENES FROM THE PERE MARQUETTE RIVER - PART 1

SCENES FROM THE PERE MARQUETTE RIVER - PART 2

What's on deck for 2016?  There are a lot of ideas circulating around with Michigan, Montana, Wyoming, and even Alaska in the potential mix. 

Thanks all for following along another year on The Fiberglass Manifesto.  I've got some ideas for content in the coming year to hopefully step things up a bit around here.