Take a few minutes to check out Kayla Lockhart's story in the latest Redington film and how her growing up years, shaped her as an adult, angler, and mentor.
Kayla's involvement with The Mayfly Project comes from her own experience and that nonprofit program deserves your support to make a difference in the lives of those who need support in foster care.
Artist Ed Anderson and West Mountain Drifters are back with their latest #TeachKidsArt coloring contest featuring the Tarpon. This contest is supported by the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and Waterworks-Lamson.
Contest entries will be taken through Sunday, November 1, 2020 so don't delay sitting down with your kids and their coloring pencils and markers as there are some great prizes in the mix. The winners will be announced on November 3, 2020.
If you missed the previous coloring contest, you can still download the steelhead sheet.
Visit the West Mountain Drifters to learn more about #TeachKidsArt.
There is a lot of online fanfare with the upcoming reintroduction of the Ford Bronco and this collaboration with Filson with the Wildland Fire Rig concept is a neat story that is a throwback to the past for both brands and their ongoing relationship with the U.S. Forest Service.
There are stories on both the Filson and Ford websites (with video) and there is a great article on the Filson Journal of a History of the Ford Bronco that is worth a read too.
Along with this concept vehicle, Filson has released a few select Bronco Gear pieces that are worth a look and 50% of the proceeds will benefit National Forest Foundation.
I've mentioned it before that I have an ongoing affiliate relationship with Filson and purchases made from clicking through the links in posts like this (or through social media) to make purchases put a few coins in the T.F.M. piggy bank.
In this second video in the streamers series from Umpqua, Justin Carr of Vail Valley Anglers breaks down his leader rigs, the knots in putting them together, and how to do it on your own.
Circle back to the Umqua website to check out their Stories article on the streamer series videos and am I the only one seriously crushing on the Bug Locker Waterproof Fly Box.
I need a couple of those...
Longtime readers might remember almost two years ago, that I did a podcast interview with Jeff Troutman of Remote. No Pressure. and was invited back to ramble on some more about everything from my Friday night (home alone) reverse sear ribeye on the Traeger, what was in my Lowball cup, fiberglass fly rods, Beaver Island, more on fiberglass fly rods, and who knows what else.
Oh, and if you listen until the end of the podcast, I might have let the rabbit out of the bag early on something...
There will be more details to come but the '12 Weeks of TFM Giveaways' are a real thing (you might want to start getting excited) but I need a little more time to make sure that everything is ready to go.
Check out the Remote. No Pressure. podcast on the website, YouTube (ugly mug alert), or on whichever platform you listen to podcasts.
Industry friends Yakoda, Swift Fly Fishing, Howler Brothers, Montana Fly Company, and Cheeky have all tossed some stellar gear into the pile for The Fall Run Giveaway which wraps up in few days.
Someone lucky is going to walk away with this stash which includes an Epic 686, which may be the ultimate (do everything and anything) glass six weight. Just saying...
Visit The Fall Run Giveaway page for details and to enter. It just takes is your name and email to play.
P.S. This might be a sleeper item on the Yakoda website but I think the "Made in USA" Guide Laces, available in two lengths and in eight colors that are priced at just $8, are pretty darn neat.
Admittedly, there are a handful of artists that I talk about quite a bit on here and you should know, if you didn't already, that Bob White has a new book featuring his work spanning over forty years. I ordered my copy last week and in the meantime, Bob sent over a digital galley that I made sure was downloaded offline on my iPad as were camping this past weekend without a signal. I spent both nights before bed wrapped up in a sleeping bag reading stories and the various captions (which many are stories) beneath the paintings and sketches included in this book.
Bob put incredible effort into The Classic Sporting Art of Bob White and it clearly shows. I enjoyed reading about his history and background in art, his life as a guide, the many experiences that he's had on the water, woods, and field.
Last night, I came home from work to find a package on my desk and inside was the hardback that I ordered. While the digital version was a good way to get a first look, holding this book in my hands, slowly turning each page to really see each piece of artwork, is an entirely different experience.
Take a few minutes to read John Gierach's review of Bob's book if you need more of a push in gifting yourself a copy.
Bob is offering The Classic Sporting Art of Bob White in two versions, either a signed hardcover or as a limited edition signed with your choice of fly or game bird feather.
The folks at Umpqua have put together a three-part series of videos on streamer fishing that I'll share this week and you can also dive down the rabbit hole with a stellar story and photographs (with more instruction) on the Umpqua Stories page.
What are your "Confidence Patterns"? Umpqua has a few streamers to check out...
Just in time for your weekend, Ross Purnell of
Fly Fisherman and
Rodrigo Salles of
Xinugu Lodge take in a
jungle adventure and experience of epic proportions.
Now through October 31, 2020, text UNTAMEDANGLING to 31996 to be entered to
win a trip to
Xinugu Lodge.
I move into a new office (repurposed historic house) sometime near the end of the year and it's past time that I add a Paul Puckett print to the mix of pieces of fly fishing art that I have collected over the years. He recently released a few new Limited Edition Prints that I'm looking over and figured that you'd like to take a peek as well. It's going to be hard to choose just one.
Visit the Sporting Art of Paul Puckett website to check out the latest and follow along on his Facebook and Instagram for the latest studio news.
Gierach on Zoom? I don't know if I would have believed that he even has internet but here he is with Kirk Deeter of Angling Trade and artist Bob White with a great EarthX conversation that is worth your time.
Press PLAY and enjoy.
I seriously heart river smallmouth and this Dos Boat episode finds
Meateater's Joe Cermele
and
Tim Landwehr of
Tight Lines Fly Fishing Company
on the Menominee River on the Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula of Michigan
border for some angling hijinks and conservation talk.
Check out the MeatEater YouTube channel for a deep dive into all sorts of hunting and fishing videos.
There is a lot at stake on November 3rd and I hope that you are doing your
research on your local and state candidates. What is their stance on
public lands, conservation, and the environment? Who has fueled their
campaign coffers? Who are they going to feel responsible to after being
elected?
Patagonia's latest film is a deep dive into the political fight for our public
lands and it's worth watching.
Learn more about this film on the
Patagonia
website.
With fall comes "apple season" and if you're looking for something tasty, try your hand at making a Souffléed Apple Pancake for breakfast. It'll likely be a big hit with the entire family.
This is also a good time to break out your favorite cast iron pan (the Smithey No. 10 is perfect for this) and we've started baking ours in the Traeger Pro 575 with great results.
The choice of what type of apple can vary to your own liking. We tend to use hard fleshed and tart apples with Pink Ladies as our preference and in this case, Jonagold.
Pour the mix into the cast iron pan over the sautéed apples and top with the lightly roasted pecan pieces.
Bake for 30 minutes and check for when done with a fork or toothpick in the center. Let this rest for a few minutes and then place a plate over the pan, quickly and carefully flipping, so that apples are on top.
Not required but certainly tasty, in your mixer, pour to taste maple syrup with heavy whipping cream. Mix until a firm whipping cream and place a generous dollop on top of the slice of the Souffléed Apple Pancake.
What are your favorite fall apple recipes? I have a few other 'Good Eats' ideas for the coming weeks.
Lastly, if you've been seriously considering a Traeger, send me an email. I should be getting another batch of promo codes which makes the purchase a little easier on the piggy bank.
Someday...I'm doing this trip to Tsimane for Dorado. It's on the short list for sure.
I'd bet that the Epic Bandit would be the perfect stick for these fish...
Visit the
Tsimane website to
check it out. I'll bet that you'd like to go too.
I realize that this is being shared at the tail end of the upcoming due date but West Mountain Drifters and artist Ed Anderson have collaborated on a fun and educational coloring contest that wraps up this weekend.
There's still time to check out the Teach Kids Art Coloring Contest webpage and download the coloring page. Get your children's entries in by Sunday, October 11th and winners will be announced the following day.
More information can be found on the West Mountain Drifters website and this contest is sponsored by the Wild Steelhead Coalition and Waterworks Lamson.
This is still a fun Das Boat episode to watch and it's great to see my friend (and source for gallons of maple syrup each summer on my trip home) Koz link up with Janis of the MeatEater crew.
Check out the
MeatEater YouTube
channel for a deep dive into all sorts of hunting and fishing videos.
I guess they like you when they build a meme about you...
I do remember and continue to be a fan of swinging soft hackles. How about you?
Jump over to Instagram and follow @i_mostly_throw_meat.
The folks at Patagonia commissioned a poster which they hope will be shared by you, either by printing or online. There's a short write up on their website that provides more of the backstory on this which is worth a couple minutes of your time to read.
Visit the Patagonia website to read this article and check out their latest fly fishing apparel and gear.
It's never good when you pull text message from your wife while you're on the pointy end of a skiff in Florida asking, "Who do I need to call to tow the Element?". Dammit.
I had sensed this coming for awhile. When shifting out of third gear every now and then, it just didn't feel right. There was a hard to describe thud feel and I figured that the transmission was showing it's age as we neared 300,000 miles. It finally died and now wouldn't come out of second gear.
A tow truck ride and mechanic diagnosis later, we needed to decide what to do next. The transmission was gone. We were looking at $2,500 for a new transmission, $1,700 for a used transmission, or maybe it was time to let it go.
Walk away from our Element that was at the doorstep of 300,000 miles? We just couldn't do it and opted for the used transmission and had the mechanic knock out a few other things that needed to be done while the underside was already all torn apart. I absolutely hate spending a lot of money on car repairs but it was necessary. Fortunately we were back in business for less than $2,000.
There is a limited warranty on this used transmission which had Melissa and I thinking that it would be a good idea to "stress test" it with a trip up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a day of hiking and an overnight at a nearby campsite before heading home the next day.
We didn't get out the door as early as we expected and after a quickie stop at REI in Asheville, we were on the Blue Ridge Parkway by late morning. We pointed towards the Black Balsam Knob area, found a lucky open parking spot, and geared up...somehow forgetting our snacks.
This was our first time to this area of the Blue Ridge Parkway and we began hiking what we hoped would be a five-mile loop. For an area that is so heavily visited, the trails aren't that well marked. We found out later that maybe we had done this loop in reverse by starting on the Ivestor Gap Connector Trail and then taking the Art Loeb Trail to the top of Tennent Mountain. We then hiked over to the Black Balsam Knob and finally back to car on the Art Loeb Trail. It was a beautiful hike that was wet and muddy in a few sections of trail that had us wishing we had our hiking poles. Of course, they were in the car...with the snacks.
It really couldn't have been a more perfect day for the hike and if we were being picky, the waves of thick clouds obscuring the view while atop the balds was about the only thing we could really complain about.
We stayed at a campground near the North Carolina and South Carolina border and had a mostly leisure night at camp. Melissa and I don't take too many trips away from our children and it was nice to unwind, make an easy dinner of ramen, relax in our camp chairs, and in bed early.
The next morning we had a great breakfast, packed up camp in about 30-minutes, and stopped at a nearby orchard for a bag of apples and of course, hot apple donuts. All in all a great day and a half away and in the woods.
Here's a few more iPhone images pushed through Lightroom along with gear notes. Scroll down...
For the past 10,000 miles, we've been chronicling the 'Road to 300K' and you can circle back to these posts by clicking these links which are listed most recent to oldest...
We're about 1,600 miles from 300,000 miles and confident that we'll reach that benchmark. I hope at some point to be chronicling the 'Road to 400K' with this beloved vehicle of ours.
Lastly, there are a few REI affiliate links scattered in the gear notes of this post and if you shop there and want to support T.F.M., considering clicking the links when you make a purchase. I'd appreciate it.
We are one month away from deciding who the next President will be along with a long list of local and state elections as well. I'm not one to make huge political statements but it's time for each of us to do our homework on who's the best candidates to support with our vote.
Don't just walk into the booth and vote red or blue, know the candidates and what he or she stands for. Who's standing up for public lands, conservation, and making the best decisions for where we live?
Danny Reed of Crooked Creek Holler recently released a Read Sportsmen Vote For Earth t-shirt and decal and I asked if he'd create social media profile and banner images that I could share of the same design.
I've switched my Facebook banners out for both my personal page and TFM for the next few weeks and invite you to do so as well. Click on either images above and save the .png images to use as you'd like.
Jump over to the Crooked Creek Holler website to look around and if you haven't heard, Danny is opening a small brick and mortar shop in Asheville soon. Look for those updates on Instagram and Facebook.
