THE PAINTED TROUT - Graywolf Rods Demo Day

Apologizes in advance for not getting this out sooner but famed custom fly rod builder, Shane Gray of Graywolf Rods, will be at The Painted Trout Fly Shop Saturday, July 29th for a demo days event.  He'll be bringing along several dozen custom fly rods (spinning rods too?), fly reels, and other gear to check out.  

For those attending, there will be a Graywolf Rods custom fly rod given away too.  It'll be worth your time to attend and check out everything that Shane is bringing from the shop to show off.

 

The Painted Trout Fly Shop is located at 8063 Main Street in Dexter, Michigan.  The Graywolf Rods demo days event will begin at 11:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.  More information can be found HERE.

Can't make it?  Check out the Graywolf Rods website and follow along on Facebook and Instagram for the latest shop news.

HOWLER BROTHERS - END OF SEASON SALE

It only happens twice a year but the Howler Brothers End of Season Sale is the perfect time to fill your closet with some 'Heed the Call' goodness at up to 60% off.  Don't delay as the sale ends July 31st.

 

 SHOP THE SALE

TOM'S TIPS - How to Swing Wet Flies

In this "Tom's Tips" episode, Tom Rosenbauer of Orvis deep dives into wet fly techniques. 



As a side note, there are few things as fun on a trout stream than swinging wet flies on a glass fly rod. That jolt of a take is always an unexpected and wonderful moment.  

See more on the Orvis YouTube channel and check out the latest gear on the Orvis website.

SUPERFINE

The other day, Jay Riley posted a photograph on Instagram of his beloved Orvis Superfine fiberglass fly rod with a few thoughts that I asked if I could share with this T.F.M. post.  Slow scroll and enjoy...

Superfine. 

My favorite rod series.

Like a manual transmission there’s something intimate about fiberglass. 

It never disappears in hand but that’s not dissatisfying. 

I often describe fiberglass as the recurve bow and modern, state of the art carbon fly rods being compound bows. 

Both bows are deadly, but the recurve requires the hunter to make physical adjustments to overcome the inefficiencies of the tool for it to be lethally effective. 

I enjoy how slowly I fish glass. 

 

 
I am not talking about traits like rod action, load, casting stroke or line speed. All the things most people seem to celebrate about the casting. 

Glass rewards when you slow down the process and hunt your quarry in a different manner, be more intentional like the recurve versus the compound. You refine the stalk. 

Big fish are easier to land. 

There’s less resistance on them and they are easier to steer and move once hooked. 

I don’t think about fighting a fish, I think about dancing with them (except tarpon that’s an all out brawl). Lead them, slide them and react to their movements. Glass is a great conductor of motion. 

This might seem silly but I find fish don’t “fight” as hard or resist the pressure of the rod with glass, that makes landing fish with glass a lot easier, particularly big fish. The fight is more subdued and less intense and honestly somewhat underwhelming compared to the astonishing sight of a rod bent to the cork.

I am not trying to sell you on Superfine fiberglass, journaling my thoughts helps me explore and understand the visceral relationship I have with fiberglass fly rods. 

Thanks for giving me that space. 

 

Thank you, Jay.  You can see more of his talented images and musings on Instagram.

Two Takes on the Same Trip

I always get a kick when traveling and fly fishing with other "creatives" since you're sure to get wildly different takes from what you'd think were the same situations. 

Matt Dunn of FishBeerBBQ and Ben Sittig of Huge Fly Fisherman meet somewhere out in Wyoming a few weeks ago for a few days float.  These are their respective films from the trip. 

Press PLAY and enjoy. 

Want to see more?  Subscribe to their YouTube channels at FishBeerBBQ and Huge Fly Fisherman.

JAKE KEELER ART - Breakdown of a Commission

The mind of artist Jake Keeler is an ever interesting place and his artwork is a reflection of the seen and his deep depth imagination.  I asked if he'd chronicle a recent artwork piece with a few photographs and he did much more with giving the background of the steps that go into a  commission.

Take this in and it's also neat to see artists supporting other artists as this commission was done for Matthew Stockton to celebrate a monumental muskie.  Honestly, they all are something special.

 
Jake wrote...  "Commissions are something I’ve done from a very early time as an artist if I count drawings made for friends back in middle and high school.  I’m not sure I got paid for those gigs, but they were nonetheless a blueprint for how I approach them today.

Since then, I’ve done everything from simple illustrations or quick sketches to more complex bodies of work for album covers and inserts that require a good deal of collaboration, communication, and thoughtful decisions to an end product.  

Through this range of work, a few key conditions have become standard in my commission work:

• I only do work that reflects my style and subject matter.  In other words, I don’t do work that “looks like so and so’s..”, or venture into subject matter I am not intimately familiar with.  The reason is that all of my most successful commissions, and happiest clients, are a result of me getting to make what I LIKE, which in turn is also what THEY LIKE.
• I’ve learned it pays to be transparent about my process!  An open and honest dialogue about point 1 with a prospective client makes sure that project gets off on the right foot, or, they avoided altogether saving both me and client time and energy.  It’s a “no harm, no foul” scenario and I’ve found it to be critically important. 
• I get paid, and I’m not afraid to charge a high but fair rate.  I base this on going prices for which I've been paid or my general work is sold. 
• Time is fluid, and so to the timelines of a commissions.  I’m not a full time artist, so I only have a handful of hours per week to get in the studio.  Someday, somewhere, this dynamic will change, but for the foreseeable future my time is the most variable part of the equation."
  
  

"So, with that as the backdrop, let’s break down the process behind a recent commission!

A good buddy and fellow fish-artist Matthew Stockton had pinged me about a commission.  He’s commissioned me before, and we’re fans of each other's work.  I dragged my feet committing to the project due to time constraints, but thankfully he was pleasantly persistent and we got the project on the books.

Part of taking on a commission is asking a few simple but critical questions; things I need to know before I even start sketching something out:

SIZE
Matt wanted something in the small-medium range, so we shot a couple options back and forth and settled on the size.  I knew this piece would be on a wood panel as well.

IMAGE/SUBJECT MATTER
Matt already knew the image - him holding a memorable muskie; he sent a good quality digital image immediately.

DATELINE/TIMELINE
In this case, Matt had no due date in mind, he wanted me to take my time and create something I felt stoked about.

The first step is prepping the panel, which involves laying down a diluted coat of Matte Medium.  The reason for this is to prevent inks from bleeding; different wood types/grains can bleed more than others, but this quick and simple step is important is setting the stage.

Next I lay out the basic composition based on the photo.  Using a light pencil density like 5-6h is key, allowing for quick corrections and erasing without leaving behind faint lines. Once the essential lines are blocked, I go over them with a pen.  I use Pigma Micron pens exclusively now.  I’ve used various other brands, but I always come back to Microns; consistent, easy to find/purchase (this is important because I go through so many), and the black seems a little less saturated giving it an almost pencil like quality.  Typically those first blocked in lines are with a 01.

I added a sun-dial behind the figure, and of course a skull vs. Matt’s handsome mug - that’s where the artistic liberty starts.  It’s a small left turn that makes my art…mine.  I then added the black circle, triangle behind the body, and fluid line pattern.  These are all staples in my toolbox, like Bob Ross’s frosty mountain tops of happy trees."

"From there I start laying down color with Daler Rowney drawing inks.  I have used watercolors and I’ve used gouache, but like the Microns, I always come back to these inks for the same reasons.  For color choices on this piece, I wanted realistic colors for the muskie, but took more liberty with the sky, water, clothing, and the blazing “sun”.  I wanted high saturated colors that would pop. I did this because Matt uses highly saturated colors in his own work, so this was a little bit of a nod to his own aesthetic.

After the composition is set, the colors are set, the pen work begins.  This is usually 005, then diameter line work.  I should mention that the prior steps can happen somewhat interchangeably, but I find if the process flows orderly, it allows me more freedom to enjoy the pen work and vibe-out a bit.  This is important as the pen work can become super laborious, a grind, so being able to riff a bit and push a few ideas around keeps the interest intact and makes sore fingers/wrist worth it.

Important to mention that I’m always listening to music when I’m making work; for this piece it was a rotation of Elder, Yob, and Howling Giant. 

Throughout the creation of the piece, I was sending Matt updates and progress shots - I like sharing the journey and seeing the feedback.  It helps keep the excitement levels up when I can see the recipient getting stoked.

Once the pen work is done, I may do a few color touch ups, add a few lines here and there…but I always know when to say enough is enough. I then take it outside and apply a Matte spray fixative.  This is needed before applying a liquid varnish, otherwise it may pull ink from the pen or even residual graphite from the pencil work.  After that dries, I apply two coats of acrylic Satin Varnish.  This gives the finished piece a protective UV  barrier, and makes it super easy to clean - it also helps the color and marks pop.  I prefer the Satin finish, not dull, and not too shiny as to create sheens or reflections.  It’s a happy spot.
Last step was to send some images to Matt and get the piece packed and shipped out.

I was really stoked on how this piece turned out. It was an ideal commission, and even helped me break a little creative funk.  Projects like this can really help break inertia and give me the proper amount of momentum.  Art gives so much, and I need to be reminded of that sometimes.  I feel pretty lucky that people dig my work enough to commission my imagination and skill; that’s pretty rad."

Interested in seeing more of Jake Keeler's artwork?  Visit his website, Etsy, Facebook, and of course, Instagram.

FAR BANK FLY FISHING SCHOOL - Fly Fishing in Small Creeks

The final episode of Season 2 of the Far Bank Fly Fishing School ends with Simon Gawesworth giving a small creeks primer.  Press PLAY and learn how to play in the creeks...

 Visit the Far Bank website to see their fly fishing companies that include Sage, Redington, RIO Products, and Fly Water Travel.

BONEYARD FLY GEAR - Limited Edition Comrade Balsa Poppers

Earlier this spring you might remember a T.F.M. post which highlighted a surprise package from Matt Zudweg of Boneyard Fly Gear with a Comrade Edition Balsa Popper.  I was and still am blown away by this work of art and  there were enough positive comments that Matt decided to create a limited edition run of six Comrade Balsa Poppers that are now up on his website.  At last check, there were still several left.

I asked Matt if he'd chronicle the steps taken to create this special set of balsa wood poppers and you can slow scroll the images below to follow along with his work. 

 

Want one of these limited edition Comrade Balsa Poppers?  Jump over to the Boneyard Fly Gear website to put your name on one.  Follow along with the latest shop news on Facebook and Instagram.

SUMMER SESSION

Is there anything better than smallmouth bass?  That's not a question.  There is nothing better than smallmouth bass and the crew at Schultz Outfitters show you all the reasons why in this shortie film.

Hit subscribe to the Schultz Outfitters YouTube channel.  I just did.

NATIVE SERIES GIVEAWAY

Another day and another solid giveaway to toss your name in for.  The Native Series Giveaway involves a stash of great gear to include the limited edition Ross Reels Colorado Greenback Cutthroat fly reel, a Sea Run Case of your choice, and a whole lot more.

 Entries are being taken through August 8th, 2023.  Enter HERE.

FLY CULTURE - A Chat with Nico of Yamame Fly Rods

I always enjoy hearing rod maker's stories of what drew them to building fly rods and their own experiences with glass, and the latest episode of The Fly Culture Podcast with Nico Vreugdenhil of Yamame Fly Rods is a wonderful listen.  It was also neat to hear a handful of mentions of The Fiberglass Manifesto brought up in the conversation too.  Thank you, fellows.

 

The Fly Culture Podcast can be found on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts.  Listen to Nico's podcast HERE.

To see more of Nico's work and ideas in glass, check out these previous T.F.M. posts HERE and HERE. 

Visit the Yamame Fly Rods website and follow along on Facebook and Instagram for the latest shop news.

THE MISSION - Issue 40

The latest issue of The Mission is ready for a flip through with your morning office coffee.  Enjoy...

 

CHECK IT.

STONEYFLY SUMMER GIVEAWAY

There are a few online contests going on right now and the Stonefly Summer Giveaway has a bunch of gear in the mix that one lucky angler will win.  There's still a week to get your entry in and who knows, somebody is going to win over $9,000 of fly fishing swag.  It might as well be you.

Enter the Stonefly Summer Giveaway HERE.  All it takes is your name and email to play.  You'll gget an extra entry if you want to share your phone number too.  Entries will be accepted through July 25th.

Touching Back Down...

The last several weeks have been somewhat of a blur but the wheels have touched down on the runway and I'm ready to dive back into

Where have I been?  I was up in Michigan for two weeks which was one part golf trip with my son and Brad at Tippets & Tales, a smallmouth float with Matt Zudweg, a few days with my folks, a quickie visit at Scientific Anglers on my way north, a drop in at The Northern Angler for the Skwala Party, a night float with Phil Croff mousing, and then a week on Beaver Island with Indigo Guide Service. 

It was a lot, and I arrived back home in South Carolina a little weary, but it was well worth it.

So, there are a lot of stories to tell and I'm looking forward to diving into it one by one.  Stand by...

There's a lot on tap around here over the next few months, and on top of all of that, The Fiberglass Manifesto turns 15 years old in September.  Maybe we should do something(s) to celebrate that...

SUMMER STOKE GIVEAWAY

Korkers, with Flycraft, Space Trailers, Rep Your Water, Loon Outdoors, and Sea Run Cases have cooked up something huge with their Summer Stoke Giveaway.

It's easy to play and there is over $11,000 in gear up for grabs for one lucky winner. 

Visit the Korkers website and get your entry in for the Summer Stoke Giveaway.  The winner will be picked and announced on July 22, 2023.

Good luck.

REDINGTON - Concrete Is Hard, So Are Carp

Carp are hard and we sure learned that all over again on Beaver Island this time around.  Click PLAY...

Check out the Redington website and if you're in need of a new glass rod, the Butter Stick is a looker.