Win a Custom Oak & Oscar/T.F.M. Turtlebox at the Fly Fishing Show

I am working a half day before taking off to Atlanta for the Fly Fishing Show, which starts tomorrow and runs through the weekend.  As Chase Fancher from Oak & Oscar and I were talking about the show, we thought it would be fun to run a weekend giveaway and have partnered with Turtlebox with a custom green with orange Gen 2 Speaker with the Oak & Oscar/T.F.M. collaboration logo on the back. 

It will be a fun weekend at the show and this giveaway should give everyone a great reason to stop by.

Here are the details on how to enter the weekend giveaway...

WHERE:  The Fly Fishing Show in Atlanta
WHEN:  Friday, January 31st - Sunday, February 2, 2025
HOW:  Stop by the Oak & Oscar booth to sign up with your email
PRIZE:  Custom Oak & Oscar / T.F.M. Turtlebox Gen 2 Speaker
WINNER:  One winner will be randomly chosen after the show and contacted by email

We look forward to meeting with everyone at the show, check out the watches on display, and we will have some Oak & Oscar and T.F.M. swag, to include the collaboration art decals at the booth. 

Special thanks to Turtlebox for coming through at the last minute with this custom Gen 2 Speaker.  It couldn't have turned out any better and some lucky winner is going to be stoked to win.

F3T - Where I'm Meant to Be

This Fly Fishing Film Tour selection from filmmaker Andrew Krantzis a story about identity, belonging, and rediscovery set in Oregon and features angler Megan Brown, called Where I'm Meant to Be.



Where will you see the Fly Fishing Film Tour?  Get your tickets online now.

KABUTO RODS - Limited Edition 15th Anniversary Fly Rods

Kabuto Rods is celebrating the milestone of their 15th Anniversary by offering fifteen fly rods built on their black finish blanks with nine choices of which line weight and length that you would like. 

I have long admired the top shelf work and fly rods of rod maker Yasuyuki Kabuto and cherish the several fly rods and builds by other rod makers that I have in my collection. 

The 15th Anniversary builds are finished with vintage Jasper thread, Mildrum Carboloy stripping guide, and a 15th Anniversary black rod tube.

There are currently two 15th Anniversary builds left of the batch of fifteen.

Visit the Kabuto Rods website to learn more about the 15th Anniversary fly rods and follow along with the latest shop news on Facebook and Instagram.

Flashback to Northwood Golf Club

The other day I was listening to the Fried Egg Golf podcast and in the second half of this episode, Andy Johnson spoke with William Carlson, a college freshman who is helping lead a restoration project at Northwood Golf Club in Monte Rio, California.  This was a fascinating conversation that dove into the history and building of this golf course that was designed by Alister MacKenzie nearly a 100 years ago.

Along with the podcast episode, take a few minutes to watch William Carlson's film that he put together that highlights the history with a lot of neat visuals at what the course looked in the early years.



Why am I sharing this?  A few years ago on a spring break road trip through California, we stopped at Northwood Golf Club for two loops around this nine hole course set in towering redwood trees.  The place is mind blowing and a worthwhile stop. You can circle back to T.F.M. post and if you're ever in the area, make a half day or longer part of your trip.

F3T - Hokkaido

Hokkaido is a selection in this year's Fly Fishing Film Tour and is a journey to the streams of Japan from filmmaker Gregory Dolet. 



Where will you see the Fly Fishing Film Tour?  Get your tickets online now.

BONEYARD FLY GEAR - Bass Bugs & History

If you typed the words "Matt Zudweg" in the search box on T.F.M., a long list of links would pop up that date back near the very beginning of this website some sixteen years ago.  He's been the original purveyor of the "premium" decals found in the T.F.M. Store, he's talked Gerbubble Bugs, he created a Comrade Edition Balsa Popper, then did a another batch, and Finn and I spent an early summer afternoon with him a couple of years ago to name some highlights.

The other day, Matt sent an email with some thoughts on the history of bass bugs that we both thought would be interesting to T.F.M. readers.  Enjoy...

Sometime last summer one of my clients asked me if I would do a presentation for his casting club this coming winter.  Normally I say no to presentations.  I just don’t enjoy all the research and time it takes to put one together, especially if I can’t get more than one or two uses out of it.  Let me teach a tying class, I’ll do that anytime over a presentation.  This one however wasn’t easy to say no to.  This client has become a good friend and a big supporter of our guide service and me in general as a guide/tyer.  So, having told him I would do it my mind began reeling with a topic that would motivate me to put in the work.

Now, if you know me at all, you know I’ve been a lover of bass bugs for over 30 years.  In fact, creating and selling balsa bass bugs is generally how I squeak through the slow months of winter when guiding is at a lull.  What you may not know is that I’m also a lover of history.  Throw those two things together and we have something I can get motivated by.  It was decided, I would put together a presentation on the history of bass bugs.

My research began quickly and I became fascinated with some of my findings.  One bug in particular was named over and over with vague descriptions as I scoured the internet.  It was a bug named after James Henshall, who was one of the earliest pioneers of bass bugging and the author of “The Book of Black Bass”.  It was a fly called the Henshall Lure and it was one of the first spun deer hair bugs, probably created in the very early 1900’s.  Whether it was created by Mr. Henshall or by another tyer who gave it his name no one seems to know for sure, but try as I might, I could not find a photo, illustration or anything more than a very vague description on the web.

Frustrated at the lack of information, I remembered an old Weber Fly Fishing catalog I bought from an antique store more than 20 years ago.  It had to be in my book shelf somewhere, but I hadn’t seen it since I bought it all those years ago.  If I could find it, there’s a small chance the Henshall Lure could be mentioned in there.

As I poured through my fairly vast collection of fly fishing literature I hit the jackpot. Not only did it find the Weber catalog from 1940, I was amazed to find an entire page of it dedicated to the Henshall Lure, with illustrations of the fly from the top view, front view and even all the color options it was available with! I felt like I won the Powerball.

With my new found information at hand I thought how cool it would be to tie the Henshall Lure in all the available color options and put together a shadow box imitating the page from the catalog.

Although I do plenty of deer hair work on sculpins and divers, my main medium for bass bugs has always been painted balsa, or foam like my standard Zudbubbler popper.  I needed a Tyer who loves to tie deer hair bugs to help me bring this to life.  I know a ton of excellent hair bug tyers and each one could do the job, but there was one particular tyer that has given me bugs over the years that really had the feel of flies that were “vintage”.  So I sent a quick text to my friend Tim Thomas asking if he’d be interested.  He said he would do it, so I gave him a photo from the catalog and he got to work.  Within a few short weeks I had a pile of Henshall Lures that were tied just as I hoped.  They were tied very well but had that old school feel I was looking for.  A trip to Hobby Lobby for a shadowbox and I put together a display using the bugs, it turned out so cool!

BAJIO - Take a Ride with Us Through the West

Press PLAY and join Jay Johnson of Bajio Sunglasses on a vibe heavy cruise through the West...



Check out more of Jay's adventures on the Bajio Sunglasses YouTube channel.

F3T - Left Field

The Fly Fishing Film Tour kicks off soon and Left Field is a story of resilience, fatherhood, and the transformative power of self-forgiveness.

Where will you see the Fly Fishing Film Tour?  Get your tickets online now.

THE FLY FISHING SHOW - Oak & Oscar and T.F.M. in Atlanta

The Fly Fishing Show season has kicked off and this is a heads up that I'll be in Atlanta for the weekend at the Oak & Oscar booth.  Stop by to talk about fiberglass fly rods, clicker fly reels, and check out the selection of watches that Oak & Oscar will be bringing with them from Chicago.

Chase of Oak & Oscar artfully mashed up our logos for a fun show only decal that you can stop by and grab.  We're working on a top shelf giveaway for the weekend that we'll share next week that you'll want to sign up for as well. 

Are you coming to the Atlanta show?  I'll have a bunch of T.F.M. decals with me and likely a few demo fiberglass fly rods for the casting ponds.  Email if there is something that you'd like me to bring.

If you haven't checked out Oak & Oscar, take a few minutes to look around the website.  They are a American watch company with a fly fishing problem, in a very good way.

TOM'S TIPS - Leader Knot in Line Guides

I like this tip from Tom Rosenbauer since I often fish short leaders for streamers or on warmwater. 

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

STREAMSIDE - The Rifleman Viscount 150 Fly Reel

This past week an email showed up unexpectedly from Steamside Bespoke Engraving in New Zealand.  Nick Hensman introduced himself and explained that they had recently started a side business as passionate fly fisherman to compliment their jewelry company, The Rolling Mill, which is based in Wellington. 

This quickly had me checking out their website, following on Instagram, and sent a response with an invitation to share some of their recent and upcoming work on T.F.M.  We're going to start with their first fly reel project on a vintage Hardy Viscount 150 fly reel and hopefully there will be other stories to share in time.

Even after 17 years of writing T.F.M., I still get excited about these surprise emails from deep within the fly fishing industry.  Enjoy this story and images that Nick passed along...

Nick Hensman wrote...  "It was the first reel we decided to engrave as an example. We bought it second hand from a guy who was selling his friend's estate. His friend was a very keen fisherman so it worked out well that we put all the effort into this piece.

We wanted to mix traditional scroll engraving with a touch of New Zealand backcountry wildlife.  The 18ct Yellow Gold 'Rifleman/Tītitipounamu' are New Zealand's smallest bird and we always feel very lucky to actually see one.

The linework takes days of engraving and carving, done under magnification which certainly demands the need for a river walk at the end of the day!

The handle has been remade in 'Black Maire', a New Zealand hardwood which has come up beautifully.

The locking nut in the centre and drag tensioner have been replaced with handmade brass fittings.

All of this was completely hand engraved by Jan Bekker.

We are considering running an auction for the Viscount and donating a portion to a bird sanctuary here in New Zealand, though we are yet to decide.

We are very much a nature inspired company and have some exciting projects coming soon which we are happy to share in upcoming posts on The Fiberglass Manifesto."

Take a few minutes and visit the Streamside Bespoke Engraving website and follow on Instagram. 

Sex, Fly Fishing and 400 Horsepower

Let's ease into the week with a film story from Rolf Nylinder.  This is a follow-up to a film that I shared earlier in the month that you can watch in this T.F.M. post.



Visit the Rolf Nylinder website and subscribe to his YouTube channel.

I've Fallen a Little Behind on Book Reading...

On Saturday morning I cleaned my desk of mail and packages while noticing a couple different growing stacks of books that I have picked up or been sent over the past several months.  I've fallen behind on my book reading and have some screen-free evenings planned along with sharing excerpts and other content from a few of the books in this photograph.  I'm looking forward to it.

Not that I need anything else to read right now but is there a book that you'd recommend that is missing from the stack?  Send an email and let me know. 

TURTLEBOX - Introducing the GRANDE

Need more sound than your Turtlebox Gen 2 Speaker can push out?  Take a look at the just released Grande with 126 decibels of sound, two Class D digital amplifiers, 1.25" titanium tweeter, 10" woofer, and battery life that will last three days of continuous tunes.  This model can be paired with another Grande for left/right stereo or go into "Party Mode" to pair multiple Grande speakers for large spaces.

All of that packed in a waterproof, dust proof, and crush proof case.  It's no wonder the Grande weighs in at almost 19 pounds.

Press PLAY to let Will from Turtlebox unbox and explain all the features of the new Grande...



The only downside I see is the Grande can't be paired with a Gen 2 Speaker.  I can understand the reasons why but it would have been cool to go into "Party Mode" and link multiple Gen 2 Speakers to the Grande.

Check out the Grande on the Turtlebox website and place a pre-order now for mid-February delivery.

THE MISSION - Issue 49

Always free.  Always a stellar read.  Enjoy the latest issue of The Mission.  All 108 pages of it.

 CHECK IT.

TOM'S TIPS - How Does Rain Affect Fly Fishing?

I have fallen behind on sharing the "Tom's Tips" instructional videos and in the meantime, Orvis has put a few new ones together that are worth a watch. 



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

SKWALA - Introducing the RS Outpost Jacket

On my visit to the Bozeman headquarters of Skwala in the fall of 2023 (T.F.M. post), Kevin Sloan and Rich Hohne walked me through and discussed feature by feature their upcoming technical apparel releases over the next year or so with the last being the RS Outpost Jacket.   

This jacket is thoroughly insulated and highly waterproof designed for cold and wet weather featuring a four-way stretch exterior shell with taped seams covering 150 grams of insulation.  The RS Outpost Jacket was designed to match perfectly with the RS Waders with jacket pass-through pockets that line up with the wader warming pockets. 

There is a lot more technical talk on the RS Outpost Jacket on the Skwala website that is worth diving into if you're in need of a jacket for on the water to stay warm and dry this winter. 

And, don't just take my word for it, press PLAY to hear what Pierce Oja of Wet Net Outfitters and Cameron Davenport of Eleven Angling have to say about it after field testing...

Visit the Skwala website and be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram for the latest shop news, special events, and more. 

ON SI - The New Fiberglass Fly Rods

It's not every day that fiberglass fly rods get talked about on Sports Illustrated so Ken Baldwin's recent article is a good share here on contemporary glass fly rods with a reminder to "Slow Down".

Take five minutes and read this article on the Sports Illustrated website and give Ken Baldwin a follow on Instagram. 

GATES AU SABLE LODGE - Tying the Robert's Yellow Drake

Winter nights are the perfect time to organize fly boxes from the past season and fill in the empty spaces with fresh flies.  The Robert's Yellow Drake is an essential northern Michigan mayfly pattern that will work there and everywhere else in a few sizes and color variations. 

Press PLAY and take notes.  Call Gates Au Sable Lodge if you need any of the tying materials.



Visit the Gates Au Sable Lodge website and follow along on their YouTube channel, too.

OAK & OSCAR - Humboldt GMT SAR Edition Watch Raffle

I had planned on sharing the release of the Oak & Oscar Humboldt GMT SAR Edition watch last month but it sold out so quickly, I didn't have an opportunity to do so.  We're getting a second chance since they are raffling off the prototype of this adventure ready collaborative watch with the St. Louis County Rescue Squad (SLCRS).  This search and rescue group patrols St. Louis County which includes the northern Minnesota area of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). 

Learn more about this raffle on the Oak & Oscar website.  A portion of the proceeds from the $50 each raffle tickets will support the work of the SLCRS and the random winner of the Humboldt GMT SAR Edition watch will be invited to the SLCRS headquarters for a meet and greet in Duluth, Minnesota.

Check out all the features of the Humboldt GMT SAR along with the story of this limited edition watch.  Visit the Oak & Oscar YouTube channel for an explanation how to use the compass bezel.

If you'd like to support the work of the SLCRS and have a chance to win this watch, get your raffle ticket(s) on the Oak & Oscar website.

THE PERRY PORK - Tying the Dallas

Ease into your Sunday morning with a fly tying video from the folks at The Perry Pork in Tokyo.



Visit The Perry Pork website for more and be sure to follow along on YouTube and Instagram.

LEMKE CONCEPTS - New Website & Direct Sales to Rod Builders

Rod builders are just starting to notice and I wanted to share that Lemke Concepts, maker of premium hardware, wood inserts, and guides, has a new website that launched and also has begun selling directly to customers.  You'll also notice a familiar face with Shane Gray assisting with all of this as General Manager and website guru.

The work of Joel Lemke is widely know for excellence and now his full focus is on making and creating while orders and sales will be taken care of through the website and shipped from Britton, Michigan.

Visit the Lemke Concepts website to see all the offerings.

FIRST LOOK - ECHO Glass Spey Two-Handers are Coming

Just minutes after Waters West Fly Shop posted a video on their Instagram page showing off and flexing the new ECHO Fly Fishing Glass Spey, the DM's started hitting my inbox.  Even though Tim Rajeff and I have been talking about this new series of two-handers for over a year now, this was my first look at them and I like what I see so far.  Hopefully, I'll get my hands on them soon.

I figured that I'd give everyone a first look here and then will follow up with more information.

The basic information on the ECHO Fly Fishing Glass Spey is...

• Three Models with a 10'8" 3-weight, 11'10" 6-weight, and 12' 7-weight
• S-Glass Construction
• 4-Piece
• Grain Windows from 250 to 530
• Suitable for Dry Lines and Sink Tips
• Price is $399.99 with the ECHO Repair & Warranty

Which one are you most interested in and why?  Send an email or DM on Instagram to let me know. 

These aren't up on the ECHO Fly Fishing website so check them out at Waters West Fly Shop.

6 Good Reads

Let's ease into the weekend with a six-pack of reads that lifted to the top of the internet lately...

VINTAGE TROUTS JOURNAL - A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

BTT JOURNAL - IN THE SALT WITH THOMAS MCGUANE

FLYLAB - TOP 10 HOPPERS

SKWALA - EYES ON THE HORIZON

LOON OUTDOORS - A MUSKY STORY

THE BOREALIST - ALWAYS KNOW THAT TIME IS DEAR

Sugarloaf Social Club Double Shot

We're going to take a little detour from fly fishing with a couple of recent short films from the crew at Sugarloaf Social Club that deep dive into the origin story and Ian's storage unit of treasures.

As I was getting into golf several years ago, I searched out small independent brands and companies that felt like some that I follow within the fly fishing industry and SSC resonated with me.

Check out the updated Sugarloaf Social Club website and follow along on Instagram for the latest.

To Follow Rivers

Take a moment to enjoy one of several new short films from Rolf Nylinder this weekend...



Visit the Rolf Nylinder website and subscribe to his YouTube channel.

TAYLOR BERMAN - The Making of "Cosmic Trutta"

This past fall while in at the Driftless Angler on the Oak & Oscar Built to Discover Trip, I noticed a large color popping mural that ran along the top of the wall on one side of the ship and made sure that went I took a photograph of it, that the signature of artist Taylor Berman was in the image so I could look for more of his work after the trip.   

Since then, I've started following Taylor on Instagram and when he began a recent linocut project, dubbed "Cosmic Trutta", I asked if he'd take photographs along the way to share his process.

The "Cosmic Trutta" linocut print is signed and a limited edition of 50 that is now available in his website store along with other prints and decals.

Check out the Taylor Berman website and follow along on Instagram.

THE WADING LIST - Wading Wisdom with Steven Weinberg

One of my favorite online follows is The Wading List and I was excited to see that they have recently begun a podcast that is available in audio and on YouTube.  Recently, host Leonard Schoenberger sat down with one of my favorite artists, Steven Weinberg, and this is worth a listen or watch.



Check out The Wading List, subscribe to Wading Wisdom wherever you listen to podcasts, or follow along on YouTube.

Check out Steven Weinburg, subscribe to the newsletter, and follow on Instagram.