6 GOOD READS - The Skwala Lounge Edition

Along with designing some of the best fly fishing gear and apparel, Skwala also tells their story with regular dispatches in the Skwala Lounge.  I picked a few favorites, including Rich's reflection on our trips to Beaver Island (with a few of my photographs sprinkled in), to share in this "6 Good Reads".  

Click the links one by one and enjoy...

THE BOAT IS THE BAR: FIVE DAYS AFLOAT IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA

WHAT MAKES A FISHING TRIP GREAT?

SPRING: THE BEST SEASON FOR TROUT FISHING

BUY THE DAMN TICKET

FISHING TRAVEL TIPS: PREPARATION VS. PLANNING

THE DESOLATE ROAD, GRINGO HITCHHIKERS, AND A PISSED-OFF GIRLFRIEND

Want more?  Visit the Skwala Lounge and make sure you've subscribed to their YouTube channel, too.

XTRATUF - The Snacklebox - Episode 1 | The Unkursty

You've got to love a good fly fishing trip with a side of outdoor cooking video to get you going and XTRATUF has kicked off a series dubbed The Snacklebox with Chef Spencer White that is just fun.  

Click PLAY on Episode 1 with more to follow in the coming weeks...



Everyone needs a pair (or several) of XTRATUF boots.  Our family kicks around in them to stay dry when it's wet outside.  Check out the latest styles on their website and follow their YouTube channel.

SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE FLY - Rest Easy, Dave

Over the weekend the devastating news that David Grossman, Southern Culture on the Fly co-founder, passed away began with a phone call, followed by text messages, and then tributes and remembrances that have been posted on social media.  It's been a long weekend of thinking about David, his family, and his many friends.    

David was a lot of things to a lot of us and this morning I thought it would be fitting to share the very first issue of SCOF to get a sense of what he and Steve Seinberg had the vision in building back in 2011 with their artful and irreverent take on fly fishing.  They created a community of belonging full of hijinks and misfits that far extended beyond the southeast.  

 

For the next eleven years, David and Steve pieced together 45 issues before handing off the magazine, which is quite a legacy and well worth revisiting on the SCOF Back Issues pages.     

Rest easy, Dave.  Your legacy and the many memories we shared will never be forgotten.       

OAK & OSCAR - A Closer Look at the Process of Hand-Painted Dials

You might remember the recent T.F.M. post after the Fly Fishing Show in Denver where artist Tim Johnson spent the weekend working in the Oak & Oscar booth on a commissioned brown trout dial.  Tim's work received a lot of deserved attention and watching him work highlighted the skill needed.   

Oak & Oscar recently released a short film that explains their relationship with Tim and the high level of artistry involved in creating each of these pieces of wearable fish art. 



Learn more on the Oak & Oscar website and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.  Reach out with an email to begin the discussion of a watch of your own.

THE MASTERS - A Look Back at a Few Practice Days

The weather has been perfect and as if they know the Masters begins soon, the azaleas are in full bloom in over saturated bursts of pinks and purples.  ANGC is just a few minutes down the road and in 2016 and then again in 2023, I had the chance to attend the Masters on practice days.  The first to celebrate my father's 70th birthday and the next time on lottery pick passes.  Finn and I walked ten miles that day and had a grand time following several of his favorite players.  Great memories.

Here's a look back that those days in these T.F.M. posts...

TAKING IT IN ON THE PRACTICE DAYS

MONDAY AT THE MASTERS

Who's your pick to put on the green jacket at the end of the week?  Email to let me know.  If you choose the winner, I'll send you some T.F.M. swag and a box of Retro Fly edition Western Birch tees.

FIRST LOOK & THOUGHTS - Tiemco Glass Master Fly Rod Series

Leading up to the Fly Fishing Show in Denver, Colorado, Ken Nakamine of Tiemco reached out with a early heads up that they were soon to release their latest generation of the Glass Master fly rods.  The other part of this news was that they would debut this series at the show with Umpqua as they continue to work through the possibility of bringing these fly rods stateside.  

 

Meeting Ken in Denver was a highlight of the weekend and we had several discussions about the Glass Master fly rods and a short casting session on one of the ponds where I was able to cast each one.  These are a wonderful series of fly rods, ranging from a 5'11" 3-weight to a 7'6" 4-weight, with the 7' 3-weight narrowly nudging out the rest as as the favorite.  The updated generation Oracle fly reel is the perfect match available in the three colorways of gold, silver, and black in three sizes. 

 

We are several months since the show debut and these have yet to start showing up in fly shops stateside.  I won't pretend to know all the reasons but if taking educated guesses...

• Umpqua selling fly rods is new to them and a glass fly rod is an "interesting" way to start.
• There needs to be a real plan to determine fly shops that will be the right fit.
• What will the final MSRP be in the U.S. market?  I've heard a few different numbers.
• How will Umpqua and Tiemco handle broken fly rods and the warranty process?
• What we were excited about for early 2026 might take a bit to figure out.

The waiting game begins...
 

There was a two-sided information sheet on the Tiemco Glass Master series at the Umpqua booth which I scanned for the T.F.M. readership to see below.  If you click on each image, it will enlarge.

So far, there isn't a lot on these fly rods on the Tiemco website but you can see some additional promotion on their Facebook and Instagram pages.  More updates on T.F.M. as they are available...

BUFFET SERIES - Golden Dorado in the Bolivia Jungle

Gilbert Rowley's Buffet Series continues with a journey into the jungle of Bolivia.  Press PLAY... 

This Buffet Series season is being celebrated with a huge giveaway where everyone who enters will receive an ebook copy of "Confidence Flies".  If you win the grand prize, you'll be headed to Patagonia.  You have until April 9, 2026, to enter.

 

Follow Gilbert Rowley on Instagram and subscribe to his YouTube channel.