"OLD MAN HACK" - Always Travel with Slippers

Many of you likely know of Mike Sepelak, at least online and on social media.  He and I have traveled together for years on fly fishing trips and to shows.  He's what I lovingly call my "Old Man Friend" since there's twenty years that separate us and with age comes experience. 

One of the things I've picked up from Mike is that he always travels with slippers.  On weather days on Beaver Island, when it's cold and rainy outside, Mike's laid up on the couch with his slippers on, nose deep in a book.  Hanging out at the house down in the Louisiana marsh?  Mike's in his slippers.  It never fails.  Honestly, it's absolutely a pro travel move.    

 

What used to seem unnecessary is now essential and for the past year or so, I've also brought along a pair of slippers and experienced Mike's genius move.  If I've got room and weight to spare in my duffel suitcase, they'll go along with me from here on out.   

Need a suggestion on a great travel slipper?  I like the XTRATUF Homer II Slip On.  They have plush lining and maybe the best feature is an outsole that gives you some tread for inside and outside wear. 

What are your "Old Man Hacks"?  I'm almost 50 (SMH...) and need to know these things.

FISHBEERBBQ - Are There Anything Better Than Ribs?

I have a real soft spot for anything that Matt Dunn of FishBeerBBQ does and the weekends are made for smoking ribs.  I'm partial to beef ribs that go hours and hours until the muscle reaches this magic point of total relaxation.  There are few things better.



This short, admittedly silly, video is a good reminder of a past "Good Eats" post on T.F.M. a few years ago.  It still holds up.  The hardest part is finding full racks of those center cut beef ribs.  Sometimes the butchers like to cut them up into singles.

Deep dive into all things FishBeerBBQ on Substack, Instagram, and YouTube.  Catch the podcast on Amazon Music and iTunes.

MEADOWS ON ROCK CREEK - Tom Morgan Bamboo Building Class

If you're looking for a top tier experience this fall, The Meadows on Rock Creek in Montana will be hosting a Custom Bamboo Fly Rod Building Class with Tom Morgan Rodsmiths that will run September 26th through October 1st.  Along with building a bamboo fly rod, attendees will enjoy luxury accommodations, guided fly fishing on Rock Creek and nearby stream, meals, drinks, and more.

 

 Learn more on the Meadows on Rock Creek website. Availability is limited for this special event.

SCHULTZ OUTFITTERS - Smallmouth Season Prep - Sticks & Stones

I shared the first episode in this series the other day and even though Schultzy is diving into the graphite (we're more into glass around here...) fly rods that are in his boat this time of year, there is a lot of other great intel to gather with flies, leaders, and fly lines, too.



If I was going to handpick a couple of 7-weight and 8-weights in fiberglass fly rods, these four would top out my list...

• ECHO BAD ASS GLASS - 7-WEIGHT
• MOONLIT FLY FISHING NIRVANA PHOENIX GLASS - 7-WEIGHT
• EPIC FLY RODS - REFERENCE 888- 8-WEIGHT
• ORVIS SUPERFINE GLASS - 8'8" - 8-WEIGHT

Looking for a dual line weight fly rod, the STEFFEN BROTHERS 8' 7/8-WEIGHT is the ticket.

Check out the Schultz Outfitters website and see more of their videos on their YouTube channel.

IJUIN-ROD - KINEYA Cavous Reels Now Available

It's been awhile since I've highlighted the masterful fly reel making of KINEYA in Japan but a post on social media this week from Ijuin-Rod of their limited supply of Cavous Reels was a good reminder.  I cherish the couple of fly reels that I have from KINEYA as they are truly something special. 

A search on T.F.M. highlights some past posts that are fun to scroll through on these fly reels.

One of these would be perfect for that three or four weight that you're looking to use this spring...

 

A few notes from Tomo of Ijuin Rod on these fly reels...

"The KINEYA Cavous is a punch press design like was produced and distributed in the United States in the early 20th century which was full of fun.  This design was refined and revived for this 2024 release.  With a classic style it looks beautiful with a fly rod and fish. 

The line capacity of a DT3F or DT4F is roughly 30 yards.  It has a diameter of 62mm, spool diameter of 56mm, and width of 25.4mm.

These are offered at a price of $420 with shipping to the USA that is $42."
 

 Interested or have questions?  Reach out to Tomo through the Contact page on the Ijuin-Rod website.

FLY SHOP TOUR - Season 2 - Episode 5

The Fly Shop Tour continues with a two week junket through Florida.  Press PLAY...

Check out the Flylords website and subscribe to their YouTube channel, too.

LEIDERMAN RODS - McFarland Rods 3-Weight Build

For Matt Leiderman of Leiderman Rods, building fly rods is just one of several jobs that he has.  First, he is a school teacher, and then over the last couple of years, he's put a lot of focus in his watchmaking.  You can follow that journey on the Mecha Horology Instagram page.  And, he builds fly rods when he has time.  During the school year not so much but through the summer, quite a bit. 

During the school year he typically doesn't build too many fly rods and so when this little 3-weight built on a McFarland Rods blank, it was a bit of a surprise.  Even more so was the surprise that it is/was available for someone looking to add something special to their collection. 

If you want this one, slide into those DM's or send him an email.  Like quickly. 

Matt wrote... "Happy to report I’m still kicking after not posting for quite a while.  Still building the occasional rod and lots of cool stuff from the last year I neglected to post.  The watch world is keeping me busy for a bit on that side of my life.

This rod is available for *immediate* delivery.  It was commissioned by a client but was delayed and my client has gone dark. Great chance to get a sweeeeet McFarland 6’9” 3wt with no wait."

Visit the Leiderman Rods website to see more of Matt's work and be sure to follow along on Instagram HERE and HERE to keep up with fly rod and watchmaking updates.