The Fiberglass Manifesto

The Fly Fishing Show At Somerset

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

This past weekend the Fly Fishing Show was in Somerset, New Jersey and Robert Yaskovic took his Nikon camera along to shoot a few images while he was there. Though most of these snaps are largely random they certainly capture a lot of the interesting aspects that makes attending these shows an excellent winter reprieve.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

There were also quite a few attendees flying the flag and representing in their T.F.M. t-shirts. Robert organized everyone for a "class photo" which certainly takes the record for the most T.F.M. Spotting's in one place at one time.

I'm left wondering though who gets the photo credit for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest though? I'm thinking Robert since he took the photo...right?

Robert Yaskovic is up on all the social media platforms with pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram as "robyas", a professional photography website, and then the ever interesting The Fly Shutter Tumblr site as well. The guy is every where.

Still not enough? Check out this previous T.F.M. post on how he achieves excellence in his iPhoneography.

T.F.M. Apparel Order Ending Soon

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to pass along a reminder that I'll be sending in the next T.F.M. apparel order this Thursday to Xdzines to be printed.

If you'd like to place an order for a cap, t-shirt, or hoodie please let me know today or tomorrow. Payment is not needed until the order is ready to ship in mid February.

There are now five different choices with the Trout Art, Retro Fly, Cutthroat, Redfish, and Comrade artwork to chose from.

Check out the T.F.M. Apparel page for more information and send an email to order.

Thanks for representing and for the support.

T.F.M. Spotting - Rusty Rat Visework

2012-01-30T08:00:00.004-05:00

When Michael Decoteau isn't fly fishing, painting, woodworking, drawing, photographing, well then he can be found behind the vise working on fly orders.

Recently Michael knocked out a few dozen Rusty Rat flies while wearing his T.F.M. t-shirt at the vise for a submission for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest.

These look good. Real damn good. Almost to good to fish.

Michael is also one of my favorite Instragram follows and these images are a neat insight to his fly tying process.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Check out more of Michael's vise work in this T.F.M. post featuring his classic Maine streamer patterns.

THE FLIES OF MICHAEL DECOTEAU

It sounds like Michael may be working on a website but for now follow him on Instagram under the name "tightloops".

Graywolf Rods 802-3 Completed

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Graywolf Rods offerings continue with this eight foot two weight from the Graywolf S-Glass Series. This yellow blank was a one of/prototype color so there may not be another one of these long two weights available again.

I especially like the deep red tipping against the yellow blank.

Graywolf Rods is offering this build for sale and is priced at $550 which includes worldwide shipping and a coupon for a free T.F.M. t-shirt as well.

Check out the Graywolf Rods Blog and Facebook page for more information. Contact Shane Gray by email if interested.

This will be the last offering for sale until March as Shane Gray will be concentrating on customer orders.

Making Payne-Style Acorn Caps

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

No matter the medium, I could watch true craftsman work for hours on end. I find the process of how things are made generally quite fascinating.

In the latest Spinoza Rod Company video Marc Aroner records the steps on how he expertly makes the Payne-style acorn caps for his bamboo builds.

Someday, when more time allows, I would like to visit a lot of the rod builders that have been featured on T.F.M. and watch and photograph the work being done. Until then videos such as this one will suffice.

Pool 32 - Issue 4

2012-01-28T06:30:00.000-05:00

With over 300 pages packed into the latest issue of Pool 32, your weekend online reading should be well taken care of.

Amongst the excellent imagery, take note of the articles featuring T.F.M. fave artists A.D. Maddox and Mike Savlen as well as the "Split Cane Spirit" article too.

CHECK IT.

Colt Johnson's Kabuto Rods 7033 Build

2012-01-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

There have been quite a few white fiberglass Kabuto Rods builds done over the past year and the latest is from Colt Johnson who was looking for the perfect bluegill fly rod.

Colt's Kabuto Rods 7033 Build Stats:

SEAT: Lemke Down Lock Dark Nickel Silver Slide Band
INSERT: Spalted Box Elder Burl
GRIP: REC Cork Rings
STRIPPING GUIDE: REC Black Pearl #8
GUIDES/TIP TOP: Snake Brand Black Nickel
THREAD: 3/0 YLI Pale Yellow/3/0 YLI Antique Gold
FINISH: PacBay Two Part Epoxy. One coat.

Colt...extremely nice work and I bet that spring can't come soon enough to give that build a flex on a few feisty bluegills.

Lord Of The Hoard

2012-01-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

When the "Original Martin Gangster" isn't working diligently in the Playful Plans shop or lining up reservations for their Asheville backyard cottage, Kevin McGuire can be found perusing eBay for mint condition Martin fly reels to bid on.

This fishable collection has lead to what some would consider a hoarding situation with fly reels stowed here and there in the shop and in the house. Yesterday Kevin decided to take control of his mess and filled a large plastic bin with layer after layer of Martin fly reels.

Kevin left just enough room for a few vintage catalogs and other fly reel paperwork. Oh and there is just enough room still for a somewhat rare Martin 63SS that he sniped on eBay last night.

The addiction continues. Intervention time? I think not.

Introducing Raw Water Productions

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Prelude To Raw Water post earlier this week eluded that Lucas Carroll and Adam Kryder had a new project in the works which went online yesterday under the company name of Raw Water Productions. This will be a collaborative effort with Matt Smythe involved as well yielding a hand with the written word.

Autumn2011 Showreel from Adam Kryder on Vimeo.

The press release stated...

"Raw Water Productions is proud to announce the public release of their website and Autumn 2011 Showreel. In order to promote our new website we are running the following open raffle.

Promote our blog for a chance to win a 14 -page book of Lucas Carroll's photography with a cover inscription by Matt Smythe."

"For the next 2 weeks, simply show us how you have promoted our blog on other social media websites (Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.) and you will automatically be entered into the raffle. Show us screenshots, friend lists, email copy, etc. as evidence.

Stay tuned for more giveaways and promotions in the future!"

It looks like bases are covered with Lucas on camera, Adam on video and music, and Matt with the word.

Without a doubt Raw Water Productions will be a worthy to follow as they add more content to their already robust website.

Blood Knot Magazine - Blogger Issue

2012-01-26T06:30:00.001-05:00

The 2nd Annual Blogger Issue went live this week from the peeps at Blood Knot Magazine and is filled with pieces from writers across the fly fishing blogoshere.

A lot of goodness in this issue from bloggers that I respect and a tip of the cap to T.F.M. with a mention on the "Blood Knot Approved" blogger list as well. Much thanks.

CHECK IT.

T.F.M. Comrade Artwork Released

2012-01-25T08:00:00.002-05:00

What started with a a new font on a set of T.F.M. decals has now grown into it's own piece of artwork. Last week Rob McAbee of Bug Slinger Fly Gear and Nomad Design started hashing out details and I am really excited to show off the final version of the "T.F.M. Comrade" artwork in this post.

The "T.F.M. Comrade" artwork has a bit more edge than previous designs and is also the first full color look as well.

Offerings with the "T.F.M. Comrade" artwork on it will include t-shirts in black or dark red in short or long sleeve, hoodies, and decals. Check out the T.F.M. Apparel page for details on how to order.

I will be taking orders for all items of T.F.M. Apparel until the first week of February. Delivery should be around the middle of month. Payment is not required until I am ready to ship items.

Special thanks again to Rob from Bug Slinger Fly Gear and Nomad Design. This artwork far exceeded my expectations.

If you have questions or would like to place an order please send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com.

Graywolf Rods Yellow Glass Six Weight

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Shane Gray of Graywolf Rods continues to burn the midnight oil and completing customer orders with a few for sale builds in the mix as well.

Shane's latest offering is a Yellow Glass Series 8' four piece six weight which should be considered an all around workhorse of a glass rod. Shane describes the action as "medium/fast progressive with lots of power".

Shane has listed this build for sale with an asking price of $575 shipped worldwide.

Each Graywolf Rods fiberglass build also includes a coupon for a free T.F.M. t-shirt as a thank you for the purchase.

For more information and to see more images visit the Graywolf Rods Blog and Facebook page.

Contact Shane by email if you have any questions or are interested in purchasing this fly rod.

Prelude To Raw Water

2012-01-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

The internet is an interesting place and it's neat to see how ideas between friends can turn into new endeavors which can be shared across all corners.

Adam Kryder and Lucas Carroll have a new project in the works which should go public in the coming days. There is even talk that Matt Smythe of fishingpoet.com may get involved in this as well.

Adam Kryder sent along a few photographs from a recent winter trip with this note...

"The goal of our project is to enliven and inspire the fly fishing film community with an educative voice and down-to-earth media. We want to provide utmost visibility at all points of the filmmaking process and we understand that budget and equipment limitations are no match for deep drive, passion, and artistic vision."

Look for a follow up post later this week with a further inside glimpse of what this project is all about.

Introducing The DL Smith Fly Rod Co.

2012-01-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Over the past several weeks Dusty Smith and I have been trading emails in preparation for his DL Smith Fly Rod Co. website going live and the various pages of the website being completed to further explain his new company and what all he'll be offering.

Dusty Smith is joining the ranks of an ever growing list of fly rod builders that are focusing primarily on fiberglass fly rods with an impressive list of blank choices from James Green, T.L. Johnson, and a limited supply of vintage Lamiglas blanks as well.

Dusty Smith is beginning a build on a T.L. Johnson Retro blank using Joel Lemke hardware and a walnut reel seat insert. The brown DL Smith Fly Rod Co. rod tubes just arrived and will be a nice touch with his builds.

The DL Smith Fly Rod Co. will be yet another builder to keep your eyes on in the coming months.

Rolling Blanks With McFarland Rods

2012-01-22T09:00:00.004-05:00

I frequently receive emails from readers asking how fiberglass fly rod blanks are made and what equipment is required. The short answer is that it's not likely a project that you'd want to take on in your garage or basement.

A few weeks ago Mike McFarland of McFarland Rods emailed me a stack of photographs which explains step by step the process in rolling a fiberglass fly rod blank.

1. A roll of yellow E-Glass waiting to be turned into a sweet fly rod. The red part is just a backing and gets peeled off before rolling.

2. Patterns are precisely measured and ready to be cut.

3. Patterns are cut to size with sharp razor blade.

4. Backing material is peeled from pattern.

5. The pattern is tacked to the steel mandrel. Mandrels are ground to precise tolerances and are coated with a release agent prior to rolling.

6. The mandrel with tacked pattern is placed on the rolling table. The lower platen features an air filled bladder that perfectly conforms to taper of the part.

7. The top platen drop to sandwich the part under high pressure. Pressure is adjusted according to size of part being rolled.

8. The lower platen moves away from the operator and rolls the part on the mandrel.

9. Lower platen returns to its original position as the top platen raises to reveal the rolled blank.

10. A small piece of scrap glass is applied to the base of the blank. This gives the mandrel puller something to grab while extracting the mandrel.

11. The rolled blank is then moved to the tape machine. The carriage on the machine travels the length of the blank and spirals the cellophane equally the entire length of the blank. The carriage and chuck are geared together and speed can be increased or decreased without changing the overlap of the tape.

12. The blank then moves to the curing oven. I built the oven which is just under twelve feet tall. Blanks will cure for about two hours.

13. After curing, the mandrels are extracted with a pneumatic pulling machine. Different dies are used to fit each blank and they butt up against the pull tab that was added earlier.

14. Once the mandrels are pulled, the blank is ready to be ferruled and sanded/painted depending on the model.

Check out the McFarland Rods website for more information.

T.F.M. Spotting - Carolina Fly In B&W

2012-01-22T08:00:00.003-05:00

It has been really interesting to watch Thomas Harvey of Carolina Fly continue to grow as an innovative fly tier and to see his work and tutorials highlighted in the online pages of Southern Culture On The Fly and This Is Fly issue by issue.

Thomas was recently photographed at the vise wearing his Retro Fly t-shirt and submitted these photographs for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest. I really like the blown out black and white effect in these images.

Thomas doesn't have time for a website so follow his genius on the Carolina Fly Facebook page.

I expect we'll all be seeing Thomas's work in more and more places in the coming years.

Nature Boy Designs Custom Rod Tubes

2012-01-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

Keith Westra of Nature Boy Designs is now offering custom finishes on his "Bomb Proof" Rod Tubes that he offers in several lengths to accommodate fly rods of all sizes.

The custom finishes shown in this post are NBD Camo and Red Bellied Snake. Prices for the "Bomb Proof" Rod Tubes range from $150 for the basic offering to $200 for a custom color choice.

Check out the Nature Boy Designs website for more information. Contact Keith by email if you have questions or would like to place an order.

Follow along on Facebook as well to keep up with the latest offerings and shop news.

L.L. Bean 100th Anniversary

2012-01-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

In college I lived with a couple fellows from Maine who religiously preached of L.L. Bean and one summer even traveled back to their native state for a week of fly fishing, camping, and of course spent considerable time at L.L. Bean in Freeport. I cashed in far to much of my meager summer earnings in that store on the trip but fifteen years later I am still using the tent, stove, and other items purchased then.

This year marks L.L. Bean's 100th Anniversary which is quite a landmark for a company that continues to provide solid gear and clothing with an unbeatable warranty.

The 2012 Fishing Catalog is now online and full of new and interesting gear for this year. The Pocket Water Fly Rods impressed quite a few at IFTD this past August.

Ten & Two - Volume 2 Number 2

2012-01-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

The latest issue of Ten & Two is almost 200 pages of Atlantic Salmon, food, music, and art and certainly worth a look over your weekend.

CHECK IT.

Surface Film 2

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Greenbacks of Trout Unlimited have set a date for Surface Film 2 in Denver, Colorado which will be held on the evening of February 2, 2012. This event will be an exclusive preview of this year's images from some of the fly fishing industry's best photographers. The Surface Film 2 gallery will open to the public the next day and all images will be on display for the rest of the month.

From the Surface Film 2 press release...

The Greenbacks of Trout Unlimited are excited to announce the 2nd Surface Film event showcasing top professional fly-fishing photography across the country at the Anthology Fine Art gallery (635 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204) on Thursday February 2nd, 2012. Similar to last year’s event, framed prints will be available through a silent auction to benefit Trout Unlimited.

This will be an exclusive preview event, and the gallery will be open to the public February 3rd and through the month of February.

New this year, the show attendees will vote for ‘best-in-show’ honors. The winning photographer will receive the National Trout Unlimited Professional Photo of the Year, a cash prize, and will be prominently featured in a future issue of Trout Magazine. In addition, a second place finisher will also receive a cash prize.

Please join us on February 2nd, 2012 from 7pm to 11pm to enjoy our industry's best photography work, as well as live music and drinks.

This is a free event. All ages are welcome to attend.

With over 250 attendees last year, we're expecting more this year, so please RSVP at the following link to guarantee admission.

Follow The Greenbacks on their Facebook page for future announcements and events.

Cutties Are For Suckers

2012-01-19T07:30:00.001-05:00

Yukon Goes Fishing just dropped his latest video and it features a quick T.F.M. Spotting of a decal getting slapped on the tailgate of Ivan's pickup truck to start film.

Cutties are for Suckers from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

Ivan and the crew from False Casts and Flat Tires spent a day on the Bitteroot River and tangled with more suckers than trout. Oh well...a bend is a bend.

A Tight Loop - January 2012

2012-01-18T09:00:00.003-05:00

The January 2012 issue of A Tight Loop went online this week and is filled with a bunch of Midwest goodness. There are also a few gear giveaways to put your name in for as well.

CHECK IT.

Don't forget to follow along on Facebook and Twitter too.

T.F.M. Spotting - Johnnie Walker Edition

2012-01-18T08:30:00.002-05:00

I was going through an email folder this morning and came across an image that was sent in a couple months ago from Chad Bailey highlighting a fly fishing trip this past fall.

A few fish were caught on vintage fiberglass and a finger or two of Johnnie Walker Gold Label celebrated the day.

Catch Magazine - Issue #21

2012-01-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

The latest issue of Catch Magazine went online yesterday and is filled with top notch imagery.

Issue #21 is still free and their subscription service, which was hinted at last month, has not begun yet.

There are some changes with this issue and this issue can be viewed on various Apple and Android tablets and mobile devices.

CHECK IT.

The Eagle Creek Special Gets Silk

2012-01-17T06:30:00.001-05:00

Jordan Ross of JP Ross Fly Rod & Co. emailed a couple images of the Eagle Creek Special fiberglass build that he is working on for T.F.M. The silk wrapping has begun.

After varnish I would expect that these wraps will blend into the blank beautifully.

Visit the JP Ross Fly Rods & Co. website for more information. Follow the latest shop news on Facebook as well.

Nick's Fiberhammer Experience

2012-01-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

The Scott Fly Rod Company Fiberhammer is on a short list of fly rods that I want to fish more this year and this post from Nick Pionessa of The Oak Orchard Fly Shop has got me excited to swing for steelhead soon in Michigan and then for striped bass in the Saluda River come spring.

Nick wrote... I have been fishing the Scott Fiberhammer since just before they hit the market about three years ago. I should start off by saying that it is not the rod for everyone. Well, at least not right off as it takes a little getting used to. I fish a lot of glass single hand rods and have become familiar with their actions and needs. Mainly a line with a gradual taper and a smooth, slightly longer stroke by the caster. So far I have only used the rod for spey casting and swinging streamers for steelhead, lake run browns and smallmouth bass. I have never used it for nymphing techniques. It casts well overhead to with the requisite casting stroke.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

The Fiberhammer is very “bendy” for lack of a better term but it does recover quickly. It has plenty of power for a typical seven weight and based on it’s lines of 400-480 grains it is firmly a seven weight. Probably my favorite line for it would be the Airflo Tactical Steelhead seven weight with the float tip removed and replaced with an eight foot poly leader. This line has a smooth, gradual taper that the softer rod favors, at least in my hands. I also like the new Airflo Rage head in a 420 grains weight. This line has a bit steeper taper but still pretty mellow and is about the same length as the Tactical Steelhead line at plus/minus thirty feet. For me that’s a great length head on this rod. The Airflo Scandi Compact in 420 grains is another line I like but it does take a bit more control from the caster to make the stroke smooth or risk the dreaded tailing loop often associated with soft rods. If you hit it right though that line flies with incredibly tight loops and high line speed you wouldn’t think a glass rod capable of. The Beulah Elixir switch line in the 425 grains is nice if one prefers a full line verus a head and also nymphs well. For bigger tips the RIO Products Skagit Flight is very nice at 425 grains or the Airflo Skagit Compact in 420 grains for serious tips and turnover. With that line ten or so feet of T-14 is easily doable.

The rod handles even large fish very well and has a lot of power in the butt section. The full flex cushions tippets nicely and also hook throwing head shakes. Playing a fish on that rod a is a joy. I find it loads well in close and has a nice range of where the head can be in the rod to complete a cast. It is very easy going. It is a real pleasure to fish on the smaller, brushier Great Lakes tribs with it’s easy load and short length. It is also perfectly capable of long casts if the wading isn’t too deep. I have used it on a creek here where fifty to seventy casts are the norm and it’s no problem. I would say anything under seventy-five feet would be fine in a decent caster's hands.

Cons for me begin and end with the uplocking reel seat. Everyone knows glass rods are tip heavy and 10'6" ones even more so. The uplock requires you to put a heavier reel on it for proper balance. The rod is not heavy but is tip heavy and a downlocking reel seat could have made all the difference. As is, it requires a nine ounce plus reel and over ten ounces is even better. That just makes the entire outfit heavier than it needs to be. They feel it gives better reel clearance with the short lower handle. Whatever. I could just order one from the Scott Custom Shop site with a downlocking reel seat so the option is available but does mean extra cost.

Nick...thank you for the through breakdown on what works for you on the Fiberhammer. Notes taken.

Southern Culture On The Fly - No. 2

2012-01-16T06:00:00.003-05:00

Issue No. 2 of Southern Culture On The Fly went live last night and is so damn worthy of a flip through on your Monday morning over coffee or Red Bull or whatever gets you going.

This issue is a mix of fresh and salt and it was neat to contribute with a gear review on the Nomad Fly Fishing composite nets that I have been using lately.

The fonts are a little small on a couple of the articles so grab your readers.

CHECK IT.

Tribute - Steelhead Camp

2012-01-15T06:30:00.004-05:00

This video has been spreading all over the blogs and social media channels the past few days and for good reason. It's really good.

Ian Majszak of Detonation Studios and Bryan Gregson collaborated on this short film project which within the span of four minutes caught and conveyed the vibe of what these type of trips are all about.

Tribute..steelhead camp from Detonation Studios on Vimeo.

It's not always about the fish. The fish is just the excuse. Really it is more about the friends, the food, the campfire, the drink, the ball busting, and staying up too late at night and then standing in the river all the next day casting over and over hoping for that tug.

T.F.M. Spotting - Howard Smiles

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have a few friends who are the kings of the grimace and Howard Levett of Windknots & Tangled Lines may top them all. His smiles wouldn't be smiles at all to most but under that tough exterior and grimace is one of the nicest fellows I know.

This past weekend Howard spent a day the Fly Fishing Show in Denver, Colorado and stopped in at Juan Ramirez's fly tying booth to check out The Hopper Juan's excellent ties. Juan must have told a dirty joke or something to get Howard to bust into a full on legitimate smile. Nice work Juan. Please tell us all how you did it.

Howard...thanks for representing in your T.F.M. t-shirt at the show for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest. It is always appreciated.

Fun With The F3T Press Kit

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Fly Fishing Film Tour press kit arrived the other day and I have spent the past couple evenings watching and re-watching a few of the submissions on the preview disc.

I have also been enjoying (in moderation of course) the bottle of Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey that was carefully wrapped up in the box as well. Winter is the time for the bourbon sipping and this bottle arrived just as we are in the middle of a South Carolina cold snap. Perfect timing.

All of the films included on the preview disk are really excellent but I especially like ReVerb: A Punk Rock Love Story, Sipping Dry, Doc Of The Drakes, and The Kodiak Project. These films tell interesting stories and are more than just fish porn and a bumpy back beat. There are a few submissions missing from the preview disk and I look forward to checking those out at the show itself.

A few interesting facts from the F3T press release are that the tour will drop into 125 cities across the United States and Canada this year and will give away over $350,000 in prizes to show goers. The tour has great sponsors this year which include Costa, Patagonia, Sage, Hardy Reels, Yeti Coolers, and Scientific Anglers to name a few. The Fly Fishing Film Tour will also be giving over $30,000 back to the filmmakers which helps keep this cycle of stellar films going into the next year.

Nearly all the shows sell out in advance so check the schedule on the Fly Fishing Film Tour website and purchase your tickets online or visit your local fly shop for discounted tickets there.

I am really excited about the Fly Fishing Film Tour this year and I am looking forward to attending four F3T stops which include Charleston, South Carolina for two shows, Asheville, North Carolina, and Columbus, Ohio. Look for a T.F.M. booth at these shows and also a mention in the F3T Stonefly magazine as well.

Vintage Fly Tackle

2012-01-14T06:00:00.001-05:00

Recently Gary Siemer launched the Vintage Fly Tackle website and it is already full of hard to find fly fishing gear to add to your collection. Vintage Fly Tackle is also a source of hard to find contemporary fiberglass fly rods such as offerings from Mario Wojnicki.

The Vintage Fly Tackle website is full of information and I found the latest blog post on what to look for before buying a classic fly reel especially helpful.

Questions? Email Gary at vintageflytackle@gmail.com.

Keep up to date of new items added to the website on the Vintage Fly Tackle Facebook page and click "LIKE".

T.F.M. Spotting - Low Water Float

2012-01-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

Last Friday the boys from Southern Culture On The Fly and Scotty from Lowcountry Fly Shop spent the day on the South Holston which was running low on water but a healthy sulfur hatch more than made up for it.

David Grossman repped for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest in his Retro Fly t-shirt.

No ramp? No problem for the Hog Island Boatworks drifter. Just yank it out of the water with the Tahoe.

Look for the new issue of Southern Culture On The Fly to drop early next week.

Diablo Chupacabra Skeg Project

2012-01-12T07:00:00.004-05:00

A couple weeks ago a box arrived from Diablo Paddlesports which contained the long awaited skeg setup and a Fly Deck as well.

My only ding with the Chupacabra is that it doesn't track that well at all and this skeg should even that out quite a bit. The Diablo kayaks already have a pretty clean front space but the Fly Deck should keep fly line from getting wrapped around the foot rests will be good.

Yesterday Diablo Paddlesports posted the Skeg Install video which walks you through the process step by step. Looks like it will be easy to give the Chupacabra the upgrade.

The Skeg and Fly Deck should be available through your local Diablo Paddlesports dealer for purchase and both will fit either the Chupacabra or Adios.

I am starting to map out a few kayak trips for this year and the Chupacabra is definitely getting wet soon.

Nervous Water Edition

2012-01-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday an email from Hawaii showed up in my inbox tipping me off on Clayton Yee of Nervous Water Fly Fishing starting 2012 out on the flats by catching his first bonefish of the year on a Lamiglas fiberglass fly rod.

Clay wrote... "I have always been an advocate of slow or medium action rods for sight fishing here. Unfortunately the manufacturers and the fly fishing public in general doesn't agree opting for fast action rods that can be tip cast. Some of these are nice and do a good job in close, but many just do not have that loving feeling (or even any feeling for that matter) when cast at close range. Even the best ones are nothing like fishing a slower action rod which has a feel that is hard to describe especially for a descriptively challenged guy like myself."

Check out the blog post on Nervous Water Fly Fishing website for more photographs and the rest of the story of Clay's day out on the Hawaiian flat.

Graywolf Rods Continues T.F.M. Coupon

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Shane Gray of Graywolf Rods decided this week to continue giving away a coupon with each fiberglass fly rod that he sells for the recipient to receive a free T.F.M. t-shirt as a thank you for their purchase.

I think this is a very neat collaboration that Shane and I have in doing this and I know from the several dozen people that received their T.F.M. t-shirts last year that they appreciated the generosity in his gesture of appreciation.

Check out the Graywolf Rods website for more information and follow along what's going on in Shane's shop on the Blog and Facebook page as well.

T.F.M. Spotting - Fly Fishing For Dogs

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

It now seems that I foolishly thought that the wiener dog submission from last year would be the last fly fishing for dogs related T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest submission I'd ever receive. I was wrong.

This past weekend Jeff Ryan, a.k.a. "The Wiener Dog Jesus", writer of The Freshwater Fly put this Rockstar and Bud Light fueled video post together of his latest fly fishing pursuit.

Is it just me or does this dog look totally embarrassed to be involved in all of this madness?

Jeff...I guess this is what happens in Michigan when there is no snow on the ground in winter, eh? Thanks for the laugh.

Streamers 365

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I came across the Streamers365 website and was really impressed with not only the sharp looking feather-wing steamer photos but also the reason behind the website which is to raise money to benefit The Streamer List website along with a short list of conservation organizations as well.

Each day a new fly is posted which has been tied by one of a long list of tiers which are listed on the Streamers 365 webpage.

Check out the Streamers 365 website and follow along on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Schliske Bamboo Through The Fisheye

2012-01-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

Recently Matt Schliske of Schliske Bamboo has been posting some very interesting images through his social media channels using a vintage fisheye lens. I emailed him asking if he'd mind sharing the photos to the T.F.M. readership with an update as well of what he and Marquerite do during the winter to stay busy.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Matt wrote... "We've been fishing the Poudre River when time and temps allow. I'll be on the Fly Fishing Film Tour for a few dates in March probably. I am also working on some spey and saltwater hollow built rods as well as trout rods. I am also trying to do some small film projects on the side. We are also printing up some bamboo shirts and hoodies, as well as some limited edition bonefish western shirts. I am also working on some new hats and decals. We got some cane this week! I am teaching my first class this winter and am excited to teach more classes in 2012. As far as the photos I am shooting on a Canon T3i with random vintage glass I've picked up along the way."

It's just a hunch but I bet we see a couple of these images again printed on paper in a magazine.

Check out the Schliske Bamboo website to see more of their excellent work and follow on Facebook and Twitter as well.

The Patagonia Journal - Winter 2012

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

The latest issue of The Patagonia Journal went live last week and I was particularly impressed with the piece on artist Emaus Miciu Nicolaevici. Emaus is creating beautiful pieces of artwork with oil as his medium.

Along with the new issue editor Memo Stephens sent a photograph of his vehicle with a T.F.M. Retro Fly decal on the back with a short note saying "T.F.M. lives in Patagonia! Here's a shot overlooking Lago Lacar in northern Patagonia. I'll send more through the season."

Please sure to check out The Patagonia Journal.

T.F.M. Spotting - Lane's Louisiana Reds

2012-01-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

If I didn't already have a trip scheduled back to the Louisiana coast next month, I'd be really jealous of Lane Pelissier of Vermilion Bay Rod Company showing off all these fly caught redfish.

Lane sent a few T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest images to start the year off right. Extra credit points to Lane for wearing his T.F.M. t-shirt and his T.F.M. cap at the same time.

Lane...thanks for representing and I can't wait for you to show me around the marsh next month.

Simms Fishing 2012 Online Catalog

2012-01-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Simms Fishing Products 2012 online catalog went live last week and it is a mix of gear offerings for the year along with some very sharp angling images.

It is also evident that Simms has fully come out of the closet with a healthy dose of conventional angling images and content showing up in this catalog as well to further promote a few "crossover" gear selections which include the ProDry GORE-TEX Jacket and Pants.

CHECK IT.

2012 T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest

2012-01-06T08:00:00.003-05:00

I am excited to announce that Thomas & Thomas is sponsoring the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest for this year and have already two 7'6" four weight Heirloom Series fly rods to be given as prizes for the first and second place finalists. These fly rods are very special and each one has been inked in silver with "The Fiberglass Manifesto" across the blank.

The Thomas & Thomas fly rod company has a long and interesting history and I hope to tell part of their story this year through a series of posts including interviews, a look back at the fiberglass offerings from T&T, and also highlight their exciting future as well.

I want to thank Thomas & Thomas again for being a part of this year long contest on The Fiberglass Manifesto.

THE RULES:
1. To participate you must submit a photo wearing a T.F.M. t-shirt, hoodie, or cap. These photos can be fly fishing or lifestyle related. The most interesting T.F.M. Spotting posts tell a story and sending along a few other photos that help tell that story makes it even better.

2. Don't have a piece of T.F.M. apparel but want in on the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest? You can order your T.F.M. swag through the T.F.M. APPAREL page.

3. Submit your T.F.M. Spotting photo and a few lines of copy to accompany it by email.

4. I will post your T.F.M. Spotting submission on the website during the month that it was submitted.

5. There will be a monthly poll on the right side bar of the page for readers to place their vote to determine the finalist. There will be twelve finalists which will be voted on in the end to determine the top two winners. The two finalists with the highest vote counts will each receive a Heirloom Series four weight as their prize.

6. The monthly finalist will receive a Thomas & Thomas ball cap and a $25 credit towards a custom flies order from Dragonfly Angler.

With well over 1,000 pieces of T.F.M. apparel out to the masses worldwide, each having the chance to own an Heirloom Series fiberglass fly rod, there are sure to be some stellar photos submitted throughout the course of this year for this contest.

If you have any questions please send an email.

2012 Fly Fishing Film Tour

2012-01-06T07:00:00.004-05:00

The 2012 Fly Fishing Film Tour website went live yesterday with a few of the films selections already announced and the tour schedule outlined as well.

Take a few minutes to check out all the features, films, and sponsors of this year's tour.

I am excited to see that there will again be two shows on March 31st in Charleston, South Carolina, which just speaks to the popularity of the F3T that they can pack the house twice in one night.

Fly Fishing Film Tour 2012 | thef3t.com from The Fly Fishing Film Tour on Vimeo.

Where are you catching the Fly Fishing Film Tour this year?

Jeff Kennedy's Drawing Fish 52

2012-01-05T08:30:00.000-05:00

One of the most interesting parts of writing T.F.M. for the past several years has been the collaborations that have occurred along the way. One of the highlights has been working with artist Jeff Kennedy and being able to use his Retro Fly artwork on a few items of T.F.M. apparel and decals as well. The T.F.M. Retro Fly has certainly become recognizable as part of the branding of this website and I greatly appreciate Jeff giving me permission to use his artwork.

Jeff Kennedy and Jason Borger of the Fish, Flies & Water blog worked together last year on a project they called Drawing Fish 52, in which weekly they agreed on a fish species that they each would draw in thirty minutes or less with whatever medium they decided to use and then post it up on each of their websites.

Last week I traded emails with Jeff Kennedy and asked if he would answer a few questions on the Drawing Fish 52 project and give readers a heads up of what's in store for 2012. I also collected all the fish artwork that Jeff has created this year for the slideshow that accompanies this post as well.

Throughout the year with the Drawing Fish 52 project who made the decisions about what fish was next on the list and where did the inspiration come from for each fish chosen?

We alternated every week. There were a few occasions where I was overwhelmed with my full time job and Jason stepped in with the weekly suggestion. I was extremely grateful!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

What was the toughest part about keeping this project going throughout the year?

There were a few week's that my full time job was extremely demanding of my time and energy. Those week's were tough, but I found that once I laid down the first lines, I was transported into the world I enjoy, creating art. My full time jobs demands precision and logical accuracy. My artwork allows me to flow and embrace the emotions that I feel as the color dances across the surface of my paper.

What all mediums did you use during the course of this project?

My go to mediums during the project were a Sharpie pen, oatmeal colored scrapbook paper, watercolor, gouache and pastel. Gouache is essentially a watercolor with the addition of an opaque medium. Gouache was the medium of choice during the golden age of advertising illustration. You could render images quickly, because it was water based and dried quickly. What I like about gouache is that you can always come back into the image and add the whites and highlights. When working with pure watercolor you need to plan you painting in advance to allow the white of the paper to be your white. When you have thirty minutes to create your image, you do not have a lot of planning time. The combination that I felt really worked was using a Sharpie pen, a watercolor wash, gouache and pastel.

What is the focus for 2012 with your artwork? Is there another extensive project in the works?

The project for 2012 will be Drawing Flies and Fish 52. Each week we will alternate between choosing a fish, a fly or a combination of both, artist choice. As in the past, each week we will alternate who chooses which combination will be created. We may have a few weeks were we invite others to recommend the subject for that week. The rules are the same with only thirty minutes maximum from start to finish on each piece of artwork. We have had interest in others following along and painting with us. So we will be announce a week ahead so that others can join in. We are also moving from out Thursday postings to Saturday. We also plan to pull in some guest artists to join in on the fun this year. We may also look at putting together a book of images from the 2011 project.

Check out the Drawing Flies 365 website to see more of Jeff Kennedy's artwork and to follow along with the Drawing Flies and Fish 52 project too.

Graywolf Rods Busy Already In 2012

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Shane Gray of Graywolf Rods worked steadily through the holidays to not only complete a few customer orders but also worked on a few new offerings for 2012 with a ten foot two hander yellow glass prototype and a 8'3" 6/7 weight build which is offered for sale on the Graywolf Rods Blog.

10' FOUR PIECE YELLOW GLASS TWO HANDER
This glass switch rod is still in the prototype stage but Shane sent me a few text messages after casting it and said that he was more than surprised about the power that this E-Glass two hander has and easily aired out an entire fly line in his backyard.

Check out the Graywolf Rods Blog post on this build and Graywolf Rods Facebook page for more images and information.

8'3" FOUR PIECE 6/7 WEIGHT YELLOW GLASS
There are a couple new yellow glass offerings for 2012 of which the 8'3" 6/7 weight is included in list. These blanks are rolled by Mike McFarland and the action is described as progressive medium fast action with a bit more backbone than his other yellow glass offerings.

Check out the Graywolf Rods Blog post on this build and the Graywolf Rods Facebook page for more images and information. Shane is asking $555 for this build shipped worldwide.

I am constantly impressed by the work that Shane Gray is doing though there is no way that I can justify purchasing all the builds that I want...though I may be able to say that I actually need one of the ten foot switch rods when it's all dialed in and moves from prototyping to being added to the Graywolf Yellow Glass line up.

DVD Review - Tapam The Movie

2012-01-04T07:00:00.002-05:00

I've yet to have the opportunity to pursue tarpon and have always assumed that it's a game done typically from the front of a flats boat with a guide atop a poling platform calling out the shots. After watching Tapam The Movie more than a few times that notion is shattered with stunning footage of filmmakers Daniel Göz and Jan Bach Kristensen fly fishing from float tubes to very large fly eating tarpon in a remote South American location.

Tapâm - a flyfishing journey from tapamthemovie on Vimeo.

Though a short film of just thirty minutes in length, Tapam was shot and edited sharply and only the best cuts were pressed into the disc. For two fellows in float tubes they did an excellent job of capturing their experience of feeding and fighting massively sized tarpon on a variety of flies. The mobility of sitting in a float tube with fins on their feet allowed them to maneuver quickly to stay in the game against the tarpon they encountered.

If Tapam lacks anything it's telling a complete story. There isn't a lot of narrative and it would have been good to get a little deeper into Daniel and Jan's heads during this trip. I was certainly not looking for them to disclose the location as much as it would have been interesting to see more of the process of what it took to make all parts of this trip possible.

In short, Tapam is well worth owning and is half an hour of beautiful big tarpon wrecking complete havoc on fly gear that you'll likely watch over and over again.

Check out the Tapam The Movie website for more information and to order a copy for yourself.

VOTE DECEMBER'S FINALIST

2012-01-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

Just one more poll to go before all the finalists of 2011 are put into a year end poll to determine the winners of the Scott F2 and other prizes as well.

Check out the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest posts for December and place your vote.

BRANDON ROBINSON
ADAM SHINN
JOE KAYAFAS
GILLFORD SCOTT
PAUL ROSE
COY QUIBIDEAUX
AILEEN NISHIMURA ELLIS

Who's going to take it for December?

McFarland "Limited Edition" S-Glass

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Recently Mike McFarland of the McFarland Rod Company announced a "Limited Edition" run of S-Glass builds on the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum and I wanted to share it on T.F.M. as well. I've long been a fan of the blanks that McFarland Rod Company produces and the several builds that I have from him have always been worth the much longer than expected wait.

Two years ago I purchased a complete rod blank manufacturing shop. With my own equipment I can design and build new blanks more quickly than ever. Ever since I got the shop up and running, I've experimented with new tapers, materials, mandrels, and patterns. To date, some of my best new rods are S-glass designs. I use a very thin, unidirectional S-glass cloth. This material builds into amazing, long, light line fly rods, including an 8' 2 weight, an 8'3" 3 weight, an 8'8" 4 weight, and a 9'2" 5 weight. While the four tradition rod models may appear ordinary, their performance and lightness are anything but. All of the new designs are extremely light weight - even the 9'2" 5 weight three piece weighs only 3.0 ounces. These designs show modern fiberglass is more versatile than ever.

Thin, unidirectional S-glass cloth is no longer available and my dwindling supply is approaching the end of its shelf life. I decided to roll my remaining material into blanks for a "Limited Edition" rod series. I selected my most unique and best performing designs for this rod series.

Two Piece Models
7' Three Weight
7'6" Four Weight
8' Five Weight

Three Piece Models
7'6" Three Weight
8' Two Weight
8'3" Three Weight
8'8" Four Weight
9'2" Five Weight

The rod blanks are black, unsanded S-glass with a tip over butt ferrule design. Most rods will have slide band reel seats of my own signature design. The 8'8" 4 weight and 9'2" 5 weight will have downlocking, Joel Lemke, screwlock seats. All rods will have dark red wraps, chrome guides, bright hardware, and powder coated aluminum tubes with brass hardware. The two piece rods are priced at $539. The three piece rods are priced at $595.

Other than a few rods that are already complete, this rod series will be built in small batches. Because I have very little S-glass cloth remaining, I will only build approximately ten of each model. Some models will have even less. The 7' three weight for example will be limited to a total of only four rods. The first batch in production will be the 9'2" five weights. I expect to ship these in early February. The remaining models will be available through the late winter into spring. When production of a particular batch of rods begins, I will make announcements online.

To reserve a rod, simply send me an e-mail indicating what model you would like. I am not taking deposits or payments at this time, but I am accepting reservations. Only when your rod is ready to ship will I contact you to arrange payment.

I am very excited to offer these rods. They represent a lot of hard work and long hours experimenting with a seemingly endless number of prototypes. Everyone who has cast or fished these rods agrees that they are special. Because this series is so limited, I expect these rods will be some the most collectible McFarland Rod Company fly rods. I think you will enjoy them as much as I do.

A Look Forward At 2012

2012-01-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

It's just a couple days into the new year and I've been working on a list of things to do which in my mind is much different than resolutions and more about specific objectives that need to get done in 2012.

1. Spend more time outside with Hadley and Finn. Whether it's kayaking, fishing, biking, or playing in the dirt, we need to be in the woods and on the water more.

2. Create a PowerPoint presentation on fiberglass fly rods. I have several scheduled trips this year to attend and present at a conclave and a fly fishing expo with a few other invites a possibility as well. It's pretty neat to be asked and given the opportunity to spread some knowledge on fiberglass fly rods and of course there will be fly fishing involved on these trips too.

3. Post more fiberglass fly rod content on T.F.M. I am way behind on rod builder interviews and plan to get those up in short order. I also need to revamp the Rod Shops page to include the interviews and other pertinent T.F.M. posts for each fiberglass builder or rod company to be a more complete source of information.

4. Fish tenkara more. I guess I'm drawn to tenkara for a lot of the same reasons I enjoy fiberglass fly rods, which is that it's a niche within the small sport of fly fishing, and a heck of an enjoyable way to catch a fish on water big or small. Don't discount tenkara as a little stream tool only. Strangely tenkara gets the rap, much like the general perception of fiberglass fly rods, they are only for creeks and dinks. This method of angling is much more capable than most give it credit for.

5. Spend more time on the water locally. I get a bit wrapped up on planning the next trip out of town and should consider the bounty of water in my backyard...such as the family pond which is literally right out my backdoor. I also have the Saluda River and Broad River to do more exploring and fly fishing on as well.

I am really excited about the possibilities of this year and look forward to sharing many of these experiences on T.F.M. as well.

A New Home For The Single Spey

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

As happens quite often when I write a T.F.M. post about a piece of gear, I realize that I've just got to have one for my own. This happened again when I tossed up a quick post on the new reel cases offered by The Spey Company last month.

Since I had a bit extra in the PayPal account, I fell to temptation and ordered a bison leather reel case for my Single Spey Trout Reel which arrived this past weekend. It was money well spent as the quality of these fly reel cases is most excellent and a great protective fit as well.

Check out The Spey Company website for more information on their fly reels and other offerings.

November T.F.M. Spotting Finalist

2012-01-02T06:00:00.004-05:00

Well, it looks like a daddy drinking a PBR while holding his toddler equals T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest success as Joshua Mills of Chuckling Line and Chasing Tail won the November contest with relative ease. Congrats Josh.

One more month of voting and then the poll will go up to determine the 2011 T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest winners.

Look for a post later this week announcing the new 2012 T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest sponsor and prizes. It's going to be a very good year for those that represent.

A Look Back At 2011

2011-12-31T08:00:00.002-05:00

We're standing on the doorstep of another year and over the past couple days I've taken some time to look back at the past twelve months. Going through the photos it looked like I was on the water more than I thought that I was. In reality it's never really enough.

The year was summed up as one which held a lot of new experiences with new friends, new places, and new fish. It was far less about trout and much more about smallmouth bass, carp, shoal bass, bluegill, and redfish. I very much enjoyed the diversity of species caught on the fly and didn't miss the lack of trout one bit.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

What's in store for 2012? T.F.M. will continue to see daily updates since I really enjoy the process of putting content up each morning. I never for once think that I am much of a writer, or a photographer for that matter, but I do enjoy highlighting what is going on in the fiberglass fly rod realm and also reporting on my own version of what's cool in the fly fishing industry and beyond.

Plans are being made and the travel card is already filling up with a few fly fishing trips, conclaves, shows, film fests, and gatherings, so you may see T.F.M. in places that you've never seen it before.

Thanks to each of you for your readership and also the sponsors and advertisers that make all good things possible on T.F.M. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Happy New Year and I wish everyone a fish filled 2012.

Madness and Magic - The Year That Was

2011-12-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

Tim Schultz of Madness and Magic wrapped up 2011 with a slideshow of his images chronicling the year on the water and living in and around Voelker country.

Follow the Madness and Magic website on Facebook too.

T.F.M. Spotting - Hanging With The Fonz

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Aileen Nishimura Ellis sent this T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest image in posing with Henry Winkler, a.k.a. "The Fonz", at a recent book signing.

Aileen wrote... "My daughter, McKenzie, and I attended our local fly shop's book signing event for none other than Henry Winkler for his book, "I've Never Met an Idiot on the River". We were first in line!"

Aileen...cool photo and let me know how that book reads.

Simon Spreads The Glass Gospel

2011-12-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

The "Reverend" Simon Chu continues to spread the good news about fiberglass to his New Zealand brethren and sent along a few photos of their trips using his yellow staffs.

Check out more of Simon's gospel spreading in the latest issue of Fly Fishers Inc. and the Evolution Of A Flyfisher blog as well.

Can I get an Amen?

2012 Changes For Catch Magazine

2011-12-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

I just got word from Brian O'Keefe yesterday that here are some big changes in the works for Catch Magazine which start with the next issue which goes live on January 1, 2012.

These changes include a subscription fee of $12 for the year and the ability to view the magazine on all mobile devices including all Apple and Android phones and tablets. Catch Magazine will view in a larger format with enhanced navigation and videos and slideshows will fill the screen for better viewing.

It is understandable that Catch Magazine moves to a pay to view format since there are certainly costs and investments involved with producing such a high quality online magazine and I sincerely hope that the readership supports this with a purchase for the subscription. I know that I will.

Tom Pipic's F.H. Paddock Blank Build

2011-12-28T09:00:00.002-05:00

Tom Pipic, who is also known as tiptop on the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum, continues to show his excellence in rod building artistry with this build on a 7'10" F.H. Paddock blank

Tom wrote... "I was inspired by a fifty year old Wanigas bamboo rod owned by a friend of mine which was built on a PH Young Martha Marie blank. It had all black wraps and hardware and I liked the reel seat, grip shape, and winding check very much. As it turned out, I decided not to do entirely black windings, it seemed like a shame not to work with the beautiful translucent color of the blank. I did try to reproduce the shape of the rod from the forward winding check back to the reel seat. I'd never done a cone shaped check before so I was pretty much flying blind. I decided to shape the grip to the final shape including the check and then cover the cork with thread. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably turn a separate cone out of maple or some other material and use that to wind the thread onto. I had to smooth the cork with epoxy before applying thread to try to insure a smooth result. I also stepped the cork down about a half a millimeter to allow the final build of the thread and epoxy to be at the same level as the fore-grip. I think about the only advantage of doing the cone shape the way I did is that the curve of the grip flowed exactly into the curve of the cone -- it would have been hard to achieve that with a separate cone shaped check."

"I've not had the rod out on the water yet, and probably won't until late winter or spring due to nasty weather. I have done some lawn casting and I like the action a lot. I prefer it with six weight line but a double taper five weight works well too...just a bit faster with the lighter line. It's a powerful medium fast rod and I think a double taper six weight wouldn't be a problem for it."

Tom...so very classic yet built on a contemporary fiberglass blank. A perfect union.

T.F.M. Spotting - Duck Duck Goose

2011-12-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Early in the month Lane Pelissier and Coy Quibideaux went out on a waterfowl hunt and Coy was caught representing for this T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest submission while holding up the day's bounty.

Lane wrote... "Here's a picture of one of my fishing buddies, Coy Quibideaux, with a T.F.M. shirt he wore on a recent goose hunt. Geese and ducks have been a little scarce during the first split so the fact that he has some of both is good."

Quibideaux? I guess that is just a little bit Cajun, eh?

The Backcountry Journal

2011-12-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

A couple months ago Ben Smith of Arizona Wanderings decided to create a website to highlight excellence in outdoor writing by featuring both known and new writers which is called The Backcountry Journal.

The Backcountry Journal is more than just field and stream and also covers other outdoor pursuits as well. I am really impressed by the quality of work that is already showing itself with each post and expect this only to grow in quality over time.

Follow The Backcountry Journal on Facebook and Twitter too.

Graywolf Rods 805-3 Signature S-Glass

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

I obviously can't post, or even keep up lately, with every single glass build that Graywolf Rods is completing but I am especially keen on this 805-3 Signature S-Glass build since the orange silk wraps look so neat on the tea colored fiberglass blank (both before and after varnish) and the agate striping guide is the perfect color match as well to the thread color.

Shane Gray just placed another Signature S-Glass blank order and most of those are already spoken for by customers for future builds.

I've been patiently waiting to place my own order for an 805-3 S- Glass until I see the alternate blank color choice that Shane has in the works but this build might have changed my mind.

View more images of this build on the Graywolf Rods Blog and Facebook page.

Topo Designs Accessory Bags

2011-12-26T08:30:00.001-05:00

There is no denying that I am a bit of a neat freak, bordering on O.C.D., when it comes to keeping my fly fishing gear organized. It just makes everything so much easier if I know where it is.

After years of wasted ziplock bags I finally found a set of fabric bags from Topo Designs which will be a big help in keeping items where they are supposed to be in my packs and gear bags.

The Topo Designs Accessory Bags come in three useable sizes and in a mix of different color combinations. I opted for the set of three for $40, which aren't a bargain, but these will last near forever.

Topo Designs uses high quality and durable fabrics in their gear and all items are made in Colorado.

Check out the Topo Design website for more information and to see their other offerings. The Mini Mountain Bag is next on my purchase list.

A Couple Days In The Lowcountry

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month David Grossman and Steven Seinberg from Southern Culture On The Fly decided to make the trip from Asheville to Charleston for a couple of days looking for redfish in the marsh. While there they linked up with the fellows from Lowcountry Fly Shop, Captain Paul Rose, and Mike Benson a.k.a. Mad Mike.

Even though they had stacked the deck with guides and boats, they only lucked into one small redfish over the two days. In short the conditions were tough but Steven returned with a stack of digital images including a couple neat T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest snaps as well.

Gifford Scott getting work done at Lowcountry Fly Shop.

Captain Paul Rose representing while in the skinny water.

Check out the SCOF blog post for more images from this trip.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T06:30:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note hoping that you are spending quality time with your family and friends on this holiday.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

A TURD FER YER STOCKING

2011-12-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

LO FI FLY says Merry Christmas and scrambles up all their late summer footage for this stellar video.

TURD FER YER STOCKING from LO FI FLY on Vimeo.

Mucho respeck indeed.

Shawn's iPad Art

2011-12-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

Shawn Bichsel of Lines In The Dirt blog has been messing around with Autodesk SketchBook Pro on his iPad and took an image from my recent kayak redfish trip to the coast and created a piece of artwork from it.

Looking pretty damn good for Shawn doing this with his finger.

Check out more of Shawn's art in his latest Lines In The Dirt blog post.

Reverb

2011-12-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Third Year Fly Fisher's latest film in the works is called Reverb and is a mix of old school Chicago punk rock and fly fishing the Driftless area of Wisconsin.

A seventeen minute version of Reverb has been accepted for the 2012 Fly Fishing Film Tour with DVD's hopefully available early in 2012.

If the first three trailers that I've seen are any indication, the next F3T would appear to be less about fish porn and more about the soulful experience of fly fishing.

Field & Stream's The Honest Angler Blog did a short interview with Robert Thompson of Third Year Fly Fisher and it's worth a read for more background on his new film.

Tenkara USA Booklet Now Online

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago a little square booklet arrived from Tenkara USA which is packed with all the best knowledge on this fly fishing technique and also has some very excellent images as well.

In a time when everything is online, Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA decided to put something real into the hands of everyone in their database. Daniel is now offering this same booklet in digital form. Click "Expand" to view.

Open publication - Free publishing - More backpacking

All truth told, if I wasn't such a glass geek then I'd be all over tenkara. It is a wonderful way to fly fish and as time goes on devotees will continue to push the envelope and show that this technique has more application than just on tiny water looking for little trout.

Black Bear Fly Fishing Pack Rod

2011-12-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

I am always looking for new and interesting fiberglass fly rods and was tipped off on an offering from Black Bear Fly Fishing of a 6'6" eight piece 2/3 weight Pack Travel Rod that is surprisingly priced at $100.

I am hoping to demo and review one of these early next year and it's great to see yet another economy priced fiberglass fly rod on the market.

This little pack rod scores extra credit points for being small enough to fit in your back pants pocket since when this eight piecer is broken down it measures only eleven inches.

Check out the Black Bear Fly Fishing website for more information.

Glass Horizons

2011-12-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

Adam Tsaloff is a chino wearing (he doesn't have a single pair of jeans in his closet) certified fiberglass and bamboo addict, and after spending a few days fishing with him this past summer in a few of his haunts, including Voelker's Pond, I had the chance to get inside his world a bit.

Being the grandson of writer John Voelker, Adam had a very early exposure to fly fishing and over the years has fine tuned what he really enjoys in a fly rod. Adam sent along this excellent write up explaining his attraction to long length fiberglass, especially the new S-Glass blanks that Mike McFarland of McFarland Rods has begun offering.

Long light line fly rods have, for many years been the territory of graphite. When you think of a 9’ four or five weight rod you think about the standard bread and butter rods of the large fly rod companies. This is about to change at least in the small enclave of slower action fly rod addicts that tune into T.F.M. and other sites devoted to the non-graphite lifestyle.

Fiberglass rods in trout line weights longer than eight feet are nothing new. Scott Fly Rod Company had models at 8’3” for 5WF back in the day and Cortland has, for years, offered an 8’6” four weight. My all-time favorite bluegill rod is the incredibly weepy South Fork Rod Company Classic Series 9' five weight. To have a bull bluegill put an arcing bend in that rod is a Right of Spring the memory of which helps get me through the long cold Northern Michigan winter.

But recently, Mike McFarland has come out with a series of S-Glass rods, a few of which are changing the game on what I thought was possible with a rod made of glass. He created the first 8’ two weight rod, which is a surprisingly efficient fishing tool in a variety of stream and river situations. But the rods that really caught my attention were his 9’2” five weight and his new 8’8” four weight. I have been bugging Mike for a few years to make a long four weight for our beaver pond in Michigan’s U.P., but the rod he sent me last month was way more than I had ever imagined a glass rod could be.

Last spring at Michigan’s big fly fishing expo down in the Detroit area, I caught up with Mike at his booth and the first rod he handed me was his new 9’2” five weight. I took it to the casting pond and was shocked at the power found in this rod. As I cast, the rod kept pleading for more line until I blasted out a 90’ cast that frightened me. The guys on either side of me turned in unison and asked “What rod is that!” I walked back to Mike and he grinned, “I thought you would like that one, I made it with you in mind." He knows I have a penchant for deeply loading rods. Needless to say, I bought the rod immediately, so as not to let anyone else cast my new best friend.

The 9’2” five weight rod and Mike’s newest rod in the series, the 8’8” four weight are deeply loading rods medium in action. They are, however, not noodles by any stretch of the imagination. Both are crisp and very smooth rods full of sophistication. They have the greatest feeling of sensual power when loading and unloading of any traditional action glass rod I have cast. It is a feeling usually reserved for parabolic or semi-parabolic rods from cane masters like Summers and Wojnicki. I warn you, these rods are hard to put down. They stroke the ego like few others. Mike likes the Triangle taper lines, and I have found supple four and five weight forward lines respectively work well for me.

Imagine a glass rod that can throw a four weight forward line 80’ with touch and accuracy without any gyrations or heroics on your part. A Spring Creek dream rod wouldn’t you say? These rods would be fantastic for any still water or slow water situation. They are perfect for swimming flies like John Wood’s Film Star and Aw Shucks in the surface film, handling long fine tippets needed for these presentations with ease. The rods are tremendous roll casting rods, as well. I used the 9’2” rod last summer at our pond and roll cast 65’ with a five weight forward line, and I’m sure that a Triangle taper line would add ten feet. The length of these rods also is great for mending, and on smaller streams even dapping. I plan to use the four weight rod next season on a small stream I know of where a series of beaver dams are connected by deep narrow stretches of water we call “the trenches”. It is where the big brook trout live. Casting is difficult because I will be up to my wader tops in water. The extra length of the rod will help keep my casts above the dense stream side brush that makes creeping along the bank impossible.

As classic action rod fanatics we are living in a golden age of invention in rod building. Builders like McFarland, Kabuto, Larry Kenney and their fiberglass brethren, experimenting with materials, and the likes of Wojnicki, Branden, the Boo Boys and other innovative bamboo makers experimenting with hollow building and straying from traditional hexagonal wall shapes, are finding new and until recently thought impossible tapers. I hope that you are supporting inventive makers. If you do they will help give your fishing a boost in the enjoyment department. Life is short and you can’t take it with you. Remember, as my Grandpa always said, the fisherman that is having the most fun is the best fisherman.

(Special thanks to Tim Schultz of Madness and Magic for providing the photographs for this post.)

Give The Gift Of Stream Explorers

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Looking for that last minute gift idea for a young angler on your gift list? How about give the gift of Stream Explorers?

Stream Explorers is Trout Unlimited's youth geared program and besides access to the interactive website, youth members also receive four issues of the Stream Explorers magazine, TU calendar, official TU membership card, and sticker. The price for a membership is $12.

For $24 your child's membership can also include a copy of Tyler Befus's A Kid's Guide To Fly Fishing or Mel Krieger's Beginnings: An Introduction To Fly Fishing DVD.

Check out the Stream Explorers website for more information.

2012 T.F.M. Apparel Artwork

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last August while at IFTD, Paul Puckett of Flood Tide Co. and I had a conversation at his booth and within five minutes a few things were quickly ironed out. He agreed to be the artist for the 2012 T.F.M. apparel items and that he would do two pieces of artwork as well so there would be a coldwater and saltwater choice.

There are some fish that are forever etched into my mind and the twenty inch dry fly eating Bonneville Cutthroat that I caught a few years ago in Wyoming is still seared into my memory. Paul took a few photographs of this trout and did an excellent job of recreating it with ink.

It's no secret that the redfish curse had been tough to break but I had enough faith in a few trips which were lined up for this past fall to ask Paul to provide artwork of a redfish for the saltwater apparel choice. Paul's redfish face bears a striking resemblance to the first redfish that I caught a couple months ago and really looks stellar screened on the back of the T.F.M. t-shirt.

The first batch of 2012 "prototype" t-shirts arrived yesterday and they look great. For the first couple orders I'll only be offering the shirts in black but hope to add a couple other color choices early next year. I am also very close to offering a couple technical shirt choices as well.

The T.F.M. t-shirts are priced at $20 for a short sleeve and $24 for a long sleeve with $4 shipping for one item and free shipping if multiple pieces of apparel are ordered.

I am also offering black hoodies made with either the Cutthroat or Redfish artwork if there is interest. T.F.M. hoodies are priced at $36.

Please send an email to place an order or if you have questions. The next order goes to the printer the first week of January with delivery around the middle of the month.

Special thanks to Paul Puckett for providing the artwork for next year's apparel pieces. I am very excited about both of them.

Breathe.

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

The refreshed Imago Fly Fishing website went live this week and with it the trailer for Breathe.

Breathe. Presented by Imago Fly Fishing. from Imago Fly Fishing on Vimeo.

Breathe. is a film project by RC Cone and will be featured on the Rise Fly Fishing Film Festival. I am looking forward to seeing the full cut film in the coming months.

Indi River Rods

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

A few months ago Callum Ross of Indi River Rods emailed to say that he was working on a new website and that he was intending to start building more on fiberglass blanks.

Callum is based in Australia and though much of his experience is with bamboo, he is starting to build on a few fiberglass blanks from the U.S. and Japan as well.

Check out the Indi River Rods website and blog for more information and updates on what he's working on at the shop.

Callum's photography is most excellent and his builds, both fiberglass and bamboo, are very well done.

T.F.M. Spotting - Grizzly Joe

2011-12-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

Late last month Joe Kayafas of the Troutman blog met up with Lucas Carroll and Brian Bradfield and spent a cold afternoon fly fishing a local tributary. Lucky for Joe, he's already sporting his "winter coat" with full beard to stay warm.

Included in these images from the lens of Lucas Carroll is a T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest submission with Joe in happy face. Nice work.

It's hard to be to upset with the onset of winter in New York when you have fly fishing for big browns and steelhead to mix it up with.

JP's Last Weekend Before Christmas

2011-12-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

Jordan Ross of JP Ross Fly Rod & Co. spent this past weekend at his cabin and was struck with a bit of "spirited" inspiration before bed which he shares in this post.

Jordan Ross wrote...

"It's the last weekend before Christmas, and I still have over a dozen rods to ship out tomorrow for last minute orders that came through. So after the last one was epoxied, I sat in the Cabin with Montana and Patton, listening to Jimmy Buffet. I could not go in just yet. There still was something left I had to do...something creative. So I grabbed a glass and poured a pinch of creative goodness and started working on The Fiberglass Manifesto rod case cap.

Trying to make a theme rod for Cameron is a lot of fun, especially when you have a Facebook following and a website like he does. Everyone loves giving their opinion about what should go on The Fiberglass Manifesto Eagle Creek Special. But many people do not realize that this is what we have been doing for fifteen years. I started JP Ross Fly Rod & Co. before I could legally drink that glass of scotch I just poured. For over a decade we have been making corporate theme rods for people, just like this one, except this one is a bit more special, because its glass."

"I enjoy making this rod for Cameron for two reasons, it's fun to do for a nice guy like him, and its probably one of the last fiberglass rods I will be making.

The influx of fiberglass fly rod makers to the scene has really taken the wind out of my sales with glass. There are so many new makers that I probably will go back to my strong suit and make quality graphite small stream rods. Kabuto Rods and Scott Fly Rod Company in my opinion are the leaders, and I tip my hat to them. I wish Tom Dorsey at Thomas & Thomas would push his designs more. He is a great guy and a terrific designer. As for me? The Reuben Wood was my biggest achievement for the glass market. No one had the guts to put a silver ferrule on a glass rod, but we did. To me the Reuben Wood is a testament to old world glass. Probably like Cameron, I had been fishing glass fly rods for many many years before the glass boom he pretty much created. Fenwick and Garcia were by far my favorites, and still are. All with metal ferrules.

So as the temp dips down some more, and the glass of Johnny Walker Blue Label begins to evaporate into my throat, I put the finishing touches on this quaint case cap. I hope that Cameron gets as much enjoyment out of this rod as I have gotten from making it.

More to come. This week I wrap it with silk."

Look for more updates on the T.F.M. Eagle Creek Special build as it comes together.

I really appreciate how much time and consideration that Jordan is putting into this build and I look forward to seeing it continue to come together step by step.

Scale Magazine - No. 3

2011-12-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

This issue of Scale Magazine has been out for a couple weeks now but still worth a look if you haven't checked it out yet.

The Northern Lights piece, which was shot in Norway, is well worth flipping through to the near end of the magazine to get to and there is a lot of fly and spin fishing in between worthy of a look.

Graywolf Rods Signature S-Glass Order

2011-12-18T10:00:00.002-05:00

Shane Gray of Graywolf Rods is preparing to make another order of his Signature S-Glass blanks and is taking only three more pre-orders with a deposit of $150.00.

The Signature S-Glass blanks are available as eight foot two weight or five weight three piece blanks. The blank color is translucent tea, which is brownish red, and the blanks are sanded with a high gloss finish. Shane describes the taper as medium action with a progressive taper.

If you are interested in securing one of the last three builds on the Signature S-Glass blanks please contact Shane by email.

12 Days Of Christmas Finished

2011-12-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

As of this morning I am still getting quite a few emails about the 12 Days Of Christmas and just wanted to let everyone know that the gear giveaway is finished. Maybe next year I'll have to extend it until Christmas.

I want to thank everyone who participated by sending emails in each day. Over the course of the twelve days there were over 6,800 emails sent in, which is far more than I expected, and I was glad to have fifty excellent prizes to hand out.

Lastly, thanks to the seventeen gear sponsors that made this even possible. It was a lot of fun to give some of my favorite pieces of gear away daily and there was certainly enough interest to make it possible to do something like this again next year.

BioLite CampStove

2011-12-17T07:00:00.005-05:00

Last weekend a good friend tipped me off on the BioLite CampStove and I am interested in this concept of part stove and part recharge station for gadgets and as a power source for an LED light.

I am also really impressed that their idea goes beyond "glamping" as they are working on safe cooking alternatives and in the process creating electricity for those without.

Introducing the new BioLite CampStove - Reserve now! from BioLite on Vimeo.

I am on the reserve list and look forward to giving the BioLite CampStove a try when it becomes available.

Check out the BioLite website for more information and follow along for updates on Facebook and Twitter as well.

A Tight Loop - December 2011

2011-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

The December 2011 issue of A Tight Loop went live this past week and is a mix of Christmas gift ideas and gear reviews.

The new issue is worth a look especially if you're stumped on what to give that fellow fly angler on your gift shopping list.

12 DAYS - Cabela's C.G.R. Fly Rods

2011-12-16T08:30:00.002-05:00

PLEASE NOTE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS tfmcontests@gmail.com.

Today marks the end of the 12 Days Of Christmas posts and what started with the giveaway of a couple fiberglass fly rods ends today with four Cabela's C.G.R. fiberglass fly rods to be given away as prizes.

I spent more time with the Cabela's C.G.R. fly rods this past year than anything else in the rod basket in preparation of writing the review on the full series and then also because I just liked fishing with them. The 7/8 weight model became my go to kayak bass fly rod and I'm going to put a redfish on it before to long as well.

Please check out the full review of the C.G.R. fly rods but the crib notes version is that they are a lot of fly rod for $100 from the models offered, the quality and details in each one, and then how nice each of these fly rods casts. They are well worth the asking price and a great fly rod choice for the dedicated "glass geek" or someone that has always wondered what fiberglass is like.

T.F.M. CABELA'S C.G.R. SERIES REVIEW

THE GIVEAWAY
For today's giveaway Cabela's is giving away four of the C.G.R. fiberglass fly rods with the winners choosing the model of their choice from the five fly rods offered.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com. You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received. Only one email per person please. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNERS
There were over 600 emails sent in yesterday and the random number generator picked four random winners who are Daniel Byrne, Stephen Rodriguez, Jeff McElravy Sr., and Greg Mitchell. Congrats.

Agate Guide - Darker Or Lighter?

2011-12-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

The Eagle Creek Special yellow fiberglass fly rod build continues in the JP Ross Fly Rods & Co. shop and yesterday he posted up a photo on the T.F.M. Facebook page asking for opinions on whether he should use the darker or the lighter agate stripping guide.

I could go either way with the agate guide. I like the darker for contrast and the lighter for match with the blank. I'll look forward to whatever Jordan sees as the perfect fit for this build.

Leave a comment here to let Jordan know which agate stripper you think he should use and follow along the T.F.M. build on the JP Ross Fly Rods & Co. website.

12 DAYS - RIO Products/Sage

2011-12-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

PLEASE NOTE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS tfmcontests@gmail.com.

The 12 Days Of Christmas are quickly wrapping up and today features prizes from RIO Products and Sage with of a few pieces of fine gear including an "almost new" fly reel.

RIO PRODUCTS TROUT LT FLY LINES
The Trout LT fly lines are billed as a technical trout anglers dream line and I agree with these attributes. These fly line shine with dry flies, emergers, soft hackles, and even with small nymphs and are one of the few fly lines in the industry that are available in both Weight Forward and my personal preference of Double Taper.

I've been using a couple Trout LT fly lines and found that they can really do well on light line fiberglass fly rods. I found these fly lines to be an excellent presentation fly line and one I'd fully recommend to spring creek and small water anglers.

The Trout LT fly lines are offered in line weights 000 to seven weight and priced at $75 each.

Check the RIO Products website for more information to to order.

SAGE CLICK IV FLY REEL
Of everything that has been won and given away during the 12 Days Of Christmas gear giveaway, the Sage Click IV fly reel is the only item that has been carefully used. I fished with the Click IV a few times this fall and had a great time with what I consider an "undercover clicker".

Most of the fly reels in my collection are vintage click and pawl models and when they sing...they really sing. The Click fly reel however follows the design lines of the the rest of the Sage line up and unless you really give a look to the mechanics, you might not realize that you're looking at a new school clicker. When a big fish runs the audible sound from the reel is toned down and controlled and the function of the clicker against the inner rim of the reel spool is flawless. The click and pawl of this fly reel works great and looks great too.

The Click IV is a great choice for fans of a click and pawl drag system but who still want modern styling in their fly reel. The Click fly reel series is available in four sizes to cover line weights from 00 to five weight and priced from $280 to $320.

Check out the Sage website for more information.

THE GIVEAWAY
For today's giveaway RIO Products is giving away two of their Trout LT fly lines and Sage is giving a Click IV fly reel.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com. You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received. Only one email per person please. All emails must be received by midnight tonight to qualify for this gear giveaway. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNERS

There were over 700 emails sent in yesterday and the random number generator gave up three numbers this morning picking winners Shawn Bichsel, Bob Meacham, and Terry Greiner.

Shawn Bichsel won the Sage Click IV fly reel and Bob Meacham and Terry Greiner both won a new RIO Products Trout LT fly line. Congrats.

Support Free Fly - Get A Free Cap

2011-12-15T08:00:00.002-05:00

This is pretty simple... Make a purchase from Free Fly between now and December 19th and you'll receive a Free Fly cap with your purchase.

Take a few minutes and check out the Free Fly Apparel offerings along with their Giving page as well. Free Fly is committing a portion of their profits to Water Missions International to help make a difference in the availability of clean water to those in need.

I have been wearing a Black Bamboo Tech Longsleeve for the past couple weeks and it's a great choice as base layer for winter angling but moisture wicking as well for when it warms up.

Check out the Free Fly website to check out their wares and to place an order.

12 DAYS - Howler Brothers

2011-12-14T06:30:00.003-05:00

PLEASE NOTE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS tfmcontests@gmail.com.

Early this year I was tipped off on the soon to be launch of Howler Brothers and through a series of emails, perusing the website, meeting the fellows at IFTD, and then wearing some of their gear for the past nine months, I have became pretty well versed in what this new apparel company was up to and where they want to go.

The genesis in the Howler Brothers style is essentially a mix of one parts fly fishing, surf, and paddling culture tossed into a creative blender and out of that comes well done designs of comfortable wares made with high quality fabrics.

I am especially fond of the Aransas Shirt which I wore both color choices all summer long and found it as fit for a day of fly fishing as it is for a night out. The microfiber fabric welt pocket is a neat touch and handy for keeping the lens of my sunglasses clean. This shirt has a slightly fitted cut so order a size up if you're worried about which size to go with.

The Loggerhead Longsleeve has become a favorite technical shirt to use when out on the water to stay sun free as well. Relaxed fit with a lot of touches that similar type shirts do not have such as the two-button collar, thumb holes at the cuffs, and a mini stash pocket lined with microfiber.

Check out the Howler Brothers website and remember to use the discount code "ANNIVERSARY" to receive 25% off your purchase now through December 21st. They are offering free shipping on all orders through December 25th. Lastly, be sure to check out the Web Specials page too.

THE GIVEAWAY
For today's giveaway Howler Brothers is giving up three $25 gift certificates redeemable on their website.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com. You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received. Only one email per person please. All emails must be received by midnight tonight to qualify for this gear giveaway. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNERS
There were over 525 emails sent in for the Howler Brothers gift certificates and the random number generator has picked Beau Hill, Michael Simmons, and Sean Golden as the winners. Congrats.

The Spey Company Reel Cases

2011-12-14T06:15:00.000-05:00

The Spey Company reel owners will be happy to know that Tm Pantzlaff has begun offering premium fly reel cases, available in two sizes, to protect and compliment their T.S.C. fly reels.

These high quality fly reel cases are made from bison leather and are priced at $70 in size medium or $80 in size large.

My Christmas List is getting longer each day since I really would like one to keep my Single Spey Trout Reel safe.

Contact Tim Pantzlaff at The Spey Company to place your order for a fly reel, reel case, or both.

T.F.M. Spotting - Backpacker For iPad

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Extra credit points go to Adam Shinn for representing in his T.F.M. t-shirt on a recent video shoot for the intro of the Backpacker Magazine iPad edition.

Well done T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest entry and now I want to hear more about that grizzly bear encounter.

12 DAYS - Fishpond/Redington

2011-12-13T08:00:00.004-05:00

PLEASE NOTE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS tfmcontests@gmail.com.

Today's gear giveaways are a mix of items that my wife and I have had a chance to field test all summer and then one that I hope to use and review in the coming year.

FISHPOND NIMBUS GUIDE PACK
A couple weeks before IFTD I received an email with a breakdown of new products for 2012 from Fishpond and the item that stuck out was the Nimbus Guide Pack. While at the industry show I put hands on the Nimbus Guide Pack and was even more impressed. The Nimbus Guide Pack uses a new lightweight recycled fabric called CYCLEPOND and is large enough to hold fly gear, two large water bottles, and even have room left for a DSLR camera and maybe a second lens too. This large hip pack can be slung with a comfortable shoulder strap and the hip straps are ventilated as well. The Nimbus Guide Pack is priced right at $109 and should be available in early 2012 for purchase.

REDINGTON TECHNICAL SHIRTS
We spent a lot of time in the pool and in the kayaks this summer and I more or less lived in my Redington long sleeve Lost River Tee for the past six months. The Lost River Tee is lightweight, UPF 30+, and has a relaxed fit. The Lost River Tee can be worn for sun protection or as a cold weather layer as well. A lot of function in a single shirt.

Mrs. Manifesto has been wearing a long sleeve Chelan Tee on paddle trips and is likewise impressed. The Chelan Tee fits great and the finger loops on each sleeve keep the shirt in place across the top of her hands for excellent sun protection.

Check out the Redington website for great choices in fly fishing gear, waders, and apparel. I have been very impressed with the offerings that Redington has released over the last couple of years and their focus on keeping fly fishing fun and affordable.

THE GIVEAWAY
Fishpond and Redington have provided three prizes for today's gear giveaway with a Nimbus Guide Pack, a long sleeve Lost River Tee and a long sleeve Chelan Tee.

A T.F.M. reader will be one of the first to have a Nimbus Guide Pack from this drawing and may have to wait a few weeks before it is shipped. One male and one female winner will be chosen for the technical long sleeve shirts as well.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com. You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received. Only one email per person please. All emails must be received by midnight tonight to qualify for this gear giveaway. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNERS
Almost 600 emails were sent in yesterday and the random number generator chose Greg Papazian, Mindy Marcum, and Cody Melchior as winners.

Greg Papzian has won the Fishpond Nimbus Guide Pack, Mindy Marcum the Chelan Tee, and Cody Melchior the Lost River Tee. Congrats.

The Fly Photo - Seychelles

2011-12-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

Matt Jones of The Fly Photo just got back from the Seychelles and first on his to do list was to knock out an issue of his flip page style newsletter with images from his trip.

Unreal images and Matt is certainly making best use of his underwater camera housing.

Tailing parrotfish, GT's, and bonefish? Yes. Check it.

12 DAYS - S.A. Mastery Textured Lines

2011-12-12T08:00:00.003-05:00

PLEASE NOTE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS tfmcontests@gmail.com.

We are living in a time where fly lines have more research and development and technology in them than ever before. You can still find a simple general purpose fly line but you're more likely to come across a wall of fly lines at your local fly shop that have been fine tuned to shine in specific water types and temperatures as well as casting flies to certain fish species. It can be mind boggling for sure.

For over the past year and a half I have been using several of the Scientific Anglers Mastery Textured fly lines on several of my fiberglass fly rods and been nothing but impressed. The Mastery Textured fly lines have a lot of the positive attributes of the Sharkskin Series fly lines for casting distance and slickness through the guides, priced a twenty spot less, and offered in a wide range choices.

I have been especially impressed with the Nymph/Indicator and Saltwater Taper fly lines and just started using the new Trout Stalker since getting handed a four weight line at IFTD in August.

The Nymph/Indicator fly line is great for bombing out big casts with big flies and really shone this summer while fishing around Beaver Island for smallmouth hucking big bugger patterns on my Steffen 5/6 weight.

The Saltwater Taper fly line has worked perfectly on my Steffen 8/9 weight casting weighted and unweighted flies in short and out long. A lot of lawn casting and a couple redfish trips have me liking this fly line a lot.

I haven't had a lot of time to fish the new Trout Stalker fly line but have it paired with my Kabuto Rods 7643 and noticed it casts with a very delicate delivery on the water and looks to be a great technical trout fly line.

For those interested, Scientific Anglers is offering a holiday promotion that is well worth checking out with $25 off a $150 purchase and $50 off a purchase of $300 or more. A good way to stock up on a few fly lines for the coming year.

THE GIVEAWAY
Scientific Anglers came in big for today's giveaway and has provided six Mastery Textured fly lines to give away to six lucky winners. I have two of the Trout Stalker lines in four weight, two of the Indicator/Nymph lines in six weight, and then two of the Saltwater Taper lines in eight weight to give away today.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com. You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received. Only one email per person please. All emails must be received by midnight tonight to qualify for this gear giveaway. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNERS
Almost 600 emails were sent in for this giveaway and the random number generator chose Jim Jenkins, Brent Wilson, Dave Stefanini, Lane Pelissier, Lucas Snipes, and Ed Davidson as the Mastery Textured fly line winners. Congrats.

Sipping Dry Trailer

2011-12-12T06:30:00.000-05:00

I am starting to look forward to the Fly Fishing Film Tour again and trailers are starting to leak out for accepted submissions for next year's show including this cut by Sharptail Media called Sipping Dry.

Sipping Dry trailer from Sharptail Media on Vimeo.

It's neat to see that the fellows at Headhunters Fly Shop are getting some face time in this film.

GreenFish CPR Mount

2011-12-12T06:00:00.003-05:00

There are a few things I'd like for Christmas and a GoPro HD HERO2 tops my list followed by some other camera gear including the new CPR Mount offered by GreenFish.

The CPR Mount would be great to use in the kayak and the flexible arm looks to work pretty slick for changing camera positions on the fly.

Check out the GreenFish website and please know that a portion of all purchases go to one of four charities that support sustainable fishing.

12 DAYS - Mooseknuckle/SmithFly

2011-12-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

PLEASE NOTE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS tfmcontests@gmail.com.

There are few things that I've enjoyed as much with writing T.F.M. than finding new gear companies with good ideas and help give them some exposure with a post or review. It's neat to have two relatively new companies paired up today with MooseKnuckle Lanyards and SmithFly providing gear for today's giveaway.

MOOSEKNUCKLE LANYARDS
There are a lot of lanyards options out on the market now but Jeremy Barnes of MooseKnuckle Lanyards decided to build a better lanyard and in my mind he has.

Each MooseKnuckle Lanyard is handmade in North Carolina of Type III Para Cord, with high density foam neck padding, spacers made of metal, carbon fiber, or fiberglass, break away safety clasp, and a unique Quick Adjust System for best fit.

Great product, made in the U.S.A., and priced right as well.

Jeremy...a Universal Tippet Caddy is on my Christmas List. Hint...hint...

Check out the "Limited Edition" Fiberglass Lanyard that I've been using for the past several months, along with the MooseKnuckle Lanyards website.

Follow MooseKnuckle Lanyards is on all the social media spots as well.

SMITHFLY
A couple weeks before IFTD in New Orleans, Ethan Smith of SmithFly started hinting online that he had a new gear company in the works and really kept it all under wraps until the show. While at IFTD I had the chance to talk with Ethan several times and get shown the SmithFly modular gear offerings. Essentially the SmithFly system allows anglers to customize the Vest, Switch Belt, or Boat Bag with an assortment of add on pouches in a couple sizes or the handy El Poquito too.

The El Poquito can be used with the SmithFly system or worn alone and is designed to keep your hemostats, pliers, or release tool in place as well as a retractor or curly cord to hold your nippers. The El Poquito is held in place on your waist band or pocket by magnetic strap on the backside of pouch. Genius idea.

I have a El Poquito with mechanical retractor which holds a Rising Special Blend Lippa4Life and Abel Nippers. I added a Rising Coil Leash to keep the release tool secure. I've been wearing this for the past several months when in the kayak or boat for warmwater and saltwater trips and it works great.

The El Poquito is priced right at $29 and would make a great stocking stuffer or present this Christmas for the fly angler who that he had it all already.

Check out the well done review that Deneki Outdoors posted last week on the SmithFly modular gear system.

THE GIVEAWAY

Mooseknuckle Lanyards and SmithFly have offered up four prizes to give away with two lanyards and two El Poquitos up for grabs today.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com. You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received. Only one email per person please. All emails must be received by midnight tonight to qualify for this gear giveaway. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNERS
Over 450 emails were sent in yesterday and the random number generator chose winners of two lanyards and two El Poquito's. The winners are Joseph Moravec, Stephen Piper, Jory Ward, and Joe Sprys. Congrats.

Graywolf Rods Switch Rod Project

2011-12-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Shane Gray of Graywolf Rods has begun work, which may also involve a fair bit of R&D before it's ready for full production, on a yellow glass 10' switch rod project.

Once this blank is dialed in it will be great for glass geeks to have yet another fiberglass switch or spey choice for big fish and big water angling.

Shane called me yesterday right before turning the cork and was a bit nervous since it maxed out his lathe and this grip involves over $70 of cork, which is quite an investment not to get right the first time.

Shane's been thinking about this switch rod project for some time and even had Joel Lemke create a reel seat that is threaded on both sides so that the fly reel can be moved several inches forward to back for the most fine tuned fit for the rod. It's these innovations that separate builders like Graywolf Rods from others.

This rod should be finished soon but may take some time before is ready for sale. Shane's going to have to work this one over with a few different fly lines and head systems to figure out what will work best on this blank in casting flies and make adjustments to the blank as needed for the next run.

Check out more photos and information on the switch rod project on the Graywolf Rods Blog and Facebook page too.

12 DAYS - Blue RIver Fly Company

2011-12-10T07:00:00.005-05:00

PLEASE NOTE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS tfmcontests@gmail.com.

For over the past year the Blue River Fly Company has been a great supporter of the T.F.M. website and has provided gear for several promotions. Jason Adams from Blue River Fly Company is always looking for new items to carry in this online fly shop and already carries gear from Idylwilde Flies, Umpqua, Wheatley, Develo, and Loon Outdoors. Look for these offerings to expand in the coming year with new brands and new gear.

For several months now I have been using several of the Umpqua UPG fly boxes and been very impressed. The UPG fly boxes are durable, well laid out, and the bright primary colors make them easy to recognize which one is which in the gear bag or backpack. The foam slits are cut in such a way that on most of the boxes you can arrange flies in several different configurations depending on the number of or the size of the flies that you are storing.

Develo Flies is a very interesting company and their social initiatives make them stand out for doing good to help others. Essentially for every tin of flies sold it provides clean drinking for one person for an entire year in a developing country. How cool is that?

Check out the Blue River Fly Company website for all your fly angler Christmas present needs. Use discount code "TFMXMAS" to receive 20% OFF your online order.

THE GIVEAWAY
The Blue River Fly Company has provided two prize packages for today which includes a size medium Umpqua UPG fly box and two tins of Develo Flies collections each.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com. You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received. Only one email per person please. All emails must be received by midnight tonight to qualify for this gear giveaway. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNER
Over 450 emails were received for the giveaway and the random number generator chose Adam Bergan and Bob Williams for the two prizes. Congrats.

T.F.M. DECAL OVERSTOCK SALE

2011-12-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I received a box in the mail with an order of T.F.M. Retro Fly decals along with a few stacks of overstock decals that Boneyard Fly Gear had been holding on to.

So...their overstock is now my overstock and I need to move a few T.F.M. decals to fund a couple other projects that are in the works.

Starting today and going until I starting running low on decals, I am offering all T.F.M. decals for $2 a piece.

I will also include several T.F.M. logo decals along with a Boneyard Fly Gear decal with your order.

Check out the T.F.M. Decals page to see all the offerings. Please send an email to place your order. I can take PayPal, check, or money order.

As always, thank you for representing T.F.M. and the support as well.

12 DAYS - Costa Sunglasses

2011-12-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW tfmcontests@gmail.com.

What started with a pair of demo Costa Zane 580's has turned into a small collection of Costa sunglasses bordering on addiction. I really like my Costa's a lot and they are steps ahead of anything else that I've ever worn. It didn't take to long and I had Mrs. Manifesto in them as well which has got her thinking she needs a new pair of Hammock's for Christmas. (This post is a good reminder that I need to get those ordered...)

580 VS. 580P
After having worn Costa sunglasses that have both the 580 glass polarized lenses and the 580P polycarbonate polarized lenses, I have to say that the glass lenses do have a bit more clarity over the polycarbonate. The downside with the glass lenses is that the sunglasses are noticeably heavier and glass is priced at a premium as well. For my money I'm more than happy with the 580P lenses. I can see in water that I never have before and I am learning that these glasses give quite an advantage when sight fishing. Last weekend I was able to see redfish on the flats and in creeks that I really think would have been impossible without these sunglasses.

A good pair of polarized shades are a must for anglers and you can't get better than Costa sunglasses.

Check out the new interactive Costa website for more information and to pick out your next pair of sunglasses. The new website allows you to pick and chose frame style and color and then lenses type and color to view how the pair of glasses will look which is quite handy when purchasing online.

For further reading check out the gear review I did on the Costa Zane 580's last year.

THE GIVEAWAY
Costa has provided one prize package which consists of a promo card good for a pair of Costa sunglasses of your choice, and then a visor, t-shirt, and decals as well.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com. You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received. Only one email per person please. All emails must be received by midnight tonight to qualify for this gear giveaway. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNER
There were over 600 emails submitted for this giveaway and the random number generator has chose Brad Melville as the winner. Congrats.

T.F.M. Spotting - Mr. One Bug Is Fake

2011-12-09T06:45:00.000-05:00

Brandon Robinson of One Bug Is Fake sent in this artful T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest entry a couple weeks ago and I am just now getting caught up on these posts again.

Brandon wrote... "Thanksgiving Day, my cousin was flying in to hang out for the holiday. She doesn't fish, much less fly fish, so I hauled down to the Guadalupe River for some trout action on the Eagle Claw before her flight landed. Got skunked at the first spot, but cleaned up in the midnight hour, catching four fish in the last thirty minutes before I had to pop smoke. I even helped a little kid by gifting a fly and teaching him how to fish it. He was on a spinning rod, but he out-fished his Uncle. I snapped this pic because the trout were adamant about 'no-pictures' and I didn't have time to waste."

T.F.M. hoodie. Pipe. Sun ray. Awesome.

Check out the One Bug Is Fake which is quickly becoming quite a robust website full of interesting content...including a few mentions of fiberglass fly rods. What can I say...another convert.

Silver and Gold

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Holiday GoPro goodness from Yukon Goes Fishing.

Silver and Gold from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo

This might be his best video yet for combining imaginative editing, video, and music all together. I dig.

12 DAYS - Korkers/William Joseph

2011-12-08T08:00:00.002-05:00

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME FOR THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW tfmcontests@gmail.com.

KORKERS FISHERMAN'S MOC
I have been wearing a pair of the Korkers Fisherman's Moc for the past year and have only gotten called out once by someone at work for wearing my "slippers". Usually though I can slide right by the bosses unscathed and wearing them to dinner or church have been no problem either.

The Fisherman's Moc are made of a solid construction which rivals shoes from other high end companies. The upper is made with a waterproof Nubuck leather and sandwiched between the rubber Kling-On sole is a layer of felt which makes for a very comfortable shoe that has held up well to frequent wearings.

The Fisherman's Moc is priced at $80 and is a shoe for to and from the river, town, work, and anywhere else you can get by wearing your "slippers" in public.

WILLIAM JOSEPH TSUNAMI
I have been kicking around two William Joseph Tsunami gear bags since spring using them in the kayak and on boats trips as well as a few travel trips as well. The Tsunami is just the right size to hold fly boxes, tools, extras fly reels and camera lenses, drink bottle, food, and anything else that you'd want to carry with you for a day away.

The Tsunami is part of the William Joseph Storm Series and has sonically welded seams, water resistant zippers, and dividers which makes it a great bag for keeping gear dry and organized. With a price point at $100 it's well below similar type bags making it a great value as well.

THE GIVEAWAY
Up for grabs today are two pairs of Korkers Fisherman's Mocs and two William Joseph Tsunami gear bags.

To play please send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com. You will receive an auto response email back to confirm your entry was received. Only one email per person please. All emails must be received by midnight tonight to qualify for this gear giveaway. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be announced tomorrow morning at the end of this post.

THE WINNERS
Over 600 emails were received yesterday for the giveaway and the winners of the Korkers Fisherman's Mocs are Philip Smith and Jim Bishop. The winners of the William Joseph Tsunami gear bags are Kim Thomas and Steven Hughes. Congrats.