NATIVE FISH COALITION - Annual Epic FastGlass Benefit Raffle

It great to see Epic Fly Rods continue to support Native Fish Coalition and this year's raffle puts up for grabs one of my favorite "Do-All" 4-weights with the Reference Packlight Fly Rod in the Limited Edition Black.  You could travel to a lot of "trouty" places and never feel like you didn't have the right fly rod with this one.  

Not familiar with the Native Fish Coalition?  Give their website a deep dive.  I like their mission and what they are doing to protect, preserve, and advocate for native fishes everywhere.

There are only 75 tickets available in this raffle so get your tickets today.  The winner will be chosen when all the tickets are sold.  Good luck.  

BUFFET SERIES - Hopper Fly Fishing | The Story of Fall Anticipations

After a bit of a hiatus, filmmaker Gilbert Rowley's Buffet Series is back with a thrilling film of hoppers being slurped by massive brown trout.  It's not a bad way to start your Monday...



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

 

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

ORVIS - A Look Back at Spinning Rods & Reels in 1976

Well, this is the fourth and final look back post from scans that I took from the Orvis Spring 1976 catalog that I scored from Vintage Trouts.  In previous posts we've highlighted the Fiberglass Fly Rods, an unbelievable number of Bamboo Fly Rods, Fly Reels classics, and in this one, the fiberglass and bamboo fly and spin and spinning rods that were paired with their series of spinning reels.

The real finds would be to come across one of the several presentation or suitcase fly and spin outfits.    

Do you have any of these spinning rods, fly spins, or spinning reels in your own collection?  I'd like to hear about it with an email or DM on Instagram.  Send photos!

Check out Vintage Trouts, follow on Instagram, and subscribe to the Vintage Trouts Journal.

TOP SPORTSMAN

Fly fishing needs more quirky films like this.  Press PLAY...



Want more?  Jump down the rabbit hole of Oliver Sutro's YouTube channel.  

Imagine Skwala Fishing

It's almost hard to believe that Skwala launched four years ago but when I think back to the many places that I've been over the recent years wearing and using their gear, it all starts to make sense.  They rolled out this one-minute video on social media last week and it's worth pressing PLAY for...

 

If you were to do a search for "Skwala" on T.F.M., you'd find a few dozen posts with new product release announcements, gear reviews, a visit to their headquarters in Bozeman, mentions from trip dispatches, and quite a bit more.  Four years in and I agree, they are just getting started.

 

Visit the Skwala website to check out their growing collections.  I have quite a bit of experience with many of their offerings and if you ever need an opinion, send an email.

P.S.  If you don't have a favorite Skwala dealer nearby, making a purchase through the affiliate links in this post will put a few coins in the T.F.M. piggy bank.  I appreciate the support.  Thank you.

TOM'S TIPS - How To Get Skunked

If getting skunked can happen to Tom Rosenbauer of Orvis at some far flung place, I guess I don't feel so bad about getting blanked from time to time, too.  It happens to the best and worst of us.

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

IJUIN RODS - "The Glass" - If It's Fun, That's Fine!

On the short list of folks in the fiberglass fly rods realm that I would like to meet and spend time with, Kazutomo Ijuin of Ijuin-Rod is high on the list, not only since I am fully impressed with his work in fly rod design but even more so that the guy seems like he just wants to have fun.  Big smile, maybe a frothy pop or three, and have you ever seen him cast a 3-weight?  

This idea of "FUN" rolls over into his work in both taper design and the aesthetics of his builds, which can be seen with his reintroduction of "The Glass" series.  You might have first seen "The Glass" in a 2014 T.F.M. post, which is now taking on new life with Tomo offering this series in new colors and even a combination of colors.  Let your imagination go wild...

And, just so I'm not speaking out of both sides of my mouth from those who might remember a long ago T.F.M. post on picking out a fly rod for the blank color, I still stand by those words.  I will say that "In Tomo, I Trust" with all things fly rod taper design.  In the case of "The Glass", you could find your new favorite fly rod in a color choice of your own with a build made almost completely of fiberglass.  How cool is that? 

 

 

Tomo wrote...  "This model was released in sometime in 2014.  At that time, I wanted to use all of parts glass.  The stripping guide was made by hard glass.  And grip, reel seat, and tube were glass also.  This was all because my opinion is “If it’s fun, that’s fine!”  The look and action of the fly rod is a factor of the fun. 

Some people might feel this is a kind of art, but no matter how you feel, I think it’s good as long as the person is happy.  Now I renew this model as a colored model.  I think it’s good if the color spreads more fun.  Fishing fashion is also an element of fun.  Have fun fishing. Thanks!"

Interested in a "The Glass" fly rod of your own?  Reach out to Kazutomo Ijuin of Ijuin-Rod through the contact page and be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram for the latest shop news.