HOWLER BROTHERS - END OF SEASON SALE

Didn't summer just begin?  Even so, Howler Brothers has kicked off their End of Season Sale and if you like 60% off their latest collections, it's worth a look.

HEED THE CALL

PANTHER BRANCH BUGS - How to Fish the Carp Kwan

Okay, we've given you some time to get a few Carp Kwans whipped up on the vise and in this post, Brandon Bailes of Panther Branch Flies is going to give you a primer with the techniques and gear (fiberglass fly rods!!!) on how to effectively fish this pattern.

Brandon wrote...  "How I fish the Carp Kwan varies greatly on the watershed I’m fishing and the water depth and clarity but there’s no wrong way really.  Typically though, I use the tried and true “Drag N' Drop” technique but with a subtle tweak to the presentation.  The difference in my approach is I try to drop the fly a little further out from the fish and have it on bottom, crawling slowly and because of the wide EP fiber body it creates a nice visible mud trail that carp simply can’t resist as it comes into their view!  But if you stop the fly completely, then the Skworm tail will be standing upright with subtle movement from the hen saddle and that makes an ideal target for a tailing fish.  The EP body also slows the flies descent as it's dropping through the water column which can be deadly on suspended fish that are cruising and not actively tailing.  I have also had fish eat them in the surface film by Mulberry trees by simply sneaking close and high-sticking the fly or doing a contact drop so I can control how slow the fly falls.  To me, that’s what makes the Carp Kwan so versatile.  It can be taken as a mulberry, clam, tadpole, crawfish, worm cluster...you name it, they just eat it!  And because of the signature trail the wide EP body leaves, its easy for both the fish and angler to follow, which leads to more fish in the net!

As far as terminal tackle, I may be the minority here but I use leaders built to be no longer than my rod (7.5-8 foot) so I can present the fly as accurate as possible and not struggle to turn over super long leaders but I know plenty of anglers that can stretch out the leader lengths and still maintain good accuracy.  As far as fly lines go, I will say that I thought for a few years there was not a better fly line for carp than the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Infinity Warm but after trying their new Amplitude Smooth Carp line, I’ve been sold on it!  It just does everything well from roll casts up close, to making quick “ pick up and shoot” casts, to the long range casts.  It does it all without feeling clunky or aggressive. 

And lastly, you really should fish the Carp Kwan with a glass stick to maximize its effectiveness.  Joking, sorta...  I do love glass for everything but especially carp, since you can put a lot of pressure on the fish and turn them without worrying about busting tippet.  Oh yeah, and it's just plain fun!!!"

Follow Panther Branch Bugs to keep up with his latest flies, tutorials, and time on the water.

DOWN HOME BOATWORKS - Dave's Chuck Box Plans

Do you need a weekend project to keep you busy?  How about building a Dave's Chuck Box to keep your camp kitchen straight.  Dave Zielinski of Down Home Boatworks has added a new set of plans for this chuck box to his list of wooden boat plans that he offers.  

I'm not handy in a workshop but do see how one of these would be fun to build and certainly to use.

Interested in a set of plans for this or a boat project?  Reach out to Dave through the contact page on his website.  Follow along with his latest exploits on the river or in the shop on Instagram.  

FLAT CREEK RODS - Announcing the 15th Anniversary Fly Rod Series

The other day, Ben Casarez of Flat Creek Rods tagged me on Instagram in his announcement of his 15th Anniversary and the limited edition fly rod series that he'll roll out over the next several weeks.  It's hard for me to believe that I have been writing T.F.M. for 18 years and it's neat that this website is part of the history of many of the fly rod builders that have been featured here over the years.  

Would you believe when I started T.F.M. that the Fiberglass Fly Rod Makers page had maybe a dozen builders listed?  Check it now if you haven't and it's nearly ten times that number now.

Ben is celebrating this milestone with the release of three handpicked fly rod tapers in 3-weight, 4-weight, and 5-weight with a limited run of each.  He is starting this series with five 3-weight builds built on a 7' three-piece McFarland Rod Company Spruce Creek blank.

This series is going to be something special and this first look at the 3-weight confirms it.

Ben wrote...  "After months of planning and work, I’m excited to introduce the first rods in the Flat Creek Rods 15th Anniversary Series. The 3-weight release begins the celebration, with the 4-weight and 5-weight models scheduled to roll out later this week and next.

7’ 3 Weight, 3 Piece Glass

In 2008, after building several Lamiglas glass rods, I discovered Mike McFarland’s Spruce Creek blanks and ordered two 7’ 3 weights—sparking my love for building and fishing glass. Cameron Mortenson even featured a blog post on one of those first builds on The Fiberglass Manifesto way back in 2009.

To honor that beginning, the first anniversary rods use Mike’s evolved Spruce Creek taper: smooth, balanced, and full flexing.  An ideal small stream rod, it handles dries and dry/dropper rigs with ease.

Features include a lemon yellow blank, Snake Brand guides, Joe Arguello agate stripper, translucent and red silk wraps, 6” flor cigar grip, shop turned mesquite insert, and Lemke LC7 down locking hardware (NOS). One rod will have a Lemke LC14 slide band set (NOS) with a cork insert.  Includes custom rod sock and tube.  Limited to five rods and priced at $775 shipped."

Learn more on the Flat Creek Rods website and follow along with the latest shop news and announcements on Facebook and Instagram.

FLYLAB - Carp Are Difficult to Pattern

I've been on somewhat of a carp bender over the past month or so with a day trip up to North Carolina, a few days on Beaver Island in the middle of Lake Michigan, and then back to North Carolina last week for a morning with Dave Fason.  In short, I am captivated by carp and all of the environs where they thrive on diets that range from bugs, berries, crayfish, clams, vegetation, and even chasing down other fish.  

Kirk Deeter's recent Flylab article, Carp Are Difficult to Pattern, is a good read and also points to his book, The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp, which I highly recommend for your library if you don't already have a copy.  

Give Carp Are Difficult to Pattern a read and let me know where are you are fly fishing for carp this summer.  What are they eating right now?  Last week for us it was little dark purple berry flies and Carp Kwans of various sizes and colors.  Figuring out the "code" is just part of the fun.

A STROLL WITH SLED: JUNE

I guess this is at least the third episode of "A Stroll with Sled" from Schultz Outfitters that I'm aware of and these short films mix one part fly shop/good fishy dude with a sincere highlight of their local fishery month by month of what works and what didn't.  I hope they keep these coming.



Visit the Schultz Outfitters website, maybe book a trip, and click subscribe to the YouTube channel.

HOWLER BROTHERS - Privateer Dispatch - Week 3 & 4

The Howler Brothers boys are back with their latest dispatch that takes them from Oregon through California on two weeks of hijinks of all sorts.  A fun read for sure...

Check out the Privateer Dispatch of their last several weeks on the road and make sure you're following along with their latest exploits on Instagram and TikTok.