James Deloria's Canoe Art

Give Michigan artist James Deloria a canoe in need of a refresh, a few cans of spray paint, and a brush and you just might end up with a canoe art masterpiece.

I have been following James work on Facebook for the last year or so and his work is inspired and strikingly unique.  

James wrote... "I have been a practicing artist most of my life. I began with drawing and painting watercolors then majoring in painting and sculptural pottery in college. I was a metalsmith and master goldsmith for twenty-six years while the kids were growing up and now am back to painting.

I am known locally as "The Camo Guy" since I've been painting cars, canoes and bicycles for years mainly in camouflage patterns of my own design, primarily "Cedar Savage" (patent pending)."

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

"I began painting canoes with trout patterns about three years ago and continue to do so in the warm months. In the winter I work on two dimensional pieces in oil based pastel and gouache as well as both representational and abstract trout pins, tie tacks, and pendants in sterling silver and mokume' gane (Japanese technique of combing metals similar to Damascus steel)."

James artwork is currently on display at the Freshwater Studio and Gallery in Boyne City, Michigan and he can be contacted for commission work by email, telephone at 231-330-9616, or on Facebook as well."

Fly Fishers Inc. - The Drop Shot Issue

The latest online release of Fly Fishers Inc. magazine is dubbed The Drop Shot Issue and is full of big fish and awkwardly frantic anglers trying to keep hold of their catch for the camera.  Good times and we've all been there before.

Take special note of Rene Vaz's well done article and photographs inside the shop at Scott Fly Rod Company and on the water with Jim Bartschi.

The Drop Shot Issue is worthy of a look.  

T.F.M. Spotting - Coleman at F3T

Midcurrent writer and freelance photog Alex Cerveniak and his son recently attended the Lake Placid stop of the Fly Fishing Film Tour.  Coleman went representing in his T.F.M. t-shirt for the photo contest.

Check out Alex's post F3T report on his newly refreshed website and portfolio. 

Cheeky March Madness Update

The Cheeky Fly Fishing March Madness continues with the Elite Eight mixing it up to determine the Final Four.

Cheeky Fly Fishing has raised almost $1,000 with this online event to support Casting For Recovery, the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, and Stripers Forever.

Over 3,000 votes have been placed so far and in the end winners who filled out brackets will be win gear from an array of companies that helped sponsor this contest.

Place your votes for the Elite Eight today and the results will be posted tomorrow on the Cheeky Fly Fishing website.

24 Hours With Mr. Deneki

This posts will start a series of "24 Hours With..." posts in the coming months from an array of fly fishing industry folks from rod makers, guides, gear makers, writers, artists, photographers, and others.  There is a real life side to what some may think is an idyllic lifestyle spent in fly fishing and it will be neat to share their stories on T.F.M.

Andrew Bennett is the President of Deneki Outdoors and will be sending in a "24 Hours" post from each of their four lodges in the coming months.

Andrew is currently hosting the FIBFest at Andros South Lodge and kept track of his "typical" Monday to share here.
 
6:00 a.m. - Alarm clock rings.

6:15 a.m. - Organize fishing gear and chat with guests.

6:45 a.m. - Short run on Kemp's Beach which is three miles of hard white sand!

7:15 a.m. - Quick breakfast and even quicker shower.

7:30 a.m. - Leave the lodge for the quick van ride to the boat launch with the guests.

(Photo - Andrew Bennett)

8:00 a.m. - Leave the dock with guide Josie Sands and Bjorn Stromsness of Bonefish On The Brain.  We ran down the east coast of the island for a day of fishing in "The South" which is the southern tip of South Andros.

9:00 a.m. - Bjorn lands the first fish of the day with a beautiful sixty foot shot and hooked up on his first cast.

 (Photo - Andrew Bennett)

10:30 a.m. - I land my first fish.  Both on the board!

1:00 p.m. - Lunch on the water in the South.  My Sands beer tastes awfully good.

 (Photo - Bjorn Stromsness)

4:00 p.m. - Back at the dock.  It was a decent day with a good mix of wading and poling.  Bjorn and I landed a few fish a piece which is well below average for South Andros.  That's fishing!

4:30 p.m. - Answer emails, write a blog post, launch a Facebook caption contest.

5:30 p.m. - Quick call to the wife.

5:45 p.m. - Head to the Slack Tide, our beach-front tiki hut, for cocktails with our guests and FIBFest bloggers.

(Photo - Cameron Miller)

6:30 p.m. - Dinner of curried grouper, proclaimed by a former resident of Florida to be "the best fish I've ever had".

7:30 p.m. - Another quick round of email.

8:00 p.m. - Back to the Slack Tide for a great evening session of story telling.  My face hurts from laughing too much.

11:30 p.m. - Bedtime!

Follow Deneki Outdoors through their well done blog and newsletter, the Deneki Outdoors Facebook page, and on Twitter to keep up with all things Deneki. 

T.F.M. Caps Now For Sale

Over the past month Dane Fuller, of DF Frame & Logo, and I have been working on a set of T.F.M. caps to offer for sale on the website. 

The prototypes came in last week and I am really impressed with how they look.  The black thread embroidery is done with a three dimensional effect and really stand out on each of the cap fronts. 

The T.F.M. caps are available in the five color choices of Khaki, Rust Orange, Khaki Camo, Olive, and Dark Gray.  Each of the caps have a velcro tab closure on the back.

Like the other items of T.F.M. Apparel, I'll be taking monthly orders for caps and they will ship as soon as I receive them.

The price for a cap is $20 with $4 shipping for orders in the U.S.  I offer FREE SHIPPING on all orders shipped in the U.S. involving two or more items of T.F.M. apparel which are shipped together.  International shipping is available and the rates are usually quite reasonable. 

Please send an email if you are interested in a T.F.M. cap, shirt, or hoodie. 

Check the T.F.M. APPAREL page for more details. 

Leland Ranch Fly Fishing Exposition

I've decided that T.F.M. needs a full fledged and heavily funded yearly travel budget for all the very interesting fly fishing festivals, gatherings, claves, and shows that I keep coming across online. (Anyone want to sponsor that?  HA...)

Word arrived in my email inbox this past weekend that the Leland Fly Fishing Ranch is hosting a two day fly fishing exposition on the weekend of April 16th and 17th and it has me wondering how much a round trip ticket to the west coast would be? 

The weekend is a celebration of the Leland Fly Fishing Ranch being open for over a year.  The Leland Fly Fishing Ranch is located in the middle of wine country in Sonoma, California on thirteen well planed acres of instruction center, fly shop, and casting lawns, and ponds.

Check out this video on the planning and construction of the Leland Fly Fishing Ranch. 



On Saturday night the Fly Fishing Film Tour will be stopping in for a limited attendance show with only 125 tickets available.

Call the Leland Fly Fishing Ranch at 707-939-6910 for tickets to the event or to the F3T show.

T.F.M. Spotting-North Island Trout Bums

Sometimes it is very hard to believe that Tim Angeli and fly fishing guide Joel Thompson are both working in New Zealand since they both look like full fledged trout bums to me.  Tim is a full time student working on his advanced degree and Joel is spending a couple months working with a lodge on their recreation program.

Recently Tim and Joel met up for a few days of fly fishing on the North Island of New Zealand and managed to each score a few T.F.M. Spotting photos as well.  This may be the first T.F.M. post which actually has two different submissions for the photo contest.  Tough to chose my favorites from this mix.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Tim wrote... "I met up with Joel and another buddy from New Zealand this past weekend to chase some fins around the central North Island. We had some good days, and some tough days, but overall it was one of the most fun trips I've been on. Four days chasing big trout, in beautiful country, with great friends. Life is good!"

I am a little more than jealous.

Hook & Hackle Fly Lines Arrive

Over the past few weeks I've been working on the Cabela's C.G.R. fiberglass fly rod review in the yard and on the water.  There are five fly rods in this series from three weight to eight weight.

After a bit of consideration it only seemed like the only correct way to evaluate and review these fly rods was to use the exact same fly line series from fly rod to fly rod.

I chose the Hook & Hackle fly lines to use for this review since for the money they can't be beat.  It only makes sense that if you're purchasing a $100 fly rod that you'll want to match it with a economy but high performance fly line as well. 

I have long been a fan of the Hook & Hackle Hi-Floater fly lines and contacted them about getting a few fly lines to fill in the gaps of what I didn't already have loaded up on a fly reels.

I typically use double taper fly lines but realize that the larger audience of those that read the review of the Cabela's C.G.R. fly rods more than likely use weight forward fly lines instead.

Hook & Hackle was gracious to provide four weight forward fly lines to use for this review and it will be neat to see how they perform across the C.G.R. fiberglass series of fly rods. 

Look for the full review in a week or two.  I'm trying to get it complete but work and home life keep getting in the way.

Fontinalis Rising Swag

One of my favorite reads lately has been Fontinalis Rising.  First because Jason Tucker is creating excellent original content and secondly he's based in northern Michigan which, as my native state, I miss quite a bit still.

I like very much that he's highlighting the wealth of experience of fly shops, guides, craftsmen, and others on his website through interviews and profiles.

It's hard to believe that Fontinalis Rising has only been around for less than two months.  Jason seems to have a great grasp on how to build readership and I expect to see Fontinalis Rising to continue to develop and grow.

One of Jason's next steps is to add a few offerings such as decals and t-shirts.  I found an envelope in the mailbox this weekend with a couple decals and one of his business cards to check out. I like.

Threatened Species E-Book

I am a little embarrassed to say that I have not finished the book review of Jeff Vande Zande's Threatened Species that I started this past winter. 

Most of my evenings are not spent quietly reading a book in bed but I will finish this excellent read in the next month or two since I will be traveling a bit. 

I did want to pass along that Jeff Vande Zande's book is now available as an e-book download in a variety of formats on The Untreed Book Store for $4.99.

Matt Smythe of the FishingPoet.com wrote a well thought out review on Threatened Species at the end of November.  Scroll down the page a bit to find his review.

This is Fly's United Brotherhood Cap

Last week the boys at This is Fly sent me one of their United Brotherhood caps in trade for a couple T.F.M. t-shirts to rep in the NYC.

The United Brotherhood cap is one part punk and one part comradeship.  I get it and I like it.

Check out the This is Fly Gear page to order yours.

T.F.M. Spotting - Will in the GSMNP

Will King of The Riparian Corridor recently sent along a photograph from a recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park where he was putting first flexes to a Lamiglas build that he had just completed.

Will wrote...  "I thought I'd share a photo repping T.F.M. in the Smokies this past weekend.  It would have been a great trip, but the rains and snow there a few days prior to our arrival had the waters running four or five times normal flows.  That equaled whitewater and really lousy fishing.  I had finished a Lamiglas three weight seven foot build the day before departure, and I was really hoping to blood it on some brookies, but no luck.   I'll be posting a many multi-parted series on my blog if you want to follow the story telling there.  Take care!"

Will...the Lamiglas build looks great.  Nice work.

Check out The Riparian Corridor to read Will's GSMNP reports and other excellent posts as well.

Howler Brothers Launches Online Store

The state of Texas must have something special in their water when it comes to cool and interesting companies starting up and calling it home over the past couple of years.

I've been tracking the doings of Diablo Paddlesports, YETI Coolers, Departure Publishing, and the somewhat absent lately (I know...she got married and is writing a book) Fly Fish Chick.  Now I'm adding Howler Brothers to this list as they are bringing a new look and feel to the fly fishing clothing lifestyle brands. 

Howler Brothers was born from the wanderlusting minds of founders Chase Heard and Andy Stephanian and is a mash up of their interests in fly fishing, surf, paddling, and coastal sports.

The Howler Brothers line up is a mix of men and women t-shirts, caps, button up shirts, polos, long sleeve UPF tech shirts, and accessories.

Give Howler Brothers a look and if you use the code "HBTFM11" you'll receive 25% OFF your order.  Free shipping applies for orders over $100 as well.  

Follow Howler Brothers on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Christian's Next Project

Christian Hörgren is hopelessly addicted to two things which are fiberglass fly rods and artistically yet functionally inspired fly reels. 

Christian sent a few photos a couple weeks ago of his latest project and hopefully he'll update gain as the build progresses.  

Christian wrote...  "The reel is a Dutch 0, which was made by the same factory that used to collaborate with Ari't Hart in the 90's.  This one is a limited edition fly reel (15/50) in aubergine red colour.

The reel seat is a new old stock aluminium seat from the 1970's.  It's supposed to be one of the exact models used by Winston during the late San Fransisco/early Montana production."

"The blank is an unpainted Kabuto 7033.  Kab uses varnish on the blanks for his own builds but it's possible to get them clean and pristine.  He is a master."

"The Dutch reel and the reel seat just happened to have a perfect match in colour.  I screamed of joy when I mounted the reel.  My four year old daughter gave me her blessing.  They were made for each other.  I know...I'm sick."

Christian has a serious "illness" which I just don't think he'll kick.  No intervention needed though since I don't think he wants to change.

Rowdy's Custom Leather Work Video

Marc Crapo, a.k.a. "Rowdy", put together a new video/photograph slideshow of his most recent leather work complete with original music and it's a great representation of the work he's been doing lately. 

Custom Leather Work from Marc Crapo on Vimeo.

Marc's got crazy skills.  No doubt. 

Check out his website for more information.

Phoenix Classics "Glass Fibre"

Besides offering silk fly lines which are used by anglers the world over, Mike Brookes of Phoenix Classics, is also offering a limited number of custom light line weight fiberglass fly rod builds as well.

Mike is currently building three models of fiberglass fly rods in one and two weights and lengths of six foot and seven foot.  The fly rods are built on Steffen Brothers blanks and finished with brown thread wraps, nickel silver hardware, walnut reel seats, and cigar shaped grips with 'flor' grade cork.

Mike wrote...  "Our prime business is the fabrication of silk fly lines but I have been a bamboo rod builder since the early 1980's and I continue to build and lecture on bamboo rods and the building thereof.  I specialize in short rods around six feet and can happily build bamboo rods down to three weight.  Below that line size I have turned to glass fibre in one and two weights built on Steffen Brothers blanks."

"Glass fibre as a rod material that is as close as I can get to bamboo 'action' and we must not forget that both these materials have been fished for countless decades and just because manufacturers wanted to make more money out of carbon rods does not mean that either is now unsuitable for fishing."

"Silk fly lines are a very useful addition to a fisherman's arsenal.  The have thinner diameters than the equivalent plastic lines and therefore cut into the wind better, lift off and land more delicately, and mend and roll cast superbly well ( I would say that wouldn't I?).  They really don't take much looking after and serve well for many years."

All fly rod builds are sent with a cloth rod sack and a hexagonal wood tube.

I have been intrigued by silk fly lines for some time now and Mike recently sent a lightly used 4DT silk fly line which I hope to use quite a bit this spring on several different glass fly rods.  I will share that experience on T.F.M. in the coming months with a review and photographs.

Please visit the Phoenix Classics website for more information about silk fly lines and their other offerings as well.  Mike can also be contacted by email as well for any further questions.

 

T.F.M. Spotting - Chad at F3T

T.F.M. reader Chad Clayburg sent along a couple photographs of his night out at the Portland, Oregon stop of the Fly Fishing Film Tour at the Bagdad Theatre. 

Chad was proudly representing his T.F.M. t-shirt and said several people in attendance gave him the nod of approval over his fine taste in t-shirts. 

Chad was even able to get a photo with F3T Road Crew and organizers Thad Robison and Jay Johnson to complete his T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest submission.

Ah yes...the post F3T swag pile.  The Stonefly magazine and F3T trucker cap are both worth keeping.

Chad's post show thoughts...  "The Bagdad Theatre is a theater pub and there is nothing like having a micro brew beer and a slice of pizzia while watching fly fishing movies with around 300 other fly fisherman."

The Charleston and Asheville Fly Fishing Film Tour stops are just weeks away and I can't wait.

L.L. Bean Canvas Rod Case Review

Long time T.F.M. friend Michael Boward took some time recently to write up and photograph his L.L. Bean Maine Guide Waxed Canvas Rod Case for a well though out review.      

Mike wrote... I was born in Maine, and although I have not lived there for many years, I have always appreciated L.L. Bean. My folks still have several items around their house that they bought years ago from L.L. Bean when it was thought of as a local general store. They took for granted that the items purchased were supposed to last over 35 years.

A little over a year ago, I was given the Maine Guide Waxed Canvas Four-Piece Rod Case for Christmas. When I opened the package, I was amazed at the quality of this product. At a price of only $69, it is quite a bit cheaper than other rod cases, but there is no sacrifice in quality. In fact, if I didn’t know the price of this case, I would have thought it would easily be priced at $150-$200. If the construction and materials are any indication, this bag should last for many years.

The case will hold three four piece rod cases. The tubes are held securely with elastic straps, and the interior is heavily padded to offer further protection. There are two exterior pockets which have a flap which is secured by a leather buckle with magnetic snap. For further security, each pocket can also be closed with a zipper hidden under the flaps. These pockets are big enough to keep reels and other supplies in good order.

The bag is made with heavy waxed canvas, with soft leather used for the carrying handle and other trim. There are also nice touches such as a leather business card holder, and a shoulder strap that stays hidden in its own pocket until needed.

I have used this bag on several fly fishing trips this summer around Colorado. It has served very well so far, spending time buried under other gear in the back of a truck on multi-day fishing trips, being thrown into the trunk of several cars, and being forgotten on the porch of a fishing cabin on the Taylor River during a light rain.

The case also went with me on a week long fly fishing trip to Montana last fall. I used it as a carry-on on the airline, and it did a fine job carrying my rods in the rental car, cabin, and drift boat.

Although it has only seen about 15 months of use, it has held up very well. This is a great case for traveling with three rods, and I would recommend it if you like an old school feel to your fishing gear. It also adds a touch of old fashioned class to the fishing cabin, or your gear room, while providing protection to your valuable rods.

Downside to this case? It is somewhat heavy, which is not a problem for me, but if you are a minimalist, this may not be for you. This case also limits you to three rods…so if you want to fly to a destination with a backup for every rod, you may be better off with a multiple rod tube.

L.L. Bean makes two sizes, one for two piece rods, and one for four piece rods. They also make other bags and reel cases in the Maine Guide waxed canvas lineup.  I have two of the Maine Guide Waxed Canvas Reel Cases that are very well made from sturdy waxed canvas, with soft fleece interior lining. These reel cases are a very affordable way to keep your reels safe.

I've always been impressed with the quality of fly fishing gear that L.L. Bean offers and this rod case is certainly an example of that.

Hook & Hackle Fly Line Two Day Sale

Yesterday while speaking with Ron at the Hook & Hackle Company, he mentioned that he was listing both the Hi-Floater and Rise fly lines on sale until midnight on Thursday night.

The sale prices are listed currently on the Hook & Hackle website which discount the Hi-Floater fly lines, both double taper and weight forward, to $25 each and the Rise fly lines, which are weight forward only, to $37.50 each.  

I have used the Hi-Floater fly lines extensively over the past several years and have been nothing but impressed.  The Hi-Floater fly lines are a great value at full price and a steal when Hook & Hackle deeply discounts them like they are this week.

This is a great opportunity to stock up on a few fly lines for spring at a most excellent price. 

Sale prices good until midnight on Thursday night.

If you don't mind, tell Ron and Russ that you saw this post on T.F.M. when you make your purchase. 

Graywolf Rods Taking Orders

After a few months hiatus working on cane builds and placing orders for fiberglass blanks from several different blank makers Shane Gray, of Graywolf Rods, is again taking orders and has several builds for sale listed on the Graywolf Rods website.

Currently Shane has the following blanks available or will soon to be arriving for which builds can be ordered or pre-ordered.

Kabuto Fiberglass Blanks:
7'0" Three Piece Three Weight
8'0" Three Piece Five Weight

Kenney Fly Rods Fiberglass Blank:
8'6" Three Piece Six Weight

McFarland Yellow Fiberglass:
In Stock
7'6" Four Piece Four Weight
8'0" Four Piece Four Weight
8'0" Four Piece Five Weight

Soon To Arrive
7'0" Three Piece Three Weight
8'0" Six Piece Five Weight

Norie Fiberglass Blanks:
6'9" Four Piece 2/3 Weight

Steffen Brothers Fiberglass Blanks:
8'0" Two Piece 3/4 Weight

To discuss a possible custom build with Graywolf Rods please email or call Shane at 517-902-3158.

T.F.M. Spotting - Tucker In The Field

Christian Fichtel of The Tailing Loop sent this photo of Tucker out in the field.  Christian had his laptop along and snapped a cool photo to send for the blog.  Sharp looking pup.

 

Want to rep T.F.M. with a decal on a fly box, your fish car, or tying desk? Check out the T.F.M. DECALS page for an assortment of decals to chose from.

The premium decals, which are made by Boneyard Fly Gear, are $5 each or three for $12.

Please send an email if interested.

No Wait T.F.M. T-Shirts

I still have a few T.F.M. t-shirts left over from the last order so if anyone is interested in one or more please let me know this weekend by email.  I can drop them in the mail tomorrow.

The sizes and colors available are:

Black Short Sleeve Retro Fly - Size 2XL
Yellow Short Sleeve Retro Fly - Size 2XL
Yellow Long Sleeve Retro Fly  - Size 2XL

T.F.M. t-shirts are priced at $20 for a short sleeve and $24 for a long sleeve with $4 shipping for one shirt and Free Shipping for two or more shirts ordered.

Remember that you have to have a piece of T.F.M. apparel to participate in the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest.

A Night With The F3T Media Kit

I finally had a chance to sit down with the F3T Media Kit that I was sent a few weeks ago.  With everyone in the house fast asleep I dropped the DVD into the player and watched cuts from RA Beattie, MOTIV FISHING, Waterline Media, LDR MEDIA, and On The Fly Productions.

Just from the sampling of films that I've watched so far it's clear to see that a new standard is set each year for films to be included on the Fly Fishing Film Tour.

It was neat to get a taste of the "F3T Experience" from the comfort of my leather chair but really...without a rowdy crowd of anglers laughing, yelling, and reacting to the films...it just isn't the same.  There is an energy about being "there" that can't be matched at home.   

The Fly Fishing Film Tour is dropping into new locales almost nightly through July.  I am specifically looking forward to the upcoming shows in Charleston and Asheville since the shows are close enough to make the drive to and I'll be attending.

The Charleston show sold out so quickly last year that a second show was added to this year's stop on April 1st.  There are still tickets for the first show which begins at five p.m. but the second show at eight p.m. is already sold out.  Call the Charleston Angler at 843-571-3899 for tickets.

The next weekend Hunter Banks Fly Shop is hosting the film tour at the Highland Brewing Company on the evening of April 9th and looks to be a great time. 

Franklin Tate of Trout Unlimited and I will be setting up a booth prior to the show starting and we'll be passing out information on Stream Explorers and Fishy Kid as well as organizing a few giveaways for the youth that attend the show.
 
Call the Hunter Banks Fly Shop for tickets at 800-227-6732.  Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

Simply put, the "F3T Experience" is not to be missed.

Wood Hair Stackers

Lane Pelissier of Vermilion Bay Rod Company has begun offering some sharp looking wood hair stackers for those that fly tie and would like something a little different on their desk.

These hair stackers are available in a variety of woods and priced at $18 plus shipping. 

Contact Lane by email or by calling 337-591-4630 to place your order.

T.F.M. Spotting - Charlie's Fly Box

Kyle Perkins of Compleat Thought has been getting geared up for the upcoming Deneki Outdoors FIBFest at Andros South Lodge and spent some time at the vise a couple weekends ago with Charlie Craven picking his brain on bonefish patterns. 

With FIBFest fast approaching I'm sure Kyle and his cohorts are scrambling to assemble the needed gear and flies...but don't forget your Stalker Mask while you're at it.

Kyle...great T.F.M. Spotting Contest Photo and I can't wait to see how FIBFest turns out.  Don't let Gracie get you in trouble.  HA... 

Tenkara Net To Benefit Japan

Daniel Galhardo, founder of Tenkara USA, has offered up a very rare tenkara net from his person collection to benefit those in Japan who have been devastated by the recent earthquakes and tsunami. 

This tenkara net has been listed on ebay with the all the proceeds to be donated to the relief efforts in Japan.  

For more information about this tenkara net, the maker, and it's history visit the Tenkara USA Blog and also the ebay auction page as well. 

This ebay auction ends in little more than a day and it would be really excellent if someone added this tenkara net to their collection while making a difference for those impacted in Japan at the same time.

At Least We Brought Lunch

Yesterday I took the day to run up to western North Carolina and meet with Kevin McGuire, a.k.a. "The Martin Gangsta", for a few hours of fishing on a bit of hike in water in the Pisgah National Forest.  Recent rains left the river flowing a bit higher than usual but the water was clear nonetheless.

Kevin said he spied a trout from the bridge, and if so, it was the only one seen all day.

Who says a Martin "tuna can" MG-3 can't get it done?  A great little fly reel and balanced nicely on Kevin's splendid four weight Leiderman build. 

We tried everything from top to bottom and didn't find a single trout all morning long.  I had a tragic mishap while wading and the Nikon DSLR went for a quick swim which it might not come back from.  It's currently sitting in a five pound bag of rice to hopefully pull all the moisture out.  Fingers crossed and we'll see later today if it still works.

The day was not completely lost since Kevin and I had a great time catching up, enjoyed a hike on a very nice day, and then shared a hearty lunch on the tailgate of the Element when we returned to the vehicles early in the afternoon.   

Thinkfish Bold

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by the Spanish reel company Thinkfish and asked if I had any interest in demoing and reviewing their Bold auto fly reel.   I responded that of course I would since I have had my gear eye on the Bold fly reel since I first saw it online a year or so ago since it struck me as wonderfully different but built with purpose as well.

The Bold arrived today and it's really quite a neat auto fly reel.  It is solidly constructed and very comfortable to use.

It's very fun to make the Bold purr with just a flick of the lever. 

I'll be loading this fly reel up with backing and fly line and fishing it all spring and summer to get a feel for what it can do.  A detailed review to follow once I've run it through it's paces.

Thanks Thinkfish for giving me the opportunity to demo this fly reel.  I'm looking forward to it.

T.F.M. Spotting - Eric Dropping Ink

Tattooist and artist Eric Hornung was photographed wearing his T.F.M. t-shirt while working on a carp tattoo on the arm of fellow T.F.M. reader Rob Yaskovic. 

This is certainly a neat T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest entry and now I want to see how that carp looks finished up.  

 

More of Eric's artwork and ink can be seen on his website.  

Look for an exciting artistic collaboration with Eric and T.F.M. in the coming weeks.  I can't wait to show off what Eric's been working on.   

First Work Then Play

We are really starting to see spring here in South Carolina and it was great to get outside this past Sunday to get some work done which included giving both of our kayaks a through washing.

I know I get hassled for being a bit obsessive compulsive with keeping the Ultimate and Versa Board clean but they had both gotten a bit dusty being dry docked in the garage all winter.  Hadley and Finn were a big help and had a good time getting each other wet if nothing else.

With afternoon temps pushing 80 degrees (sorry anywhere else that still has snow on the ground) we spent a couple of hours paddling on the family pond which is just through the woods from our house. 

Even though there were no fly rods involved in this trip it was neat to see how much our children enjoy being out on the water.  I foresee a spring and summer spent largely on the pond or in the pool.