Thursday, October 26, 2023

RYAN SMITH - Brook Trout Prints to Support Trout Power

A few weeks ago, artist Ryan Smith posted an image online of a recent painting that he had completed which reminded me of all the brook trout that I caught decades ago in northern Michigan.  Dark tannin water, a slippery fish painted in washes of bright pops of color with blue and around red dot halos, who were always willing to rise to a dry fly. 

There is just something special about these native chars in their native places.  Taken on glass, they are even better...

Ryan has teamed up with J.P. Ross Fly Rods & Co. to offer a limited production giclee print with the proceeds of the first 45 prints to benefit Trout Power to continue their work in protecting these fish in their native ranges.  Sale of the prints will raise $1,000 for this worthy organization.


I asked Ryan if he had any "in process" images of the painting and he shared these two photographs.  It's always neat to see how an artist works and the black and white paint before the colorful oils are added is neat to see.



Visit the J.P. Ross Fly Rods & Co. website to purchase one of these prints and take some time to listen to a conversation that J.P. and Ryan had recently on the In the Seam podcast.

You can see more of Ryan Smith's work on his website and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.

T.F.M. SHOP - New "Throwback" Decal

With The Fiberglass Manifesto turning 15 years old (!!!) this fall, I've taken some time to look back at some early logo artwork idea and decided to print up a few stacks of a "throwback" decal for the
T.F.M. Store in two colorways.  These are a good match with the round Comrade decals.


These decals are now in the T.F.M. Shop for $3 each or four for $10 with a couple of freebie T.F.M. decals too.  I'll be packaging up orders over the coming weekend and can take PayPal, Venmo, or check for payment.  Send an email to order these or anything else in the shop. 

Thank you and appreciate your support over all these years in representing T.F.M. all over the world.

RIO DORADO

Golden Dorado (on glass) on these smallish streams is easily on my "Top 10" list.  Press PLAY...



Who's ready to go? Visit the Tuku Lodge website for more on this and other adventures in Argentina.

Sunday, October 15, 2023

10 for Alaskan Summer Camp

Our summer had both an expected and unexpected start with our daughter Hadley graduating from high school and then making the last minute decision to work in Alaska at our church summer camps, which are dotted across the state in some very special places.  It was an opportunity that she just couldn't say no to and I can't blame her.  I worked at summer camp in northern Michigan through my late teen years and it's an experience that can't be replaced in too many other ways. 

We had just a few weeks to get her prepped and ready to go.  Hadley limited herself to what she could carry herself in two bags and we worked through what we felt would be "essentials" to have along for the summer.  She was able to get everything in her Topo Designs Rover Pack that she carried on the airplane and then the bulk of everything else in the Patagonia Guidewater Duffel 80L (T.F.M. Review).  The waterproof duffel proved to be the right choice as they were caught in rain and on the water boat crossings on quite a few of their travel days between camps.

From time to time throughout the summer, Hadley and I would discuss what gear had worked as expected, what was a surprise, and what she couldn't live without.  We had covered the needs pretty well but there were some clothing and gear that really stood out to her.  I asked her if she's like to do a write up for T.F.M. and she agreed, so here are the ten pieces of gear that got Hadley through her summer camps experience in Alaska...

COTOPAXI KAPAI 1.5L HIP PACK
Starting off strong is my personal favorite item, the Cotopaxi Hip Pack. This was my most worn item of this summer by far.  I wore it while climbing mountains, wading through rivers, biking to town, and walking around camp.  Honestly, I only took it off when I was sleeping.  Even then, it was the first thing I put on in the morning.  Everyday it was stuffed with my camp equipment which consisted of a disposable camera, my multi-tool, some band aids, and my radio.  While it was a great camp counselor bag, I didn't retire it after camp.  I still wear it everyday, I just swapped out my camp gear for my daily essentials which includes my iPhone, wallet, chap stick, and I'm still carrying around a disposable camera.  It's the perfect lightweight bag for carrying around the necessities without actually having to sacrifice an arm or hand to lug it around.  Plus, it's a super fun bag with a lot of personality. 

PATAGONIA BAGGIES SHORTS
I have been a die hard Patagonia Baggies wearer since I was a little girl and have already done plenty of raving about these shorts but they deserve all the praise.  Over the past several years, I've probably owned pairs in every color, and as soon as I grow out of them, they're passed down to my younger cousins.  They are a lightweight material, mid-thigh length, and vibrant colorways make them the perfect shorts for any outdoor activity. These shorts survived cold plunges in the Pacific Ocean, all day hikes, trudges through knee-deep silt mud, and long bike rides.  Despite the grime they endured, they come out good as new after a wash cycle.

Over the past few years, I have routinely gone through my parents' closet in hopes of finding “vintage” clothes that fit my current style tastes.  Several years ago my father proudly presented an old Orvis sweatshirt to me that he had worn in college.  Since I'm not that into fly fishing, I wasn't super enthusiastic about the sweatshirt but I still took it to appease my dad.  I liked how thick the material was and appreciated the neat stitching on the front.  I threw it in my duffel bag this summer because I thought it fit the vibe I was going for and maybe for sentimental reasons too.

Throughout the summer, this sweatshirt was worn until it was absolutely filthy and then immediately put back on as soon as it was washed.  Feeling like my dad, I enjoyed educating campers and staff about fly fishing whenever they asked what my sweatshirt depicted.  I was in this sweatshirt more than any other layer and kind of blown away by how it's held up even after all of these years of wear.

BIRKENSTOCK ARIZONA SANDALS
When I originally purchased these I had no clue that they would go on this "Alaskan Adventure".  I intended to wear them during last summer I spent in Italy where they were my go-to daily shoe.  I wasn't even going to bring them to Alaska, until my dad convinced me as they were dropping me off at the airport to fly to Anchorage. 

I got horrible blisters on my first hike in Alaska in a new pair of boots and I was forced to rely on my Birkenstocks as they were the only pair of shoes that freed my heels.  I did not have very much faith in them at first, especially considering the cold rainy weather that I was enduring daily.  Fortunately these Birkenstocks braved not only sunny days.  I trekked through mud, climbed snowy hillsides, and dredged upstream while with friends who were dip netting for salmon. 

I was in these sandals so much, my coworkers at camp gifted me the radio call sign “Birkenstocks”, a nickname I proudly took on for the summer.

REI MERINO WOOL LIGHTWEIGHT HIKING CREW SOCKS
While at REI searching for new hiking boots, a sales associate suggested these wool socks and told me that they were on sale so I picked up three pairs.  I like their thickness, not too light but not suffocating my feet.  They fit well with hiking boots but go just as well with Birkenstocks, my favorite way of wearing them.  Socks and sandals don't always work together but these wool socks look great, even with Chacos.

KAMMOK ROO SINGLE HAMMOCK & KAMMOK PYTHON 10 STRAPS
I almost did not bring a hammock to Alaska because I assumed that I would rarely use one but I was glad to be proven wrong.  Anytime the sun came out, I would scramble to my cabin to get out my hammock.  I enjoyed setting it up by the lake or in the forest.  I would read, journal, and enjoy nature that I was surrounded by.

The single size is a great hammock set to travel with because it packs down so small.  I would often attach it onto my hip pack while I hiked to my "hammocking" spot.  I cannot say enough good things about this hammock, though I must warn you that most, if not all, of my hammock times resulted in me passing out a several hours nap...but it's definitely worth the risk.

NOMADIX X HOWLER BROTHERS TOWEL
Every camp I was at this summer was surrounded by some body of water, whether it was an inland lake, like Lake Aleknagik, or the Pacific Ocean, so of course I did my fair share of swimming.  After hopping out of the freezing cold water, I immediately wrapped myself up this towel to dry off.

These towels are great for traveling: they pack down super small, dry quickly, they dry you quickly, and I dig the funky artful prints on them.  At some places I visited it rained all day everyday but these towels still dried out in a matter of hours.  Even now that I've moved into my new place, I still refuse to buy regular towels because these are just so good.

TOPO DESIGNS ROVER PACK CLASSIC
I chose this pack last year for my summer in Italy where I mostly wore it on day trips or to class.  For this summer, I knew that this would be the a perfect carry-on...and as a plus, it's my favorite color.

Throughout the summer I tossed my gear into it for overnight camping trips, longer hikes, plane rides, and biking into town.  I can easily fit a few changes of clothes, my laptop, two pairs of shoes, binoculars, French press, water bottle, journal, and weekend essentials in this bag.  This backpack has seen the busy streets of Venice, Italy but also quiet forests of Seward, Alaska, and it will be going on many more adventures.

EXPED DOWN SOCK BOOTIES
I received these camp socks as a gift from my parents several years back but would only use them once or twice a year whenever we went tent camping.  I brought them up here because I figured they take up almost no space and they would probably be nice to walk around the cabin in.  Truth told, I ended up wearing them every single night to sleep.  They are definitely a luxury camp item that prompted some laughs but I never had cold feet, even on below-freezing nights.

LEATHERMAN MULTI-TOOL
When I was packing for this summer, I was going through all of my outdoor gear in search of some sort of knife, something compact but functional. My parents got both my brother and I Leatherman Leap multi-tools (now discontinued) that we mostly used for carving our initials in our forts, sharpening sticks, and chopping ingredients for our mud soups.  I figured that it would be a decent tool to bring up here instead of just a pocket knife but I could not find mine anywhere.  After rummaging through my room without any luck of finding it, I begged my brother to let me borrow his.  He reluctantly agreed, both of us assuming that I would probably use it only once or twice throughout the summer.  To my surprise it became an essential that I carried around daily.  I used the blades to sharpen pencils, the tweezers to remove splinters, the screwdriver head to change the batteries in my headlamp, and all of the other tools for random tasks. Although I originally underestimated this tool's usefulness, I would highly recommend something similar for kids or adults looking for a durable multi-tool that'll last for years.

Hadley's summer camp season ended and, not surprisingly, she decided to stay in Alaska where she accepted a student missionary opportunity at our church school in Palmer.  There's a good chance you'll see some follow up gear reviews from her as she lives, works, and plays through the seasons up there.  We couldn't be prouder of her and admittedly, kinda jealous.  To be eighteen again...

ZEN FLY ART - Orange Chubby

Sometimes things are just fun to look at and when I came across John Piacquadio of Zen Fly Art take on the ever buoyant Orange Chubby on Instagram yesterday, I asked if I could share.  I've had a lot of good times out west with this pattern and I won't ever forget the unexpected slurps up against the grass with my fly suddenly disappearing in a trout's mouth.  Good times.
 

You can see more of John's work on the Zen Fly Art website and follow along on Instagram too.

Visit past T.F.M. posts on John's art HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

KAMMOK - Tommy & Crosswing: Exploring Yellowstone and Beyond

The folks at Kammok get extra credit points for their humorous and well done shortie product films and this one on the Crosswing is no different.  We have a Crosswing on our Subaru Outback Wilderness and then another awning like featured in this film on our Honda Element.  The Crosswing opens and closes in seconds with ease.  

The other?  It really takes two people to roll out, position the legs, hammer in stakes and cord it down.  It's not tough to do but certainly not as easy or convenient as the Crosswing. 



Visit the Kammok website to check out the Crosswing and while you're there, sign up for their weekly newsletter.  It's worth it.  They run a lot of different giveaways, tip you off on new products, and they are always a fun read.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

STEFFEN BROTHERS FLY RODS - The Motherland Conclave 000

It was mentioned on T.F.M. a few months ago that Andy Stiebler and Shane Gray began a partnership of sorts with Steffen Brothers Fly Rods and part of this creative collaboration will be a series of conclaves to bring brand devotees together for a shared experience, fly fishing special places, and more.

The first of these conclaves will be in the White Mountains of Arizona near where Mark Steffen began this fly rod company in 1980.  Attendees of the AZ Conclave 000 will pursue Apache and brown trout with guides, meals and lodging at Corduroy Lodge, whiskey and tequila tastings, and everyone will receive two custom built Steffen Brothers Fly Rods matched for this trip.


Take a moment to visit the AZ Conclave 000 webpage to learn more on this gathering that is planned for early next month.  There are still several openings to attend if you are interested and able.


And, Andy is just getting started...  A steelhead conclave to Michigan on the Pere Marquette is planned for next spring and you'll need to sign up for the newsletters for the emails on this and more. 

Check out the Steffen Brothers Fly Rods website to see the latest offerings and to keep up with shop news, follow along on Facebook and Instagram

6 Cool Things

While my intention was to keep up daily with T.F.M. and my Gmail account, I came home from eight days in Montana to a bulging inbox with half of those emails being a mess of new gear blasts.  I pulled a few favorite gear items of things I have already or want to have at some point.    

HOWLER BROTHERS ELEOS FLEECE CREWNECK

Think of this as a throwback to the inside out sweatshirts that you might have worn in the early 90's when it was cool...right?!?!?  This fleece crewneck is mega warm and crazy comfortable. 


SEA RUN FIN & FEATHER TRAVEL CASE
The innovation at Sea Run Cases in travel cases for fly fishing adventures continues with their newest offering for those who have cast and blast in their plans.  Check out this short video HERE.


KAMMOK BLANKETS

We are HUGE fans of both the Field Blanket and Mountain Blanket.  If you're going to get one, it's got to be the Mountain Blanket.  You could damn near hibernate until next spring in that thing.



TURTLEBOX X MOSSY OAK BOTTOMLAND SPEAKER
Mark this up as maybe the coolest collaboration so far this year and I expect these limited edition speakers won't last long.  Everyone needs at least one (two is even better) Turtlebox speaker. 


RIVERSMITH SHORTCUT ROD QUIVER WITH TRUCK MOUNT

After being in Bozeman and Missoula recently where every other Taco and 4Runner had a fly rod rack on the roof, I'm liking this idea for a secure and low-key way of carrying a couple fly rods with you.  If I had a pickup truck, this is the way I'd go. 


YETI SOFT COOLERS FAMILY GROWS
We are constantly grabbing our Hopper 12 and Hopper 18 but the latest upgrades to the soft coolers have me looking at one of the backpack coolers.


Alright, back to cleaning out my inbox... 

LOON OUTDOORS - Golden Ghosts with Dagur Guðmundsson

YES!!!  Everything that Dagur says about carp and more.  I love these damn fish.

This shortie film is from folks at Loon Outdoors and they have some new arrivals that are worth a look.

Sunday, October 1, 2023

MONTANA FLASHBACK

This morning I am sitting in a coffee shop in downtown Bozeman at the beginning of a whirlwind week of shop visits, fly fishing with friends that I have made while writing T.F.M., and then a few days with buddies fishing with our guide and outfitter friend, Joel Thompson of Montana Troutaholics.  It's going to be quite a week.

It's been a few years since I've been in Montana and maybe twenty years since last being in Bozeman.  How it's all changed yet remained largely the same.  On the drive over from Missoula to Bozeman last evening, I saw wide open spaces that looked exactly how I remembered them but the towns have certainly seen some growth since the last time I was here.

I thought it would be fun to bring back a few links to past trips in Montana and grabbed some favorite posts to share this morning.  Click the link to visit them one by one...



A COUPLE OF DAYS ON THE MISSOURI RIVER

JUST A TYPICAL FALL DAY IN MONTANA

MONTANA GOLD WITH THE ADIPOSE CREW

ANOTHER DAY ON THE UPPER UPPER


MONTANA CREEKIN' AND DITCHIN'
 

SCENES FROM THE UPPER CLARK FORK RIVER


Well, here's to a stellar week.  It's so good to be back in Montana for a few days.

BERY FLY RODS - Epic 370 FastGlass II

I've mentioned it before that Paolo Bernabei of Ber Fly Rods always gets me with his stunning builds and he slyly slips in a T.F.M. decal into his completed fly rod build studio images. 

This Epic 370 Fast Glass II build is just stunning...T.F.M. decal or not.
 

Here's a few words on this build from Paolo...

"Another 370 from Epic, almost a twin of another one I built recently.  Light, lively and extremely precise fly rod.  The look of the rod is simple and clean as usual, only accents in the tone of brown, as required.
I used a selected fragment of warm brown-colored koa, from the Hawaiian Islands, ergal hardware with bakelite inlay, s.g. brown agate with white bands, green silk wrapps and brown tips. 

There is also a nice Ber rod tube to transport it safely.  All that remains now is to take her fishing.  I think my friend P.F.D.M. will have a lot of fun with her!"









Visit the Ber Fly Rods website for more of Paolo's work and follow along on Instagram too.

SCIENTIFIC ANGLERS - Strategies for Selective Trout

Here's another vintage film gem that Scientific Anglers has unearthed with Doug Swisher on selective trout.  Press PLAY...


Visit the Scientific Anglers YouTube channel for more films like this and click "Subscribe".