T.F.M. STORE - Eagle Claw Featherlight & Crafted Glass

So it's been quite awhile since I've had any sort of stock of Featherlight fly rods or spinning rods in the T.F.M. Store.  For whatever reason the local distributor that I was working with just stopped answering emails or taking phone calls so it led me to a more direct route of getting and keeping these offerings in stock which should make things quite a bit better.

In my opinion, the Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rod is the quintessential "first fly rod" or "first experience with glass".  Consider these the PBR of angling.  Cheap with a cult following and easy to grab from behind the truck seat or trunk anytime you can get just a few minutes on the water.  Are they my favorite fly rod or spinning rod?  No.  But did the Featherlight open a whole new world to me in fly fishing twenty odd years ago?  Undoubtedly, yes.

So, here is the line up of Featherlight and Crafted Glass fly rods and spinning rods that I will be offering in the T.F.M. Store.  I am also reducing the price from $45 to $40 shipped in the U.S.A. which includes T.F.M. decals and a Retro Fly koozie of  your color choice.  Additional discounts available if multiple fly rods, spinning rods or a mix are ordered. 

EAGLE CLAW FEATHERLIGHT FLY RODS
6'6" 3/4 Weight - Two Piece  
7' 5/6 Weight - Two Piece
8' 5/6 Weight - Two Piece

EAGLE CLAW FEATHERLIGHT SPINNING RODS
5'6" Ultralight Glass - Two Piece - 2-6 Pound Line Weight - 1/16-3/8 Ounce Lure Weight
6'6" Ultralight Glass - Two Piece - 2-6 Pound Line Weight - 1/16-3/8 Ounce Lure Weight
7' Medium Light - Two Piece - 4-8 Pound Light Weight - 1/16-1/2 Ounce Lure Weight

EAGLE CLAW CRAFTED GLASS SPINNING RODS
5'6" Light - Two Piece - 2-6 Pound Line Weight - 1/4-1/2 Ounce Lure Weight
6'6" Medium - Two Piece - 4-12 Pound Line Weight - 1/4-5/8 Ounce Lure Weight
8'2" Medium Heavy - Two Piece - 10-25 Pound Line Weight - 1/2-3 Ounce Lure Weight

All spinning rods can all be ordered as a combo with an Eagle Claw spinning reel.  Email for details.

Interested in placing an order or have questions that I can answer?  Please send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com.  I can take payment through PayPal, check or credit card.  International orders possible but shipping can get quite expensive.

Additional swag offerings in the T.F.M. Store and T.F.M. Decals pages. 

The Eagle Claw Featherlight Series

When I started fly fishing my first fly rod was a seven foot Eagle Claw Featherlight coupled with a simple Martin fly reel and a level line.  I would have never expected that bright yellow stick to become so ingrained into my fly fishing DNA but nearly twenty years later I am as geeked about getting my hands on the new generation of Featherlights' as I have with fly rods costing ten times as much.

I've always liked the Featherlight line up and at first impression it seems Eagle Claw has taken a historically good idea and made them even better.  Granted, there is a little graphite in them now but they actually cast pretty well.  The slightly faster action should help shed the bad rap of being a "floopy" and a poor casting rod.

I am really surprised at the hardware and cherry wood insert that is used.  It's pretty nice for a $30 fly rod.  Granted the epoxy work on the wraps is a bit rough but you really can't expect perfection in a fly rod at this price point.

I am very glad to see the gold mylar wraps were kept and Eagle Claw didn't try to over modernize the series.  The two tone cork grips, wood insert, and hardware are enough "new school" and the black tipped guide wraps and mylar keep it strikingly "old school".

I commend Eagle Claw for not cutting costs and wrapping the Featherlight series in single foot guides.  I've always thought that they make fly rods look like spinning rods.  These are fly rods through and through.

One thing that I'll pass along from casting all three of these rods is that the rods seem to like the top end of the line weight designation for each rod.  The 3/4 weight 6'6" likes a four weight and even a five weight fly line, the 5/6 weight 7' casts with authority with a 6WF line, and the 5/6 eight foot Featherlight feels more like a 6/7 weight.  I've been using a 7WF Bass Taper line on it and it casts bass flies like a cannon.

Though my review on the Eagle Claw Featherlight series is just beginning I'll mention a few final points about these rods.  In my mind the Featherlight series of fly rods are all about fun.  They are unapologeticly bright yellow and come off a little gaudy.  I like that.  They aren't expensive.  The ruler down the blank is pretty cool.  You'll enjoy this fly rod and won't worry about your kid trashing the water with it either.  These rods beg to go fishing or at the very least tossed in the back of the car always ready for an impromptu fly fishing trip.

Weekend Giveaway - Where The Featherlight Did Summer Go?

It's kind of unbelievable to me that we are entering into the Labor Day weekend and the first day of fall is just a couple weeks away.  I am scratching my head wondering "Where the "F" did summer go?"  I had plans that didn't come true.  Places I had intended to kayak and fish.  Steal away evenings after work on the family pond.  Other places I had planned on taking the children to fish with crickets and light line spinning rods.  A quick trip or three down to the lowcountry to hit a flood tide.  I did just about none of it.  Where did this summer go?

WEEKEND GIVEAWAY
I was thinking last night that nothing says summer like an Eagle Claw fly rod and in this case let's just substitute the other "F" word for Featherlight.  I have been holding back a stash that Eagle Claw sent me earlier in the year for a weekend giveaway and this one seems like a good one to make a few people happy when they get back to the office early next week.

I've always said that you shouldn't over think the fly line choice on these Eagle Claw fly rods and the S.A. AirCel Panfish fly line is the perfect match for the 7' 5/6 weight Featherlight.

While I was putting together this giveaway last night I shot a text to Rep Your Water and they gladly gave up a few Bluegill Trucker Cap to complete this weekend's giveaway.     

THE RULES
1.  Send an email to tfmcontests@gmail.com and tell me about the plans that you didn't get a chance to do this summer that you expected to?

2.  Please send only ONE EMAIL submission per email address.  Duplicates will be deleted.

3.  Submissions will be accepted until 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014. 

4.  On Tuesday morning FOUR WINNERS will be chosen by random number generator and then listed at the bottom of this post.  Winners will also be contacted by email as well.

5.  Each winner will each receive the following...

• Eagle Claw Featherlight 7' 5/6 Weight Fly Rod
• Scientific Anglers AirCel Panfish Fly Line
• Rep Your Water Bluegill Trucker Cap

So..."Where The Featherlight Did Summer Go?"

Be sure to take a few minutes this weekend and let me know.

THE WINNERS
There were over 450 emails that were sent in over the four day weekend and the random number generator picked these four lucky winners...

DINO PETRUSESKI
J BRYAN MYNES
JEFF COLE
PAUL MCMILLIAN

Thanks to everyone that took the time to send in emails.  I had a good time reading through them over the weekend.  Thanks also to Eagle Claw, Scientific Anglers, and Rep Your Water for the support. 

IN STOCK - Featherlight & Crafted Glass in T.F.M. Store

After a way too long hiatus, Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods and spinning rods, along with Crafted Glass spinning rods, are in stock in the T.F.M. Store.  I will be packaging up pre-orders of these rods over the weekend and if anyone else is in need of one (or several) please let me know and yours will get sent pronto as well.

I've said it quite a few times before that there is just no better bang for your buck than these fly rods and the spinning rods are 100% fun as well.

The models of Featherlight and Crafted Glass that I am currently stocking include...

EAGLE CLAW FEATHERLIGHT FLY RODS
6'6" 3/4 Weight - Two Piece  
7' 5/6 Weight - Two Piece
8' 5/6 Weight - Two Piece

EAGLE CLAW FEATHERLIGHT SPINNING RODS
5'6" Ultralight Glass - Two Piece - 2-6 Pound Line Weight - 1/16-3/8 Ounce Lure Weight
6'6" Ultralight Glass - Two Piece - 2-6 Pound Line Weight - 1/16-3/8 Ounce Lure Weight
7' Medium Light - Two Piece - 4-8 Pound Light Weight - 1/16-1/2 Ounce Lure Weight

EAGLE CLAW CRAFTED GLASS SPINNING RODS
5'6" Light - Two Piece - 2-6 Pound Line Weight - 1/4-1/2 Ounce Lure Weight
6'6" Medium - Two Piece - 4-12 Pound Line Weight - 1/4-5/8 Ounce Lure Weight
8'2" Medium Heavy - Two Piece - 10-25 Pound Line Weight - 1/2-3 Ounce Lure Weight

Interested in placing an order or have questions that I can answer?  Please send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com.  I can take payment through PayPal, check or credit card.  International orders are possible but heads up, shipping can get quite expensive.

Additional swag offerings in the T.F.M. Store and T.F.M. Decals pages including the Rep Your Water #glassisnotdead Knit Hats which I am down to the last couple dozen of.

T.F.M. STORE - Eagle Claw Featherlight Spinning Rods

A couple summers ago the distribution warehouse that I work with to purchase the Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods accidentally sent me a couple Featherlight ultra light spinning instead of fly rods.  No big deal and I ended up giving one away to a friend and keeping the other two to fish with on the pond with our children. 

These spinning rods are so much fun and since there have been so many requests about them, I decided to get a few of each length ordered to see how they do in the T.F.M. Store for purchase.

The Eagle Claw Featherlight spinning rod line up is as follows...

5' SPINNING - ULTRA LIGHT - ONE PIECE
5'6" SPINNING - ULTRA LIGHT - TWO PIECE
7'6" SPINNING - MEDIUM LIGHT - TWO PIECE

The 5' and 5'6" have a very similar action and feel.  These are both ultra light with a lot of flex.  Think crickets and small bobber, small plastics, and Rooster Tails.  The 7'6" has some additional backbone to it and this will easily handle larger plastics and lures.  After years of fishing the ultra lights, I'm looking forward to messing around with the big brother spinning rod.

The cost for the spinning rods are $45 shipped (international postage will be more) which is the same price as the Featherlight fly rods which are available in 6'6" 3/4 weight, 7' 5/6 weight, and 8' 5/6 weight.

I can accept PayPal, check, or credit card for purchases and do offer discounted prices if multiple rods are ordered at the same time and shipped to the same address.

Send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com to place your order.

September Orders Wrapping Up

It's Sunday morning and I am already anticipating what a blur this week is going to be leading up to flying to Montana next Saturday  morning.  I am wrapping up a couple different T.F.M. orders and wanted to pass along a couple reminders with this post. 

T.F.M. APPAREL
The next T.F.M. apparel order goes to the printer later this week and will be largely Comrade pieces unless there is interest in the other artwork styles which are offered as well. 

If you are interested in a long sleeve t-shirt or hoodie please let me know since I'll work on reaching my minimums in short sleeve shirts otherwise.

Check out the T.F.M. Apparel page for more information.

EAGLE CLAW FEATHERLIGHTS
After several years of receiving email after email asking where to buy Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods it finally dawned on me that I should figure out how to offer these for sale on T.F.M.  All the pieces of the puzzle came together and I have started to offer these surprisingly good and inexpensive glass fly rods on the website.  

I am only able to offer the 6'6" 4/5 weight and 7' 5/6 weight models (I'm not much of a fan of the 8' model anyway) and they are priced at $40 shipped in the U.S.  Check out the T.F.M. review for more on the Featherlight fly rods.

If interested in a piece or two of T.F.M. apparel or a Featherlight fly rod please send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com to place your order.  I will be placing both of these orders on Friday with delivery about the middle of October.

Featherlight Switch Project Complete

(A week or so ago I posted that T.F.M. reader Jim Jenkins was working on an Eagle Claw Featherlight switch rod modification for me and this post outlines his work step by step along with some interesting background on a past mod that Jim did as well.  Jim, thanks again.)

A little of the back story on my switch mods. About ten years ago I felt I needed a fighting butt on my go-to carp rod, an 8’ 6” Shakespeare Ugly Stik 6/7 weight. I cannibalized an old spinning rod for the foam grip and a piece of shaft for the butt insert and voila, a serviceable fighting butt/switch grip that lives up to the Ugly Stik moniker. What I’ve learned since then is being able to do a couple of the simple two handed spey casts opens up a lot more fishable water, even with short rods.  It also dramatically reduces shoulder fatigue on these fifty plus year old joints.

When Cameron posted the link to the This River Is Wild Eagle Claw Featherlight Switch mod I was like “Wow! That looks a heck of a lot nicer than my Ugly Stik.” So, it didn’t take long to gather the parts and put one together myself.


Created with flickr slideshow.
Here a few pics of the old Ugly Stik and Cameron’s build. I started with assembling and gluing up the switch butt and a 6.5 inch section of arrow shaft using a non-expanding Urethane glue like Fusion. Make sure to wipe down the arrow shaft with alcohol to thoroughly clean. Wipe up excess glue and bind with a rubber band. Set aside to cure for a couple hours.

Wrap your rod grip in a rag and clamp in a vise. With a saw cut off the butt of the reel seat at the last seat thread. Take your time here. Next time I’ll try a cutoff wheel on my Dremel to see if I can achieve a smoother and faster cut. After the butt is cut off use coarse emery paper on a sanding block to de-burr and square up the cut end. Clean out the blank with a round file; there will be some excess epoxy in there. Use Q-Tips and alcohol to clean the inside of the blank.

With half inch masking tape wrap two bushing on to the arrow shaft. This insures the shaft will be centered in the rod blank. Keep adding, or removing, tape until you feel just the slightest resistance as you slide the insert into the rod blank.

Mix a good batch of paste epoxy. I use this because it is slow curing and can be slathered on the arrow shaft without dripping. Thoroughly coat the arrow shaft between the tape bushings. The epoxy should be a thickness slightly wider than the tape bushings so it thoroughly contacts the inside of the blank. With a slow twisting motion work the epoxied shaft into the rod blank. Wipe up excess epoxy with a rag and then clean the cork and threads with a brass brush. Set the assemble rod in a corner with a weight on the end, I used a pint beer glass, to keep everything snug while the epoxy cures.

There you have it.  For about fifty bucks for rod and switch grip and while watching a football game or auto race, you’ve got yourself a really fun little switch rod. Now go fish the heck out of that thing. I’ll be trying for Lake Erie steelhead with mine this season.

Photos in this post can also be viewed in this Flickr album.

Devin's First Experience With Glass

Devin Angleberger of Devin's Fishing Reports sent this dispatch along for this Friday's Eagle Claw Featherlight Double Feature of his first trip with his recently purchased yellow stick.

Devin wrote...  "I headed to Beaver Creek in mid-Maryland, a popular limestone spring creek that stays around 58 degrees year round which makes for excellent fly fishing.  The stream is a wild brown trout stream that has quite a few wild rainbows along with stocked rainbows that get dumped in upstream.  The terrestrial action is fantastic here in the summer, so I started with a Letort Hopper.  I rigged it up on the yellow Eagle Claw Featherlight and I was off fishing.  The first thing I noticed was the slow action and it just kind of felt a little weird.  I guess I have gotten used to the T.F.O.'s fast action line-up.  I shortly got adjusted and was able to land the fly in the pockets and even landed some fish. The rod handled the fish well and even steered a nice thirteen inch brown from a root system."

"After landing a couple fish in the public section, I gained access to a private section of water by the landowner.  The fish here are big, and plentiful.  I managed a couple fish on streamers, and the big one of the day, a hefty nineteen inch wild rainbow on a modified San Juan Worm that I tie.  After a long fight on the five weight glass, the fish came to hand.  I was very pleased with it's performance and casting, and it's versatility; from casting small hoppers to large streamers.  And definitely for 18 bucks or so, you can't beat it for the price!"

Check out Devin's Fishing Report for more on this trip and others in and around Maryland.

T.F.M. Spotting - Jade's First Fish

While at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo I had the opportunity to meet Mario Garza and his daughter Jade. Mario and I follow each other on Instagram and it was neat to put a handshake with someone who's photography stream I follow.

As Jade was getting ready to leave the show I handed her one of the giveaway Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods that I had brought with me to use as prizes. Jade was excited and they promised to send a few photos when she caught her first fish.

Mario sent a couple photos this week which also included one of him repping for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest as well.

Mario wrote...  "Here is some photos of my daughter Jade learning to cast her Eagle Claw Featherlight glass fly rod for the first time. She caught her first fish on the fly shortly thereafter. She was pretty fired up!  It's gonna be a fun summer teaching her to fish with it!"

Nice work Jade.  Be sure to make your dad take you fly fishing a lot this summer.

T.F.M. Spotting - First Bass On Glass

Jeff Price of J&M Flies recently heeded the call to give glass a try again after a twenty year hiatus with the purchase of a couple Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods.  He sent along a report with a T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest photo as well.

Jeff wrote...  "After reading and following your blog, I decided to give the glass a try.  I bought something in my price range, that being two of the Eagle Claw Featherlight rods.  I decided to go with the 6'6 4/5 weight and the 7' 5/6 weight.  Well, on June 11, 2012 I decided to give the 7' model a try.  Melissa told me to wear my T.F.M. shirt as this was my first time in over twenty years that I have fished with a fiberglass rod.  I had bought a glass rod when I first started fly fishing but never caught anything on it and I quickly moved on to a graphite rod.  So I ventured out and used my new rod and over the course of two hours I managed to land eleven smallies, one long eared sunfish, and one fallfish.  I had a blast.  What a difference the fiberglass makes.  I am hooked on the glass!  I have already started looking at other fiberglass rods in my price range much to my wife's dismay."

Jeff...I'm glad that you are digging fishing fiberglass.  Don't let it be twenty years before you try it again.

Featherlight Fly Rods Back In Stock

Two dozen Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods arrived on my doorstep yesterday afternoon and this is a heads up the 6'6" 4/5 weight and 7' 5/6 weight models are now both back in stock again with the 8' 5/6 weight model on order and soon to arrive.

I've said it before but there absolutely no better bang for your buck than the Featherlight and who can resist a gaudy yellow fly rod, with gold mylar wraps, and a ruler inked down the blank?  I can't.

Lately I've been receiving quite a few emails asking about a first glass fly rod, or something affordable, and really your search could start and end here.  These fly rods cast better than you would ever expect that they would and they are just fun in all respects.

The Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods are priced at $45 shipped in the U.S.  I can figure international shipping but I'll warn you that it can get kind of expensive.

Check out the T.F.M. Store page for more information and send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com with questions or to place an order.

The Featherlight Switch Project Begins

Ever since This River Is Wild posted their tutorial on turning an eight foot Eagle Claw Featherlight into a switch stick I've been jonesing for one.  A couple weeks ago T.F.M. reader Jim Jenkins shared a photograph of one of his favorite brews and in the background I noticed an Featherlight switch rod and asked if he built it.  He emailed back that he did and offered to build one up for me as well.  What a great guy since I don't know if I'll ever build a fly rod...no matter how easy it is. 

Jim wrote...  "Just an update on the Featherlight switch mod.  I have all the components gathered and will probably complete the work this weekend.  Switch butt grip from J. Stockard, 5/6 weight 8 ft Eagle Claw Featherlight from troutlet.com and the shaft inserts are scrap arrow blanks from a friend who makes his own arrows, and long bows for that matter, for bow hunting.  Roughly at about $50 all told.  

Now it’s just a little sawing, fitting and gluing for the mod.   The arrow shafts are great because they are very strong and fit the pre-drilled holes in the switch grip.   It's really a super simple assembly for that part of the mod.  More photos to come."

The project has started and I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out.  There should be another update or two in the coming weeks.  Thanks Jim for doing the work.

Featherlight Review From Down Under

Some time back I started offering for sale both the 6'6" and 7' models of the Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods which I feel are a great exposure to what a fiberglass fly rod is without much expense.

Last month I sent five of the 6'6" 4/5 weight Featherlight fly rods over to Adam Maskew in Australia and last week he sent this dispatch and review of their first time out on the water with them.

Adam wrote...  "I was super excited when I went to the post office last Thursday and became the holder of a very long box containing the four Eagle Claw Featherlight 4/5 weight 6’6” fly rods.  The timing was right as we had a friend up and had planned to go to Rocky Pool, one of the permanent fresh water pools on the Gascoyne River, the following day.  I quickly dug up my five weight fly reel and some small flies the kids had. I don’t usually fish this light but have been looking for a fun stick in this weight and something the kids could learn on too.  

The smallest flies I had were tied on #8's and I had to make a detour on the out to get some 8 pound tippet so that I could tie the flies on.  After the initial isn’t it strange seeing so much water in an arid environment we quickly strung up the Featherlight.  

To say I was impressed with the little fibreglass rod is an understatement.  I didn’t expect it to cast nearly so well as it handled the 5-10 knot winds well.  Most importantly it was a delight to throw such a light line and fly.  The spangled perch cooperated very nicely with over twenty fish bought to hand between myself and the two kids ranging from 4 – 8 inches.  Also importantly the kids really liked using the little yellow stick as much as I did.  One of the biggest surprises was that my wife, a long time ambivalent fisher, picked the rod up and had a crack as well.  Thanks for providing some advice about these fun little sticks and sorting me out for them.  I’m in the process of giving the other couple of sticks to friends and I’m sure they will have as much fun with them as I have."

If you are interested in a Featherlight of your own please check out the T.F.M. Store page and send an email to thefiberglassmanifesto@gmail.com to place an order.  

Featherlight Fix It Tip

Jim Jenkins is an Eagle Claw Featherlight devotee and he figured out a somewhat "fashionable" way to keep his ferrules fitting tight with a short strip of yellow electrical tape over where the rod sections meet.  

Jim wrote...  "I just wanted to pass on some a few pictures from this morning at my mom’s farm pond.  It’s not news that the Eagle Claw Featherlight is a gas to fish with.  The big bluegills and smallish bass were slamming a soon to be retired Sneaky Pete all morning before the clouds broke up and the sunshine shut them down.  The strikes from the bluegills were incredibly vicious for whatever reason.  They put those little 10-12 inch bass  to shame.

One tip I have for Featherlight fans is that they tend to come apart after casting awhile.  Scotch electrical tape in yellow matches the wraps nearly perfectly and a two inch strip wrapped around the ferrule keeps the rod together as long as you need it to.  This is easily found at all the big box hardware stores."

Of course any color electrical tape will do but you know you've got to go yellow on yellow if you can find it.

Eagle Claw Featherlight Vs. Milkfish

A couple weeks ago Owen, a.k.a. "Piscineidiot", joined the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum and he shared these images in his first post of the "locals" that he's been tangling with on a fiberglass fly rod in Queensland, Australia.

Owen wrote...  "I just recently acquired my first ever fiberglass flyrod...a 6'6" Eagleclaw Featherlight which is a 4/5 weight.  It's not the best rod in the world, but it suits my purposes perfectly.  The first fish I caught on it were archerfish (the ones that spit at bugs above the water), and they were fun, but there's another species we get around here that I always thought would be a hoot on the glass...the milkfish.  They fight much harder than most things swimming about and live in the saltwater.  When hooked up, they really bend the fiberglass rods."

I am giving Owen extra credit style points for putting a serious bend on and doing this with an Eagle Claw Featherlight.  So damn cool.

Featherlight Chrome

Do you remember the step by step instructional Eagle Claw Featherlight Switch Rod Project that Adam Hope of This River Is Wild put together on their blog some time back?  Well, he certainly pushed his Featherlight switch rod to the max this week with a chromed out Chinook from the Salmon River.

Damn... Just damn.

A short excerpt from the blog post...

"I decided to use my 5wt Eagle Claw Featherlight Switch figuring it had at least a chance at landing a fish with the river flowing at roughly 200cfs.  I rigged up with a 425gr Skagit head with a 10’ clear intermediate tip and went to work in the tailout of a large pool. Pods of fresh fish were moving through constantly all morning, the water level was so low in some spots that a fish or two would beach itself while powering through a riffle."

Check out This River Is Wild for more photos and the rest of the story of this fresh twenty-five pound brute taken on the swing.   

A Featherlight In Exmouth Gulf

I am amazed with the abuse that the Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rods can take and these photos from Adam Maskew of the work that his 6'6" 4/5 weight are further proof of this fact.  It's also good to see that there are others willing to push the envelope on what glass can and can not do with great success.

Adam wrote...  "I thought I'd drop you another quick line on the journey and enjoyment of the Eagle Claw Featherlight 4/5 weight fly rod I got from you.  My eight  year old son Tom wanted to go on a fishing trip for the April school holidays so I organized a posse to go to a spot at the back of Exmouth Gulf for seven days of fishing.  The aim was to show the kids a good time and get them to catch lots of fish and hopefully some big ones.  It was mission accomplished as the boys caught lots of fish including Golden Trevally, Bludger Trevally, Giant Trevally, Longtail Tuna, Mackeral, Estuary Cod, Mangrove Jack, Bream, Queenies and heaps of others.

I was along as number one guide and deckie with the intention of just watching my sons skills improve and enjoy the captures.  Well, I also got to have a cast of the wand, as did my son.  He caught some fish including several on a fly he tied while we were on site.

I found my hand skipping the big guns and picking up the fibreglass by choice more often than not.  The first afternoon we fished some big bust ups and the Featherlight accounted for some good Golden Trevally and Queenfish.  My only concern is that the hero measure at eighteen inches (45cm) was a tad small as I got several Queenfish in the 80-100cm mark and some Golden Trevally that were slightly smaller.

For the rest of the trip it tackled more appropriately sized fish such as cod, bream and mangrove jacks.  The rod has been a great fun stick and I've racked up an impressive tally of species and will be using it to target some Barramundi later in the year.

Not quite what the rod was designed for but it performed great!"

Damn, that looks like fun.  GLASS IS NOT DEAD.

T.F.M. Spotting - Scout's Honor

A few weeks ago Scott Hunter of Vedavoo sent this image along for the T.F.M. Spotting Photo Contest of his son Jade repping underneath his Boy Scout uniform.

Scott wrote...  "Jade proudly sporting his T.F.M. t-shirt beneath his Cub Scout uniform.  Time for a fly fishing program in the Cubs?

He got his first fly rod, an Eagle Claw Featherlight, this past year with guidance from T.F.M. and he can't wait to put it to use again this next season." 

Jade...looking good...and I hear that you tie a mean fly too.

GLASS REFLECTIONS

To start off the new year, I asked in this T.F.M. post for everyone's 'Glass Reflections' on 2023 and also their 'Glass Resolutions' for 2024.  I was hoping for a few more responses but these are below are great.

If you still have a 'Glass Resolution' that you'd like to share, send me an email today since the next post will go up soon.

JASON FORMAN
"The past few years as a parent have been a whirlwind, leaving little time for my hobby of fishing. This year, I adjusted my approach, learning to make quick trips to urban ponds during lunch breaks with my glass 3wt. I involved my daughter, creating enjoyable memories working together netting and releasing feisty bluegill and scrappy pond bass .Adapting fishing expectations as a parent has been challenging. It's easy to get tunnel vision or become fixated on specific goals, inadvertently becoming a metaphor for life's challenges. Fortunately, I have a supportive partner who helps keep me grounded, offering a delicate balance between constructive criticism and providing the space for me to enjoy some personal time.

As I entered the new year, reflections on my dog, Scout, sparked a realization. Her enthusiasm, focus, determination, and absolute presence in the moment stood out. Unlike humans, she remains unfazed by the past or future, embodying a remarkable connection with emotions. Inspired by Scout, my resolution for 2024 is to seek a similar mindset."

"On New Year's Day, armed with my 5wt Eagle Claw, I joined a friend to fish a nearby urban lake. Despite initial doubts, especially when carp fishing proves challenging, I channeled my inner Scout. Instead of fixating on expectations, I embraced the joy of being on the water in the vibrant city of Los Angeles, my home. The deliberate casting of my heavy and slow glass rod served as a reminder to slow down, be present, and release expectations.

Like magic, the day unfolded with five fish landed, each one bending my yellow glass rod nearly in half. It turned out to be the most thrilling day of fishing I've had in a while, reinforcing the value of being in the moment and letting go of rigid expectations."

ANDY STIEBLER - STEFFEN BROTHERS FLY RODS
"My 'Glass Reflections' from 2023 was teaching my nine year old son to fly fish on a Steffen 5/6 weight."

"It has also been amazing reconnecting with Steffen Bros Fly Rod customers, and even getting a few cherished early 90’s Steffen Bros fly rods repaired or restored for some loyal fans.  Another highlight, has been rediscovering old mandrels and taper layups designs, it’s kinda like Christmas when this happens!

And of course, getting the new Steffen Brothers website refreshed and planning out for a fun-filled 2024 :) Lots to be excited about. We always appreciate you all bearing with us as we try to juggle too many things at once!"
 
JOHN CARPENTER - THOMAS & THOMAS FLY RODS
"Hi Cameron, nice to hear from you.  I'll attach a photo from Jurassic Lake (Lago Strobel) featuring the Lotic 7'10" 5-weight.  This small but mighty rod has proven itself countless times with the big rainbows there, and is a favorite of guides and guests alike."

"We do have some new glass projects in the works so stay tuned!"

PETER SCHULTZ

"Hey Cameron

A happy hoiidaze to you!

That was a nice read.

Kinda like casting a glass fly rod.

Smooth and mellow.

Like bourbon, but does have its limitations.

So today may have been the last fishing day of the year.
Maybe.

I've proposed an experiment to myself here in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Urban bluelines.

Any place with current.

Here it's tidal, or perhaps,  ditch runoff into ponds.

So far so good.

I wouldn't eat any of the fish coming from these places, but all are full of vigor.

The big rain this past Wednesday   and warm Temps, provided a wonderful topwater bite on the bass.

With the cool down today, it was a prince under an indicator that provided the fun in reduced water flow.

No new glass rod.

Still throwing the little Butter Stick in these places.

It is after all...urban bluelining.

Peace to the world.

Peace to you."

MARK ERICKSON

"My 2023 began slowly but finished out as a pretty good fishing year.  Record high Sierra snowfalls forced a very late start for my headwaters explorations.  Once the water dropped enough to be fishable, I made a point of searching out new watersheds, lakes, and beats on creeks I had fished before.  I maintained enough physical fitness to push a few fairly long (for me) day hikes to explore less-fished waters within day-driving distance of my home.  The results were generally excellent.  I caught big Lahontan Cutthroat in a Sierra lake, explored new-to-me Sierra east-side creeks, and continued to check out new high-altitude tributaries of my home watershed."

"I also focused this year on expanding my fishing technique repertoire.  In particular, I put more focus on refining my single-handed Spey skills and I put effort into swinging soft-hackles and pulling small streamers.  I was rewarded with fewer-but-larger hookups (i.e., mighty 10” rainbows vs the usual 6”-8” risers in the headwaters creeks I often fish).  

Finally, I  was fortunate to be published (twice!) in the now-retired California Fly Fisher magazine - one article focusing on recent wildfires, and one focusing on (what else) fiberglass fly rods."

SANDY NELSON - SANDY'S CUSTOM FLY RODS
"The start of the year, as always, involved the building of several rods.  Always a variety and always fun.

As the season began, my trusty Barclay GP emerged from hibernation for opening day, resulting in a handsome pair of beautiful, overwintered browns in fantastic condition.

As the season went on there were a smattering of other builds including the new “Heart of Glass” Graphite’s from Dusty at Livingston Fly Rod Co.  The YS Graphite Dry fly 9-foot 5-weight quickly side-tracked much of my season as I helped with some shakedown testing and found a new friend. The extra length and light weight coupled with the wonderful deep action found it becoming my go to for the spring dry fly fishing.

A wonderful Highland adventure in northern Scotland in early June saw me catch a unicorn in the form of a native Arctic Char on the dry (I actually managed two of them!) however the excessively hot weather which dominated the rest of the month followed by a wet July and August killed the fishing here and saw me building some of my personal rainy-day rods. These included some original Steffen's I have been sitting on, a modern Sage and a pair of Barclays. The 5'8” 1/2wt two-piece Steffen is a remarkable little rod and huge fun, however when it came to the end of August and finally a fishing trip, it was a 7-foot Sakura that accompanied me and made the trip so special."

"As the year ended it was back to creating an eclectic mix of new glass friends for folk, but I managed to finally slip a Western Glass 865 on the list for myself. The post pandemic demand has settled back to normal so I might even catch up with a couple of other personal builds and perhaps finally fill my new fly box which I was gifted a couple of years ago."

MOODY WILLIAMSON
"I went out on the Owyhee River with my father this past May and I fished exclusively glass, as it's something I got back into in fall of 2022 after doing some small stream fishing with a glass 3wt. My first ever rod was glass, so it made sense to dive back in. On the Owyhee, fighting 20"+ browns and rainbows on a glass 5wt, and watching my father take those fish, as well, created this surreal connection with the fish, feeling every tilt and thrash of the head as I hooked up in deep, fast water on small nymphs, it really made me want to go deeper."

"So I went home, studied rod building for a few months, and ended up building my first ever rod, a fiberglass 5wt. My first time taking it out on local waters, I made sure to bring only flies I had tied.

Taking my first fish on a rod I built with a fly I had tied was a unique emotion that I'm still chasing today."

 
TOM BRODHEAD - 406 FLY LINES

"Well 2023 was a very good year for us.  We normally see a slowdown in orders at year's end but this season was very busy for which we are very grateful. 

We attended a number of bamboo gatherings last year, notably the Bamboo Bash in Tennesee, Grayrock in Michigan, and the Northern Rodmakers Gathering.  We got to make our annual trip to Silver Creek in Idaho and Flat Creek in Jackson, Wyoming and got caught in a snowstorm in Yellowstone Park in late October."

"High point was having you come out to fish Nelson's Spring Creek with us. It's such a special place and we love sharing it with people.  Also a special shoutout to all our customers who have been wonderful to work with."

Tom, a highlight of my year was our day on Nelson's Spring Creek.  I really appreciate the invitation.

Thanks to all who sent an email for this post and tomorrow you'll see a few 'Glass Resolutions'.

Diary Of A Fly Fishing Teen - #publiclandsproud

Today a long list of bloggers and online media writers are all focusing on bringing more awareness to public lands and keeping them accessible now and in the future.  I likely don't have the same experience and knowledge on all of these issues as I should but still wanted to contribute in my own way which brings me to this post.

I started fly fishing in my late teens.  I worked at a summer camp in northern Michigan and had started fishing a lot on the lake with an old spinning rod I borrowed from a friend.  There were bluegills, pike, largemouth, and smallmouth in the lake and spending summers living outside of Grayling, fly fishing was all around me.  I didn't have much money to invest in a fly rod but t wasn't too long until I teaching myself how to fly cast with an Eagle Claw Featherlight matched with a tuna can Martin and budget level line that came on the outfit.

During the summer I spent a lot of time on the Au Sable River across the street from camp and on evenings when I could sneak away with more time on my hands, I'd drive over to the Manistee River or take a left and head to the South Branch of the Au Sable River.  These rivers really got into my blood and even though it was years before I caught a trout that I could really brag about.  Still, I was putting my time in, learning the hatches, reading whatever I could, and hanging out in the local fly shops soaking in whatever knowledge was offered.  

I went to school downstate and on late night study breaks I would pour over the Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer highlighting tiny blue lines, campgrounds, and make plans for weekend trips.  To say I was a poor college student was an understatement.  I drove a Ford Escort dubbed "Winslow" that had been purchased from a family friend for $100, skimped and saved for flies, gas money, and whatever groceries I would need for a few days in the woods.

On weekends that I could get away, I would pack up all my gear in the car, pray that Winslow would make it north, and took off for places I had never been before.  Highway asphalt and secondary roads led to white sand back roads which led to pull offs and trails to sweet tea colored rivers and creeks.  Brook trout, rainbows, and brown trout smashed dry flies and I would be happy all over again.  

Northern Michigan is blessed with all sorts of obscure campgrounds with sites tucked in the woods with a wooden box at the entrance costing just a few dollars a night.  This was perfect for a college kid on a budget and if I didn't go crazy at the fly shop, I could plan a weekend on the water for a couple $20 bills.  No joke. 

As teen years turned to twenties, thirties and now forties (I'm showing my age here, eh?), it would be easy to think back that it really sucked being a poor kid learning to fly fish but instead I cherish those years.  I had hundreds of miles of public water surrounded by thousands of acres of public land to explore and explore I did.  As long as Winslow had a full tank of gas and I had a few days free from classes, I was gone. 

Those places didn't cost me a penny but certainly etched so many stories and experiences into my brain of early years fly fishing.  It's no wonder that I still yearn for the northern woods of Michigan and these places are now an important part of my children lives as well with camping, kayaking, and fly fishing on those same waters.

If those waters would have been private or pay to play, I can't imagine that I'd be the angler that I am today.  My access would have all gone away.

I'm "Public Lands Proud" and want to do whatever it takes to keep these places that way for generations to come.