by Kirk Deeter

G.Loomis recently announced that it would be offering its NRX rod series in a slick new green finish, which I find interesting, because that tells me that aesthetics might be more important in marketing fly rods than I had assumed. After all, the original NRX with its robin-egg-blue wraps is hands down, without question, one of the hottest-handling, best-casting, and all-around fishable fly rods ever made. It's just that a lot of folks think it's ugly. Yeah, I'll concede that the blue on the rod is a funky color, but I don't think they're ugly rods. Instead, I'd call them "aesthetically awkward," in more of a white socks and black shoes, or striped shirt and plaid necktie kind of way.

To be honest, when it comes to looks, different is often good. For example, when an angler is holding that big world record fish, and the rod with the odd blue wraps is in the photograph, everybody knows the fish was caught on an NRX. Now, green, we'll wonder, "Is it a Sage TCX or an NRX? Or is it a Winston?"

by Kirk Deeter

John Merwin's blog post the other day referenced a book by Pat Dorsey (Tying and Fishing Tailwater Flies). So I thought I'd follow up with an "On The Spot" interview I did with Pat at the recent International Sportsmen's Expo in Denver.

Pat and I are old friends. In fact, back when we were in our early thirties, I was co-authoring a book on fishing guides, and Pat was one of our first "volunteer" subjects. He showed me Cheesman Canyon, the Williams Fork, and Dream Stream section of the South Platte in South Park. And he did it for gas money, despite the fact that we didn't have a publisher committed or anything (it was an excuse to go fishing). The book turned out to be Castwork, which boosted my outdoor writing career. It's out of print now, but you can read excepts at MidCurrent.

by Tim Romano

Last fall I had the pleasure of following the entire length of the Rio Grande River, from headwaters in Colorado to the terminus in Texas at the Gulf of Mexico; fishing, rowing, and following two guys on motorcycles the entire way. I was on a Field & Stream assignment with Digital Director, Nate Mathews, and his father, Bruce Matthews, who is the executive director for the North Country Trail. I was following in the chase vehicle with my camera equipment, boats, fishing and camping gear.

by Tim Romano

It's time for another caption contest. Hopefully, you all know how this little game works by now. We put up a goofy photo and you write your best captions for it.

Next week's winner is going to win a pile of goodies, courtesy of our friends at the Fly Fishing Film Tour. We will announce the winner next Thursday, Jan. 26.

The winner will receive two free tickets to the Fly Fishing Film tour (in the city closest to him or her), a gift certificate for ANY Scientific Anglers fly line he or she wants, two F3T and Upslope Brewery Pint Glasses, two Film Tour hats and a Scientific Anglers Waterproof System X fly box. Not bad, eh?