FlyTalk

On the Spot: "The Bug Guy" Robert Younghanz

Sarah Smith — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:48:16 -0500

by Kirk Deeter

Since we first introduced you to Robert "The Bug Guy" Younghanz last April, he's been a busy man--hatching a cool new DVD set, spreading his wings on the speaking circuit, taking flight with new articles and tips (Okay, I'll leave the hokey insect references out now).

I have always thought that fly fishing could be broken into basic areas of understanding--how to cast, how to read the water (to know where to cast), and how to present your flies (so they act right after you put them in the spot). Of course, none of that stuff matters unless you know what fly to put on in the first place! Yet despite that, I would also say that the entomology (understanding bugs) part of fly fishing is the average angler's weakest suit.

New Videos From The Fly Fishing Film Tour

Sarah Smith — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:17:51 -0500

by Tim Romano

The Fly Fishing Film Tour has kicked off the 2012 season and as of last week added a few more trailers to wet the appetite of all ready for spring. From the looks of these additions it should be a good night if you make it out to a stop near you.

The recent additions to F3t's trailer page bring us some unreal tarpon footage from Waterline Media, RA Beattie takes us to the ends of the earth for mutant char, and the boys over at MOTIV seem to be getting stuck in a whole lot of mud in the jungles of Belize.

Geofish: A mayan Prophecy - Belize
MOTIV

The Fly Rod Beauty Factor: Does it Matter?

Sarah Smith — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:21:42 -0500

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?"

Tie Talk: Tying a Stimulator in 19 Steps (With Photos)

Online Editors — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:30:57 -0500

by Tim Romano

We're going to start this week with--what should in time become regular updates for Tie Talk--a hand picked selection from my friend and flyrecipes.com founder Joe Mathis.

This week, Joe picked a fly that in my opinion, all trout fisherman should have in their box at all times: The Stimulator. This specific submission to flyrecipes.com was submitted by Juan Ramirez, a guide and tying instructor here in Colorado.

Juan's keen insights and notes on the "Stimi" are below. Click here to see the step-by-step instructions and tying steps with photos.

On the Spot: Guide, Author Pat Dorsey

Sarah Smith — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:20:44 -0500

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.

Rio Grande Road Trip: The Outtakes II

Sarah Smith — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:45:48 -0500

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.

The story was published in this month's (February 2012) issue of the magazine. In the mag there were 25 images published. I took over 8,000 images over two weeks. I thought heck--let's show em some more… Here's the second half of the trip. The first batch of outtakes can be found here.

Enjoy.

The "Rudest" Trout Rivers in America

Sarah Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:33:57 -0500

by Kirk Deeter

The other day I watched a television news report on "rudest cities" in America. According to Travel + Leisure, New York City supplanted Los Angeles for the top spot on the list. Miami was second. For the record, I love New York, and not just because my bosses work there. I'm energized when I visit New York. I even respect the Yankees. Granted, I live where I do (Pine, Colorado) for a reason, but the Big Apple has always been a great place to visit.

I find it hard to set a "rude standard" based on people. I mean, in a city of 18 million, sure you might bump into a jerk now and then, but one bad egg in a place like Bozeman or Little Rock could skew the data too, couldn't it?

Fly Fishing Film Tour Tickets Caption Contest Winner Announced!

Sarah Smith — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:18:12 -0500

by Tim Romano

This weeks caption contest proved to be a very popular one with 264 captions being written. This in turn made it difficult to pick a winner for the tickets to the Fly Fishing Film Festival, 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.

Is Tenkara Fly Fishing a Fad?

Sarah Smith — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:25:32 -0500

by Kirk Deeter

Lefty Kreh, who may just be the most recognized authority on fly fishing ever, told Tenkara USA founder Daniel Galhardo that, “Tenkara is a fad and it won’t last long." Talk about candor. What's more interesting is that Daniel posted a recap of the conversation on his blog.

Another twist to all of this is that there have been rumors and rumblings for some time that Temple Fork Outfitters (and Lefty is the leading spokesperson for TFO) has been planning to manufacture and market its own line of tenkara rods in the not too distant future.

Rio Grande Road Trip: The Outtakes

Sarah Smith — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:34:31 -0500

by Tim Romano