That's Joan Wulff, standing in front of a photo of herself, taken in Peoria, Illinois, in 1960, at the last national casting championship that she entered. Joan has been in the business a long time, and it was great seeing her. She, her husband Ted Rogowski, and I all went out to dinner one night, and Joan told me about a new film on flyfishing that she, John Gierach, Nick Lyons, and many other notables put together. It's all about why we love to flyfish, why it's our passion, and I can't wait to see it. It debuts at the Peabody Museum at Yale on October 2, after which it will be available for sportsmens' clubs across the country. Tim Romano
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Barry and Cathy Beck -” the First Couple of Flyfishing, as we call them in the Sportsman’s Journal section of the October issue of Field & Stream. Barry and Cathy have endorsed Sage rods for 26 years, and I found them-“surprise, surprise–at the Sage booth. Tim RomanoNo fly show would be complete without Lefty Kreh. When he’s not telling you a bad joke or teaching you how to cast 30 feet farther than you thought you could, he’s writing. Here he is signing his new book on fishing knots, titled, appropriately enough, ‘Fishing Knots,’ which he wrote for Stackpole Books. Check it out at stackpole.com. There were other folks I bumped into at the show… Mel Kreiger, Gierach, Lou Tabory, John Randolph, but hey, let’s get on to the gear. Tim RomanoThis shot is a closeup of the new Sharkskin flyline, from Scientific Anglers. I can’t explain the science, but I will tell you that this stuff is amazing. It’s available in WF3 to WF8 weights, and is made of ‘microreplicated structure and patterns’ that reduce friction and improve flotation. Basically, the stuff is really flexible, and you can cast it like crazy. I think you’ll see a lot of anglers using it very soon. Tim RomanoA Freedom Hawk ‘Freedom 14’ kayak. How cool is this? The stern expands into two outriggers, which you deploy when you want to stop paddling and start fishing. It’s so stable that you can stand up in it. It comes with a casting brace and push pole -” I have to get one of these. Tim RomanoThis is a neat little pocket fly box from Flambeau. Called the ‘Blue Ribbon Mini Flybox,” it hangs around your neck on a lanyard, features one main compartment, plus two clear waterproof outside compartments with magnets to hold a couple of flies. This is the epitomy of going lite. Flambeau.comTim RomanoWhat would a fly tackle show be without a motorcycle? This one is a K71, and was used during the cold war by the Russians, Chinese, and North Koreans. How the folks at William Joseph got one is beyond me, but it’s a pretty amazing vehicle, and the folks at William Joseph have it all tricked out to be the ultimate fishing assault machine. It’s like their gear-“well thought out, with lots of compartments and devices that you need. Tim RomanoHatch may be a relative newcomer on the flyfishing scene, but they’ve already made a name for themselves for making high-quality, high-performance flyreels at incredibly good prices. Now they’re making bottle openers-“good for opening a bottle of Bud at the end of the day. Hatchoutdoors.comTim RomanoHow about a raft couch from Outcast Boats? Just what you need for a lazy float down the Delaware, eh? Check out outcastboats.com and you’ll see all of the pontoon boats (and others) that are in their line. Tim RomanoConway Bowman, one of our floggers, was at the show. He guides out of San Diego, and does fishing adventure pieces for F&S.; Conway and his wife Michelle fished with Kirk and me before the show. He got the biggest fish by far -” a ‘bow that probably went 6 pounds and took him into his backing before coming to net. The man can fish! Tim RomanoThe Carbon Flybox is what the company calls “the lightest, strongest, and most technically advanced flybox in the world.” They come in a couple of different models, and have superstrong magnets inside to hold all of your flies. That’s Brian Russell of the Carbon Flybox Company. Tim RomanoThen there was this little gem… an Ari Hart reel, about as cutting edge as you can get. The company even had one of its reels on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York. This one only costs $3000. Heads of state, European royalty, captains of industry, and connoisseurs from all over the world have been using Ari Harts for years. Come on, you know you need one. Exclusivereels.comTim RomanoWant some cool paintings, with a fish eye view? Check out canvasfish.com -” definitely worth a look. Will RiceAnd last, this is me, fishing in Deeter’s home water in Colorado before we hit the show floor. Tight lines! –Jay Tim Romano
