12th Annual Project Healing Waters 2-Fly Tournament

Its finally here! One of my favorite weekends of the year, 2-Fly weekend! I'm packing up the truck as soon as I finish pounding these keys and heading south to Syria, VA for the 12th Annual PHWFF 2-Fly Tournament! Here are the details you need to know along with a few links to follow along via social media all weekend long!

Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Saturday 

Bluegill Tournament

• 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  Bluegill tournament at the Rose River Farm pond.This will be a fun “pre-tournament” event on the Rose River Farm pond for PHWFF participants and anglers competing in Sunday’s tournament.
• 4:45 p.m. (approximately) -PHWFF program participants in this year’s 2-Fly will be escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders from Culpeper to the Rose River Farm on Saturday night.
• 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Dinner at Rose River Farm.

Open to all volunteers and participants in the 2-Fly — RSVP is required via the Evite announcement sent to all registered volunteers, participants and guests.

SUNDAY

• 7:00 a.m. check in begins (coffee, doughnuts, and light snacks)
• 7:15 – 7:30 rules briefing and beat assignments
• 7:30 – 7:40 team photos
• 7:45 National Anthem
• 8:00 – 9:30 round one fishing for 15 teams (teams time slots will be picked at random)
• 10:00 – 11:30 round one for the 15 other teams
• 11:00 – 12:30 Lunch
• 12:00 – 1:30 round two for the first 15 teams
• 12:30 – 1:15 Fly Fishing Clinic
• 2:00 – 3:30 round two for the other teams
• 2:30 – 3:15 Fly Fishing Clinic
• 3:30 – 4:00 score tally relax time and other activities
• 4:00 Awards Ceremony

       All Day

• Clinics with Fly Fishing Experts Check for posted times
• Rod Demo
• Bass and Bluegill fishing in the 2 ponds (fly only)
• Free streamside broadband courtesy of Virginia Broadband.

Fly Product...Vedavoo's Deluxe Pouch

Deluxe Pouch (by VEDAVOO) from VEDAVOO... Better American Gear on Vimeo.

Ideal as a day pack, room for two good flyboxes, tools, and other gear. Can be used as a chest pack, shoulder bag, or attached interchangably with other pouches on our Tightlines Sling or Spinner Deluxe Daypack. $80-90

PRO TIP: Pick up the ARC TIPPET PACK to mount over the ARC Loop on the face of the pouch to carry your tippet to the pouch.

Check it out now and get yours by clicking here.

Boom...Morgan

Daily Reel...'Dubai on the Fly'

Dubai on the Fly from Beattie Productions | OTGStudios on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Redington's "The Loop" - Ep. 1

Redington: IN THE LOOP: The Approach from Redingtongear on Vimeo.

In today's episode of In The Loop, field correspondent Cam Sneakerton investigates some common mistakes made by anglers when approaching the river. Watch as Cam breaks down the approach and attire of one of fly fishing’s biggest celebrities on his latest fishing adventure. This in-depth analysis will give you the insight you need to avoid simple but costly mistakes the next time you’re out on the water.

To see more info on this episode and the gear used, check out Redington's The Loop.

Boom...Morgan

Maryland Weekly Fishing Report - April 21st, 2018

Via MD DNR:

By: Keith Lockwood

Today, April 21, is a big day for those who dream of catching a trophy striped bass. More than a few anglers will spend the night before checking alarm clocks just to find themselves waking up a half-hour before the alarm is set to go off anyhow.

Weather is predicted to be a little nippy in the morning but should warm up as the day progresses. It will be a wonderful day to be out on the water with family and friends.

---

Before we get into this week’s fishing report, I want to remind everyone that they can submit their own fishing reports and photos to the Maryland Angler’s Log. To post a report, please email your name, hometown, photos, location and additional content for your report. All information is optional, but encouraged. 

---

The striped bass spawning in the Choptank, Nanticoke, Patuxent and Potomac rivers is behind schedule due to colder than expected water temperatures, and spawning in the upper Chesapeake Bay is most likely weeks away. This week the spawning area in the Choptank River registered 56 degrees and there is a minor amount of spawning occurring. Usually spawning begins at 60 degrees and is optimal at 64.5 degrees, so many female striped bass are still holding in the spawning reaches. Based on predicted weather forecasts, it may be another week or so for water temperatures to be correct in that area.

This photo taken from a helicopter shows planer board trolling gear deployed, a situation you do not want to find yourself in when trolling. Photo by Keith Lockwood

Those out trolling Saturday will most likely be kept busy clearing lines of winter jellies which are being swept along the steep channel edges. Unfortunately these are the same locations where the most optimum trolling will take place for striped bass. Winter jellies are actually lion’s mane jellyfish which are moving down the bay as part of their life cycle.

Pre-spawn striped bass will be the most common large fish being caught and it will be a tough decision for some to keep these fish or release them. The minimum size for striped bass during the trophy season is 35 inches. Chartreuse and white bucktails and parachutes in 2-6 ounce sizes will be the most common lures used and will be set to cover a wide variety of depths when searching for fish. Trolling speeds are often about 3 knots and the trolling pattern is perpendicular to the shipping channel edges.

Daily Reel...'Return of the Kings'

Chinook salmon spawning in the Elwha River from John Gussman on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Nature Boy Designs' New Site

In the early days of TLTFF, I had the privilege of linking up with Keith Westra. He was a guy with a bomb proof rod tube, covered with amazing art, and a vision. As that vision developed, we began to see the evolution of Nature Boy Designs, a West Coast based company that sold unique products to the fly industry courtesy of Keith's creativity. As Keith developed one of the original designs of paracord lanyards and THE original measurement-integrated LS shirt, the expansion of NBD offerings grew every year. That evolution continued to diversify through the addition of fly management via my personal favorite NBD product, the Hat(ch) Patch. As Keith's ideas grew and came to fruition, so did his family...and thats why his latest move makes complete sense.

It was only a matter of time before this progression brought us to where we are today...a brand spankin' new, streamlined, sleek website AND the introduction of NBD Jr. We're excited to announce this progression here on TLTFF for our close friend Keith.

The support within the fly industry makes it such a unique, symbiotic system. There really isn't any other industry like it, and thats what drives people like myself to LOVE it, and Keith to continue to do what he loves via NBD. Roll on over to the new site, www.natureboydesigns.com and be sure to check out the new NBD Jr. line for all of our future outdoors people's needs.

Boom...Morgan

E-Zine...Catch Magazine #56

Boom...Morgan