The Fiberglass Manifesto's '12 Days of Christmas'

Its here...more details on TFM, click the link to head on over.

Boom...Morgan

The Fiberglass Manifesto's '12 Days of Christmas'

Its coming...more details on TFM, click the link to head on over.

Boom...Morgan

Fly Product...TLTFF Review of Bozeman Fly Goods Bug Collars

In the fly fishing industry today, new products a rising and some falling quicker than most can keep up. New fads roll in and roll out, some stick, as they absolutely should due to having a place within today's industry...glass rods, synthetic tying materials, etc.

With companies and individuals pushing the limits of what the sport can do, from catching a 27lb carp on a Tenkara rod to sticking Mako sharks on a SUP, the industry changes monthly. When one of these changes or emergences of something new make a ripple within the industry, most know about it through the advent of blogs or their Facebook New Feed.

A few months back, some of us learned about something new, different, potentially revolutionary...Bozeman Fly Goods Bug Collars, a way to add style and weight to your self-tied bugs through functionality and ingenuity. When I first heard about Bugs Collars, I honestly didn't know what to think. Was this going to be a fad? Was this a product that caught more fisherman/tiers than it did fish? I had a lot of questions, and fortunately, I was privileged to get my hands on some Collars due to the extreme generosity of BFG, to answer these questions.

So what exactly are Bug Collars you ask? Well, its pretty simple. Bug Collars are just that, small rings, intended to collar your hook at some point on the pattern to not only add color and style, but functionality through added weight (idea for deeper nymphs or streamers) without the added bulk of an additional bead on the bug or lead on the line. Bug Collars, through their various sizes, flush up to whichever size bead you may be using to maintain a fluidity, again without the bulk.

The first run of Bug Collars were released in popular colors and sizes, some ideally catch fish, others to catch fisherman. Since the initial release, more colors and sizes have been added, giving any fisherman/tier plenty of options. And with the creativity of modern tiers, there are quite literally no limits. On to the review...

My initial impression was that of excitement. For those of you who have followed TLTFF for some time, or follow me on social media, you know I'm a progressive and modern fisherman...from my colorful reels, to crazy colored outfits, to giving the newest products a try. When the BFG Bug Collars came out of the box, I had to get to the vise, ASAP. With a plethora of colors and sizes in front of me, I honestly didn't know where to start. I figured the best place would be right with the fundamentals, some goto patterns that the Bug Collars could "choke" and add a little pizzaz to. Wooly Bugger...boom. (Disclaimer: Its been awhile since I tied freshwater bugs, salt has been the name of the game for the last couple of months).

The style and creativity that can come out of this product's possibilities are unreal. Some of the most creative brains within the tying industry right now have been able to put their hands on these as well, and its pretty amazing...

Via Pat Cohen aka @rusuperfly

Via @wycoflyco

Via JP Lipton aka @roughfisher

Via Matt Ebbers aka @ebbsforce1

To see more, you can click these hashtags...#bozemanflygoods, #chokeyourbug, and #bugcollars

Each pack contains 25 collars and they range in size from 2.5mm all the way up to 5.5mm. There are over 25 different colors available thanks to four different categories of colors: Metallic, Fluorescent, Painted and Plated (shown clockwise from top left below with blue as an example color).

 

 

The price is insane, possibly some of the most affordable tying materials you can find. The collars range from $3.50-$6.00 depending on size and style. Even for the most expensive pack at $6.00, your paying less than a quarter per collar. A steal.

The only complaint I had was the absence of a UV product in the lineup. Although there is Fluorescent, that is based off the color palate rather than light spectrum. UV colors have been proven time and time again to increase hookups due to the UV portion of the light spectrum being more visible to fish. I would love to see these in the near future and think they would be a huge benefit to the lineup and patterns their tied into.

With all things considered, from price to functionality, style to versatility, its time to rate Bozeman Fly Goods Bug Collars! It was not difficult to judge this one, as there was only the one complaint about the absence of UV collars, BFG Bug Collars received 4.75 out of 5 stars. Remember the ripples I was talking about in the beginning of the post? Yea, this is one of those ripples. Anyone who ties, or is looking to add something new to their Fall patterns or help get them through another winter full of cabin fever, this is your answer, plain and simple.

A huge thank you goes out to Bozeman Fly Goods for making this review happen and even more importantly for putting out such an amazing and forward-thinking product. Be sure to check out BFG on their website, where you can purchase your own Collars, on their Facebook page, and on Instagram! Oh, and don't forget to "Choke Your Bug".

Boom...Morgan

And The Winners Are...

Sorry this took so long to get up, I received about 275 entries (individual photos) into this year's 2014 Photo Contest. I spent all day yesterday judging photos and almost called a draw in multiple categories...the submissions were phenomenal, some of the best I've seen. The gear we're giving away this year is pretty ridiculous, seriously, its well over $1,000!

If you need a little refresher, heres how the photo contest worked...

Rules:

-Photos were submitted to us for judging

-Max of 4 pictures per person (one per category).

-The categories were:

• Best Picture
• Biggest Carp
• Prettiest Carp
• Ugliest Carp

-1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners were be selected for each category.

-Submissions were due by August 24th, 2014 by 8am.

So who won and what did they win you win you ask? Drumroll please...

Best Picture -

1st Place -  Ben Eastman won a custom Vedavoo Tight Lines Sling. Ben, you pick the color, as with all Vedavoo products, its made 100% in the USA and made to order! 1 pair of Dizm Eco Eyewear shades -$225 Value

2nd Place - Courtney New won a Handcrafted Wetfly Net (medium) and 1 pair of Dizm Eco Eyewear shades. -$155 Value

3rd Place - Woodson Boughton a Wetfly Farmer John Hat and a Cheeky Fly Fishing beverage koozie and reel pouch. -$50 Value

Biggest Carp -

1st Place - Matt Simms won a mixed bag of 12wt Apparel's newest, freshly-launched gear and colors and set of Goat Head Gear Sole Spikes - $150 Value

2nd Place - Hunter Watson won a Handcrafted Wetfly Net (medium) and set of Goat Head Gear Sole Spikes. -$85 Value

3rd Place -  Seth Green won a BadAxe Design Carp Hat and set of Goat Head Gear Sole Spikes. -$50 Value

Prettiest Carp -

1st Place - Seth Green won a custom, made-to-order, Nature Boy Designs "Con Mas" 550 Lanyard, a dozen Feather-Craft carp flies, and a Feather-Craft "Meat Locker" Fly Box. -$110 Value

2nd Place - Matus Sobolic won a dozen CarpPro carp flies, mix bag of stickers, and a Cheeky Fly Fishing beverage koozie and reel pouch. -$70 Value

3rd Place - Brandon Morrison won BadAxe Design Patch, The Fly Trout shirt and a Loon Outdoors hat. -$50 Value

Ugliest Carp -

1st Place - Caleb Corona won an assorted bag of Bozeman Fly Goods' brand-new Bug Collars, a bag full of Allen Fly Fishing carp hooks, and a BadAxe Design Carp Hat. -$110 Value.

2nd Place - Larry Dostal won a WV Angler Sun Mask (Buff) and a Feather-Craft "Meat Locker" Fly Box. -$80 Value

3rd Place - Chad Shaner won BadAxe Design Patch, The Fly Trout shirt and a Loon Outdoors hat. -$50 Value

Congratulations to all of our winners! Be sure to send us an email at tltffcarpweek@gmail.com letting us know your mailing address and we will have things shipped out ASAP. Please take time to thank the companies that sponsored this year's Carp Week.

Same time, same place next year, the week after 'Shark Week'...Carp Week 2015 is due to be enormous. This year we peaked out at numbers that were completely unfathomable. From here on the blog to our social media pages...well over 20,000 unique views...whoa. You guys are awesome, thank you so much for supporting and following TLTFF!

Boom...Morgan

Carp Week 2014 Photo Contest - LESS THAN 24 HOURS REMAIN

So far we've received about 250 entries (individual photos) into this year's 2014 Photo Contest. The gear we're giving away this year is pretty ridiculous, seriously, its well over $1,000...that YOU could win! I figured, since there is 24 hours left until the contest ends, I'd give you a little more stoke to sleep on once you've submitted your photos knowing what it is you could potentially win.

If you need a little refresher, heres how the photo contest works...

Rules:

-Submit all photos to TLTFFCarpWeek@gmail.com with the subject line "Carp Week Photo Contest". 

-Max of 4 pictures per person (one per category).

-Picture must be in PNG or JPEG format.

-The categories will be as follows:

• Best Picture
• Biggest Carp
• Prettiest Carp
• Ugliest Carp

-1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be selected for each category and will win some sick gear from the companies listed above.

-Submissions are due by August 24th, 2014 by 8am.

-Winners will be announced on (Sunday) August 24th through a blog post in the afternoon.

-Any questions can be directed to tightlinedtalesofaflyfisherman@gmail.com

So what do you win you ask? You may want to sit down for this, the prizes are pretty unreal...

Best Picture -

1st Place - Custom Vedavoo Tight Lines Sling. You pick the color, as with all Vedavoo products, its made 100% in the USA and made to order! 1 pair of Dizm Eco Eyewear shades -$225 Value

2nd Place - Handcrafted Wetfly Net (medium) and 1 pair of Dizm Eco Eyewear shades. -$155 Value

3rd Place - A Wetfly Farmer John Hat and a Cheeky Fly Fishing beverage koozie and reel pouch. -$50 Value

Biggest Carp -

1st Place - 12wt Apparel mixed bag of their newest, freshly-launched gear and colors and set of Goat Head Gear Sole Spikes - $150 Value

2nd Place - Handcrafted Wetfly Net (medium) and set of Goat Head Gear Sole Spikes. -$85 Value

3rd Place -  BadAxe Design Carp Hat and set of Goat Head Gear Sole Spikes. -$50 Value

Prettiest Carp -

1st Place - A custom, made-to-order, Nature Boy Designs "Con Mas" 550 Lanyard, a dozen Feather-Craft carp flies, and a Feather-Craft "Meat Locker" Fly Box. -$110 Value

2nd Place - A dozen CarpPro carp flies, a Cheeky Fly Fishing beverage koozie and reel pouch. -$50 Value

3rd Place - BadAxe Design Patch, The Fly Trout shirt and a Loon Outdoors hat. -$50 Value

Ugliest Carp -

1st Place - An assorted bag of Bozeman Fly Goods' brand-new Bug Collars, a bag full of Allen Fly Fishing carp hooks, and a BadAxe Design Carp Hat. -$110 Value.

2nd Place - A WV Angler Sun Mask (Buff) and a Feather-Craft "Meat Locker" Fly Box. -$80 Value

3rd Place - BadAxe Design Patch, The Fly Trout shirt and a Loon Outdoors hat. -$50 Value

I hope you were sitting down for all of that. As you can see, pretty crazy. Even in 3rd place your walking away with $50 in gear, just for sending in a photo of a carp you caught! This is by-far the largest giveaway we've ever done both in value and sheer size. It only happens once a year, during Carp Week, so dig through your computer and phones photo libraries and send those photos in by tomorrow at 8am!

Boom...Morgan

Bozeman Fly Goods New 'Bug Collars'

What are bug collars?

Bug Collars are doughnut shaped brass beads that allow the tyer to quickly and easily add a "hot spot" to their fly. No extra dubbing where you really didn't need it. No more wrapping thread fifty times behind the bead. Just slide a Bug Collar on the hook. Done.

Available in 5 sizes and 30 colors: plated, painted, fluorescent, and metallic. Bug Collars are doughnut shaped beads that have a small cone on one side and a countersunk hole on the other. The cone side is designed to fit snugly behind most similarly sized or larger bead or cone. The design of the Bug Collar also permits their use in tying without the need for a bead and permits the use of stacked or nested sets of the same size or sequential sizes.

Bug Collars are patent pending.

Stay tuned for a review coming very soon but in the meantime, give Bozeman Fly Goods a like on Facebook and Instagram and be sure to check out their site as well.

Boom...Morgan