'Summer/Fall 2014' via Zach Cureton

So this one comes all the way from the great state of Colorado courtesy of my college roomate, Zach Cureton and his brother Andy. Some of you have read Zach's guest post on fly fishing the High Sierra. If you haven't, click here, its well worth the read. But for now, enjoy this gnar edit!

Summer/Fall 2014 from zcureton on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Guest Post: New Hampshire Fly Fishing - Spring 2014

Via Austin Green of The Uncommon Angler:

The first fish of the trip! A six pound brown caught by Mike Terrien on a Gunpowder Custom Tackle white “Squishy!”
Copyright 2014. Austin Green Weinstein. All Rights Reserved.

During the fall of 2013 The Uncommon Angler crew gathered in New Hampshire for the first of many trips to come. Although the numbers of fish caught were few, all had a good time. The outcome was another trip planned for the spring of 2014. After a brutally cold and snowy winter in the Northeast, I was eager to begin chasing fish once again, especially with good friends.

New Hampshire Brown Trout – Fall 2013
Copyright 2013. Austin Green Weinstein. All Rights Reserved.

New Hampshire Fall 2013
Copyright 2013. Austin Green Weinstein. All Rights Reserved.

Early spring angling was more difficult than the previous season due to the seemingly never-ending winter. Pond fishing was exceptional once air temperatures began to rise above 50 degrees. River fishing was not an option until about the last two weeks of May due to continual runoff.  This was a difficult circumstance for me because I enjoy fishing rivers and streams more than any other type of water. Although still waters and spring hatches are enjoyable, I love finding a particularly fine stretch of riffles or a nice deep pool to cast into. Trout, bass, pike, and salmon are some of the species I like to pursue most in rivers. Having knowledge of each species and the types of water that each inhabits is essential to consistently finding fish throughout the year. Spring is the prime time to find any species in every body of water. This was the goal for the spring ’14 Uncommon Angler trip, set for the last week of May.

The Truck Packed And Ready To Go
Copyright 2014. Austin Green Weinstein. All Rights Reserved.

Nothing Like A Little North Woods Advertising To Welcome You Into Town
Copyright 2014. Austin Green Weinstein. All Rights Reserved.

Fly Product...TLTFF Guest Review of DRYFT Adrenalin Waders

We reached out to our good friend Mario Garza about a week ago and asked if he would do a review on a pair of waders we recommended, the Dryft Adrenalines, he totally obliged and before we knew it, we had this...

Earlier this year I decided to break down and replace my leaky waders that I’d had for more years than I care to mention.  As I did my research, the usual suspects jumped out.  But with the high ratings and solid reviews, also came a hefty price tag.  At the same time, a new company was starting to show up on the social media radar.  The Instagram posts from @dryft prominently highlighted steelhead and bull trout in classic Northwestern scenery.  The waders featured in the pics looked interesting with their colorful zipper.  Dave at PileCast.net had posted about them as a new company to watch.

Guest Post: Dan Frasier of CarpPro Talks Carping

Dan Frasier of CarpPro has always been great to us at TLTFF and is a constant outlet for information when it comes to fly fishing for carp. We usually contact Dan when we have questions regarding new water or when we simply want to pick his brain. As one of the leading editors over at CarpPro, Dan not only has a wealth of knowledge about carp as a species, but writing too. Since our writing isn't always the best, its nice to have someone write for us that actually do so pretty well. Without further adieu, here's Dan...

Guest Post...Best Cigars for a Fishing Trip

Luzzie Nomand from Neptune Cigars dropped us a line a few weeks ago asking if she could write a guest post for us suggesting the best cigars for an angler to take on a trip with them. Luis and I have been known to light up a stogie or two on our own trips so we gave her the nod. Here's what she had to say...

Fishing and cigars go together like gin and tonic. Maybe you prefer to light up while you sit and drink beer while fishing at a lake. Maybe you smoke a celebratory cigar after catching your first fish of the day. Or, finding it difficult reel fish with a cigar in hand, you prefer to take short breaks to enjoy a cigarillo.  After a day fishing, maybe you enjoy kicking back at the dock, cracking open a beer and smoking a cigar next to the campfire. You may do all of the above! There is no wrong way when it comes to pairing your favorite activity with the love of cigars.

If you’re spending the day fishing, you want a cigar that is big and long lasting, producing lots of smoke. Large ring gauges are excellent for this, and there are many to choose from in today’s market. Think to bring some large vitolas such as Churchill, Toro or Grand Corona. 

If you like to light up while actively fishing, you may want to take some cheaper cigars with you for that purpose. This way you won’t be bothered if the cigar gets dropped in the water or forgotten, or if you’re too busy catching fish to really enjoy the smoke. Despite the price, you want a cigar that has a good burn even in very humid conditions. We recommend Factory Throwouts, Flor de Oliva, Quorum, and Arturo Fuente Brevas Royale or Curly Head for inexpensive cigars that are great on a fishing trip.

Whether you ship on a river, lake, stream, or ocean, it is very likely that your beverage of choice will be a beer. These are some cigars that we find pair perfectly with the bright, fruity flavor of ale or a crisp lager: Arturo Fuente Hemingway, AVO Natural, Brick House, CAO Gold Label, Perdomo Lot 23, Padron Series Natural or Maduro, Room 101 Connecticut.

Finally, in order to protect the cigars from water and crushing, we recommend that you invest in a good travel humidor such as the XIKAR Travel Humidor, which comes in different sizes to accommodate 5, 10 or 15 cigars. The case is airtight, watertight, and crushproof, with a humidifier to keep the cigars fresh during the trip. Cigar holders such as golf cart cigar holder can also be very helpful to keep the cigar safe from dropping in the water. A torch lighter with an oversized fuel tank is also a must if you’ll be lighting stogies for you and your friends. We recommend the XIKAR Tech Lighter for this, or if you’re in high altitude, the XIKAR Stratosphere Windproof Lighter.

Luzzie Normand is a cigar enthusiast and freelance blogger. She’s editor and co-founder of Neptune Cigars Inc.


Boom...Morgan

Guest Post: Fly Fishing the High Sierra

Zach was a roommate of mine back in college and was one of the only guys who was down to get a line wet any time of the day, any time of year. The man had a great background in fly fishing based on his outdoorsman soul and niche for being out in nature. Zach and his brother Andy, who I also went to college with, hiked the JMT out in California this summer and fished for California Golden Trout the entire way through the High Sierra, here's their report...

Guest Post: Creative Feathers

This post is from TLTFF's newest crew member, Luis Santiago. Read more about Luis in our 'About Us' section.

Creative Feathers

Travelling thru Galveston, TX as always talking fish with anyone who will listen I was told “if you like fly fishing go talk to Connie at CFS” never one to pass up and opportunity to hang out in a fly shop I dropped by after completing my two flights for the day.

 

I spent a little time researching Connie after speaking with him and it turns he is a bit of a local legend and a well-known name in the fly industry in that part of the country. He has a few Texas state records  on the fly under his belt to show but you wouldn’t know it from talking with him. I found him a friendly and welcoming gentleman with a passion for taxidermy and fishing you find in those few hard charging individuals you wish you could some day be like. Connie was just as curious about what roads had brought me to the door of his shop on that hot Texas day as I was of his talents and experience.

An avid and gifted tyer and well experienced kayak angler. He was and early promoter of clear cure goo and Connies epoxy shrimp is nothing short of amazing. Just about every fly in his shop was hand tied in house and picture perfect.  He has a great video on youtube on how to put a Clear cure goo Epoxy shrimp together that’s worth watching if you have any interest in making a half decent shrimp. A pioneer in the use of the spoon fly Connie can set you up with some quality made spoon templates and a how to recipe via his website. His method of cutting and tying the spoon fly are a bit different giving you and interesting wobble action in the fly. That has been very successful for me on largemouth bass.

He holds a patent for the design of the kayak fish bag you can also purchase from the website.

I purchased a shrimp fly for my collection, several spoon fly templates and Connie was nice enough to give me a spoon fly in a new untested color for some field testing. I look forward to dropping by CFS in the future and if your ever in Galveston stop by Connie's shop and talk fish. Support the local fly shops. Tight lines!

You can contact Connie via his website http://www.creativefeathers.com/index.cfm

spoon fly step by step at http://www.creativefeathers.com/details.cfm?id=357

Video of epoxy shrimp Epoxy shrimp video.

Boom...Morgan

Guest Report: @Fishpanixfly Fishes the GP

Thanks to A Princeton Mata for this awesome report...glad to hear he enjoyed our home waters!

 By a mere stroke of fate, I found myself within 30 miles of the Gunpowder River in Maryland.  I know of this river through one of the fishing blogs I follow, Tight Lined Tales of a Fly Fisherman, TLTFF for short.  I've been seeing the pictures, reading about the fishing, and immediately got it in my head that I was going to fish it!  So, as luck would have it, I was in the car with vest and rod (also, my beautiful new Allen Alpha 1) and found Little Gunpowder Falls.  It's a small unassuming parking lot and on that hot day it was full of cars.  Maybe not full, but certainly more than my pre-conceived notions had expected.  I geared up and headed into the trail coming down a hill to the river.  The very first thing that stood out was how clear the water was.  This time of year the rivers by me tend to be a little cloudier, the Gunpowder was almost alkaline in its clarity.  I admired the view for just a bit, the river was languidly flowing, a riffle here and there, a few surfacers dipping up into the air.  Lush green over hangs of Ash and Oak and a sweetness in the air that would occasionally dance with a whisper of smoke from some far off ground fire.  First choice, s.16 Henryville Special. The Sunnies hit the roof!  Out of nowhere, seemingly materializing from the water itself, black darts with green see-thru tails, looking to make their escape velocity into our biosphere, their atmosphere.  SLAM!!! First customer was a whopping 4" Sunnie.  The next twelve were not much bigger, but those little jerks peel line... If you set it light enough (GO! Allen Alpha 1).  After a few minutes of Sunnie mayhem, I started up river.  I saw a Largemouth cruise by, like a teenage girl on Facebook at the Louvre, completely uninterested.  A few yards up, a long dark shape dashed out from under some rocks.  Looked to me like a Catfish, but I won't bet.  Underneath the Railway, with it's stone abutments and girders reaching for the rails, clacking and shaking as the freight rolls over, the locals have a rope swing on the opposing bank.  The children splash, the women gossip, while the men swim and wrestle and test their watery meddle.  It's almost a scene from an older time, the whole place does have a watch fires and muskets sort of feel to it.  Maybe, it's because it's so close to the Mason-Dixon line, maybe it's my Yankee cultural bias.  I hiked upstream past the falls where I found a small, deep pool.  This is where I decided to tie on a Hopper, s8 (about.  We'll call it a Medium Hopper).  I'm still adjusting to my new furled leader courtesy of a fellow fisherman, BJ aka- flyrodgod.  This leader turns the fly so nice I had to adjust my cast to it.  Definitely less power, more grace.  Concentrating on the presentation; casting away from where the fish are, so as not to spook the hole, a few tangles, and some humidity later, I started flying it right.  I moved over to where the fish were and no sooner did that hopper alight on that glassy meniscus, BOOM!!!  A Smallie shatters the tranquil liquid, hook set, and bring 'em in!  That guy breeched 3 times about a foot out over the water during the fight.  This was, unfortunately, to be the last fish I landed.  After the fight and release the Smalls were still hitting.  They'd take it and let me set the hook, only to jump out and spit it at me or they'd come after just to hit and get away.  We might say Gunpowder Smallies like to hit it and quit it!  Time's up! I look at iPhone and sadly, it was time to hike back.  The experience for me was speed fishing 101.  I also must say, it was around 3pm, high humidity, high barometric pressure.  Fishermen in the know call this, The Dead Time.  I fished the Gunpowder at the height of the dead time and had a very productive session!  I can't wait to fish it with TLTFF and do it when the fish are on!  So, I caused a Fishpanic at the Gunpowder, in short time, at a bad time.  This river gets my respect!  Thanx to TLTFF, FlyRodGod, and Allen Fly Fishing.  My new blog will be rolling soon.  Tight Lines!

-FishPanix aka The Bird Nerd aka        A. Princeton Mota

Daily Reel...'Fly Fishing and Curren$y' Teaser

One of TLTFF's great friends and my college roommate, Zach Cureton has been rolling out videos like a boss. His latest is bound to be his best. He and other TLTFF bro, Josh Hartman crush it up in PA. Heres the teaser of what's to come...

fly fishing and Curren$y (beginning) from zcureton on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Your Lost Bonefish Will Be OK

Via Bonefish on the Brain:

It happens.  You crank down a little too hard or they run into the mangroves or over a shelf and the fish departs your company, hook still embedded in the fish. So… is that fish a gonner?  Will it be able to feed?  Will that hook fall out on its own like we’ve been told it will?

Good news.  Saw this over at Midcurrent, pointing to a recent study that indicates that yes… that fish is going to be just fine. The hook does not interfere with feeding and they manage to throw the hook themselves, without issue.

Well, that’s good news, I’d say.

Survivor.

Boom...Morgan

ACF Post

Pretty cool post form Mike over at Angler's Choice Flies...

So a few weeks ago I saw a link to a video step by step of the Double Deciever done by Brian Wise, of Fly Fishing the Ozarks, and was pretty impressed with what he had put together.  I have seen other stuff he has done before, but that was the first of mine that he had put together 'on film'.  He does not tie it exactly as I do but is pretty close and the end result looks great.  While I was in Florida I heard from him that the Meal Ticket was next up....and here it is!  Rather than the original Gama SP11-3L3H (or Mustad 34007) he utilizes the Gama B10s, but other than that in the video he is right on recipe and does a great job of it.

For those that wonder what it looks underwater here is some video of it I shot a while back.



-mike schmidt
http://www.anglerschoiceflies.com/

Boom...Morgan

Guest Post: Caribbean Bones

So I have recently had the privilege of emailing and commenting back and forth with Amber Payliss aka @thebugparade (on Instagram), a graphic designer I met on Instagram. It all started when Amber posted a picture of a 'Cuda fly she had just tied for an upcoming trip to the Caribbean for some 'Cudas and Bones. Well in emailing her back and forth, I asked if she would document her trip and write a guest post up for us. Well Amber followed through and not only documented her amazing trip through writing but also some breathtaking photography that would make Lefty blush. Ladies and gentlemen allow me to introduce you to Amber Payliss, the unofficial slayer of Bones and 'Cudas...

Guest Post: Jaguars in the Weeds

Allow me to introduce to you Luis. He's made a few appearances in posts in the past few months and is a great friend of us here at TLTFF. I met Luis at Waterworks last fall while I was stringing up my fly rod, he walked up to me and introduced himself. He was the only other fly fisherman I had ever seen at Waterworks and we immediately hit it off talking about everything fishing. Over the past few months we've gotten to know each other pretty well and I can say, after tying flies, downing beers, and catching some great fish, he's an awesome friend. On top of that, the man catches a lot of fish, and he knows his stuff. I don't know anyone other than Zach and I who love fishing as much as Luis, he's definitely got the bug, and he's got it bad. As a matter of fact, if there were a local chapter of Fly Fishaholics Anonymous, you would catch Zach, Luis, and I there all sitting next to each other (guess I just made it unanonymous...). When I have a question about something fly fishing related, I usually either search my library or text Luis. 

So one of the coolest things about Luis is that he has a unique job that allows him to travel around the world. He usually has a decent amount of time during his trips, at least enough to allow a few casts in the local waters or even to sign up for a day with a local guide. I asked Luis to write us a post about his recent trip down to Miami, check out this guest trip report via TLTFF friend, Luis S...