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

Fly Product...Nature Boy Designs' Para-Coil Retractor

Via NBD:

A great way to keep your tools close at hand. Finally, a retractor that does not bind, jam up, or you have to throw out after a season. Each and every Para-Coil Retractor is made by yours truly. The process of making them is a bit more involved and time consuming, but the final product is well worth it.

• Made from 550 USA Paracord
• Each is handmade by Keith.
• 4 inch and 8 inch lengths.  4 inch model stretches out to approximately 2.5 feet and 8 inch model to approximately 4.5 feet.
• Split rings on each end.  
• 4 inch model comes with a Trigger Snap while the 8 inch model comes with a Carabiner.
• Smaller version is perfect for line nippers and smaller items while the larger version is ideal for pliers, hemostats and even great for your keys.
• $15-22

When ordering please select the color you want by filling out the “color” field below when placing your order (please choose only 1 color).

*Pliers and other tools shown are not included.

Boom...Morgan

Fly Product...NBD "FISH" Foamie Trucker Hat

Boom...Morgan

Fly Product...Duncan Alaska Tailknott'r

• Made in the USA
• Die-cast metal alloy
• Rustproof
• Available in Gold, Silver, or Copper/Black
• Ties over 35 knots…(not that you need 35)
• $10.50

Boom...Morgan

Fly Product...Nature Boy Designs' 'Keeping It Reel' Tee

“Key, Pen, Net, Reel”….say it with me! After one too many whiskeys before bed, I woke up in the middle of the night and there it was. Many times, this is when I come up with my best NBD ideas! So, keep it reel, and rock this limited collection NBD tee.

• Fabric laundered, 4.3 oz., 100% combed ringspun cotton
• Printed by Karl Kirbus of FLYROGLYPHICS
• Set-in 1x1 baby rib collar
• Sizes are limited to stock on hand
• Shirts run a bit more on the fitted side. If you like to drink more than the alotted amount of beer order the next size up.
• Available in sizes Sm-2XL

-$25.00

Boom...Morgan

Fly Product...NBD Heather Grey/Black "Classic" Cap

The popular NBD “Classic” Cap is now available in a Heather Grey/Black combo.  Look sharp on or off the river.

• Cotton twill front panels and visor with mesh back panels
• ProCrown with buckram-fused front panels
• ProStitching; pre-curved PE visor with eight rows of stitching
• Adjustable plastic snap backstrap
• $22.00

Boom...Morgan

Give the Gift of NBD for Father's Day

From shirts to lanyards, (Hat)ch Patches, to hats...NBD has what you need for yourself or pops this year. Roll on over to Nature Boy Designs and get you some this year!

Boom...Morgan

Fly Product...Nature Boy Designs "Tail Wrapped" Cap in Navy

When Keith of NBD launched the "Tail Wrapped" Cap, it turned heads. The colors were sick and the innovation behind the hat itself was amazing. NBD's best-selling hat just got a makeover, now available in Navy Blue. Check it...

I’ve always stuck flies in my hat, just something I do.  The “Tail Wrapped” Cap was created with exposed foam to easily stick flies in rather than your lid.  Great for smaller droppers or any of your favorite patterns!

• Tail is foam and reinforced with stiching
• Cotton twill front panels and visor with mesh back panels
• ProCrown with buckram-fused front panels
• ProStitching; pre-curved PE visor with eight rows of stitching
• Adjustable plastic snap backstrap
• Green/Gold
• Navy/Navy
• (flies not included)

$24

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

Daily Reel...'THE JOURNEY HOME Ep. 2: Healing Waters

Some of you may have seen my post from when I drove down to Syria, VA to cover the PHWFF 2-Fly Tournament a few months ago (Day 1 and Day 2 can be found by clicking on the links). This video was filmed during the tournament and wow...honestly, amazing. Not only did it bring a tear to my eye out of sheer love for these vets and what they've done as well as been through, but as a biopsychology major, and in working in the mental health field in the past, this video did a phenomenal job highlighting the challenges these troops face...all for our freedom.

The Mental Health Channel series "The Journey Home" focuses on veterans working together to overcome reintegration challenges. "Healing Waters," the second episode of the series, highlights the stories of 3 PHWFF participants during their attendance at the 8th Annual PHWFF 2-Fly Tournament at Rose River Farm in Syria, VA.

Please take the time to watch this powerful short film encapsulating the mission and impact of the Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) program. "Healing Waters" features the stories of PHWFF participants Mike Escarcida, Kimberly Smith, and Kevin Gabert (you can read more about them here) and illustrates how the power of personal relationships, nature, and fly fishing has a life-long positive impact on those working to overcome reintegration challenges and heal.  

"The Mental Health Channel (MHC), is a new online network featuring original series, inspiring characters and powerful stories to raise awareness and help every viewer realize the benefits of improved mental health.

You can visit mentalhealthchannel.tv to view enlightening, educational and entertaining short documentaries that inspire. Stay tuned in the coming months as more episodes are released across 12 series of original content.Together we can start a new conversation. One that equates mental health with mental wellness, not illness. That promotes openness to help and treatment. And reminds us that everyone can benefit from a healthier mind."

Boom...Morgan

Fly Product...'Nature Boy Designs' 550 Lanyard - Memorial Day Edition'

Love it, the goodness just keeps coming from NBD with the 550 Lanyard - Memorial Day Edition...

$20.00 ($5.00 OFF the normal 550 Lanyard cost of $25.00)

• Made from 550 USA Paracord
• 4 Large Swivel Clips & 1 Metal Trigger Snap Hook
• Compatible with Waders, Chest and Hip Packs, and even fits through most belts.
• Each fly fishing lanyard is made by Keith, the “Nature Boy” himself
• Lanyards are approximately 18 inches in total length, including the loops
• If you have Patagonia or another harness strap type wader system we recommend a small carabiner clipped to your wader strap for attaching lanyard (not included)

Boom...Morgan

The Fiberglass Manifesto's '12 Days of Christmas'

Via TFM:

This post is just a heads up that the yearly craziness of gift giving called the 12 Days of Christmas starts on the morning of TOMORROW, Monday, December 9th and will run through Friday, December 20th.

As in years past, I've set this up as a series of daily giveaways where all you have to do is send in an email each day to participate and the random number generator picks a winner or winners early the next morning before I start off another giveaway for that day. 

This is the third year of the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways and each time around it's grown a little bigger than the last.  This year's sponsors could not have been more supportive with over three dozen gifts to be given away over the course of the event.

The 12 Days of Christmas is sponsored this year by the generosity of the following gear companies...

BOZEMAN REEL
COSTA 
ECHO
FINN UTILITY
GHILLIE KETTLE
GOAT HEAD SOLE SPIKES
HOWLER BROTHERS
MARSH WEAR
NATURE BOY DESIGNS
ORVIS
PATAGONIA
REDINGTON 
REP YOUR WATER
RIO PRODUCTS 
SIMMS
SMITHFLY 
STORMY KROMER
SWIFT FLY FISHING 
THE LITTLE RED BOOK OF FLY FISHING
TIPPETAC
TOPO DESIGNS 
VERMONT FLY GUYS

The 12 Days of Christmas giveaways are a lot of fun, allow me to highlight gear and companies that I really dig, and of course offers everyone a chance to win some phenomenal prizes.

This is also a very fitting way, within this season of giving, for me to say thank you to the readership that makes writing this website each morning before work (or late at night before bed) more than worthwhile and a lot of damn fun.  Thank you.  

See you bright and early on Monday (TOMORROW) morning. Please don't start sending emails before then.



Boom...Morgan

Fly Product...The Nature Boy Designs/Tattooed Angler Travel Rod Tube

Yet another winner thanks to the collaboration of an ingenious fly guy and brilliant artist...

Click any of the above photos to enlarge

Introducing the first in the in the “featured artist” NBD rod tube collection.  The tube is painted white and then  shipped out to the artist.  They are then free to do whatever artwork they would like.  The tube is then sent back to me and I put the finishing touches on it and do my best to reflect the artists work.

This travel tube was done by Eric Hornung, owner of Anti Hero Electric Tattoo.  I’ve admired Eric’s work for a while now and am drawn to his style utilizing shapes, colors, and movement of nature.  Eric has succeeded in blending his passion for fly fishing and tattoos in this tube.

• 4 inch diameter holds multiple rods up to 10 foot 4 pc.
• Shoulder strap and Paracord handle
• Foam inserts on top and bottom to protect rods

If you are interested in this “one of a kind” piece please email me for further details.

keith@natureboydesigns.com

Boom...Morgan

Trip Report: 1st Annual CCA MD Red/Trout Tournament

What a long weekend of fishing...seriously, around 40 hours of fishing in 4 days. But it all paid off...on the last cast of the trip.

5:30am came quick on Thursday morning after a sleepless night. I finally got to bed around midnight on Wednesday after recovering from a pretty hardcore bout of nausea throughout the day and slowly packing my gear. I had the car loaded up and ready to go and I got to Luis' house to finalize the packing and get everything moved over to his Jeep and the River Hawk. We got on the road around 7:30a and started our 2.5 hour trek to Crisfield, MD (more specifically, Jane's Island State Park, where our camp/launchsite would be for the next four days). After a brief stop at Wawa for breakfast and ice and Walmart for extra food and such, we made great time and arrived at our campsite.

Carp Week 2013

Scroll down for Photo Contest...

Some of you may have been following us for awhile and seen the promotions we've been doing for this year's Carp Week. Last year was a huge hit, thanks to you, so this year we thought we'd not only bring Carp Week back, but make it twice as big. This week has a lot of greatness packed into it, thanks to our awesome contributors and friends. Just to give you a breakdown of how the week will pan out, we wanted to give you a play-by-play as to what we have in store.

Everyday at 7am, like we've always done, 3-4 posts will go live. One is guaranteed to be a sick carp-related fishing video (Daily Reel). The rest will be either interviews with industry experts, reviews of carp-related gear, knowledge from the geniuses of the carp world, and info on how you can win free gear! Every day we will be giving away a dozen flies from some of the best carp fly tiers we could get, flies that are tried and true and can help you put a nice bend in your 6, 7, or 8wts.

The best part about Carp Week is not only that you can exponentially expand your knowledge of fly fishing for carp, but you can win awesome prizes from fly lines to t-shirts, to original artwork, to hats and much much more! Just to give you an overview as well as a shoutout to our amazing Carp Week sponsors, here's who's on board this year for gear...

• 12wt.
• BadAxe Design
• CarpPro
• Cheeky Fly Fishing
• Chesapeake Fly Co.
• Dizm Eyewear
• Feather-Craft
• Fishpond USA
• The Fly Fishing Consultant
• The Fly Trout
• Goat Head Gear
• H&H Outfitters
• Indigo Guide Service
• J&M Flies
• Loon Outdoors
• Nature Boy Designs
• Redington
• Risen Fly
• WVAngler.com

And here are our featured fly tiers...

• Chesapeake Fly Co.
• Feather-Craft
• Indigo Guide Service's Kevin Morlock
• Main Stream Fly Co.
• Mario Garza Flies
• Roughfisher
• Waters Edge Fly Co.

We have an unbelievable amount of gear to giveaway this week so keep your eyes on the blog every day to stay in the know as to how you can win! To start the week off right, we have a huge fly giveaway brought to you by Feather-Craft Fly Fishing (see Daily Dozen Fly Giveaway - Day 1 post above) but we also wanted to get everybody in the know about our Photo Contest. This year we will be holding a photo contest just like last year but this year with a few changes...

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:

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

-One winner and one runner up will be selected for each category and will win some sick gear from the companies listed above.

-Submissions are due by August 17th, 2013 (last day of Carp Week) before midnight EST.

-Winners will be announced on (Sunday) August 18th through a blog post.

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

-Contest begins now...GO!

I hope y'all are as syked as we are for a super-fun week. Make sure you spread the word by using the hashtag #CarpWeek and 'like' and follow @TLTFF on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for exclusive content! 

For your chance to randomly win some gear, use the hashtag #CarpWeek on all posts, we will be selecting a random winner at some point that has used the hashtag during Carp Week.

During Carp Week, please send all contest entries, questions, or any correspondence to TLTFFcarpweek@gmail.com.

Boom...Morgan