Owl Jones Fly Swap

Just got my flies in the mail yesterday for the "Monsters of Tying Fly Swap" Owl Jones hosted last month, so pumped to give these foam flies a try this summer!

Via Dub the Thorax (who also participated):

Open question, which do you prefer? I was a huge fan of whip finishing but I've recently started to appreciate the half hitch for avoiding trapped hackle on small dry flies. Which do you prefer and why?

Oh and shout out to Owl Jones for hosting an awesome terrestrial fly swap! Can't wait to use these. 

Boom...Morgan

Sneak Peek of the Instagram Fly Swap Flies!

Via Dean of Gin Clear's entry for Owl Jones' Orvis Sling Pack Giveaway:

Pay attention close of you might miss them...pics coming soon.

Boom...Morgan

Blog of Note: My Leaky Waders

As a part of our "Blog of Note" section we run on the site, we wanted to bring a blog to the table that will really get your juices flowing. David, the author of My Leaky Waders is probably one of the funniest bloggers of our Blogroll. As many of you know, Owl Jones is having a contest for an Orvis Sling Pack...possible my favorite piece of fly fishing gear in my arsenal. As much as I like my man Dean of the blog Gin Clear, I had to vote for David's video entry for the contest...

On top of being hilarious, David writes a pretty damn good blog, getting straight to the point and putting material out there that matters, stuff he enjoys. I mean, just check his about section...

Hello there. I'm David. I like the outdoors. I like food. I like music. I like writing. I love Sara.

This page is a way for me to stay connected to my outdoor pursuits, more specifically, fly fishing. 

I've found as I've progressed professionally, I need to have more outlets in order to hang on to the things that make me more balanced. This page is a tool to help maintain that "other side" of me. 

Have fun. Enjoy the sights. But don't stay too long. You should be getting outside an enjoying the weather, whatever season.

- David

Legit guy. I haven't personally met David, simply had him comment on some of our posts here and there. Another thing Mr. Nash brings to the table, poetry. David write some pretty good poetry and anyone who has the stuff to put their own personal writing online, bro in my book. David ties some legit flies and has a fly tying setup I wish I had. Check his videos, by-far the best part of the blog. You can see one of them as today's "Daily Reel"...Ugly Fishing on a Nice Day. He's really an all around fly fishing and outdoor blogger, he covers all subjects. Check out MLW sometime and give him a holler. Its a legit blog, and one that we at TLTFF draw influence from on occasion. 

Boom...Morgan

Owl Jones Giveaway

I know what you’re thinkin’….”…that’s great for you Owl, but I don’t have an Orvis Sling Pack.” Well, you’ll just have to get your priorities straight and pony up the $79 and get yourself one. Or I guess I could just run some sort of contest to give you guys a shot at winning the extra one Orvis sent over. Anyone up for a little video challenge? You are? Great. Here’s the down-lo:

Make a funny video telling us why you deserve our extra Orvis Sling Pack. The video can be no longer than one minute. You will need to send me a link to your video by THIS FRIDAY. On Tuesday of next week, I’ll post up all the videos entered and let everyone vote on a winner.

How easy is that? Pretty dern easy. No video camera? Borrow, beg or steal one. ( No, don’t steal – stealing is wrong.)

Whoever creates the best video (as voted by the readers of OwlJones.com) will win a brand new Orvis Sling Pack and an OwlJones.com decal.

Good luck!

Boom...Morgan

2012 "Mosters of Tying" Fly Swap

So I'm on this fly swap fix right now. The Instagram one should be wrapping up in the next week or so as I send the flies out soon. Owl Jones cued me in to another swap going on (via Twitter) on his site called the 2012 "Monsters of Tying" Fly Swap which originated from Mike over at Dub the Thorax and a guy named Grant from Outsmartingfish.com. Check it...

So, here’s how it all came about…

I ran across a Twitter tweet mentioning me, Grant Bench from Outsmartingfish.com and Mike from Dub the Thorax. (who also suggested the name for the swap!)  Basically, someone said “jump” and I said ” how high?” ( You had me at “fly swap”)

Tonight then, thorax-breath said we should do a terrestrial swap with foam flies. At least some part of the fly must be foam. Three seconds later, here I am writing up this invitation to all you fly tiers out there to get in on this swap. 

Yay, foam!

I’ve done several swaps in the past, here and in other places and I don’t mind hosting them on ONE CONDITION.

YOU MUST INCLUDE A RETURN BOX WITH A SASE (SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE) IN ORDER TO GET FLIES BACK.

I long ago stopped trying to postage and Altoids tins for people who couldn’t remember this one little thing. No SASE – no flies…unless you want to pick them up at my house. 

So, here we go….

Fly Swap Open Enrollment Starts TODAY. Enrollment will close on March 1st or sooner if we get 25 participants. ( Trust me, unless you’re a die-hard, hard-core fly tier, tying 25 of anything is plenty. So we’ll limit this one to 25.) You will email me for the address to send the flies. Flies will be due NO LATER THAN APRIL 1st.

That’s one month to tie 25 flies or less. I’ve found that giving people longer ( say 2 or 3 months) doesn’t result in a higher completion process. It just delays everyone else getting back flies from the swap.

If we have people who sign up for this and don’t come through (surely not), any extra flies will be either sent back with their respective tiers or given away in a drawing among participants. Whatever you guys want me to do with ‘em.

Look at it this way, if nothing else it’ll get you a link to your blog on OJDC.   So,………… who’s in?

1. Owl Jones, (uh…I forget)

2. Mike, Dubthethorax.blogspot.com

3. Grant, Outsmartingfish.com

4. Garrett, Fumblingthefly.blogspot.com

5. George, wildfly365.blogspot.com

6. Eunan, Addictedtovise.blogspot.com

7. Marc, http://tontorambling.blogspot.com/

8. Mark, http://noclearline.blogspot.com/

9. Andrew, @Flyentologist 

10. Pierre, http://ifishnewyork.blogspot.com/

11. Rich, http://northeasternflyfishingperspective.blogspot.com/

12. Stew Allen, no blog listed (which is totally fine. You don’t have to be a blogger to enter. )

12.9 Jay Cummings, no blog listed

14. Morgan, http://www.tight-lined-tales-of-a-fly-fisherman.com

15. Mark, http://waterfloggin.blogspot.com/

16. “Milliam”, www.lovestyingwithfoam.com 

You can still enter the swap until it reaches 25 tiers. Check it out on the Owl Jones site.

Boom...Morgan