I hope you're all having a fantastic trout season so far & that you've been able to get out & enjoy the streams. In my area we've had it pretty good overall, but this year seams to be one of those seasons where you need to be ready to fish when conditions are good. It looks like we're in a weather pattern where it rains, the streams become too high & muddy, then a few days of acceptable conditions - then the cycle repeats itself with more rain. 

So what's a fly angler to do when stream conditions are in transition & the water is a bit high & with color? One solution to find trout in these situations is go where they're almost certain to be no matter. Two types of stream locations come to mind: bridges & seams. Both bridges & seams are good any time of the season, but they are especially good to try if the water is high, fast, & off-color.  

Trout love to hang out around bridges for several reasons, not the least of which is that they provide cover & protection from predatory birds & other threats. The water around & beneath a bridge makes a great home for trout. You'll find trout both just upstream, in front of a bridge & just below it, too. I think they get a sense of security knowing that they can always duck for cover back under the bridge. 

Bridges also can give you a sense of what bugs will be on the water. Often the mayflies will collect on the supports of a bridge to molt. Study those bugs, as they'll soon be falling spent onto the water after they've mated & laid their eggs. You can also see the bug activity pick up at a bridge, as both the bugs & the birds that eat them become more active under & around the bridge & its supports. 

Another reason why trout like bridges is because the water 'piles up' above them. Often the water gets channeled down at a bridge into a more narrow flow which creates deeper spots & changes in the water flow. Here slower water meets faster water (which is also why they're good spots to fish when the stream is high). These spots where faster flows butt up against slower water creates what we call a "seam"...........

Seams in the stream flow are the golden spot for trout anglers. Trout love them because it makes their life much easier. You see, trout like to hang out in the slower flow, which requires less effort on their part, & let the faster water bring them food. All types of aquatic insects get caught up, pulled into the flow & get channeled into the seam. The trout, watching & waiting in the edge of the slower water, can see every piece of food that the seam has collected. 

When you fish a seam, you typically want your fly to travel the water just on the edge of the slower flow. It's much easier to managed your line here & besides, it's where the trout are. You should look for seams every time you go fishing, but especially in marginal conditions when the stream is high. You'll know that the trout would rather hang out in the slower water rather than work their tails off in the faster flows. 

Arthur Ransome, in his old book "Rod & Line" has a chapter on dealing with adverse fishing conditions. His approach to poor weather & conditions is to not look at the obstacles, but rather to look for the elements of the stream conditions that are good - the elements you can work with. You still might not catch a trout, but you've done your best to put as many odds as you can in your favor. At least by looking at it from that perspective, you stand a chance of catching a fish no matter what shape the stream is in that day.......

......And if conditions are so bad that fishing is all but impossible, at least you can explore & enjoy the wildlife, plants, & beauty that surround the stream!  

I'm so pleased to now offer an affordable custom fiberglass fly rod. These rods are for those of you looking to get into fiberglass fly rods to see what all the fuss is about, or if you just want a custom made glass rod without the investment.

Here's how it works: You choose your rod blank & components. Then, once you & I have all the details settled about your rod I ask for a down payment of half the total to begin. The wait time for me to make your Prudential Glass rod is only 2 to 3 months, maximum (depending on if you have any special requests) maybe less. That's only two payments of $162.50, one to start, the other only after the rod is completed!!

You choose your rod blank from the different sizes & colors available. These include:
1.) 6'-0", 2/3 wt, smoke grey color w/ tip over butt ferrules.
2.) 7'-0", 3 wt, clear glass color, spigot ferrules.
3.) 7'-6", 4 wt, yellow or light green color, spigot ferrules.
4.) 8'-0" 5/6 wt, grey smoke color, spigot ferrules.
5.) 8'-0", 7 wt, brown / orange color, spigot ferrules, faster action.
6.) 8'-6", 5 wt, light grey color, spigot ferrules.
Here are some of the rod colors available:

You can also choose your grip shape from the Fenwick style, Reverse Half-Welles, or Full Welles shapes:

You have your choice of reel seats as well. You choose either up locking, or down locking; chrome, black, or antique gold color metal. Choose your spacer between maple, cork, walnut, or burl.

Like any custom fly rod, you have your choice of line guides, tip top, & hook keeper in either chrome or black finish. Those guides are wrapped in fine silk thread & coated with real varnish for smooth wraps - just like a bamboo rod. You can choose the color of thread wraps you want. 

There's also a personal inscription of whatever you choose written above the grip on the butt section. One side of the rod will have my name, length, line wt, etc & the other side will have whatever you wish.

If that wasn't enough, for the price each rod comes in a custom fit canvas covered PVC rod tube & also a soft cotton flannel rod bag. Each are made specifically to your rod for a custom fit. 

I am very excited to offer these rods. They are an opportunity for you to see just how fun it can be to have a custom rod made for yourself, but without a huge investment of money & time on your part. I ask for a down payment of half the total to begin the rod ($162.50). Once I know what you want & have received your first payment, I'll begin work on your rod. You'll receive hard copy receipts for your payments & I'll keep you updated, with photos, as your rod progresses. Most rods will only take 2 to 3 months to complete at most, unless you have a unique request for your rod. Once the rod is completed & your second payment made, I'll ship the rod out & provide you with a tracking number so you can follow it in transit. Payments can be made by check, money order, or via Paypal. 

To read more about these rods & to see detailed photos of all your options, please visit the Fiberglass Fly Rod page of this site. If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to contact me anytime & I'll be more than happy to help. It really can be this fun & affordable to own a custom fiberglass fly rod!

I'm very pleased to now offer these traditional style D-block style fly reel cases:

These cases will house any classic or modern reel, regular or wide spool, up to the dimension listed for each size. While this style of case is traditional to makers such as Hardy, Farlow's, & other English reels, it would make a fine home for any fly reel. ​I make these cases, by hand, in my shop.

These cases are constructed with 'French' hand-mitered edges, making for perfect corners on each seam. They are hand stitched in a traditional box stitch & made to last a lifetime. 

Each case features a Sherpa lining inside to both wick moisture away & protect your fly reel. ​

​​Standard leather color is chestnut (shown above), but other colors of leather are available for a small fee: black, brown, chocolate, & London tan​.

To read more about these cases & to see even more detailed photos of them, please visit the Leather Accessories page. If you have any questions about them, please contact me. 

The double surgeon's knot is a great way to attach your tippet to your leader. For those of you new to fly fishing, or those who have been maybe using a different knot for your leader-to-tippet connection, give this double surgeon's a try. Once you get onto it, you'll find you can tie it up very quickly along the stream. Below is a short video that makes it very easy to see how this knot is tied. 

Over on the Leather Accessories page, you'll now see the clam shell reel cases that I make available in three sizes. I recently added a larger case to accommodate salmon & saltwater reels.  

These cases are designed to house both regular & wide spool reels. Of course they're also perfect for any classic style, hard rubber, vintage fly reel or any reel that's special to you. The three sizes are:
​-Large: will accommodate any fly reel up to 4" high x 3" wide (from back plate to top of handle)

-Medium: will hold any reel up to 3 1/2" high x 2 3/4" wide (from back plate to top of handle)

-Small: any fly reel up to 3" high x 2 1/2" wide (from back plate to top of handle)

No matter what size reel you have, there's a clamshell case to fit. For more information about these cases & to see more detailed photos of them, please visit the Leather Accessories page. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me & I'll be happy to help.  

Every April 22nd, Earth day is celebrated in order to bring attention to the need to maintain & protect the environment. It began back in 1970 & is now observed in 193 countries around the world. 

Obviously the environment is an important subject to any angler, especially to preserve those cold, clean waters that trout need to survive. 

​Whatever you do to help keep the planet healthy - from the smallest things to large endeavors - thank you. If we all do a little a lot will happen. 

​Rarely do I like to get sentimental about things, but if you'll bear with me, I'd like to a little bit here. I always feel a little emotional at the beginning of another trout season & this year is no different. I think most of us get this way at one time or another. So, if you'll indulge me, here are a few reflections on my love of trout streams. 

​I'll admit it: trout streams draw me to them. They always have, ever since I can remember. I think it's a combination of the mysteries they hold about what's going on underneath the water's surface & just the shear beauty of them. I have fished many streams in many places & have yet to find any single trout stream that did not reflect a sense of dignity. 

I love a trout stream because you never step into the same stream twice. It is always changing. As in life, sometimes that change is gradual, other times sudden. It can be a benefit to you, or it can ruin one of your favorite spots to wet a line. But the change is there, always & you never know what you will experience each time you go there. You must always be willing to adjust to it's changes. 

I love a trout stream because there's something compelling about moving water. It's always going somewhere. If it's an unfamiliar stream I'm always torn between moving along the banks to see what's up ahead or staying where I am to enjoy the great new pool I've found. I want to get the most out of it each time & learn as much as I can about it. It's a new place, with new experiences & lessons to be learned. 

I love trout streams because time stands still when I fish them. I'm not my age - or any age. It could be any year in time. The bird songs are the same for me as they were for my great Grandpa. Just one good looking rock, one decent windfall that looks as though it would be home to a trout can easily take an hour or more of my time, & to me it feels like only a few minutes have passed. No matter how hard I'm concentrating on the flow of water, or my line, or the fish, my mind never fatigues along a stream. It's only along a stream that this happens. Nowhere else in life will I willingly stand in the cold, heat, or rain for hours on end without moving.

I love a trout stream because of its natural beauty. I have never seen an ugly one - even one that flowed next to a parking lot was gorgeous in it's own way. Each stream has so much more to offer than just the fish. The plants, birds, trees, & overall surroundings are something to be observed & can provide you with a full day of entertainment. A stream is always a busy place, if you look around. And this is just the parts of it we can see! Below the water's surface there's a whole other world with all it's drama playing out. And if I'm lucky enough I might hold in my hand one of the most majestic, gorgeously decorated creatures the Creator of the universe saw fit to put on this planet. To release a trout you've caught back to the water, watching it disappear into the flow, is both a very rewarding & peaceful feeling. 

I love a tout stream because no matter what is going on in my world, I feel at home along the stream. I go there to celebrate life's good events; to heal wounds; to contemplate any problems or obstacles. Mostly though, I go there to fish, to learn what it has to teach me that day, & to make lasting memories. I can honestly say that some of my most cherished memories have been made along a trout stream. 

And those are some of the reasons why I love a trout stream. Thank you for indulging me. Why do you love a trout stream? 

Work continues in the making of a film about the famous angler & writer Joe Brooks. In the video below we see the impact he had on fly fishing in Argentina & Patagonia. These locations are now destinations for fly anglers, but 60 + years ago when Joe first went there, they were unknown to all but the locals. Joe fished there, wrote about it, & as a result helped to create a whole new haven for anglers & economy for the locals. 

If you're unfamiliar with who Joe Brooks was you need to do yourself a favor & pick up any of the books he wrote. In the last half of the twentieth century Joe was a legend among fly anglers. He changed the way many folks fish. The techniques that many of us use today were his. If you've not read any of his works, you seriously owe it to yourself to check out his writings. I promise you it will make you a better fly angler. 

Enjoy this short film about how Joe Brooks put fly fishing in Patagonia on the map & learn a little about what an incredible angler he was. 

A few years ago I had a request from an angler for a much larger version of the leather fly wallet that I make. Upon making it for him I came up with the idea of another accessory I call a "fly book".

These fly books were fairly well received by anglers, but I always thought there were a few ways I could improve them. Well, over the winter I made many big changes to the leather fly wallets I offer, making them from far better materials than in the past - so I figured I'd take the time to redesign the fly books, too.

Now these fly books are made from a much better, heavier vegetable tanned leather in a rich chestnut color. Instead of using a snap, they now feature a stud closure. This makes it much easier to open & close them (& looks better, too).

Instead of having pages in them made from the old material that wouldn't accept barbed hooks, they now have two large pieces of 3/4" thick wool to hold the flies. This wool will accept hooks with & without a barb & is thick enough to wick away a lot of moisture from your flies, plus it acts like padding for any delicate hackles, wings, tails, etc. 

Another big improvement to these fly books is the addition of side panels. These do two things: they keep your flies from being crushed & it it keeps anything inside the wallet from falling out the side. This is a huge improvement!

I designed these fly books in response to requests mostly from salmon & steelhead anglers for their larger flies, but you could easily also store any wets, nymphs, or streamers in them of any size. Over all these improvements really make these books strong & sturdy. They're almost box-like in their construction.

I make these fly books in two sizes & there is quite difference between the two. 

The small book is made to fit into a large pocket of most fishing vests. Closed, it measures 4 inches x 6 inches wide & is 2 inches thick. It weighs only 6.8 ounces empty. There's plenty of wool inside to carry enough flies, no matter their size, for a day on the water making this book a very convenient way to carry your flies with you.

The large book is made to be more like a piece of luggage for your flies. It's really big! When closed it measure 6 inches x 8 inches wide & is also 2 inches thick. Now you might not think that two inches in both directions is that much bigger, but let me say that you can hold a ton of flies in this large book! 

While the small book was made to carry with you along the stream, the large book is too big to fit into most fishing vests - though it would fit into a shoulder bag, if you carry one instead of wearing a vest when you fish. Rather, many anglers actually own both sizes. They store their flies for an entire trip in the large book & load up the flies they'll need for the day into the small book to carry with them. Together, they're a great set of matching pieces to house your flies. 

You should note, that even the small book is much larger than my traditional fly wallets. The wallets are a very popular accessory that I make, but these newly designed books are catching up with them quickly. Try one - or both - & I think you'll see why. When you use all three of these items together (fly wallets, large & small fly books) you'll have a wonderful system for housing all your streamers, wets, nymphs, steelhead, & salmon flies. 

For more information about all these items, please visit the Leather Accessories page. If you have any questions about anything you see there, please feel free to contact me & I'll be more than happy to help you.