This work is called "Trout" by artist Jack Beal. Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1931, Beal lives & works near Oneonta, New York.
As I've said before, I'm no art expert. Of course any art work that incorporates anything fishing related, I find interesting. This work is called "Trout" by artist Jack Beal. Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1931, Beal lives & works near Oneonta, New York. The fish & the rod together on the table is cool, in my opinion. I like the colors in this work as well. Like I said, I'm not an art expert, but it looks like a good catch to me.
In honor of the upcoming Presidents Day, I thought I might mention a little about how the sport has been in the office for a long time.Presidents Day was first celebrated on Washington's birthday, February, 22 in the late 1800's. By 1971, the holiday had been moved to the third Monday in February & had been designated to honor all those who have held the office. Quite a few past presidents have been fly anglers, some more addicted to it than others. Of course, not all presidents were fly anglers, or ever even tried the sport, but many have at least given it a try - including the current president. It's no big surprise that Theodore Roosevelt was an avid fly angler & of course Calvin Coolidge is the fly fishing president that gets a quick mention in "A River Runs Through It." I think it's also well known that Jimmy Carter is a skilled & knowledgeable fly fisherman. But I never knew that Herbert Hoover was as devoted to fly fishing, saying the sport "restored & nourished" his soul. The sport was a very important influence on his thoughts. He once said: "Fishing is a ...discipline in the equality of men - for all men are equal before fish." No matter what your politics may be, I think every president should give the sport a try. As we all know, it ca be a great way to relax & spend some much needed time in peaceful thought. (I often wondered: are there any fish in that fountain?)
I recently got this photo from my brother. His friend, Bill, caught this beautiful trout the other day somewhere in Florida. Even though it's been warming up a little up here in Pennsylvania, there's still some snow & ice on the ground & I think we're all ready for spring to come. It may be a while yet before we have a nice mayfly hatch to fish. Anyway, in the meantime we'll just have to live vicariously through Bill. Nice catch, man!!!!!!
Last year a new fly fishing magazine was launched on line. Not that there aren't new fly fishing magazines appearing or disappearing all the time these days, this one is different. Rise Forms focuses on the more reflective side of the sport. Yup, it's a thinkin' man's magazine. But then again, isn't fly fishing a thinking man's (or women's) sport? From the Rise Forms website: "Rise Forms publishes high-quality, literary work that conveys the passion and contemplative nature of fly fishing." The different departments of the magazine include: artwork, books, fiction, poetry, etc. They also offer prizes for winning contests & they're looking for new submissions. Have you always wanted your writing to be published for all the world to read? well, check out their submission guidelines to find out how to get published in Rise Forms. It might be still too cold to hit the streams & by now, you've tied all the flies this winter you'll ever use this spring. So, sit back with your favorite beverage, click onto the Rise Forms website, & enjoy!! All the rods I build are based on traditional, time-tested rod tapers. I might modify a famous taper to meet a clients needs or to accommodate for modern fly lines, but all in all I stick with tradition. Recently I had a client that wanted a rod built to cast at least a 6 wt line, preferably a 7 wt & they wanted it in a shorter rod - only 7 ft long. Now, there aren't a whole lot of 7 wt, 7 ft rod tapers to choose from so, I sat down & designed one myself. After many calculations, pots of coffee, & a pile of graph paper later I finally ended up with what I believe is a nice rod. Progressive in it's action, this rod is fast & powerful. It's a good rod for heavy fish in situations where you want - or need - a shorter rod. Say you're small mouth fishing in a stream or river with low overhanging trees, or you're deep in the brush to get at that secret spot on the water, this is the rod for that. The progressive action allows this rod to roll cast very nicely. So, If you've ever wanted a 7 ft rod for a heavier 7 wt line but couldn't find it in any rod catalog, send me an email because it's now available.
The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission has recently posted the adult trout stocking list for 2011. The list covers the entire Commonwealth & all approved trout waters where the the Commission will be stocking fish for the upcoming trout season in PA. Both pre-season & in-season stockings are listed. The list is categorized by county. Just select the county where you want to fish & you can see exactly where & when the Commission will be stocking trout. Don't know what county your favorite stream flows through? That's okay, because the Commission's website offers interactive maps you can view to find out all the info you need to plan a fishing trip. The site also offers you the opportunity to purchase a PA fishing license &/or info on where a license can be purchased. In addition, you can also find out all about the trout stocking program in PA including a summary of the numbers of adult trout that will be stocked in 2011, broken down by streams & lakes as well as by brown, brook, & rainbow trout. You can also find out about the different hatcheries around the commonwealth & see when tours are available.
Each year when stocking trout, the Fish Commission always welcomes volunteers to help carry buckets of trout from the stocking truck to the water. This is a good way to spend a morning & a great way to get young kids interested in fishing. I can tell you from my own experience that helping the Commission to stock trout is very fun & a great way to meet other anglers & make new friends. Plus, you'll know where all the fish are!! If you're going to come out & help the Commission stock trout please follow the WCO's instructions & practice safety. Here's a good example of what a custom rod maker can do compared to buying a fly rod from a large tackle manufacturer. Not too long ago I had a client that wanted a fly rod alot like the rod his grandfather used to fish with. He still had his grandfather's fly rod, but didn't want to use it anymore, instead only bringing it out for special occasions. But, rather than have me make a copy of the rod, he instead chose to have certain elements of the rod in his new one I made for him. The biggest similarity between the old rod & the rod I made was the color of the silk wraps. Looking in the photos below, I think I came very close to matching the wrap colors on the new rod to look just like the wraps on his grandfather's rod. Of course, the bamboo is darker on the older rod & the rods were different in other aspects because the client wanted the new rod to be unique to him, while still containing elements of the rod he remembered his grandfather using so fondly. Click on any of the photos below for a better look. The rod on the top is the older rod, the rod on the bottom the new one I made to match. One difference between the two rods you may notice are the line guides. The guides on the older, top rod are blued with a standard "American" twist. The guides on the bottom rod I made feature my hand twisted stainless steel guides formed in a "British" - or reverse - twist. Mixing the elements from antique rods that you might not feel comfortable fishing with anymore into a brand new rod you'll love to use is just another reason to consider purchasing a rod from a custom rod maker.
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The Pliant RodNews from the shop of Chris Lantzy, Custom Rod Maker along with industry news, profiles of interesting characters, reviews, history, & whatever else strikes our fancy. Your comments & feedback are welcome. Please email me your thoughts. Celebrating two decades of making custom fly rods!!
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SEE MORE ROD PHOTOS!!!Please visit my Flickr pages to see even more rod photos including those available for sale, different rod features, & more. I'll be continuing to add photos there, so check it often.
Watch Some Videos!!Take a look into the rod shop & see some rods in living color motion pictures!! Check out my youtube videos.
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