Below is a short, beautiful video filmed on the water of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, set to the words of John Voelker's (aka Robert Traver) "Testament Of A Fisherman". Even though Judge Voelker wrote those words back in the mid 1960's, they still ring true today. 

Take just two minutes & escape whatever the world is tossing at you today to step into the stream in your mind & enjoy this gorgeous video.  

Well, spring can't be too far away - the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission has released their annual adult trout stocking schedule for 2020. 

This year, the Commission will stock 4,600 miles of streams & 130 lakes totaling 7,083 acres!! There is a nearby place to trout fish just about anywhere you are in PA. Proudly, Pennsylvania offers some of the best fly fishing for trout in the world. 

Now, I'm not the type to follow the stocking truck around ready to pounce on the trout with my flies the minute they leave the bucket, but knowing when & where the trout will be stocked can greatly enhance your time spent on the water. This is especially true for folks who are making a trip here to PA to wet a line in the hopes of catching trout, or those with very limited time to fish. I always recommend to folks visiting from out of state that they check both the weather & the stocking lists to make sure they're fishing is the best it can be. 

You can look up which streams will be stocked & when on the Commission's website in an interactive list searchable by county, HERE.

Not sure what the county is where you'll be fishing? No worries, the Commission has a county guide, filled with maps & other info on their website. In addition to that you can also read all the fishing regulations & even buy your fishing license & trout stamp on their site as well. It's loaded with good, accurate information.

As the snow falls & the cold air outside sends chills, this a great time of year to tie up all your flies for next season & plan a good fishing trip - & now you'll know when & where the trout will be!!  

I've said here numerous times that I love to see photos of my rods in the places where they get fished. I really get jazzed at seeing all the cool places my rods go. 

Last year I was honored to make a bamboo fly rod for John. He wanted a special rod that could be a family heirloom. This rod had to be one that would be right at home fishing his local trout streams in the Sierra mountains of California. But there was something else - John had a trip of a lifetime planned out that he wanted to christen the rod on. He was going on an epic journey around the southern hemisphere!! Particularly, he wanted this rod for some fishing he was going to do in Patagonia. 

We figured out a rod that would work well in both locations. We settled on a three piece rod, so that it would travel well with shorter sections, but still fish nicely, too. This rod came out great with John's choice of wrap colors, reel seat wood, etc.  

After John & his wife, Sharon got back from this fantastic trip he told me all about the journey & the fishing. Man, was I thrilled to read about that!!

 The photos above & the below are of John casting his custom made bamboo fly rod in Patagonia. I was honored to make a rod that took a trip around the world!! Thank you, John & Sharon, for sharing your journey with me!!

This year has been off to a very busy start in the rod shop. There will be a lot of nice rods going out the door for the early trout season. One such rod is this custom fiberglass that will see action in many places this year:

This is just one of a few rods that have gone out the shop door so far, with many more to come!!

Do you have need for a special accessory or a custom fly rod? Please let me know about it, I'd love to discuss it with you. After all, if the groundhog is correct, we'll be seeing some hatches on the streams before too long!!