(Here's a re-posting of a tongue-in-cheek oldie but goody) 

Here is a very quick look at how modern graphite rods are made. Here, we're inside the factory at Thomas & Thomas. From raw material to finished rod, you might find this quick overview fascinating. This is also very similar to how fiberglass rods are made as well.

Having made many graphite rods from T&T blanks, I can tell you they are a superior product. Of course, this is a production shop where they make many rods the same exact way. In a custom rod shop like mine the production can't be streamlined like this, as each rod is unique & different made specifically to each client's specifications. 

An absolutely fantastic early season fly for me has been the Orange Fish Hawk. This is a very old pattern, dating back to at least the early 1930's. It caught trout back then & it will do so now.

As you might have guessed, I'm a big fan of the old soft hackle wet flies & the Orange Fish Hawk is one of those. I think, to the fish, it looks like certain caddis flies & certain types of mayflies that hatch out in early to mid April. Either way, I know it works. (one friend once compared it to what some bait fisherman use for trout, calling it 'the orange salmon egg of fly fishing', which of course it wouldn't be, as we actually have orange salmon egg flies, haha!!)

If you haven't tried this pattern before, you're missing out. Use this fly when the water's still a bit cold & the trout aren't feeding on any visible hatch. Here's the recipe:

Tag: Flat gold tinsel
Ribbing: Flat gold tinsel
Body: Orange floss
Hackle: Badger hen hackle, two wraps - no more than three.
Hook: Wet fly sizes 10 - 14

You can substitute orange yarn for the body if you wish & you can also use different feathers such as partridge, grizzly, or grouse for the hackle. As you can see, this is just a very old modification to the Partridge & Orange fly pattern.

Easy to tie & fun to fish, the Orange Fish Hawk just might make an early season day on the water a very memorable one, indeed.

One of the things that got me through the dark, grey winter this year, was being able to see some of the art work that Lew Wilson has been making lately.

Lew is a very talented artist who works in mixed media. For example he'll take a photo of a special river (a work of art on it's own) & then enhance that photo by painting on it. Normally, I would say that the photo of a beautiful river would be enough, but Lew's work on the photo enhances it even more. I don't know how he does it, but his artist's eye pulls me into a scene more than any photo can do - & that's saying something.

Take a look at the photo below, by Lew. To a non-artist like me, it looks like a regular photo. But upon closer inspection, Lew has painted on this photo & really made this picture radiate an emotion of peace. The grandeur of the Rio Grande is really brought out. Just look closely at those brush strokes!! Wow, I could look at this all day!

If you'd like to own some of Lew's art work & help him to establish a phyiscal gallery for his work that has spanned decades, check out his work HERE.

Lew has worked documenting the rivers of America in an attempt to bring attention to their importance & to raise concerns for those waterways - that we keep them clean & as Nature intended them to be.  As Lew says, "rivers have a message." That message is worth listening to.

There's just something wrong about this older TV commercial for Australian seafood company John West, but I can't help laughing out loud every time I see it. If you haven't seen it before, you're in for a light moment of laughter. Enjoy the silliness!! 

It was sad news to learn that, on March 14th, outdoor writer, teacher, & fly fishing legend Lefty Kreh passed away at the age of 93. 

Lefty's career spanned more than 5 decades & his life story is a fascinating one. He had a stellar reputation as an expert who was down-to-earth & an all around great guy who was always willing to share his knowledge with anybody. We are all richer for the body of work he has left behind. Indeed, he wrote many books on fly fishing - each one an excellent guide to the topics covered. His writing style was relaxed & easy to understand. In fact, I think the reason his books & articles were so well received was because Lefty had a knack of taking complicated things (like fly casting, for example) & making them easy to understand & grasp. He had a very personable way of demystifying fly fishing.

There will never be another Lefty. I can't imagine someone reaching as many fly anglers as he did, with such a gentle style. It would be impossible to measure the number of people he introduced to the sport & helped in continuing to enjoy it. For that I am in awe of the man & can't thank him enough for sharing his joy of fly fishing with so many other people. Thanks, Lefty.

Below is a short tribute video to him from the TV news channel WUSA in Washington, D.C.