I've just listed another rod on the Available Rods page of this site. This one is a very nice 7'-6" 2/2 4 wt bamboo with a very smooth slow / moderate action. The slower to moderate action of this rod makes it a relaxing pleasure to cast. I can see this rod on just about any trout stream, gently casting your wets, nymphs, & medium sized streamers with ease. Under normal casting loads, this rod will flex down to about the middle of the butt section. Give it a little more power & you'll feel it flex down to the grip.

For those anglers who like to relax & slow down a bit, this rod will feel very nice. It's smooth action & subtle good looks will make fishing & casting with this rod a true pleasure.

​For more detailed photos & information about this rod, please visit the Available Rods page & feel free to contact me with any questions.

Also on the Available Rods page, please note that I've significantly reduced the price of the ebony mortised rod there, as a sale for the Holidays!! Here's your chance to get a gorgeous, elegant, great casting rod for a wonderful price.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy, & healthy Thanksgiving!!

I was reading a report the other day about a study that was conducted comparing men & women fly fishers. This study looked at how they fished to see if there were any differences between the two genders. One thing the study claimed to have found was was that male fly anglers tended to target one specific species of fish when they went out fishing (trout, bass, carp, etc), while female anglers claimed to be happy with "whatever was biting" that day. Now, I get a little concerned about anyone trying to explain, or find, any differences between male & female anglers. After all, the fish on your hook doesn't really care what gender you are. Plus, I'm a guy who was taught as a kid how to fish with a fly rod by both my mom & my dad. But it got me to thinking, am I happier with catching some fish more than others?.....

I guess I am, though I'd like to think I'm not a stickler for any rules. I fly fish for all different types of fish: trout, bluegill, crappie, bass, carp, etc. So when I get on the water I do usually have a certain type of fish in mind for that day. Okay sure, but what if I'm fishing for bass - am I disappointed if I happen to catch a crappie instead? Well no, I'm not.

I will admit that I am first & foremost a trout angler. So if I ever caught a trout while fishing for something else I'd be pretty stoked about it. What if it were the other way around: I'm fishing for trout & catch a bass? I'd still be pleased with my catch, but I guess not as much.

If I accidentally catch a fish I don't normally get on a fly, that's cool, too. For example, I've caught catfish on a fly. Since I don't actively pursue them it's pretty neat & special when that happens. The only exception to that, for me personally, are suckers. If I'm trout fishing & happen to catch a big sucker I'm not really going to celebrate that. But if I'm trying to catch suckers (try it sometime - it's not as easy as you'd think) they always seem to elude me & are difficult to target. That would be about the only time I'd be jazzed about catching a big , fat sucker.

Fly fishing, as a sport, has really grown over the last few decades. It's not just about catching trout anymore. In fact if it swims, chances are there's someone out there trying to catch it on a fly. I think that's cool - we each have our own thing. I just find it funny how we each look at it. I guess the old saying is true: "one angler's junk fish is another angler's prize". Whatever type of fish you try to fool with fur & feather have fun & good luck!!

I like looking at old prints, or advertising that features fly fishing as a theme. Whenever you see an old painting on a vintage magazine cover or ad, you think of Norman Rockwell. He was probably the most famous, but there were other artists working in the same style as him who were very good in their own right.

One of those artists was J.F. Kernan (1878 - 1958). Just like Rockwell, Kernan's work focused on middle-class life in America, or as he described it "the human side of outdoor sports, hunting, fishing, and dogs." He was born in Massachusetts & would attend the Eric Pape School of Art in Boston & even teach there for a while, too. His work would appear on the covers of most major magazines between the 1910's to the 1940's. His art was seen on the covers of such periodicals as The Saturday Evening Post, The Country Gentleman, Outdoor Life, & many others including different calendars & advertisements of the time.

Below are a few of his works that I really like. His sense of humor & artistic abilities really make these works enjoyable. You can almost step into these scenes yourself.   

Every year, the PA Fish & Boat Commission stocks over 3 million trout. They also raise these fish from eggs in their different state hatcheries. That's a lot of fish to raise & take care of. So, how do they do it?

The video below shows the processes they use to fertilize trout eggs & how they raise the fish from eggs to fry. It's a very interesting 'behind-the-scenes' look at some of what goes into raising all those trout.

Filmed at the Huntsdale hatchery in Carlisle, PA this same thing happens at state hatcheries across Pennsylvania. Some hatcheries even allow for visitors. To find a PA Fish & Boat Commission hatchery near you, click HERE. 

Take a look at some of the work that goes into raising the stocked trout we catch.

Today is Veterans Day, so please remember to take a moment & thank those who served in our Armed Forces. To all of who who served, thank you!!

The Adams dry fly as we know it & see it has many different forms. The basic recipe can be changed & altered to suit just about any situation by using different colors, etc. It can be, & is, tied in any dry fly style: parachute, Catskills, Wulff, on & on. Perhaps the most common style is the Catskill style.

Legend has it that the first Adams was tied by Leonard Halladay of Mayfield, Michigan back in 1922 for his friend Charles F. Adams of Lorrain, Ohio. It's believed that Adams was the first to fish the pattern, thus the fly's name. Halladay was a fishing guide & most likely guided Adams on fishing trips to Michigan.

Today we know the Adams mostly as a very generalized mayfly imitation. It looks like no specific mayfly while at the same time it looks like a lot of different mayflies. However, it's thought that the first Adams fly could have been tied to copy some type of grey caddis.

There's a lot of controversy over the design of the wings of the original Adams. Some believe that the wings were divided & slanted forward, towards the eye of the hook. Others think the wings were divided but slanted back, delta-wing style. What we do know is that the body was grey in color, the hackle was like it is today, & the wings (whichever way they pointed) were the same, barred color we still use. It's believed that the tail was made from golden pheasant tippets.

No matter what the exact pattern was originally, there's no reason why you can't try them with wings going in either direction. Personally, I like the idea of the delta-wing style. I think that might work very well for my local caddis, when I'm not in the mood to try an elk hair caddis dry. 

The Adams is a very versatile pattern that can be adapted any way you want or need. The fact that there's disagreement over the original pattern just proves how many different ways you can tie this fly & have it still be productive in fooling fish.

I hope that you're all getting some time in to enjoy some good autumn fly fishing. The weather in this part of the world has been absolutely beautiful, & we're all hoping it holds out. No matter, soon it will be steelhead time, it's a good time for bass on the fly, & the trout have been providing anglers much fun as well.

So, as you go out to fish this fall, remember, I'd love to see your photos! Share them with me & I can post them on the Beyond The Rod Shop page. I'd love to hear a good fish story as well. Just contact me with all your photos.

Those autumn leaves might be beautiful to look at on the trees, but they're a real pain in the rumpus when you hook one on every cast!!

Don't forget, now is a great time to get your accessories orders in for Holiday gift-giving. This will give us plenty of time to make up anything we might not have in stock, or to customize your accessories for you, all in plenty of time for you to be ahead of the game in your Holiday shopping this year. 

Just contact me anytime for all your bags, cases, wallets, & other fly fishing accessory needs. Plus, don't forget that any angler would love a new fly rod. Please check out the rods listed on the Available Rods page to see what's available with no waiting. Check back often, as there will be more rods being posted there soon.

I hope you all get a chance to get out there & wet a line before winter gets a hold of us!!! Good luck on the water everybody, & remember, you should all feel free to contact me anytime. 

Here is a pretty cool video clip of outdoor writer Charlie Meyers talking briefly with Lefty Kreh & Bob Clouser. Lefty is a legendary angler, teacher, & writer who has traveled the world fly fishing for every fish imaginable & then some. Bob is also a famous angler who is best know for developing the Clouser flies. He's also a fishing guide & a fellow Pennsylvanian. Both gentlemen represent many years of fly fishing. So it's pretty neat to hear them talk in this fun, relaxed, & intelligent interview by Mr. Meyers.

​Sit back for a few short minuets & enjoy....