I can't believe it, but it's time once again for my annual State of The Rod Shop Address. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I'm happy to report that the state of the rod shop is great!! That's all thanks to you folks. The past year was a challenging one, to say the least, with personal struggles & a lot of obstacles but as the year ended things began to really improve & come together. I've been reminded this year that often we need to be patient & let things work themselves out. In the process I met some really fantastic people.

It was another year of meeting new people. The coolest thing about being a rod maker is all the nice people I get to meet & work with. It's just awesome to have good friends all over the place, around the world on different continents. It, to me, shows how fly fishing can bring people together from all walks of life who would never otherwise get to know each other.

I'm proud of the rods that came out of the shop this past year. There were some really nice ones, too if I may say so myself. I was also lucky to be able to make many different rods, too. Everything from a small banty rod to a longer salmon rod & everything in between. You folks have fantastic vision of what you want your fly rods to be. I'm always learning new things from you about what makes a beautiful fly rod. 

The accessories I make in the shop gained popularity again this year. I'm very proud of those items as a lot of time & thought went into their design. I'm so glad that I can serve anglers in that way in addition to the rods.

I'm really looking forward to the coming year. Every year I make new plans about what I'll do in the rod shop & this year is no exception. I have some very cool rods in the works for some very nice folks, & there will be even more fiberglass rods this year, too. That's awesome as I love glass rods. I'm also going to continue circulating some new demo rods in the mix, so look for the retired ones to be listed on the Available Rods page throughout the year. There will be quite a variety of rods.

I'm also planning on making some huge advances in the accessories I offer. Folks, there are some really nice, new designs in the works that I just didn't have time to complete this year. I'm working on a high-end fishing bag that will rival anything you've seen on the market before; leather fly wallets that are nicer than those you see selling for the price of a graphite rod (but mine won't cost that much); & some other new accessories that are going to go in a whole new direction & will (hopefully) set the standard for what a bag, case, tube, or wallet should be. I'm very, very excited about it & can't wait to show them to you all.

None of this would be even remotely possible without you folks. Thank you all so much. It has been a true honor & a privilege to help & work with you all. You folks are the reason I keep doing this & keep doing it every day. To you all I'm so grateful. I'm looking forward to next year - working with you all, the rods we're going to make, & the new people I'll meet.

Thank you all so very much!! I'll see you in the New Year.

I've just added two different fly wallets to the stock for you to choose from, with more on the way in the next few days. I think the leathers both of these are made from are gorgeous! One is a rich, dark brown color with some grain showing:

The other wallet is made from a light brown leather that is smooth with a perfect surface. There's no grain marks here, just a hard, smooth surface. Think of an old leather chair or English saddle: 

The leather in both these wallets is a little thicker & so will really hold up to a lifetime of use. I think you're going to like using these a lot.

To see these new editions, plus the other leather fly wallets that are available, please visit the fly wallets page. To read more about the design & features of these wallets, please see the Accessories page of this site.

There will be more wallets on the way shortly, so please check back often. These were very popular with folks over the Holidays & so I'm working to replenish my supply & to add some new variety to the mix as well. I can't wait to show them to you!!

If you see a fly wallet you're interested in, or if you have any questions, please contact me. I'll be happy to help. Now, I've got to get back to making more wallets!!

Most of us know the importance of the stiff guard hairs in our dubbing. They make your wet or nymph fly really look alive in the water. However, if you're tying flies from the store-bought packets of dubbing, those packets sometimes don't have enough guard hairs in the mix. What to do?.....well, you have to add some more.

Taking the guard hair from a rabbit's ear is the way to go. You want to mix the packaged dubbing with some guard hairs you take off of a hare's mask. This will allow you to get as many guard hairs in the mix as you want. Below is a short video showing an excellent method for doing just that.

Getting more guard hairs in your flies will make them come alive in the water. They impart movement to the fish & will be more successful for you. Take a quick look at this video & enjoy: 

I want to wish each & every one of you a very merry Christmas. May the 'reason for the season' be in all of our hearts!!

No matter how you celebrate the season, I want to share my joy of Christmas with you all. So to you all I say Merry Christmas!!

Recently I was discussing with a friend & fellow angler about how we both got started in fly fishing, back in the days of our youth. Maybe it's that it was all so new to us, or perhaps because we didn't know any better, but we both looked back on our individual beginnings in fly fishing with fondness.

I'm sure that if I could jump into a time machine & travel back to see myself fishing as a kid I'd probably want to shake my head in amusement. Hey, I was a kid & didn't know any better. Back then I used a cheap glass fly rod, a level floating line (try finding that today), & a spool of straight 6 lb mono for a leader. Give me those & set me lose on the trout stream! I think back then my philosophy in my young mind was something like: "if you don't know which fly to use, it doesn't really matter which fly you use!!" (that might actually be some really deep zen stuff there, I'm not sure).  

My point is that back then it was all just about fishing & having fun. I didn't care about the slant of the wings on my flies, or the taper of my rod, or the action of my leader - & it was all good. Surrounded by family on the trout stream, learning, & having fun with or without catching fish - that was what was important. 

Of course I'd like to think I've grown as an angler since then. I'm more refined & can appreciate things like a good rod & a properly designed leader. I've picked up a few more tricks along the way & many more techniques. I'd also like to believe that I'm still learning about fly fishing, too - always.

Still, it's nice to look back at those days every now & then. In many ways all of us are still those wide-eyed kids, probing the waters with line & hook. Especially at this time of year, when maybe you unwrap that new fly reel or new rod & you get all excited & can't wait for spring to come again.......you're still that happy kid.

Many fly tiers purchase their dubbing in those little packets, dyed & all ready to use. For those of you who want to delve a little deeper into your fly tying, want more control over the quality of your dubbing, & want to save a few bucks in the process - making your own dubbing from a hare's mask is the way to go. One mask will give you enough dubbing for hundreds of flies. 

There are many ways of taking fur from a hare's mask, but I find it saves time if you "process" your dubbing all at once (it also saves space, too). Basically, you need to remove all the hair & fur from the mask & mix it together. Traditionally, different parts of the mask are used for different flies, like the Hare's Ear Nymph for example, but I'm personally not that picky about it. However, using & blending the material from a hare's mask will get you dubbing that has a good mix of soft fur & guard hairs, as well as a nice mix of light & dark shades. 

Below is a short video showing a quick & easy method for harvesting the hair & fur from a hare's mask & how to mix everything together. This is pretty much the method I use & I know that, for me, it works quite well. 

Now, if you want to change the color of that dubbing by dyeing it to a particular color for a specific insect pattern, that's a discussion for another day & I'll show you some methods for doing that soon. For now, let's just get the hair off the hare........

Boy, has it been a busy time here in the shop!! Folks are ordering many accessories for their Holiday gift giving. I thank you all so very much!! As a result, some of the accessories are flying off the shelves here, leaving the supply a little low. Not to worry, though as there are more wallets & bags on the work bench, being made right now. This means that there will be no delay in getting your orders to you.

There are more leader wallets in the works right now. They will be available in both dark & light brown leather, with other leather colors after that. So, if you want a leader wallet & don't see what you like on the leader wallet page, please just let me know which you prefer, dark or light brown, & I'll get them on the way. I'll post photos of the wallets up there just as soon as they're done. 

I've also been cutting leather for some new leather fly wallets, too. There's going to be even more variety of leather available &, folks, some of these are going to be truly gorgeous!! Both soft & harder leathers; some smooth & others textured, there will be a fly wallet available for just about any personal taste. These, too will be shown on the fly wallets page in the next few days or so. 

In addition to all that, there are also more fishing bags being made right now. These bags are so well made that it does take some time to make them - they can't be made in just a day. Quality like that takes time. However, I should have the bag you want in plenty of time for Christmas or maybe by the end of Hanukkah, if you order very soon. 

Not familiar with these fantastic fishing bags? Please read HERE to see why they're the best bags on the market, & visit the Accessories page to read even more about them.

So the sewing machines have been working overtime in the shop - & they will continue to do so in order to get all your Holiday gifts to you. You might also consider other gifts, too like a fly rod, maybe a vintage fly reel, or even a good book. Check out my Holiday Gifts page for a brief guide & ideas on what to get that special angler this year. Please also remember, I'm here to help in any way that I can. If you're confused or have questions - even if it's about something that's not on this website - feel free to contact me. I'll try my best to answer your questions & help you to make an informed decision.

Thank you all so much & HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY!!! 

Many of us around now weren't alive on December 7, 1941. It's been 74 years ago. Never the less, we should not forget the tragedy that occurred on that day - we owe it to those who were there.  That's the day the United States suffered a surprise attack by Japan. When the dust had settled 2,403 Americans had been killed & 1,178 were wounded. It was the event that would lead the USA into declaring war against Japan & also Germany - leading us into World War II.

It was a horrible, disastrous day in American history. All of us would be remiss to forget what happened then, the events that lead up to it, & what occurred after. Please, take a moment to think about that & honor the folks who's lives were either directly, or indirectly affected. 

I found this old footage from 1955 showing a lady tying salmon flies & folks fly fishing what's possibly the River Tweed in Scotland. I found this fascinating & thought you might enjoy it, too. It's always nice to see a beautiful river on a gorgeous day......