Every April 22nd, Earth day is celebrated in order to bring attention to the need to maintain & protect the environment. It began back in 1970 & is now observed in 193 countries around the world. 

Obviously the environment is an important subject to any angler, especially to preserve those cold, clean waters that trout need to survive. 

​Whatever you do to help keep the planet healthy - from the smallest things to large endeavors - thank you. If we all do a little a lot will happen. 

​Rarely do I like to get sentimental about things, but if you'll bear with me, I'd like to a little bit here. I always feel a little emotional at the beginning of another trout season & this year is no different. I think most of us get this way at one time or another. So, if you'll indulge me, here are a few reflections on my love of trout streams. 

​I'll admit it: trout streams draw me to them. They always have, ever since I can remember. I think it's a combination of the mysteries they hold about what's going on underneath the water's surface & just the shear beauty of them. I have fished many streams in many places & have yet to find any single trout stream that did not reflect a sense of dignity. 

I love a trout stream because you never step into the same stream twice. It is always changing. As in life, sometimes that change is gradual, other times sudden. It can be a benefit to you, or it can ruin one of your favorite spots to wet a line. But the change is there, always & you never know what you will experience each time you go there. You must always be willing to adjust to it's changes. 

I love a trout stream because there's something compelling about moving water. It's always going somewhere. If it's an unfamiliar stream I'm always torn between moving along the banks to see what's up ahead or staying where I am to enjoy the great new pool I've found. I want to get the most out of it each time & learn as much as I can about it. It's a new place, with new experiences & lessons to be learned. 

I love trout streams because time stands still when I fish them. I'm not my age - or any age. It could be any year in time. The bird songs are the same for me as they were for my great Grandpa. Just one good looking rock, one decent windfall that looks as though it would be home to a trout can easily take an hour or more of my time, & to me it feels like only a few minutes have passed. No matter how hard I'm concentrating on the flow of water, or my line, or the fish, my mind never fatigues along a stream. It's only along a stream that this happens. Nowhere else in life will I willingly stand in the cold, heat, or rain for hours on end without moving.

I love a trout stream because of its natural beauty. I have never seen an ugly one - even one that flowed next to a parking lot was gorgeous in it's own way. Each stream has so much more to offer than just the fish. The plants, birds, trees, & overall surroundings are something to be observed & can provide you with a full day of entertainment. A stream is always a busy place, if you look around. And this is just the parts of it we can see! Below the water's surface there's a whole other world with all it's drama playing out. And if I'm lucky enough I might hold in my hand one of the most majestic, gorgeously decorated creatures the Creator of the universe saw fit to put on this planet. To release a trout you've caught back to the water, watching it disappear into the flow, is both a very rewarding & peaceful feeling. 

I love a tout stream because no matter what is going on in my world, I feel at home along the stream. I go there to celebrate life's good events; to heal wounds; to contemplate any problems or obstacles. Mostly though, I go there to fish, to learn what it has to teach me that day, & to make lasting memories. I can honestly say that some of my most cherished memories have been made along a trout stream. 

And those are some of the reasons why I love a trout stream. Thank you for indulging me. Why do you love a trout stream? 

Work continues in the making of a film about the famous angler & writer Joe Brooks. In the video below we see the impact he had on fly fishing in Argentina & Patagonia. These locations are now destinations for fly anglers, but 60 + years ago when Joe first went there, they were unknown to all but the locals. Joe fished there, wrote about it, & as a result helped to create a whole new haven for anglers & economy for the locals. 

If you're unfamiliar with who Joe Brooks was you need to do yourself a favor & pick up any of the books he wrote. In the last half of the twentieth century Joe was a legend among fly anglers. He changed the way many folks fish. The techniques that many of us use today were his. If you've not read any of his works, you seriously owe it to yourself to check out his writings. I promise you it will make you a better fly angler. 

Enjoy this short film about how Joe Brooks put fly fishing in Patagonia on the map & learn a little about what an incredible angler he was. 

A few years ago I had a request from an angler for a much larger version of the leather fly wallet that I make. Upon making it for him I came up with the idea of another accessory I call a "fly book".

These fly books were fairly well received by anglers, but I always thought there were a few ways I could improve them. Well, over the winter I made many big changes to the leather fly wallets I offer, making them from far better materials than in the past - so I figured I'd take the time to redesign the fly books, too.

Now these fly books are made from a much better, heavier vegetable tanned leather in a rich chestnut color. Instead of using a snap, they now feature a stud closure. This makes it much easier to open & close them (& looks better, too).

Instead of having pages in them made from the old material that wouldn't accept barbed hooks, they now have two large pieces of 3/4" thick wool to hold the flies. This wool will accept hooks with & without a barb & is thick enough to wick away a lot of moisture from your flies, plus it acts like padding for any delicate hackles, wings, tails, etc. 

Another big improvement to these fly books is the addition of side panels. These do two things: they keep your flies from being crushed & it it keeps anything inside the wallet from falling out the side. This is a huge improvement!

I designed these fly books in response to requests mostly from salmon & steelhead anglers for their larger flies, but you could easily also store any wets, nymphs, or streamers in them of any size. Over all these improvements really make these books strong & sturdy. They're almost box-like in their construction.

I make these fly books in two sizes & there is quite difference between the two. 

The small book is made to fit into a large pocket of most fishing vests. Closed, it measures 4 inches x 6 inches wide & is 2 inches thick. It weighs only 6.8 ounces empty. There's plenty of wool inside to carry enough flies, no matter their size, for a day on the water making this book a very convenient way to carry your flies with you.

The large book is made to be more like a piece of luggage for your flies. It's really big! When closed it measure 6 inches x 8 inches wide & is also 2 inches thick. Now you might not think that two inches in both directions is that much bigger, but let me say that you can hold a ton of flies in this large book! 

While the small book was made to carry with you along the stream, the large book is too big to fit into most fishing vests - though it would fit into a shoulder bag, if you carry one instead of wearing a vest when you fish. Rather, many anglers actually own both sizes. They store their flies for an entire trip in the large book & load up the flies they'll need for the day into the small book to carry with them. Together, they're a great set of matching pieces to house your flies. 

You should note, that even the small book is much larger than my traditional fly wallets. The wallets are a very popular accessory that I make, but these newly designed books are catching up with them quickly. Try one - or both - & I think you'll see why. When you use all three of these items together (fly wallets, large & small fly books) you'll have a wonderful system for housing all your streamers, wets, nymphs, steelhead, & salmon flies. 

For more information about all these items, please visit the Leather Accessories page. If you have any questions about anything you see there, please feel free to contact me & I'll be more than happy to help you. 

It's been a very busy winter here in the rod shop & in between rods I've worked worked out some new accessories that I've always wanted to make. One of those is this newly designed fly book:

As you can see, this book is made from a thicker, sturdy leather in a traditional chestnut color. It features two side panels that help to protect delicate flies from getting crushed & also will keep anything from falling out of the book. There's nothing like reaching your hand into a pocket to find a loose fly - ouch! You won't have to worry about that with this fly book.

The thick wool lining inside the book will hold plenty of flies & it's thick enough to wick away tons of water from your flies. Plus it adds plenty of padding to protect delicate hackles, wings, & tails. 

While these fly books are perfect for streamers or larger salmon flies, you could store any size of nymph or wet flies in them as well. The gorgeous, flawless leather is infused with waxes during the tanning process to make it water resistant - water will bead up on the outer surface of these books.

These books are available in two sizes:
-Small: 4" x 6" x 2" thick
-Large: 6" x 8" x 2" thick

For more information & to see more detailed photos, please visit the Accessories page of this site. If you have any questions, please contact me. I think anglers are really going to like using these new leather fly books. 

Well, we've made it to spring!! In order to celebrate (& clear out some items that are taking up space in the rod shop) I've reduced the price of all available rods & some select accessories as well. 

At this time the available rods include this 6'-4" bamboo fly rod. It's one of my favorite & versatile tapers as it can be used on small streams up to medium sized rivers. It's got a great action & would be a great addition to your rod arsenal. 

Also listed now is this 4'-4", one piece bamboo "Banty" rod. Among ultra-light fly anglers this rod is very popular. As it's a one piece rod, there's no ferrules to interrupt the action & it's a great rod to use for small, tight quarters but you can also catch lake bass on it, too!

Maybe the best bargain among the available rods is this 10'-0", 4 pc, 5/6wt Custom Series graphite rod made on a Thomas & Thomas DNA switch rod blank. What's truly unique about this rod is that while it's made on a switch rod blank, it was made up with a traditional grip & reel seat for single handed casting. This is a great rod for high-stick nymphing, or in any conditions where you need more line control on the water. This rod will roll cast like nobody's business, too. Check out the rave reviews about the T&T DNA switch rods & I'm sure you'll like what you see. Finished out in high end components -including an agate stripping guide - this rod is the highest grade of graphite fly rods I make. At this new reduced price it is a great bargain. 

In addition to rods, I've also reduced some select accessories, too. These leather fly books are great for holding a ton of flies, or larger salmon flies. Check them out on the leather accessories page.

On the same page as the fly books above, you'll also find a couple of leather fishing bags. These are perfect for a day along the stream & now you can get them at a bargain. I have only one of each, black or tan. 

If all that wasn't enough, I'm continuing to list select overstock canvas reel cases at a steep discount. These are offered in a bunch of different sizes & colors. Once these overstock cases are gone, they're gone, so check them out! You can see all these discounted reel cases on the Available Accessories page.

If you're looking to add a new rod to your collection or you just need a great accessory as you gear up this spring for another season, be sure to check out all these bargains. If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to contact me & I'll be happy to help you out. 

I've just added another case to my list of accessories - a leather clam shell-style fly reel case!

​These cases are made from heavy 9 oz vegetable tanned leather in a traditional chestnut color. The leather has been treated for a smooth, flawless appearance & feel. Each case features a Sherpa lining inside to both wick moisture away & protect your fly reel.

A brass stud closure makes it easy to open & close the case. These cases are constructed with mitered corners of the leather for seamless edges & stitched in a traditional box stitch to last for a lifetime of use. ​

These cases will hold any reel up to 3 1/2" high x 2 3/4" wide (from back plate to top of handle), accommodating both regular & wide spool fly reels.
*more sizes coming soon!

For more information & to see more photos, please visit the Accessories page.

If you have any questions about these cases, please contact me. 

Over the many years of making leather fly wallets, I've often considered different ways of improving them. Now I have. These improvements take these wallets to a whole new level of quality & elegance. These new fly wallets have the same basic design & size of the ones I used to make. However the quality of the materials they're made from is now much better than in the past.

The leather of these wallets is a natural vegetable tanned leather in a rich mahogany color. It has a very rich grain marks throughout. It's been waxed & buffed so it's smooth to the touch - a pleasure to hold in hand. As it's tanned with all natural vegetable materials, it has that rich leather smell, too. It's a pleasure for all the senses. 

But the higher grade leather isn't the only improvement I made. Now, the inside of every wallet is lined entirely with a soft black suede leather. This gives the inside of the wallet a distinct look & helps to protect items you keep inside. These new wallets are a pleasure to the touch both inside & out.

Still not satisfied with just these better features, perhaps the biggest improvement I've made to these wallets are the pages. They are now made from 100% wool felt in a natural oatmeal white color. Thick & durable, each page features a scalloped, or pinking, cut edge to facilitate easier turning of the pages & to keep the edges from fraying over time. Hooks with, or without, a barb will store well in the wool felt.

​Every detail has been attended to in these new fly wallets. The stitching is done in a heavy duty black thread that ensures these wallets are made to last for a lifetime of use. Every edge of these wallets are dyed black & polished for beautiful finished edges.

These new leather fly wallets are among the best you'll find. It would be a treasured possession of any angler to add to their tackle collection & they make fantastic gifts for any special occasion. 

For more information & to see more detailed photos, please visit the Accessories page of this site. You should also feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.