It's that time of year again - when the PA Fish & Boat Commission releases their adult trout stocking schedule for the year. This always makes me smile, as it means Spring is just around the corner!

If you're a PA angler, or figuring a trip here to do some trout fishing this year, you can tell when your favorite stream will be stocked. The list is searchable by county. If you're not certain the county of your favorite streams, the Commission has maps of the state that can show you everything you want to know. 

​You can see the stocking list HERE. 

​You can read all about getting a fishing license & all the regulations on their website HERE.  

I would recommend that you read the section on the fishing regulations, as there have been changes made to the trout season this year, in response to the pandemic. For example, the season is starting earlier this year, so the open waters will be closed a little earlier, too. This, & other changes, you need to be aware of before you attempt to wet a line in PA this season. 

Spring is coming!!!.......& it won't be long before we can all enjoy the hatches, the fish, & the beauty of a trout stream in spring!!

Are you looking for a great functioning fly reel with classic good looks? I would point you in the direction of reel maker John Paullus of Holireels. John crafts some truly gorgeous reels that harken back to the golden era of fly fishing with such an eye to detail you'll be amazed. 

Recently, John reached out to me to see if I would be interested in making some leather clamshell cases for his awesome reels. Would I?!!?? When I saw the level of his work & skills I was honored to make cases to house his reels. 

So if you're looking for a gorgeous fly reel to pair with your special fly rod - made by a skilled craftsman who's a really nice guy, too - then do yourself a favor & check out Holireels. To me, these reels are something to aspire to. 

Do you need a nice leather case for your special fly reel? I'll be happy to accommodate you! Just click over to the Leather Accessories page & scroll down to see the cases there, see more photos, & read all about them. 

Just the other day I realized that this month marks ten years that this 'blog', The Pliant Rod, has been in existence. My, how the time has flown by!! I've been making fly rods for a lot longer than ten years now, but I'm always late to the party when it comes to technology. But hey, eventually I catch on. 

When it occurred to me that I had been at this little blog for ten years I was surprised, as I really never thought it had been that long ago that I started it. I took a few moments to look back through the archives to see some of the different topics that were covered & read some past articles. They haven't all been great, but most have been interesting &/or informative from some perspective, I think. I hope you have all been enjoying them. 

Throughout the tens years here. I've tried to make this blog a place where I could share with you some fly fishing related stuff that I found interesting & I thought you might, too. I hope I've done that. Here was the initial statement I made on the very first post, declaring the point of this little exercise:

Well, I think I've done just that - little bits of useful or entertaining knowledge posted by and by. I want to thank all of you have been reading along through these years, checking back here every now & then to see what's going on. Hopefully you've found some of it useful & helpful to you.

And now, back to work, & on to the next decade of The Pliant Rod!!! 

I'm always looking for good sources of angling information, so I was very pleased when I was shown this great reference about knots, hooks, lures, & more. 

Different knots have different functions, so it's always good for any angler to know how to tie a few different knots for the different situations we find ourselves in along the water. For example, there would be times when you want your fly to be able to twist & move freely from the tippet without causing tangles in your leader. Other times you might want your fly to remain tight to the tippet. It all comes down to the type of fly you're using & how you want that fly to move in the water. 

Most of us know a few knots & we use them all the time. If that works for you, fine but look this list over anyway. You might find a knot you like better - one that might be easier to tie, holds better, & is faster to tie. This is the case with me: typically when I need to tie a knot somewhere in my setup, the trout are rising, my hands are shaking a little from excitement, & I'm in a hurry. So if I can tie a knot that's easy for me to tie, holds very well, & gets me back in the game faster I want to know that knot! This reference is a good place to look for new knots that just might become your favorites to use. 

You can see & read this great material HERE. 
I found it so valuable, that I've also added it to the Links page on this site. 

Special thanks to Boy Scout Sean & his assistant troop leader Matt for sharing this resource with me. Thanks, guys!! 

If you're going to be anywhere near the state of Maryland on Saturday March, 14th (even if you're not), make plans to attend the 2020 Maryland Fly Fishing Show. Unlike other big shows that are lead by the big companies in the fly fishing industry, the Maryland show is much more personal. However, don't think that means it's small - 'cause it's not. This paragraph from their website says it best:

"The large commercial Shows certainly have their appeal, but if you really want to experience fly fishing through the eyes of professional bamboo/graphite/glass rod builders, classic tackle dealers, national known artist and authors, regional guides not to mention our local fly shops throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania then this is a must attend event. We will have on display more than 70 vendors and booths chock-full of everything fly fishing—ALL FOR SALE AT SHOW PRICES!"

As you can see, there's plenty of something here for everyone who fly fishes. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend this year, but please go & check it out. I'm betting that you'll be very glad that you did. You can find out all the details about the show on their website HERE. It would be a great way to kick off your fly fishing season this year!

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 will frequently get approached by folks who are 'reviewers' of fly fishing equipment. I think all rod makers & producers of fly fishing equipment do. Most of the time the approach follows a pattern: an individual contacts me, explaining how they review fly fishing gear, how many followers they have on social media, how everybody in the world reads & trusts their reviews, etc. They then ask for my highest grade of bamboo fly rod to be sent to them, gratis of course, in exchange for their telling everyone how much they enjoyed my rod. 

Now, I'm not opposed to this, but more often then not there is a problem. When I investigate & look into their reviews, I find they haven't actually reviewed anything - maybe one or to products at most. They don't have a large following & they haven't been at it for very long, so they don't have a reputation in the business yet. 

But when Bryan Pearson of Bang For Your Buck Outdoor Reviews approached me, it was different than any other reviewer in the past. Rather than just blatantly ask for a free high-end custom bamboo fly rod, Bryan introduced himself & showed me his work & background writing reviews of all types of outdoor gear. He then invited me to take part in his operations in anyway that I wanted - i.e. he wasn't just after a free rod & it would be on his dime!! 

Well that was certainly different for me! So I looked into his work & lo & behold, here was a reviewer who actually did have a large social media following. Here was a reviewer who was truly bringing a large number of different outdoor gear to people's attention in an honest & clear way. Imagine that, someone actually giving honest reviews of gear they think we should all be aware of!! I totally appreciated Bryan's honesty & professionalism. This was someone I could get on board with.

So if you're looking for different alternatives for your outdoor gear, or you want to discover some maker of a product that you might not of heard of before, check out Bang For Your Buck Outdoor Reviews. In addition to fly fishing gear, the reviews also cover camping equipment, travel advice, even artwork! Bryan pretty much covers it all. You'll even see some reviews of my stuff there as well. Be sure to follow him on facebook & be sure to check out his website, too. In these days where you're told to question every review you read, it's refreshing to see someone doing it right!!!  

Jack Hargreaves was a television host in England from the middle to the late twentieth century. Some of the shows he hosted discussed 'country life', to which fishing is a part. So naturally he took his viewers fishing on many of his TV shows. 

The video below is in 2 parts. In the first, Jack shows us the development through the years of the fishing rod in England. Here we can see how different materials came into, & went of fashion of, fashion for fishing rods. We can also see how the fishing reel developed along with the rods. In the second part, Jack takes us fishing with a friend & philosophies a bit on angling in general & what goes through the mind of a dedicated angler at times.  

While none of this covers fly fishing specifically at all, I find very informative, entertaining, & charming. I hope you will, too. Enjoy! 

It was a busy summer out there on all the rivers, streams, & lakes. Thanks to all of you who took the time to share your photos & stories with me about your summer fishing. 

I learn so much from you all & get see places that are far away (to me). This summer I got see your photos from all over: from the Carolina's to Colorado; from California to Switzerland to right here indifferent places of Pennsylvania. ​

When I make a rod for someone, I'm usually not sure where all that rod will go. I'm always curious, as I spend a lot of time with each rod as I make them. I think of the different rods & the folks I made them for & wonder about the places they see. I'm so grateful when a rod client takes the time to share the stories & memories they make using my rods with me! It truly is a highlight of what I do. 

Thank you all so much! You folks are what keeps me going everyday making rods. Through this clients become friends & my life is so much richer because of you all. To see some of the photos anglers so kindly shared with me, please take a look at the Beyond The Rod Shop page of this web site. I'd love to see & learn about your fishing adventures, so if you have any good fish tales you'd like to share, feel free to contact me. 

I hope you're all getting a chance to get out there & enjoy some fall fly fishing. I was able to get out for a time last week. I've got to go back - I promised a few trout & slate drakes I'd see them again. Good luck on the water out there, folks!! 

Now that we've entered the month of October, the adult trout stockings for the fall will begin here in PA. These stockings help to replenish the trout population leading into the cooler months of the year. This is a great time to go out fishing for trout. As the water temps come back down to optimal ranges for trout metabolisms, the activity will naturally increase. Here's your chance to go out & catch some of the best trout of the year! 

While the PA Fish & Boat Commission will stock fish from October 1st through December, it's during the month of October where the majority of these fish will be put in. This October the PAFBC will stock more than 82,000 trout in certain sections of 91 waterways in 47 counties. These will include rainbow, brook, & brown trout. 

If you want to check where & when these fall stockings are to occur, be sure to check the interactive list the Commission has on their website HERE. 

And you should check it before you go out to fish. As October begins, we're experiencing a record-breaking heat wave here in PA. As a result, some trout stocking dates will be rescheduled until a later date in the month. 

Fall is a fantastic time to go fishing. It's my favorite time of year to wet a line. I wish you all good luck out there on the water this autumn!!