Fond Memories

Free Orvis fly tying classes!!

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:04:09 -0500

Yesterday was a great day. I got to attend one of the free Orvis fly tying classes. Yep, I’m that much of a nerd. Actually, when you have 4 kids under 8, and it is a snowy day, sometimes you are just blessed if you can get out of the house. I was blessed.
Of course it was after I did the fatherly snow removal (first year with a snowblower....why did I wait so long to get one?) that I packed some hot coffee and headed off to Orvis in Plymouth Meeting. I got there right at 11:00, the table was set up for each of us to have our own Orvis basic fly tying kit to use. Nice.
Tom, the fishing manager, was leading the class. There were 6 of us in the class, mostly with little tying experience. Our first fly was a Wooly Bugger, a nice introduction to some basic techniques. Tom did a nice job to taking us thru the bugger, step by step. After we watched him make the fly, we tried our hand at it. As you would expect, some picked it up pretty easily, and some...well....there was some blood on the table in the first few minutes. (Not mine, luckily.) Have to be careful when you are learning to tie and there are sharp hooks.
After the bugger Tom asked us what we wanted to learn. I requested a bead head Hare’s ear nymph and a bead head pheasant tail flashback. Tom graciously helped us along with them, and I didn’t see any additional blood loss.....and there were some pretty good flies. Orvis also offered us a coupon for $50 off of the fly tying kit that you were trying, which is a nice save.
All in all, a great day.

It is finally Winter in Philadelphia

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 12:43:00 -0500

Old man winter finally showed up in Philadelphia. For the last few months it really hasn’t been all that cold. In fact, I was fishing and hunting into December, and it wasn’t too bad.....except for that one day it snowed and we were fishing on the lake at Marsh Creek....that’s another story.
Updates:

Orvis is once again offering free beginner fly tying classes. Just go see
Tom in Plymouth Meeting to sign up!

I just ordered a new Filson fishing vest, Cover Cloth. From the reviews it seems amazing. Once I break it in a little I will post the review. Filson is an American company that has been around since the 1890’s. They make some serious clothing, but from cottons and wools, not the high tech fabrics. A lot of their products are made in America, and all products are guaranteed for life. Their motto is “You might as well have the best.”

Finally, I took a trip to the Sporting Gentleman in Media. It is a fly fishing paradise of premier brands, flies, tying supplies, rods, reels and more. I was completely surprised by the amount of merchandise they carry! The Sporting Gentleman carries Orvis, Filson, Barbour, among others. They also accept the manufacturer coupons too. If you are looking for a particular product, and they don’t have it, they will order it for you. On Filson, they will ship it to your house for free! Damn! I spent some time talking to Barry, the owner, about the store and their guide service. They really offer some great gear, competitive pricing and excellent customer service. If you get a chance, check them out.
Here are some store pics:

What are you willing to fight for?

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:40:05 -0400

Philadelphia is the birthplace of our nation. It is an amazing city.
Right now, protestors are camped out around city hall. A small tent city if you will.
Corporate greed, societal injustices, fracking and more are the cause of this constitutional rights exercise.
It made me think of the protests throughout history, and how they have advanced many causes. I applaud people who are willing to stand up and fight, by peaceful protest, for what they believe in.
What does it take to get people off of the couch, and participate in a protest?
The other night I was reading about a meeting to discuss the severe problems faced by the Wissahickon creek and the watershed. Then a story about an 84 year old man attacked in the valley green area along the creek.
The troubles faced by our Wissahickon creek are solvable. They are important enough to get me off the couch. They are important for us today, and for our children tomorrow.
What are you willing to fight for? What makes you so pissed off that you are willing to do something about it?

Do you wear it out?

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:41:28 -0400

I came to a realization the other day about my clothing. Which ultimately led to a realization about my lifestyle.
How often do you wear out your clothes? I don’t mean how often do you wear your jacket outside, but whether or not you exhaust the ability of the product to perform and it’s usefulness because of it’s continuous use in activities.
My son wore out a pair of sneakers in a month. Decent sneakers, that cost about $44. Yes, they are going back to the store. Damn, that kids plays hard.
Either I buy really good stuff that is going to last me forever, or I don’t do enough activities to exhaust the ability of my clothes to perform.
The realization was that I clearly do not perform enough activities. I have reached the point in life where I think that most of my possessions will outlast me. My jackets will probably outlast me?
That bothers me. In fact, it just plain pisses me off!
I bought these fabrics to cover me in good days and bad, to protect me from the elements......not from my car seat and the 20 feet until I get inside the mall door!!! I bought this ultra light fleece to protect me from snow, sleet and allow me to move.....not drive somewhere to watch something....but to do something.
My new mantra? Do something!!!!! Wear it out!!!

Iris Caddis

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:46:14 -0400

Tightline Productions creates some amazing videos on fly tying, and other subjects. Their video quality is amazing, with serious HD and professional sound.
The tying instructions is flawless.....well, just check out one of their videos on Vimeo instead of me just gushing about their work:
http://vimeo.com/28828273

Time to regroup

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:48:04 -0400

Usually this time of year I am just fished out, vacation days are used up, and my equipment looks like it has been thru a war with every species of fish on the planet. I am enjoying sushi, like this incredible Spicy Tuna Pizza, and thinking of next years fishing challenges....but, no.
This year is a bit different, primarily because of the weather. The weather in Philadelphia has been very uncooperative, and very frustrating.
We had tropical storms, we had hurricane Irene, and we had flooding. Tons and tons of flooding. And I had tons and tons of leaks in my house.
With all of this time off from being actually on the stream, now is a good time to regroup, get yourself together, clean that equipment, and start gearing up for fall fantastic fishing!!!
Philadelphia, especially Valley Forge and the Wissahickon/ Valley Green area are about to unleash some flaming colors that make fishing that much more amazing. These are the times when you can stand in the middle of a cool stream, and just look around at the wonder of nature, and all of the beauty that we have.

Philadelphia on the Fly

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 07:55:26 -0400

As I was perusing the fishing section of the Philadelphia Free library on Vine street, I came across this book. “Philadelphia on the Fly Tales of an Urban Angler”, by ron P. swegman. (Yes, that is how the capital letters are seen on the book.) It is a book about fishing the Wissahickon creek, and the Schuylkill river.....and it is about much more.
I devoured this book in a day. If I was going to write a book about fly fishing in this area, it would be like this. In fact, when I saw the book I thought to myself “Damn, someone already did it!”
The book is well written, and nicely illustrated. Each chapter takes on a life of it’s own, as the author rides his mountain bike to different fishing holes. When I think of fly fishing books I think of instruction, or dry descriptions of the history of fishing. Thankfully, Philadelphia on the Fly fits neither of those categories. It is a well written journey about fly fishing, life, and the experience of nature. Check it out.

Cape May Saltwater Fly Fishing

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 08:13:29 -0400

If there is a perfect dream in salt water flyfishing, what does it look like?  Sunrise breaking over the horizon, piercing an orange hole in the darkness. A bay as smooth as glass, a light breeze. A guide with a wealth of sea knowledge, years of experience and his own hand tied flies that work really well. Plentiful, hungry fish that fight hard. That was my fishing adventure today, for real.  Captain Chris Goldmark, Cape May, New Jersey.  

We started the morning at 5:30, on the bay. A quick ride to the first spot, I hooked my first bluefish in the first 2 casts. Sweet. The fish just kept hitting, and fighting, and coming in. They weren’t big blues, but enough to put the 7 weight to work. Schools of baitfish were everywhere, and apparently there were a pair of 400 lb. Tuna following them all around the bay. Now that was something that would be amazing to hook in to! Of course we didn’t have any gear for it.....maybe that is an adventure for another time.

Captain Chris did a fantastic job of getting me to the fish, and keeping me at the right angles to consistently catch the fish. As far as guides go, he was knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, and just a nice guy. In the winter, Chris guides in Puerto Rico. Awesome. I am thinking about my next vacation being in Puerto Rico!

(Above is Chris explaining the qualities of an Amberjack. I caught a few of these, and they were a great fight despite their small size. )
As I was fishing I decided to take some fish home to feed my family. Chris just put them in the cooler as I caught them, until we had enough to feed the family. All the rest that were caught were released in healthy condition.
My motto: Don’t take more than you need, and leave some for other people.
When we got back to the dock, Chris filleted the fish and even packed them on ice for me. Now, I was never really a fan of eating bluefish.....until now. Chris explained that the smaller blues have a very light flavor compared to the bigger fish. Ok, my kids love fish....why not.
At home I lightly floured the fillets, dropped them into a hot pan with melted butter and pan fried them until crispy. On top of the fish I put some herbs de provence, garlic powder, black pepper and a touch of salt. They were fantastic!!!!!
Sometimes you just get lucky in life, in vacation, and in fishing. Today was a lucky day.....and just a day to be thankful because I got to experience it.
Book a trip with Chris or just check out his site:
www.culebraflyfishing.com

Winston Passport and Cabela’s Reel

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:19:26 -0400

After reading a few rod tests I decided on the Winston Passport rod for testing. I ordered an 8’6” 4 weight. The price for this highly rated rod: $199. Yep, a Winston rod, lifetime warranty, with tube, for under 200 smackers.
So, I am dying to give it some reel tests on the stream. At this point I have taken it out once, and it was not a great test. My thoughts on the rod itself?
Beautiful color. The finish was nice, nothing flashy, but a solid consistent smooth surface. The fit of the pieces was smooth, but no alignment dots. For me the alignment dots are very helpful, and save me from staring up and down the guides like an idiot. The cork handle is smooth, comfortable, cigar shaped. The insert looked a little cheap to me, and there was only 1 lock on the reel seat. The rod has 11 guides, including the stripping guide.
For the short casts I was doing it seemed to load well, and I liked the responsiveness. A bit slower than my T3 from Orvis.
The weight is 3.2 ounces, and it felt fine when balanced with a reel.

Valley Creek Education

Tue, 5 Jul 2011 08:03:57 -0400

Ok, I love to be outside, commune with nature, soak in the splendor....but sometimes all of this peace and tranquility can just be ruined when a stream just kicks your ass!
High grass? Low hanging trees? Bead heads stuck on rocks? My favorite flies gone? Really? Really?
Yup. I fished a “new to me” section of Valley that held some serious promise. It was stunning, beautiful holes, undercut banks, runs, and more. Everything you could want in a stream filled with native trout. But, sometimes a stream just takes you to school. For those of you who are not familiar with the expression “take you to school”, let me explain.
If I were to play basketball with Kobe Bryant, he would clearly take me to school.
If I were to play golf with Tiger Woods, besides the crazy conversations, he would seriously take me to school.
If I were to have a conversation about black holes with Stephen Hawking, he would take me to school.
So, on this particular day, Valley Creek took me to school. I really don’t like forced education. Time to brush up, study up, pack a lunch and get back to studying.
Almost time for another test.