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The Trunk Rod
It's not really a trunk rod, but hatchback rod has absolutely no rhythm to it. I keep one in my car, year round. It never comes out unless I'm about to fish. My trunk rod for the last couple years has been a 5-weight Iconoglass. It's light enough that a bluegill will put a good bend in it, but has enough ass to it that it will cast some smallmouth flies. I consider it the .308 of the fly rod world. I had a little time to kill and headed out to see if I could find some morels.
Shocking !
My first model build were ships, then tanks, then plane, then cars. The neat fitted case from my seventh grade dissection kit became my modeling tools. When I turned 18, I had about 18 completed cars and several big boxes of parts, probably enough to build 20 more. I never built a car with just the kit parts, rather I added the best parts from other kits. This midset shows up in my tying. I can barely stay interested beyond about six flies. Then I changes the recipe.
Winter Tying perspective - the woes of winter
The Woes of Winter Tied Back One Fly at a Time December 5, 2025 It happens every year, but it still catches me off guard, or more so in a sense of indignant refusal to accept the reality that is laid out in front of me on the driveway. One morning you step outside and the air has teeth, not the playful nip of a crisp October morning, but a full-on bite that says, “That’s enough. You’re done. The fishing season is over.
Trip Report: 2 Days Hunting Albies
@WNCtroutstalker: Not to worry. The Harkers Island area is the world's least kept "secret". I was lucky enough to enjoy the albacore fishing almost from the beginning, courtesy of friend Tom Earnhardt. Over the early years, I had the privilege of fishing with luminaries such as Lefty, Bob Popovics, Jon Cave, Bob Clouser, some of the Sage, Orvis and Scott rod guys, SA's Bruce Richards, and others. I can't recall a single one who was anything other than a super nice person.
The most OVERRATED fly fishing and tying gear you've had long this adventure......
A couple weeks ago we talked a bit about the best bang for your buck in fly fishing and fly tying, meaning items that you feel are the “best all around value” in the sport or hobby. On the other side of that coin, we can ask ourselves about some of the worst value items or the biggest “waste of money” items in fly tying and fishing. This is again, quite subjective, as what I use Musky fishing may not be all that valuable to you in fishing for brook trout in a stream in the hills.
Where Would You Go?
Coming close to a time in my life where I am looking to slow down a bit with work and maybe take some extended trips to explore some new waters and experiences. I have become a bit jaded over the years to big "destination" trips. I've been on enough of them to know that they are a roll of the dice at best. Spending a lot of money and a lot of time to get to remote destinations only to hear "We killed them last week" or "You are between the waves....expect them to show up next week".
Tips for - How Not to Break Your Fly Rod;
After many years of reading the Broken Fly Rod polls and replies I feel that I would be negligent if I did nothing at all in an attempt to stem the tide of grief caused from shattered rods and battles with customer service fees. I'm posting this in hope that some members may read and remember some tips I intend to share thereby avoiding a broken rod. I'll break each tip into a separate paragraph as I think of them.
What are you currently reading/listening to? Fishing and Non-fishing related texts and words
Hi All, A recent thread on audio books got me thinking we should probably have a "what are you reading" or what have you read and would like to recommend thread. I'm an avid reader, usually I have 1-2 physical books going along with an Audiobook at once. My favorite genre is probably Biography, I just love getting immersed in the cradle to grave stories of peoples live, mostly historical. If any of you are in the same realm, I highly recommend "Washington, A Life". One of my favorites.
Recent Carry-On Experiences on Delta
I know this topic has been discussed in the past, but I'm curious to know whether anyone has recently been allowed to, or prohibited from, taking a rod case (specifically something like the Fishpond Dakota or Orvis Safe-Passage Carryall) on board a Delta flight as a carry-on item. Per Delta's website, it imposes a two prong-test for carry-on baggage: (1) the total dimensions cannot exceed 45 linear inches; and (2) the individual dimensions cannot exceed 22" x 14" x 9".
Peach and Blackberry Cobbler
Photo by DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS Photo by Stephanie This was delicious! I used frozen mixed berries as I didn’t have fresh blackberries. I had fresh peaches though! Used a little less sugar cause I don’t like things too sweet. Both hubby and son loved it. Photo by TwoThumbsUp I was concerned when I saw the melted butter. But trust the recipe. I did add more cinnamon to the recipe. I also used apples instead of the peaches and berries. It cooked for almost an hour. Very moist. Will make again.
Hgh Life in the Low Country
If you read my reports frequently, you'll find that I often talk about the things that lead/drive me to the water. A lot of the time, those are things that I think a lot of us identify with. Sometimes, given the nature of my life, they can be a little more...esoteric. I don't think I'm the only fly flinger working things out on the water, or looking for a little calm in the midst of the storms of life.
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