Dare to Compare and a Mission from God

So father's day has snuck right up on me.  I have to take care of some family stuff on Saturday with a party to celebrate a graduation and Sunday is all mine with good folks visiting my place for a cookout and some good old fashioned summer fun.  My slate is full.

However, if you are looking for something fun to do this Saturday and a chance at winning a Mystic Fly Rod you need to check out the Mystic Dare to Compare at Colton Bay Outfitters in Ann Arbor.  The guys are Mystic and Colton Bar are top shelf and what can be better than a little lunch, casting a rod, and getting signed up to win a Mystic Rod. 

In other news; I have written before about the time I spent in southwest Florida and how much I enjoyed it.  I plan to return one day, probably this year or early next, and I will be making a detour to the keys for bones.  It looks like Florida is protecting both bones and tarpon by listing them as catch and release species.  I can't wait to get back and do some catching and releasing. 

Finally, I don't know how this got by me (actually I do but I won't admit to it) but good friend of TCS Jason Tucker is undertaking a monumental-epic-legendary endeavor.  He is going to fish all the trout rivers in his home area or northwest lower Michigan.  You can read about it right here.  I like to think of this as Jason being on a Mission From God.  Its way more important than getting the band back together.


Its going to be a great weekend so enjoy it with your family and get out there for some fishing if time permits.  To all the dads out there, Happy Fathers Day!


Live Free, Fish Hard

Kent's Stealth Bomber

I purchased some foam and rubber legs the other day and posted a photo on the Facebooker with a note that I would be tying up some foamy rubber legged creatures. 

I received a response saying that I should be tying up some Kent's Stealth Bomber Flies.  I looked into it and here is the step by step.  It looks like a pretty got one and I will be tying some of these up. 


Live Free, Fish Hard   

On Not Going Away

If you are a fly fisherman in Michigan you might or might not know who we are.  Some people just aren't readers and that is something very important that I have learned and you can look for us to concentrate on people that we know read moving forward.  For the others, sometimes it just takes time and hanging around before somebody says, "shit, look what these dudes are doing".  So, we stick around and keep putting out a magazine.  But we make adjustments.  Some work and some don't but I think, If I can put a few things in place, that I can get it to work. 

Here is a good piece from over at INC magazine on just sticking around and waiting things out.  Surviving ... we are pretty good at doing that.  You can check it out here.


Live Free, Fish Hard 

Protect Yourself

I got burnt the other day on the tops of my legs (sitting in the canoe will do that) and the tops of my wrists (due to holding a fly rod for hours in the sun) despite having sun block lathered all over the place and re-applying. 

Cameron Mortenson has a great review of gear that will help keep the sun off of you.  Check it out here and make sure to take the proper steps to protect yourself from the sun.


Live Free, Fish Hard

Fishing and Father's Day Special

The local pond is flooded.  All of the lumber has been rearranged, the water is way up, and visibility is pretty much zero for the fish.  I have no doubt that their bellies are full of worms and other fishy food washed into the pond.  The big rains before fishing seem to be a common theme with me this year.  It has happened two out of the last three trips.  I was able to pull myself away yesterday evening and went fishing anyway, even though I knew what the pond looked like after the big rains Monday.  I managed three fish, all bluegill, including a couple on a foamy legged creature of my own creation.  This was my first foam fly effort and I am having difficulty getting the damned thing to float upright.  It still caught fish and I predict it will catch many more when the water clears up. 

Cameron Mortenson over at The Fiberglass Manifesto says its the year of the bluegill and I agree.  Every year is the year of the bluegill when you own an Eagle Claw Feather Light. 

TCS contributor Jeff Vande Zande passes along a Father's Day Special for his book Threatened Species.  You can check it out here.


The next issue is ready for a final proofing and then I will send it off to the printer.  It should be a good one. 



Live Free, Fish Hard

Andy Duffy Places For Cliff Ketcham Award

TCS contributor Andy Duffy's piece entitled Winter Brookies has placed second in the Cliff Ketcham award category.  The Cliff Ketcham award is handed out annually by the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association as a part of its craft awards that honor excellence in outdoor communication.  Here is the award description from the MOWA website: 

"CLIFF KETCHAM AWARD - For the best outdoor feature - consumptive activity. Awarded in two divisions: Magazine and Newspaper. The award recognizes features about "consumptive activities" (such as hunting, fishing [including catch-and-release], trapping). The award recognizes humorous, instructive subjects, natural history or other such "soft" material written about consumptive activities. Entries must be clearly marked on the cover sheet designating which category."

Winter Brookies appeared Volume 4 Issue 1 of The Cedar Sweeper in 2012 and must be a bit of sweet redemption for Andy who recently endured some heavy criticism for his critique of John Voelker's fishing writing.  I think there should be no doubt now regarding Andy's writing ability.

We are proud to have Andy as a contributor and proud that he thought highly enough of The Cedar Sweeper to select Winter Brookies for submission to MOWA in the Cliff Ketcham category. 

Congratulations Andy!  Keep up the good work.  


Live Free, Fish Hard

Butter Stick

The fiberglass revolution continues.

Redington's newest baby.


Live Free, Fish Hard