A friend just sent this to me. Very appropriate for this time of year, and the conversation sounds vaguely familiar. Enjoy!
Southern Culture On The Fly #2
The first release of online fly mag SCOF for 2012 is now available.
This issue features stories on fishing in Arkansas for browns, winter on the Davidson, chasing redfish in Charleston, and my favorite, winter fishing in the Florida Keys.
There are also tutorials on fly tying and a gear review, along with a fly shop profile.
Plenty to read until the next issue in April. Enjoy!
A Tight Loop, January 2012
The first issue of A Tight Loop is here for 2012. This month ATL covers a variety of topics, including steelhead, smallies, bluegills, the Driftless Region, the North Fork River and the reach cast. There are also tying tutorials for the Nuke Egg, Pink C. Worm, Schlesinger’s Comparadun and the Hammerhead.
At over 120 pages, the magazine also contains the latest batch of High Def films including a trip to the tailwaters of the White River, and a demonstration on how to layer for cold weather fishing.
This month they are also offering a chance to win a Simms Guide Fleece shirt.
This should be a good read while the temps are dropping. Enjoy!
Interview With Tom Kirkman of RodMaker Magazine
We recently had the opportunity to interview Tom Kirkman, who publishes RodMaker Magazine. Tom just celebrated 15 years in business. No small feat, especially in this economy.
FF: How did you get started in rod building, and do you still build rods?
Tom: I had ordered a then new graphite rod from Browning-Silaflex. It cost $100 which was a lot of money in a time when most top quality rods could be purchased for just $25 to $35. It arrived with the tiptop twisted off. I ordered a new top from Netcraft and went ahead and got some guides as well – I didn’t like the ones on the rod. Over the winter I rebuilt the rod and ended up with such a great fishing tool I never bought another commercially made rod. I figured if I could repair and rewrap that one, I might as well trying building the next one. That was 1977, I think.
FF: What led you to start RodMaker Magazine?
Tom: I had made some money in the stock market and was going to retire at a fairly early age. Some of my rod building buddies got after me about starting a magazine for custom rod builders. Something full sized and that could be had through a subscription. They convinced me it was something I could do in the evenings a few nights per night per week. I had no idea it would lead to a 60 hour per week job!
FF: What is your favorite type of fishing?
Tom: I used to spend a great deal of time at the coast going after large quarry. Like my dad used to say, when you fish in saltwater you never know what’s going to swim by. That’s certainly true. But more recently most of my fishing is done on rivers for smallmouth bass. I like being in the water and I like the feel of the fight on a fly rod. It’s funny, the guys who started out river fishing with me used to kid be about being “disadvantaged” because I’d only use a fly rod against their spinning and casting outfits. Now, they’ve made the switch to fly rod only. They saw just how deadly it was when used properly.
FF: Where is your favorite place to fish?
Tom: I don’t think I can pick just one. Any moving river, with clear water and a rocky bottom is okay with me. The less development around, the better.
FF: What can we expect to see in RodMaker Magazine in 2012?
Tom: More of the same. We’ll continue to push the envelope. There is still plenty of room for innovation where fishing rods are concerned.
Tom is also involved with the International Custom Rod Building Exposition, held in High Point, NC on February 25 & 26. This is a premier event for rod builders.
We wish Tom and RodMaker Magazine continued success!
Last Casts Of 2011
Temps were in the 50’s today with sunny skies, an unusual occurrence for northern New Jersey winter, especially New Year’s Eve. A friend of mine suggested that we take advantage of the opportunity and hit a local wild trout stream.
I knew it was going to be a good day when a small wild brown took a hare’s ear on one of my first casts. It fought like a fish twice it’s size and had great coloring.
A few yards down a 7″ brookie took the hare’s ear. Another good fight. These wild fish are pretty and feisty at any size.
My friend continued to pick up fish while my action quieted down. We moved downstream, changed our rigs and started catching again. I finished the day with a small brown that took a caddis pupa and he caught a dancing brown that I believe was the best fish of the day.
I was trying out my new build, a 9′ 4 wt, which up until today had only caught one nice sized chub. I was afraid that the rod had been jinxed, but today proved otherwise.
After a hike back to the car through a forest of wild rose bushes (my first purchase of 2012 may be a machete) and a few slip’n slide episodes on the marshy ground, we went for lunch at a local brew pub. Not a bad way to finish off 2011.
Below are a couple of pics from the day. Sorry they’re not better, but I only had my phone’s camera.
Have a Happy and Safe 2012!
