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Gear Review: HMH’s Tube Fly Tool
Posted on November 21st, 2009 No comments
I haven't named this one yet, but I was stoked to finally tie something I've had pictured in my head for forever now
Well I finally got a chance to play with a couple new toys yesterday. Singlebarbed’s 6th Finger Scissor , and HMH’s Starter Tube Fly Tool .
To tie tubes in the past, I’ve either used an allen wrench, or just put the tube directly in my vise’s jaws. The allen wrench works okay, but I’ve never been able to spin/stack deer hair without the wrench slipping a little in the jaws from all the torque on the tube. Putting the tube right in my vise’s jaws worked alright, too, but I ran into the same problem when spinning hair, and would sometimes crush plastic tubes.
I ordered the HMH Tube Fly Tool from J Stockard Fly Fishing . They aren’t one of my sponsors or anything, I just like doing business with them. Plus, for my recent birthday, I got a $50 gift certificate to use there from my mother-in-law.
Like all poor bastards savvy shoppers, I spent a good deal of time going through the tying materials on the J Stockard site, trying to figure out a way to squeeze everything I’ve been meaning to add to my materials arsenal onto that $50 credit. The list of stuff that I first filled my shopping cart with looked drastically different than my final order. My first instinct was to get as many hooks as I could. Then I remembered that I have been wanting to play with rattles on my carp flies, and Stalcup’s Damsel Body on my panfish flies. Then I added a bunch of synthetic hair before I ran into the HMH tube fly coneheads and remembered that this is the tying season that I go to tubes for all my streamer patterns instead of regular hooks. And before you knew it, I was removing just enough stuff that I could add the Tube Fly Tool pictured above to my cart without going over my $50 limit.
Now before I give a glowing review on this product, I’ve got to admit that after a past experience with HMH while I was writing the DayTripper blog, I really didn’t want to. I won’t go into details or anything, but I only point it out because I had sworn to myself that I’d never give a positive review for another HMH product again after what happened behind the scenes.
Yet here I am, about to tell you that the HMH Tube Fly Tool is rock solid in my vise- a Danvise by the way, so [tongue in cheek] I would guess that all of you who tie on a Renzetti/ Dynaking/ HMH/ etc., should have no problems with this tool [/tongue in cheek] .
After tying a few typical tube patterns like the one pictured waaay up at the top of this post, and being happy with the tool’s holding power, I decided it was time to pull the deer hair out.
I went through my mental rolodex of patterns I’ve been wanting to convert to a tube, and sitting way up on top was the Crayfish Muddler, a crayfish pattern developed by Hatches Magazine Editor, Will Mullis.
As I put more and more force on the thread, the hair spun, and the tool stayed put in my vise’s jaws. But more importantly, the metal rod that holds the tube didn’t bend, the tube didn’t spin, and I was happy enough with the results that I broke my blood oath to never endorse another HMH product again.
So, if you want to enter the world of tubes, I’d say this tool is well worth the $25.
Singlebarbed’s 6th Finger Scissors worked well, too. Though I have to admit to setting them on my desk a few times between snips out of pure habit.
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Catch Magazine
Posted on November 21st, 2009 No commentsThis post has been sitting in the drafts pile since early August, so after yesterday’s free magazine post, I figured now was as good a time as any to hit the publish button on this one.
I spoke with Brian O’Keefe the other day about a new project he’s been working on with Todd Moen called Catch Magazine .
I’ll be completely honest. I had already heard of Catch Magazine when it initially hit the web, and the second I hit it’s front page for the first time and saw it was another one of those pdf-flippidity-doo-dah-internet-page-flippy-dippy-things, I hit the back button. It wasn’t that the cover photo sucked or anything, in fact, it was really good. It was just that I had already been disappointed by another flippy-fly magazine, who started out strong and then fizzled into a 15 page quarterly publication on how to be be a really cool fly fisherman .
Yet, after reading Brian’s email inviting me to look at his site, I got a vibe from his words that told me there was something different about his project, so I gave Catch a chance.
There were no articles showcasing the best ledges to boardslide on your way to the water. No playlist to listen to while you read it. And there was no page from readers telling the editor just how great their flippy-dippy thing is, and how they’ve captured what it’s really all about.
But despite all of those shortcomings…I really liked it.
There were lots of pretty fly fishing pictures, some passionate words about the stuff we do, and a nice video clip of some guy working a popper. And anyone who is anyone knows that pretty pictures, plus pretty words, plus pretty videos, equals a badass internet fly fishing magazine. Einstein would be proud.
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Naked Women Fly Fishing
Posted on November 20th, 2009 No commentsNow that I have your attention, let me start by saying that I haven’t forgotten about this place. Fact is, I’ve been uber-busy writing research papers for school, and cheering on my son’s undefeated flag football team. Fair warning- he’s a linebacker, and you’re wasting your time thinking you can get past him.
I’ve also been helping a good friend with a new website that should prove that despite what some in the print media think, people on the internets have an attention span. It’s called www.flyaddicts.com, and I can’t deny that there is a lot going on over there. But I’d suggest that you first check out the articles, art, and videos that have been popping up on the homepage .
Next, if I were you, I’d check out one of the newest blogs to pop up. AKFishcounter . I haven’t seen such raw realness in a fly fishing blog since the days of Voluntary Beatdown . Just read the first two entries and you’ll see what I mean.
Once you’ve done that, check out the members area, the groups, the auction site, the classified site, and all the other stuff we’re still unpacking [evil sinister laugh ]. Oh, and if you like videos, there are some of those , with plenty more on the way, as well.
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Am I Really Writing About This Stuff Again?
Posted on November 20th, 2009 No comments
I just read a blog post over at the newly revamped Drake Magazine website by noted shoelace hater, Tom Bie. Yes, he really does hate shoelaces. But that’s not what this is about. This is about a well written piece Tom wrote dubbed, Print is Dead .
As the 15th Drake makes its way across the country this fall, I find myself intrigued by all the recent chatter on the downfall of magazines, most of it coming from new-media pundits shouting their favorite proclamation: “Print is dead!”
Tom goes on to illustrate why he feels that maybe, just maybe, print media hasn’t been kicked under the rug just yet.
If we’re talking about technology like Amazon’s Kindle, which allows readers to look up words, change font size, and buy almost any book they can think of in a matter of minutes, then I’ll concede the point: it provides new, innovative, creative ideas. But still, does this girl really look comfortable? I firmly believe in embracing new technology—a belief I back up by constantly supporting and promoting flyfishing filmmakers and on-line innovators. Everything evolves, and magazines should be no different. (Is it ironic that I’m using my blog to make a post about the strength of print?) Regardless of the platform, magazines need to attract and retain readers. And the only way to do that is to produce something worth looking at. It all comes down to quality, and the user-experience. Brian O’Keefe and Todd Moen have made Catch magazine popular by producing a unique, high-quality, creative on-line experience. But I can’t say the same for the majority of blogs out there, or many other forms of media that are competing with print, including cable television. I think it is very ironic that Tom is using his blog to make the case for print, but what is more ironic is the fact that so many of the fly fishing world’s new e-zines are all trying to look like a print magazine.
This same topic came up between myself and a friend a few weeks ago, and my friend asked the obvious-
I don’t understand why websites try to duplicate magazines. The web has infinite possibilities, while a magazine is what it is.
I don’t either, do you?
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Just Sayin’
Posted on November 20th, 2009 No comments
Ran across another guy on the internet going all “whooh and ahhh” about his first experience fly fishing with a two handed rod. I suppose if I had just dropped a few hundred on a new rod, I’d be telling myself all that BS, too.
Fish how you want says the blind man to the boy, I’m not watching you anyway.
I love to swing flies. I love to use a few of the basic spey casts when a backcast just isn’t an option. But I cringe at the idea of restricting myself to frothing the meniscus, and only frothing the meniscus. I want to be versatile. I don’t ever want my gear to stop me from fishing a run the way I want to fish it. Who knows what that way may be, I won’t know till I get there. But I ain’t going there to cast, I’m going there to fish. just sayin’.
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Am I Really Writing About This Stuff Again?
Posted on November 20th, 2009 No comments I just read a blog post over at the newly revamped Drake Magazine website by noted shoelace hater, Tom Bie. Yes, he really does hate shoelaces. But that’s not what this is about. This is about a well written piece Tom wrote dubbed, Print is Dead .
As the 15th Drake makes its way across the country this fall, I find myself intrigued by all the recent chatter on the downfall of magazines, most of it coming from new-media pundits shouting their favorite proclamation: “Print is dead!”
Tom goes on to illustrate why he feels that maybe, just maybe, print media hasn’t been kicked under the rug just yet.
If we’re talking about technology like Amazon’s Kindle, which allows readers to look up words, change font size, and buy almost any book they can think of in a matter of minutes, then I’ll concede the point: it provides new, innovative, creative ideas. But still, does this girl really look comfortable? I firmly believe in embracing new technology—a belief I back up by constantly supporting and promoting flyfishing filmmakers and on-line innovators. Everything evolves, and magazines should be no different. (Is it ironic that I’m using my blog to make a post about the strength of print?) Regardless of the platform, magazines need to attract and retain readers. And the only way to do that is to produce something worth looking at. It all comes down to quality, and the user-experience. Brian O’Keefe and Todd Moen have made Catch magazine popular by producing a unique, high-quality, creative on-line experience. But I can’t say the same for the majority of blogs out there, or many other forms of media that are competing with print, including cable television. I think it is very ironic that Tom is using his blog to make the case for print, but what is more ironic is the fact that so many of the fly fishing world’s new e-zines are all trying to look like a print magazine.
This same topic came up between myself and a friend a few weeks ago, and my friend asked the obvious-
I don’t understand why websites try to duplicate magazines. The web has infinite possibilities, while a magazine is what it is.
I don’t either, do you?
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Rise is Out
Posted on November 20th, 2009 No comments
Confluence Films newest fly fishing adventure DVD, Rise: The Movie, is out. You can buy it and watch the trailer by clicking here
While I haven’t watched this one yet, I gotta ask myself- did we kick ourselves in the ass when we asked for less fish porn and more substance?
Maybe that’s not the right question.
When did substance become listening to some guy talk about why he had so much fun; or, listening to some guy tell about why a place is so special? I’m not saying I am getting bored by all of it- there are times when it just works. One such example off the top of my head is the commentary during the first decent to alaska section of BOP’s Nervous Water - but come on Mr. Fly Fishing Movie Director, you can do better than that.
Cause in all honesty, what most of these people are saying has become rather boring and predictable.
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Rise is Out
Posted on November 20th, 2009 No comments Confluence Films newest fly fishing adventure DVD, Rise: The Movie, is out. You can buy it and watch the trailer by clicking here
While I haven’t watched this one yet, I gotta ask myself- did we kick ourselves in the ass when we asked for less fish porn and more substance?
Maybe that’s not the right question.
When did substance become listening to some guy talk about why he had so much fun; or, listening to some guy tell about why a place is so special? I’m not saying I am getting bored by all of it- there are times when it just works. One such example off the top of my head is the commentary during the first decent to alaska section of BOP’s Nervous Water - but come on Mr. Fly Fishing Movie Director, you can do better than that.
Cause in all honesty, what most of these people are saying has become rather boring and predictable.
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Just Sayin’
Posted on November 20th, 2009 No comments Ran across another guy on the internet going all “whooh and ahhh” about his first experience fly fishing with a two handed rod. I suppose if I had just dropped a few hundred on a new rod, I’d be telling myself all that BS, too.
Fish how you want says the blind man to the boy, I’m not watching you anyway.
I love to swing flies. I love to use a few of the basic spey casts when a backcast just isn’t an option. But I cringe at the idea of restricting myself to frothing the meniscus, and only frothing the meniscus. I want to be versatile. I don’t ever want my gear to stop me from fishing a run the way I want to fish it. Who knows what that way may be, I won’t know till I get there. But I ain’t going there to cast, I’m going there to fish. just sayin’.
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A New Era
Posted on November 20th, 2009 No commentsI used to take fly tying way too seriously. When I wasn’t tying flies, I was probably sitting in front of the computer at my fly tying bench; reading about flies; talking about flies on message boards; or, looking for new materials to tie flies with. I lived fly tying, and the only reason I fly fished ~100 trips per year was to use what I was tying.
First, I got the hang of everyday fishing patterns; then I started spinning deerhair; then it was time to try realistics and full dressed salmon flies. With the utmost modesty, it was all coming naturally to me. Not because I had a fly tying gene buried somewhere in my genome, it was cause I spent an absurd amount of time tying flies. The lunch pail I took to work everyday converted into a fly tying bench.
There was a message board just for full dressed salmon and steelhead flies. People would post pictures of their flies, and ask others to critique them. Really, most were just asking for constructive criticism as a chance to show off, but that’s a topic for a different day.
One day, a guy posted a picture of a fly he had just tied. It was beautiful, but the tag was too long, the ribbing wasn’t evenly spaced, the wing was too high and a little long, and the head was lumpy. Like I said, the fly was beautiful- 9/10 people wouldn’t hesitate to stick it in a frame and hang it above their tying bench. But there I was, concentrating on it’s flaws.
To put it mildly, I was disgusted with myself.
That was just under 3 years ago. I haven’t tied much since. Only the bare minimum to get me by- and usually not even that. I haven’t tied a single fly for the sole purpose of sharing it with fellow fly tyers, instead, they’ve all been to share with fish. Sure, I’ve excitedly shared a new pattern with my friends while fishing, but that’s different. It’s the way it should be.
Something has been tugging at my heartstrings the past few weeks. It’s a feeling I’ve felt a few times over the past few years, but now it’s pulling harder. It’s the part of me that is ready to move to the next phase, the one where I move back towards the center line between the two extremes.
Fly Tying Forum’s annual Fly Tyer of the Year Contest is coming up, and I plan on kicking some ass.
