Happy Monday! Despite the weather — Saturday was one of the ten best weather days of the summer — we had a strong turnout at the book signing event at The Compleat Angler in Darien. We had one customer buy three books, and three more buy two books. I love it! As I did with UpCountry Sportfishing, I signed dozens of copies for them to have on hand, so it’s not too late for you to get a signed copy at either location. If you’re looking to order a signed, dedicated-to-you book directly from me, you can still do that, too.
Or, you can see me at one of the many stops I’ll be making this fall and winter at shows and club meetings throughout the northeast. I’ll be bringing a box o’ books, and you can get a signed copy from me at any of the clubs. (You should plan on buying at the bookstore at the Symposium and Fly Fishing Shows.) There will be more dates added as they come in!
I’m truly grateful for all the positive feedback I’m getting from you about the book. What a thrill to know that you’re liking what you’re reading.
A reminder that the DEEP will be drawing down the Farmington River in early September for their annual fish census and broodstock collection for the Survivor Strain program. I don’t have the date yet, but I suspect it will come after Labor Day.
I hate to see summer go, but I’m looking forward to some serious fall fishing. Brook trout, stripers, Farmington River trout, steelhead…man, I’m just about salivating.
We all gotta eat. In an emergency situation, you might have to make do with what you have on hand — or, if you’re prepared, stashed away for just such a situation. Enter the Roundhouse Ultimate Campout Kit. Whether you’re camping in the wilderness or sheltering at home due to a disaster, this kit will help you stay nourished. (It has a shelf life of over two decades.)
The kit, as its website says, is “packed with nutrient-rich emergency ration bars, a refreshing hydration drink, convenient drink travel packs, and a 3-day emergency meal kit.” I don’t do any camping, but I thought this was worthy of review. I do a lot of on-the-go-eating, and I am an avid user of nutritional supplements. So I had one sent to me to try out on myself and the family, which includes #2 Son Cam, a 2nd Lt. in the USMC. If anyone should know from MRE-style food, it’s Cam! I suppose you can’t be picky about what you eat in an emergency, but the food should — hopefully — taste good. Or at least good enough. So, let’s eat!
The 3-Day Emergency Meal Kit offers you breakfast (oatmeal with brown sugar), lunch (cheesy broccoli rice) and dinner (creamy chicken flavored rice). I wasn’t crazy about the fact that each of these meals comes in one large pouch; once you open the pouch, though, you’re not getting twenty years of freshness between servings. It would have been better if each meal came in smaller, more manageable sizes. You also need to add boiling water to rehydrate these meals, so if portable water is in short supply, you’re out of luck. But let’s dig in. How does it taste? We opened the oatmeal and the family consensus was that yes, it’s good. I’m an oatmeal snob, and I thought it smelled better than it tasted, but we finished the entire pouch over the course of a few days, so that’s a thumbs up. Nutritionally, it’s right in line with most other instant oatmeals.
The Hydration Punch is loaded with electrolytes. While it wasn’t my cup of tea taste-wise, Cam loved it. In fact, he took the remainder of the tub off to his first duty station. The Morning Kick drink contains fiber, a greens blend, and a probiotic blend. I had this twice before a fasting morning cardio workout; I didn’t notice any difference in my workout, but it certainly did me no harm. Cam was also a big fan, and made off with my remaining supply.
Finally, we have the Survival Mode Emergency Ration Bar. I’m a big bar fan. I take bars all the time on fishing trips. Most of the bars I use are protein-heavy, very low carbs, and half the 410 calories packed in this bar. But when you’re hungry and you need protein, fat, and carbs, you get 410 calories. I was dubious about the taste. In the packaging, these are more brick than bar. And “buttery lemon shortbread cookie flavor”? I’m a chocolate kind of guy. Not to worry. These bars deliver in the flavor department, and the taste profile is spot on with the packaging description. Dense and delicious.
At $189.80 ($146.80 if you create an online account) the kit is not cheap. But, you’re paying for peace-of-mind. It’s insurance, right? And if, like me, you get really grouchy when you’re hungry, this is one of those items that you’re going to rejoice over when disaster strikes and you gotta eat.
Many thanks to UpCountry Sportfishing for hosting the book signing event on Saturday — and many thanks to everyone who showed up to buy a copy of my book, Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River, or have me sign their already-purchased copy. I was truly delighted by your enthusiasm for the book, and that the writing resonated with so many of you. It’s a little surreal and a bit humbling seeing people waiting in a line to have you sign their copy of your book, but of course it’s all good. Again, my most sincere thank yous!
If you missed the UpCountry signing, or if you live downstate or in the NYC/Westchester area, I’ll be at The Compleat Angler this Saturday, August 29, from 11am-2pm. Same deal: you can buy a book there, or you can bring in your already-purchased copy. Hope to see you there, and stay tuned for more signing events.
But wait, there’s more. I’ll also be making the rounds this fall and winter to fly fishing clubs throughout the northeast to talk about the book and the river. Plus, the IFTS in November and The Fly Fishing Show, and the CFFA Expo. If you’re in charge of booking speakers for your club, I’m a professional speaker and I’d love to present to your group. Contact me and we’ll set up a date.
My apologies for not having a more fun or substantive post for today, but I am being relentlessly harassed by the Time-Space Continuum. I’m sure you understand. So for today, a reminder that I will be doing a book signing on Saturday, August 22 at UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford from 11am-2pm. You’ll be able to bring a book you’ve already bought for signing, or UpCountry will have books available for purchase. Also, one week later, Saturday, August 29, I’ll be at The Compleat Angler in Darien, CT from 11am-2pm. Hope to see you there, and I hope you’re enjoying the river, the summer, and the book.
Hot off the electronics — this is, after all, an online magazine — I have a new article out in the current issue of Surfcaster’s Journal. #95, to be exact. If you’re not a subscriber, it’s less than $25 bucks a year, and you can get there using the link above.
It’s a question that you could debate for an evening and still not come up with a final definitive answer. Thankfully, I have the answer, and you can read about it in this article. Many thanks to Dennis Zambrotta, Alan Caolo, and surfcaster extraordinaire Toby Lapinski for their input.
Hot on the heels of the release of my new book, the Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River, I will be doing two book signings at Connecticut fly shops. On Saturday, August 22, I’ll be at UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford from 11am-2pm. You’ll be able to bring a book you’ve already bought for signing, or UpCountry will have books available for purchase. One week later, Saturday, August 29, I’ll be at The Compleat Angler in Darien, CT from 11am-2pm. Ditto bringing your book or buying one there. Support your local fly shop (and of course your local author). Hope to see you there!
There have been discussions with other area fly shops for book signing events — no firm dates yet — but naturally you can read all about them here as they are posted. I’ll also be making the rounds at many northeastern TU and other fly fishing clubs. If you’re looking for a speaker, here I am!
The book is getting rave reviews, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m so grateful for your support. Get your copy signed by yours truly this month at UpCountry Sportfishing and The Compleat Angler.
This can be a challenging time of year to fish the Farmington, but I arrived on the river with a plan: swing wets in snotty, treacherous pocket water, then find a dry fly spot for the evening rise. The water bump from the dam, which put the flow in the PTMA at around 290cfs, was a welcome enhancement. (I got 54 degrees just above the PTMA at 6pm, which is wheelhouse water for trout.)
I was wading and swinging a team of three (Drowned Ant on top, LaFontaine’s Diving Caddis in the middle, my Iso Soft Hackle on point) by around 5pm. After a slow start, I connected with what would be the first of 6 trout on the wets — 5 of those fish were wild browns. And 5 of the 6 fish took the Iso soft hackle. While I didn’t see a single Isonychia flitting about — I’d rate the overall hatch activity on this evening a 2/10 — this underscores the importance of that bug as a food source for trout. Every year, some of the biggest fish I hook on a wet fly come in August on the Iso.
I’d already locked into a mid-teens wild brown when a big old buck ate the fly. Prior to this hookup, every take had come on the dangle. This one was on the dead drift, close enough to the surface for me to see the take. Three times the fish bulldogged its way upstream, twice, he seemed ready for the net, only to bolt. Between the speed of the current and the size of the fish, my forearm was on fire. I carefully walked downstream to a more favorable LZ. Finally, to the net.
Best trout of the year. No wonder this guy looks so excited!
The dry fly action from 7:30pm to 9pm was rather disappointing, having nothing to do with already landing such a fantastic fish. I found one fish working a foam line, but he was small, and though I rose him 4 times on three different patterns, there was no hookset. Finally, on the walk out in the fog, I spied a sipper that ended up clobbering my size 12 Catskills-style Light Cahill.
My victory cigar was one that I truly relished.
This is fly, minus the bead. This time of year, in lower light situations and moderate flows, there’s a good chance the fish will be looking up.
IFTS has a new town and a new venue — the Lancaster, PA Convention Center! Previously held in Somerset, NJ, the Hilton location that hosted the event is closing, hence the new digs. From the IFTS website: “Join us in November for our 35th Anniversary International Fly Tying Symposium. This year’s Symposium will be held at the Lancaster County Convention Center, Lancaster, PA. The weekend will be full of seminars, classes and fly tiers with many overseas artists demonstrating and lecturing.” So mark Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22 on your calendars.
Fly tying is serious business, especially if you want to learn from some of the world’s best tyers. On the other hand, fly tying is a hoot, as Barry Ord Clarke, Tim Cammisa, and the guy in the middle demonstrate.
I realize this new location will put the show out of practical reach for many of you in New England; you’ll have to make the call on whether or not to drive the new distance. I can tell you that this is one of my favorite shows, and the location is excellent. I’ll have a tying table and will be doing a seminar on wet flies, day/time TBD. I hope to see you there!
If you ordered the Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River through an outside vendor, it should start shipping tomorrow. Yeeeee-hawww!!!! I’ve changed my tune a wee bit on selling copies directly to you; if you would prefer to get a signed, inscribed copy from me, you still can. You’ll find out how if you click here.
I’m pleased to announce that once again, Tony Lolli has featured me in his At the Vise column in On The Water magazine. The format has shifted a bit; instead of a “guide flies” focus, it’s more of a profile, and it also features the book.
You know that guy! On The Water is a terrific magazine with excellent photography and printed on a paper stock that feels good in your hands. Well worth seeking out. There’s an digital version, too. Many thanks to Tony for letting me play again.
Finally, the International Fly Tying Symposium has moved from Somerset, NJ, to Lancaster, PA. Lancaster is a ~most excellent~ space — it’s where they hold the Fly Fishing Show. This year’s IFTS is November 21-22. More details to come!
I have neglected the Farmington this month most cruelly. I understand the fishing has been excellent in spite of the low water, but I have been pulled in some other directions.
But not yesterday. Yesterday was one of those summer flow spikes I look for, the kind that puts some color in the water and chases most of the anglers away. The plan on those days is to throw streamers and look for a big ol’ brown that’s been hiding under a logjam for the past few weeks and is now in the hunt for a protein payoff. Yesterday I fished a full-sink tip line with an assortment of weighted and non-weighted streamers — trying to present at several levels in the water column — in both muted and bright colors. I walked about 500 yards of water, pounding the banks, waiting for that roll at the surface or that dull thud below.
It never came. The plan was go big or go home, and since I didn’t do the former — not a touch in two hours — I did the latter. But oh, man, it felt wondrous to be back.
Bring your waders if you want to sit. The water was moderately stained, 650cfs, and 64 degrees in the PTMA. As you read this, the flow has dropped dramatically and has cleared up, making for excellent conditions this weekend.
currentseams.com 