Come one, come all to my debut appearance at the Lancaster, PA, Fly Fishing Show. I’m really looking forward to this, and as usual, I have a fairly tight schedule on Saturday, March 14. It starts with my 10:30am Seminar in the Release Room,Modern Wet Fly Strategies. At noon, I’m in Destination Theater Room E, presentingThe Farmington River. And from 2:00pm-4:30pm, it’s Classes With The Experts:Tying & Fishing Wet Flies with Steve Culton. These classes are a tremendous opportunity to learn in a very favorable student:teacher ratio environment. Click HERE for more info or to register.
Sunday gives me a wee bit more breathing room. At 12 noon, I’m Destination Theater Room D,The Farmington River. And at this show, I’m be doing something I’ve never done at any Fly Fishing Show: tying at table on the main show floor. You’ll find me there both days when I’m not talking. Please come say hello!
It seems ridiculous to say — especially since I wrote the book — but yesterday was my first day in 2026 fishing the Farmington River. I was going to go last Friday, but I deemed it too cold, and decided to wait for more clement conditions. Turns out, the giddy sun and warmth had zero impact on the catching.
We (Farmington River guide Steve Hogan and I) decided to fish above Riverton based on two factors: the water would be warmest there (we took two readings and got 38.5 and 44(!) degrees), and it would be lowest and clearest due to it being above the Still River. As you can imagine, the false late spring weather drew crowds of anglers; I can’t remember the last time the Riverton town lot next to the bridge was jammed so full of vehicles. Nymphing was the game, and we hit multiple pockets and runs between the dam and the town. Parking wasn’t easy as there was still a substantial amount of snow lining Hogback Road.
I told Hogan that I grade myself when I’m fishing and not catching, and I gave me a B+/A-. I do this because If I’m not catching, I want to make sure that it’s not because I’m committing some fundamental error or missing strikes. Folks, I was on the bottom all day and I no longer have the flies to prove it. I dredged up several nice sticks. We saw midges and olives and couple other un-IDed bugs. What we didn’t see was a fish caught. Not us. Not anyone. But, better fishing is coming. A lot happens this month. We’re just three weeks away from April!
Early March is one of the toughest windows to fish on the Farmington. We gave it about 3 hours, then called it a day, which, given the sunshine and warmth and cigars, was not bad at all despite not having even a courtesy tap.
I’ve been a long-time customer of the online fly tying supplier J.Stockard. As you know, I don’t endorse or represent anything that I’m not a big fan of, or enthusiastic user of, and that’s certainly the case with J.Stockard. In addition to being a customer, I’ve written a few articles for their site over the years, but this now means that I’ll be doing some more of that in the future. We’ll see what shape or form these contributions take; naturally, I’ll still be writing for my website! I’m honored to be a part of their Pro Tying Team — you’ll remember I recently joined the Regal Vise Pro-Staff — and I’ll do my best to represent well.
Now: this may seem like a wee bit of a dichotomy, because I’m also a firm advocate of the concept and practice of “support your local fly shop.” I happen to also be a long-time customer of UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford, not to mention the state’s two Orvis stores and the Compleat Angler in Darien. There’s also the new kid on the block, the Local Fly Company. My association with J.Stockard doesn’t change any of this, and I’ve been very upfront with J.Stockard on my thoughts about local fly shops. Can we all get along? I believe we can.
What a treat to return to see my friends at the Farmington Valley TU Chapter last night. FVTU understands that a fed presenter is a happy presenter, and I relished my delicious burger, piled high with mushrooms and onions, washed down with a tasty Headway IPA draft. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you! The subject was “Wet Flies 2.0,” which takes a deeper dive into the subject. This group is filled with many dedicated, inquisitive anglers, and I particularly enjoyed the post-talk Q&A session. There was a palpable excitement in the room for the Farmington River book, and I’m planning on returning in the fall for a talk on the book and the river.
Photo courtesy of an unknown FVTU member. The meeting room at the Back Nine Tavern in New Britain is a terrific venue for presenting.
This review is a layup. It’s not just that I love these scissors. It’s that they are, by far, the best fly tying scissors I’ve ever owned.
The two biggest problems with tying scissors are their price and their all-too-inevitable dullness. A double-edged sword, if you’ll pardon the expression, but they work fine until they don’t — and then you need to buy another pair. I used to use Brand X, which, out of my desire not to embarrass them, will remain nameless. It’s a popular brand name, and their scissors are generally available for between $20-$40. They’re nice and gleaming and sharp out of the pack, but before too long, you begin to notice that the blades just don’t have the edge that they used to. I’ve got about a dozen of these Brand X scissors littering the bottom of various receptacles in my basement, all long past their best use.
Enter Renomed. I’d seen other tiers using these scissors at the shows, and all parties had given rave reviews. Curious, I wandered over to the Renomed USA booth (this was at the Edison Fly Fishing Show) and introduced myself to Phillip, the owner. I asked him, what’s the deal with these scissors that everyone tells me are so fantastic? Less than 10 minutes later, I’m walking away with a new pair of scissors with their unique serrated blade and razor blade design.
That was a year ago. The blades still show no signs of wear. The scissors feel light in the hand, and move and operate with the kind of ergonomics you’d expect from a such a precision instrument. I like them so much that at this year’s Edison Show, I bought a larger pair, the FS8, to use for cutting deer hair and other synthetics.
The Flytier SuperCut Straight retails for $60. It’s worth every penny.
I was so busy with the book in 2025 that I kept my previous year’s rates in place. But, times change. Travel distances get longer, my cost of doing business goes up, inflation is a thing, and my altruism extends only so far. So, we’ve got new rates for 2026. Some things haven’t changed: I’m still a teaching guide; still guiding part-time only; still almost never guiding on weekends; you still need to call or email me to book a date. And — I can’t emphasize this enough — I’m strongly pushing the 4-hour lesson. Anything longer than that, and people begin to fall apart, so 4 hours is the best bang for your buck. I appreciate everyone who’s already booked time with me this year, and I’m looking forward to spending time with you on the water, and helping you improve your angling skills.
If it weren’t for the weather, this might have been the best show ever. But you don’t get to decide on such things, and when a once-in-a-decade snowstorm is thrown at you, you deal as best you can. But I come not to bury this year’s show (certainly not under 18″ of snow!) but rather, to praise it.
The Edison show is the largest fly fishing show on the east coast, and, perhaps, in the world. It has it all: vendors from rods and reels and gear and fly tying and books to guides and shops and lodges and fishing/destination travel. It’s got dozens of some of the best fly tyers in the world. If you want education, you’re in the right place: you can partake in presentations and seminars and demos and classes put on by some of the best anglers in the world. (If you want to be a rock star, you can’t hang out with Aerosmith for a few hours. If you want to become a better angler or tier, you can take a small class with George Daniel or Tim Flagler.)
Seminars! Getcher seminars here! What an honor to be included on a list with such fly fishingluminaries. All seminars are included in the price of your admission ticket. That’s a win for everyone. Classes require an additional fee, but it’s money very well spent — I get people telling me years after they’ve taken a class how much it improved their fishing. Thank you to everyone who took a class with me this year.
As a presenter, the Edison show is, for me, a multi-faceted journey into fun. I get to speak to (hopefully) large groups of people; that’s something I love to do. I get to reconnect with old and distant friends, and make new ones. I get to wander the show floor and discover all the fly fishing and tying items I didn’t know that I needed. I get to be a fanboy. And, I get to teach classes and turn other anglers on to new concepts that will help them catch more fish.
I did multiple talks on the Farmington River and was delighted by the size and enthusiasm of the crowds. The book is generating a lot of excitement, which seems to be growing exponentially. The Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River is at the printer, with a projected release date of June 2026. Stay tuned here for release details as they come in.Fly fishing is serious business. Or not. A little pre-seminar festivity with Landon Mayer, Jason Randall, and Chuck Furimsky.My annual pilgrimage to Wu’s Shanghai Dumpling in Edison. This is THE place for authentic Chinese dumplings and udon. I always make sure I get enough to take home. Not exactly low-cal dining, but oh-so-scrumptious. My buddies Chris Steinbeck and Pat Dorsey from the Blue Quill Angler. The BQA booth is my safe haven in Edison; I can hang out between gigs, take a load off, and socialize with passers-by. If you’re going fishing in the Denver area, these are the people to see! I managed a little bit of shopping, coming away with four wet fly capes at a bargain price, and another pair of Renomed scissors. You’ll be hearing more about Renomed on this site soon, these scissors are, by far, the best I’ve ever used.
And then on Sunday, the snows came. But the show went on, as it always does. This year, I’m doing the Lancaster show, which is March 14-15. I’ll have a tying station. See you there!
I still owe you an Edison Show report, but I wanted to take a moment today to say thank you to the CFFA for hosting me on Tyers’ Row, and for the opportunity to speak about the Farmington River. The Expo drew a good crowd, and I had a seemingly constant stream of people at my tying table. On the the things I look forward to most at this show is being able to connect with fellow tyers, vendors, and people in a scaled-down setting. The CFFA show always has a pleasant, chill vibe. I made off with some of Charles McCaughtry’s wonderful fly fishing-themed art greeting cards, some beads, and a small pack of indicators to try for low-water steelhead situations.
The highlight of the day was my standing-room-only presentation on the Farmington River. Thanks so much for coming out to see me, and I hope you buy the book when it comes out in June. Stay tuned to this website for details as they come in!
This book-writing thing is like the building of Rome: it takes time. While I finished writing the “Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River” months ago, there are dozens of post-manuscript submission steps that must be completed — proofing galley pages, correcting mistakes, reviewing and re-reviewing — to ensure that we print a quality product. Yes, there will probably still be some errors, but hopefully, those will be minor.
And now, as you read this, the book is at the printer! So now, we’re at printing, then binding, and hopefully I get my advance copies in a couple month. As of this writing, the scheduled release date hasn’t changed, and that’s June 1. Of course, I will update you here and on other social media channels as new and better information comes in.
I’m looking forward to sitting under this sign, pen in hand!
I’m still undecided about when and how I might sell books from this site. There may be a mass pre-order, which would likely be cash, check or Venmo only, then out go signed copies into your hot little hands. I first need to research the costs of doing that business. Again, you’ll find out here once a decision is made.
I love the positive energy and anticipation I’m feeling from people who are really looking forward to the book. Believe me, I share your excitement!
Back from a terrific Fly Fishing Show in Edison, NJ, freshly dug out, and now prepping for “the best little fly fishing show around” — the CFFA Fly Fishing Expo & Banquet. It’s all happening this Saturday, January 31, from 9am-3pm at Nomad’s Adventure Quest in South Windsor, CT. This show is wonderful cure for cabin fever — I mean, it’s brutal out there, even by steelheading standards. I’ll be on Tyer’s Row for most of the day, probably focusing on wet flies, and taking a few walking breaks to stretch my legs and see what goodies the vendors have (I seem to always find a hidden gem that I didn’t know I needed). Stick around, because at 1:30pm I’m doing a new talk on the Farmington River. Even if you are a Farmington veteran, I guarantee you’ll learn something new. See you there, and don’t forget to come by and say hello.
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