March 30, 2011

The Chimes of Freedom

Old Glory

It has come to my understanding that there is a small faction of my viewership, or should I say former viewership, that is unhappy with my recent posts on firearms. To all you folks out there who don't believe in our right to bear arms, well, you can all go and fuck yourselves. That's right, I said it; I don't really care if you don't follow the blog anymore. The Second Amendment is a core of the foundation of our great nation, whether you choose to believe it or not. I'm not going to go into a rant on here on why the Second Amendment is a necessary component of our freedom, or of the merits of gun ownership, but I will give you a virtual bitch slap for comparing my responsible ownership of a firearm to a violent crime committed by some dipshit who disrespects life.

This is not an issue of Left or Right. Gun crimes and deaths unfortunately occur across the country every year, but so do malpractice deaths, vehicular accidents, lung cancer deaths, poisonings, falls, etc. Yet, if you look at the actual numbers, gun deaths are one of the lowest causes of death. Don't believe me, then take a look at the facts. So how can some "hippie fly fisherman who listens to the Dead", support guns and gun ownership? Because I am an American first and foremost, and transcend above labels and stereotypical ideology.

For those who may ask why a fly angler needs guns, the answer is simple, I like to harvest my own fly tying materials as well as provide the occasional meal to my family. While I don't feel obligated to justify the needs nor defend my rights to gun ownership, I will say that a game animal taken in the humane manner of hunting suffers far less in providing its flesh and hide than any livestock slaughtered from a feed lot. For those fly anglers or tyers who think that they are above the need for guns or weapons of any form in order to participate in this sport, think again. Hand over those flies. Hell, handover those gotdamned $50 Abel nippers hanging from your vest, as the TSA likely classifies that as a weapon too.

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

I don't tolerate violence of any form, but in the course of preserving freedom, understand that sometimes it is a necessary evil to bear arms in order to defend the rights that made this great nation what it is today. The very fact that we are able to voice opinion in an open forum without fear of persecution or even death (unlike the folks in Libya, Egypt, Turkey, the list goes on and on) is a very testament to the rights many have served and died to protect. For all those servicemen and women and members of the law enforcement community, I want to thank you for your service. To all of the men and women who have died while in the line of duty, there is nothing that I can do or say other than to proudly honor your memory for sacrificing your lives defending the freedoms of our great nation. You will not be forgotten.

March 29, 2011

The Worm Has Turned

The Armored Car San Juan Worm is always a killer, no matter where, when, and what species you fish it to. Red was the principle color variation, based off of the original San Juan Worm pattern, but in the course of fishing for carp, claret, or wine colored chenille curries much favor with the cyprinids. Not exactly sure why, but claret just works. The wine colored chenille consistently outfishes the red version in overwhelming fashion.

Just ask John Montana.

Armored Car -- Claret
I long opined for tying up an Armored Car SJW in claret, the only hold up was finding a wire that was suitable in color to match the wine colored ultra chenille. It was recently relayed to me that there is a Wine colored Ultra Wire available in Medium, however, it is not carried in stock in any of the establishments that I frequent. Same goes for the craft store circuit; the only wine colored wire typically available were wire in sizes 8 through 20 gauge, perhaps even a 26, much too big for what I need. I suppose I could order some of the Ultra Wire, but being much too cheap to drop a few bones on a measly 7 yards of wire, I opted for an online source with over four times the wire for the same price.

Armored Car -- Claret
The results are spectacular: the magenta colored wire is a near exact match. The flies speak for themselves.
I think I finally unleashed the perfect carp weapon, for now....

March 26, 2011

Range Report

Dialed In
Dialed In.

3" stick on Shoot-N-C target at 25 yards. Group is just a bit high, but considering the reticle on my red dot sight is 3 MOA, it's really not a bad group at all.

March 16, 2011

Replica Toy Fish

For the kid in all of us (and the real kids too) check out the Replica Toy Fish Company.

Replica Toy Fish
Thanks to Simeon Chambers, one of the founders of Replica Toy Fish Company, for contacting me about his toy fish. There are currently 16 different species represented, from muskellunge to alligator gar. Pending future sales, additional species will be manufactured. How badass would it be to have a toy bowfin or buffalo? These are some cool replicas for sure; my kids were drawn to them the second I removed the fish from the package. They are firm and sturdy and accurately colored. They should hold up well to abuse. I wish I had some as a kid.

Longnose Gar
Alligator Gar
The best reason to purchase a few toy fish? Because Replica Toy Fish is working towards helping educate our youth about our fisheries. Wholesale pricing is available for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and other youth organizations.

Caveat Emptor: Products were provided courtesy of the Replica Toy Fish Company, in exchange for review and promontional use.

March 14, 2011

Artistic Wire

Found a good source recently for some cheap wire over at Fusion Beads. Of particular interest is their offerings of artistic wire and parawire. I'm still not sure of the difference between the two just yet, though from what I've gathered from the internet one is a softer wire while the other holds its color better. Only some time behind the vise and in the water will tell what the true story is, meanwhile, if you're sick of paying over $3 for a 7 yard spool then check this wire out.

Artistic Wire
Available in more colors and sizes than what Ultra Wire has available, 30 yard spools of artistic wire ring up at $2.99 and 50 yard spools of parawire come in at $4.49. Better yet, there is no minimum order required and free shipping! I know there are other places out there that sell wire at a cheaper cost, but Fusion Beads actually had all of their colors in stock, and free shipping can't be beat, especially for a $10 order. I always have a problem with joints that charge more for shipping than the cost of the items ordered. While the red wire differed in color between the artistic and parawire varieties, that isn't the end of the world. The magenta wire I ordered is hot. I'm impressed with the colors and quality of the wires and will be ordering more in the future.

P.S. If anyone has a source for wine or claret colored wire please let me know. Then my quest for world domination will be near.

March 7, 2011

Montana Fly Company

Thanks to the folks over at Outside Media for hooking a brutha up with some goodies from Montana Fly Company. Typically, it seems, when you get a package of product samples for testing/review, you get the dregs from the bottom of the bargain basement bin. You know, the stuff nobody wants that retailers can't get rid of on the sales floor. Maybe, out of a handful of product, would you be able to find something that might find some utility or useful purpose. Not is the case with this goody box. Aside from the dubbing, enclosed were all items that I would either likely or seriously consider purchasing from a retail outlet. Note: Nothing was wrong the dubbing, the stuff looks great; I'm just too cheap to buy dubbing anymore now that I can make my own.

Montana Fly Co. goodies
If anyone's paid close enough attention, those infamous speckled legs I use on my Carp Crack and other rubber legged patterns are none other than the centipede legs from MFC. I like MFC's products, so it was a no-brainer when I was asked to take a closer look at some of their other products. I'll experiment a bit behind the vise and see what I can come up with from these materials and tools. I'll get back to you all and let you know how it all went. In the meantime, keep it rough.

Caveat Emptor: Products were provided courtesy of Montana Fly Company/Outdoor Media, in exchange for review and extensive product testing.

March 2, 2011

Barbie Doll

Pink is gonna be hot this spring, so make sure you get your day box full of Pink Squirrels, pink San Juan Worms, and pink scuds. Crafted from the mason line dub, this Barbie colored scud pattern is tied with a Czech nymph inspired hot spot.

Barbie Scud
Barbie Doll Scud:
Hook: Extra Strong Curved Size 8, Barbless
Thread: 6/0 UNI, Red
Underbody: 0.20" Lead Wire
Case: 1/4" Strip Latex, Tan
Body: Roughfisher's Seal Sub Dub, Mason's Children (Fluorescent Pink)
Rib: Hot Orange Ultra Wire, Brassie
Thorax: Roughfisher's Seal Sub Dub, Peacock Poison
Head: Tapered Thread