Things of Three VI

The sixth edition of three items/subjects/places/people worth checking out to make life as an angler and global citizen far more enjoyable.

Random, somewhat-out-of-context photo of me & my first bonefish. Yes, I'm proud of it.
(Photo by Dylan Rose of Fly Water Travel LLC)

1. SCOF Issue #5
Yes, I'm late to the party. It was released on Sunday. I even read it on Sunday. Things of Three comes out on Thursdays. It's the 'th- th- th-' thing: THings of THree on THursday. It's a principle THing.

Anywho, back to SCOF, aka Southern Culture on the Fly. I think it's their best issue yet. It's the one-year anniversary issue. The redfish footage from Louisiana is cool as hell. Definitely watch both videos, especially Captain Gregg Arnold discussing the strip-strike. Right to the end.

And note my pumping out a little promo/review of SCOF #5 has little to do with the editor rowing my girl & I around on a lake one fine Sunday afternoon a few months back in what turned out to be a guided trip. The issue stands on its own. If Grossman & Co. ever put out a shitty issue, me promoting it will be part of the payback for the fishing trip. Well, that & the case of PBR I left in the boat cooler.

Check out SCOF #5 by clicking here or the image below.

web: southerncultureonthefly.com

2. Clear Cure Goo Brushable
Clear Cure Goo's brushable UV-epoxy is an absolute joy to use: simple, clean, effective. I've yet to scratch the surface for its many uses, but I've used it on Clouser Deep Minnows for both fresh & salt, for stiffening up deer hair collars on a few different patterns, as well as on the Clear Cure Charlie (which happens to be the unseen fly stuck in that bonefish's mouth in the pic above).

Brian Carson of CCG is a cool dude; he's developed several different types of CCG UV-epoxy, plus the CCG eyes and bodies. From reading along on their website, they put the different formulas & products through the ringer to perfect them before making them available to fly tyers. I haven't tried any of the CCG epoxy besides the Brushable, but I will be real soon. And I'm looking forward to it.

Note: That's called foreshadowing in the literary biz...

CCG's pro staff features some of the rising stars in the fly tying world right now, too; guys like Thomas Harvey, Brad Bohen and Pat Cohen. It'll definitely be worth your while to be checking in on CCG's blog page in the very near-future to see what those guys and many other CCG's pro staff will be up to.

Note: That's also foreshadowing. Trust me on this. Let's just say the next time I write about CCG, I'll need to add in the standard disclaimer. But not yet. The Brushable was purchased on my dime. And worth every penny.

web: clearcuregoo.com

3. The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer
Last Friday I threw out a request to the twitterverse for some new music to listen to.

I received a few replies featuring a lot of good bands.

But this one is my favourite.

Blues rocks. Especially blues that rocks.

H&AM has three albums. I now have all three. They're good. Check 'em out.

web: harpoonistaxemurderer.com

Traveling Angler Tuesday: My Must-Haves

Clousers & Deceivers are must-haves

In last week's Traveling Angler Tuesday post, I listed a few of my must-haves for traveling. I decided to take those items and other traveling necessities and compile them into a couple of lists.

I've spilt my must-haves into 'general apparel & accessories' and 'fishing-specific' sublists; this week I'll cover my general category. Fishing-specific items will be covered in a future post...like, next week.

Without further ado, here are my General Apparel and Accessories must-haves for traveling...
(Note: Links to the products will be provided where possible)

Tools of the trade

• iPod Touch (64gb): it does everything an iPhone does (except make/receive calls & texts) with more memory and for less money. I've been traveling with this iPod for almost two years; it's been my camera, atlas, e-reader, music & movie player, video camera, and communications hub. Add a pair of travel-friendly noise-cancelling earbud headphones and you have it made for flights and noisy neighbourhoods (or snoring roommates). It's a full-on mobile command post.
• MSR Packtowel: almost the size of a beach towel, folds to the size of a small paperback novel. It's very quick-drying and an amazing product. I have two of them in different sizes.
• Ex Officio Give-N-Go boxer brief: comfortable, easy to wash, quick drying. Wear a pair, take a pair. Wash them in the shower or sink when needed and they'll be dry within hours. Some day, every pair of underwear I own will be these.
• Smartwool socks: awesome products, and oh so comfortable. I have several pairs of varying weights and it's not often I'll wear anything else. Great to have a pair stashed away even in tropical climates for blister prevention.
• Decent hat. Blocks the sun. Cuts glare on the water. Hides unwashed bed-head. I prefer the mesh-back trucker style as it's a little cooler in warm climates. My current hat is the previous version of this one (gotta support my Southern cousins...)
• Reliable but inexpensive (or inexpensive-looking) watch. You might need to know the time, and hauling out your iPod Touch to check the time in downtown Puerto San Jose or Ouagadougou might not be the wisest choice.
• Pocket tool. This might not be practical if you're not checking any luggage. I'm almost always check luggage, so I bring two: a Gerber Crucial and a Leatherman Wave. If I were to pick only one, the Gerber would make the trip.
• Water bottle. I use Kleen Kanteen, but without the spout (even with water bottles: the more moving parts it has, more likely it will break).
• Packable rain jacket. Buy one of decent quality and it will last for years. I've had one from Marmot for seven years and a full rain suit from MEC for five years; they're both going strong.
• Notebook & pen/pencil. This is a backup in case the iPod battery is dead or dying (or because the traveler is in downtown Puerto San Jose & doesn't want to take their iPod out of their pocket). Jot down directions, contact information, fly patterns to tie or buy, to-do lists, whatever. Just have one.
• Zip-Lock freezer bags (large). Use them to isolate toiletries to keep them from spilling into your luggage. Or to isolate stinky socks & underwear when packing. Transport several pounds of primo Guatemalan coffee beans in them. They're good to have.
• Electrical tape. To tape things shut, like shampoo bottles or bandages to open wounds. Or tape things together, like a tube for a 3-piece glass rod to a case for 4-piece rods, so you only have 'one' carry-on item.
• Gum. Minty stuff to freshen your breath. The Traveling Angler might not have a chance to brush their teeth for a little while.
• A good playlist...or three. Have a playlist for chilling out or falling asleep to on noisy planes, buses, in dorms or whatever. Have another one for fun times, with shitty music you might not normally listen to, because you never know when you'll be called upon to supply the party music (Jay-Z albums are pretty good for this). And have another one of your favourite tracks or genre to sing along to that allows you to do whatever you need to do. Like drive for 26 hours straight. This is a good track for that right here:

Traveling Angler Tuesdays launched June 26th, 2012 on mattrevors.com. My mission is to prove the concept of fly fishing travel abroad is not just the realm of old rich dudes and magazine writers & photographers. Keep checking back regularly as I share tips & tricks to get you to fly fishing locales you dream of going to. To see past articles & tips, click here.

Disclaimer
The products mentioned in this article were bought and paid for by the author, Mat Trevors. 

I, Mat Trevors, am not sponsored by or associated with any of the companies listed above and am accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for these endorsements. 

My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship has been pursued or established. 

Companies wishing to hire a Writer-Not-In-Residence-But-On-Water can definitely buy my allegiance; however, those companies must be upstanding members of the global community and produce gear of high quality. I can be reached through the Contact Page.

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Species Journal update

Trophy bluegill!

My recent trip with my lovely girlfriend to the South brought a little bonus: my first bluegill.

We were fishing with Dave from SCOF on Lake James for the afternoon (well, I was fishing; Becky read & took in the sun, and Dave rowed me around...which I appreciated). We were targeting some carp, largemouth and bluegill, which are referred to as bream 'round those parts.

It was a great afternoon to be on the water...and I caught a bluegill...or bream...a sunfish of some manner...

The night we returned home, I slipped out for a couple hours on the Nashwaak River with my new Chupacabra and caught a few yellow perch & creek chub.

Both the bluegill and yellow perch were updated on the Species Journal earlier today.

The creek chubs still remain an unofficial listing because I can't seem to get a picture of them; it was too dark for the camera phone when I caught my potential IGFA-record creek chub last week.

Species Journal Stats (number of fish species caught):

• August, 2009: 1
• August, 2010: 1
• August, 2011: 6
• August, 2012: 15

Note: Two fish (Northern Pike & Mahi-Mahi) have an asterisk due to being caught on conventional tackle. They are included in the totals above. Two fish (Striped Bass & Eastern Creek Chub) remain unofficial catches due to not having photographs and are not included in totals above.

Back to reality

I'm sitting at my desk for the first time in over fifteen days.

Fifteen days on the road. Living the dream.

Over 7,000 kilometers traveled...that's 4,350 miles, my American cousins.

I could prepare a nifty little infographic for the number of provinces (three) and states (fourteen) we traveled through. I could also display the number of fly fishing writer/blogger/guide-types I met in person finally (four). And the number of days my brand-new Diablo Paddlesports Chupacabra kayak sat on my truck before seeing water (nine).

And, of course, the infographic would display all the fish I caught on the trip (one) and the number of shots I blew at carp (one) and redfish (countless).

But I neither have the time (I'm leaving for work in Nunavut in less than 40 hours) nor desire (I'm feeling lazy) to figure out how to build such an infographic.

Instead, here's a rough geographical sketch of the route we traveled (and had an absolute blast on):

Thanks to everyone who took time out of their schedule to meet us for coffee, dinner, beer, fishing and everything else. Like lessons in eating steamed clams (which I can never bring myself to call steamers due to thoughts of Cleveland).

I hope to see you all again soon.

Especially Scotty D, because my shoes are stinkin' up his truck and I'd like them back.

*          *          *

My sincere apologies for not having a Traveling Angler Tuesday post this week. Unfortunately the interhorn hasn't reached family campgrounds in Maine as of yet, and planning and preparation has not reached my brain, as well.

*          *          *

Music is definitely in order. I could think of no better way to be welcomed back to Canada than hearing a new Tragically Hip song playing on the radio as soon as we cleared customs. Enjoy the track.

Traveling Angler Tuesdays Tip #5: Networking

Traveling Angler Tuesdays launched June 26th, 2012 on mattrevors.com. My mission is to prove the concept of fly fishing travel abroad is not just the realm of old rich dudes and magazine writers & photographers. Keep checking back regularly as I share tips & tricks to get you to fly fishing locales you dream of going to. To see past articles & tips, click here.

Oh Asheville, you so crazay!

Greetings from beautiful Charleston, SC!

This is edition of Traveling Angler Tuesdays will be short. This Traveling Angler is on vacation.

My lovely girlfriend and I departed Fredericton last Tuesday afternoon, embarking on an epic road trip. We swung through southern Ontario to hit the Toronto Zoo and Marineland in Niagara Falls, then pointed south to the Carolinas.

What's the draw of the Carolina's, you might ask?

For one, redfish. Of course.

But secondly, there's a cluster of cool dudes living down here that I wanted to meet and (hopefully) fish with. Guys like David from Southern Culture on the Fly and Cameron of The Fiberglass Manifesto.

Herein lies the Traveling Angler Tip of the week: learn how to make friends. In the professional world, this is called networking.

I briefly wrote about this in the Traveling Angler Tuesday post about research:

Hitting up Twitter, Facebook and Google+ and asking the right people if they or anyone they know have information might give you some leads as well. New to the social media thing? Sign up for Twitter and follow me. Then follow the fishing people I follow and politely ask us some questions. Twitter folks have all the answers.

The guys I've met or will meet I have spoken to before, either on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram or SCOF's web forum. To finally meet with them in real life after "knowing" them for months, if not years is pretty amazing.

And that is why networking in the fly fishing world is awesome.

Pro tip: Don't network in the douchey professional sense. The anglers on twitter & who write don't really like it. Don't be greasy or selfish. Follow some people on social media, read their stuff, make informative comments when necessary, share their links to their online content. Be friendly. Most people in the fly fishing online realm are extremely friendly & willing to share information, but be helpful to them in some way as well. Putting SCOF & TFM stickers on the new fairing of a roof rack is a start :)

*          *          *

I'm under the gun to get out of the hostel room & get to a beach, so that's it for this week's Traveling Angler Tuesdays (I didn't proofread this as much as usually do, so please excuse any typos).

The new Chupacabra

I'd like to give shout-outs to the following folks for helping our epic road trip so far with tips, information and other awesome stuff:

• Thomas at Diablo Paddlesports, for helping with lots of questions & calling the dealer ahead of time for me.
• Luthi's Fly Fishing in Greenville, for setting aside my new Chupacabra kayak and helping me instal my roof rack for it in the parking lot!
• Cameron of The Fiberglass Manifesto, for Chupacabra info, restaurant & sightseeing ideas in Asheville and Charleston, and helping pick out a PFD for me in Columbia.
• Dave of Southern Culture on the Fly, for the campsite referral and taking us out fishing on Lake James, where I knocked off a bream for my Species Journal!

We're off to see the fellas at Lowcountry Fly Shop this morning on our way to the beach.

I'm goin' redfishin' this week. I hope y'all wish me luck.

Confession of a Southern Wannabe

Time/Date: 2035, 30-Jan-12
Location: not the South

Today was a good day for receiving the mail, even though the repeated banging on the door caused Awesome the Dog a few freakouts.

All in the same day, I received my FFF membership package, the new Orvis catalogue (even though I requested not to be sent it; I work in an authorized Orvis fly shop), the new TFM redfish hoodie, and a cap from Southern Culture on the Fly.

My Southern apparel collection grew a bit today...

Some might ask, "Why would you get a redfish hoodie & a hat from some southern fly fishing e-mag? You're from Atlantic Canada."

An easy, and partly true, response would be, "I respect what they do & wish to support them."

But really, the whole truth is...I (not-so) secretly want to be a Southerner.

That's right.

I'm a southern wannabe.

This goes beyond my affinity for hot sauce & chicken wings, people, so why don't y'all just grab yourselves a tasty mint julep and set yourselves down & hear me out?

My main issue is this little tidbit right here.

It's called weather.

Here's the weather here at home for the next few days (note: I converted from Celsius for y'all):

Fredericton, NB

And now a few selected locales in my wannabe-adopted homeland:

Charleston, SC

New Orleans, LA

Islamorada, FL

What you don't see in the extended forecast for Fredericton is a stick-figure with a noose around his neck on Wednesday.

Then there's the whole fishing thing.

I'm not necessarily shitting on the fishing scene here in NB. I mean, it's alright. But the season opens April 15th (May 1st on lakes/ponds), and closes Oct.15th...or Nov. 30th on tidal water, if you're brave enough to handle it.

And if you break it down into some sort of spreadsheet-thingy (Table 1A), the scales tip a little more to fishing in the South.

Table 1A: Ummm, yeah...it isn't that bad here...

And it's not like I haven't been there before; heck, I even brought some reds to hand before some of your own have (you know who you are...):

It was only 3 days, and it left a serious impression on me.

I've been calling myself a semi-retired country gentleman for almost two years now...how much more epic would it be if I could replace 'country gentleman' with 'Southern gentleman?' That's almost worth the price of admission right there.

Other random positives about the south:

• Open liquor laws: here in NB, get caught with open booze, it's a fine of over $85. From what I saw in NOLA, the police officers cheers you.
• It appears the Antiques Roadshow comes through regularly. This would make my lovely girlfriend quite happy.
• Going to see if Hazzard County really exists sounds far more appealing than visiting the Shivering Songs Festival (no offence to Shivering Songs, but 'shivering' doesn't sell me).
• Barbecue is a way of life & state of mind. Here, barbecue ranges from common novelty (summer) to ordeal (winter).
• My blossoming bass bug skills would be appreciated more there than here.
• Running from a hurricane sounds more fun than sitting through a blizzard.
• I could use being there as an excuse to listen to Willie Nelson more often.

So, my southern readers, I'd be properly honoured if y'all would consider harbouring a northern illegal alien...and his lovely girlfriend...and his adorable dog...and quite possibly a few other northern refugees that might pass through next winter....

This northerner wants to wage a war of aggression...against being cold, bored & fishless all winter...

And I even have the southern rock thing down...sort of...  Enjoy the track:

PS - Mom, Dad, I'm not really moving to the south. At least, not yet...