Things of Three VII

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

1. Recycled Waders

The 'nook sack from Recycled Waders

There's a few smallish players in the fly fishing industry that have come on the scene over the last few years.

I think it's great; I'm one of those hippy communist free-thinkers people that believes a resurrection of cottage industries is the way out of the mess globalization has created. That is, people creating their own goods or services (& destiny) as opposed to slaving away at a soulless job while worried about a pink slip arriving at any moment.

Vedavoo & Smith Fly have been getting a fair amount of press and rightfully so, but another one you should check out is Recycled Waders.

The concept is simple & brilliant. They repurpose leaky waders into 'new' useful gear: packs, wallets, reel cases and the like.

Waders don't get sent to the landfill, and the gear at Recycled Waders is very reasonably priced, likely due to decreased material costs. Win-win.

I purchased the 'nook sack and think it's great; it fits exactly what I need and doesn't let me take more than what I need. Thus fulfilling those hippy communist free-thinking minimalist tendencies I lean toward.

Reduce, reuse, recycle indeed.

web: recycledwaders.com

2. Fly Fishing for Coastal Gamefish by Dr. Aaron Adams
As a self-confessed nerd, this book seems as though it was written for "fishing nerd me.' There's a lot of science in it. I think it's awesome.

I picked it up this summer when we were visiting Asheville, NC. I read it in a tent, on the hostel's balcony, on the beach at Sullivan's Island, in the hotel in Massachusetts, on the plane to Nunavut and on a boat in Belize. I read it just about anywhere a person could read a book.

If you're an angler heading for any inshore fishing anywhere south of the Carolinas (& north of Venezuela) and want to understand the various habitats, fish and prey, this book is definitely for you.

Is it for everybody? Definitely not, especially if the most literary or scientific thing you read each week is my rambling bullshit.

Whether you're a nerd or not, it's worth having on your bookshelf for reference.

web: fishermanscoast.com, or buy here

3. Sweet Home Alabama - The Southern Rock Saga
This is a cool documentary on the rise of Southern Rock, if y'all have an hour to kill.

In fact, y'all should put everything on hold for an hour to watch it. It'll do you good.

(If you're reading this in an email & can't see the video above, click here to view the full post)

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

Things of Three IV

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

1. Snook
They hit hard. They pull hard. And they look cool as hell.

Note: They're also quite tasty, but they're more fun to catch than to eat.

Photo by Dylan Rose of Fly Water Travel LLC

2. Idaho Angler
There's something to be said about walking into a shop and being recognized from a previous visit almost exactly a year ago to the day.

Friendly, helpful & knowledgeable, plus everything once could need for fishing in Idaho or anywhere else for that matter, including a huge tying section featuring materials for both fresh & salt.

If you're in the Boise area, a visit to Idaho Angler is a must.

Website: idahoangler.com
Social: facebook.com/IdahoAngler
Location: 1682 Vista Avenue  Boise, ID

3. Bonefish on the Brain
Dear Bjorn,

At first, I thought you were a little OCD about having a website dedicated to only one species of fish. Especially a fish living in waters far from your home address. A fish you have only one or maybe a couple of chances per year to go fishing for.

But then I caught one. And I get it now. I really do.

I'm already scheming an escape to catch more.

Sincerely,

Mat

Website: bonefishonthebrain.com

*           *           *

As some of you might have seen on a recent Facebook post, I'm taking a break from Facebook. This US Presidential election thing is bringing out the worse in some people. These are people I consider friends, either in real life or in the online realm. I respect your right to your opinions but the outright negativity, from both left and right, is depressing as f**k. So yeah, I'm done on Facebook until November 8th or 9th or so (besides, Twitter is far more enjoyable than Facebook).

That being said, y'all should get out and vote. No matter what your political leaning is, exercise your right to vote. Canada had a federal election last year and the turnout was downright dismal. Don't be apathetic; apathy is more depressing than the negative shit. Go vote.

This link will not be shared on the ol' Crackbook by yours truly. If anyone wants to share it, it'd be appreciated, but it's not necessary.

Keep it real.

Mat

Things of Three III

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

1. Howler Bros apparel
If shallow people were to align a product line with their 'personal image' (*cough*), I wouldn't blame them if they chose Howler Bros of Austin, TX. From their About page:

We are Howler Brothers. We are not really related by blood. But we are bonded by many shared callings: surfing, fishing, paddling and the good things that come with these pursuits. Things like fire pits, really good tequila, limes, and pre-dawn coffee.

My surfing career was cut short by lack of waves, a fear of sharks and limited motivation to learn how to surf. But I do like fishing, paddling (for fishing), fire pits (we call 'em bonfires), tequila, limes, limes/lime juice in tequila, and coffee (pre- or post-dawn makes no difference to me).

But that's neither here nor there.

Howler makes clothing that is durable, comfortable and practical. Some would say stylish, but I use practical in place of stylish; as in, "Can I where this in public without my lovely girlfriend being embarrassed?" For Howler's apparel lineup, the answer to that is a heck yeah.

I just received my (third) order from Howler this AM and I'm impressed as always. Their t-shirts are the most comfortable (and softest things) I own. And that hat is just damn cool.

Know who else digs Howler swag? This guy. Oh yeah, it's true.

Website: howlerbros.com

Social: @HowlerBros & facebook.com/howlerbros

Note: Cameron over at The Fiberglass Manifesto has a TFM promo code for $10 off your order, check out the details here.


2. My (new) old-timey shaving kit
This started as a multi-paragraph rant about much of a money-grab cartridge razors have become, but instead I'm just posting this pic:

A better shave, a more enjoyable shave, and a far less expensive shave. Less plastic waste, too. Bam.

After using the double-edge razor for the first time, I was already looking forward to my next opportunity to shave.

That's telling in itself: I normally hate shaving.

Website: classicedge.ca
Resources: sharpologist.com

3. Wolves
Last week it was Coyote. This week it's Wolves, from Big Wreck's Albatross album. Enjoy.

Things of Three II

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

1. Marie Sharp's Habanero Sauce
I can barely put into words how awesome this hot sauce is.

Marie Sharp's is the hot sauce of angels.

There's heat, but the heat compliments the flavour of the sauce's carrot base without overpowering it. The Belizean Heat (smaller bottle) is considerably hotter, but still extremely flavourful; moreso than most hot sauces that I've tried previously.

About seventeen minutes after coming ashore, still wobbly with sea-legs, I sauntered into a Belizean grocer to buy some to bring back to Canada (the $1.04CDN = $1US = $2BZ exchange rate is highly favourable if anyone is interested in becoming a habanero sauce smuggler with me).

It's completely possible I've discussed Marie Sharp's more than I have the fishing since I returned. And it even makes turkey bacon tolerable.

Related note #1: Once we arrived at the airport, I accessed email for the first time in 8 days, where I saw the following passage in an email from my buddy Will: "Marie Sharp's habanero pepper sauce. Just sayin. Fill your boots and then cover your eggs." Done and done, William. Done. And. Done.

Web: www.mariesharps-bz.com

2. Columbia Airgill Chill shirt
I was looking to buy this shirt when I sent the following tweet:

I never expected Columbia to tell me to DM my address and size to get one to demo for free. That was pretty damn cool, although never the original intention. So thanks, Columbia!

Related note #2: Ironically, I've been telling people for the past month or so how I'm limiting the number of gear reviews I do on this site. I'd rather mention gear I've used & abused after purchasing it on my own dime. You might not have noticed, but I've been using this forum to (attempt to) expand my writing abilities, albeit slowly and one syllable at a time, as well as focusing on travel tips to help my fellow anglers (anyone? Bueller? Bueller?). Oh well. Who am I to turn down free swag?

In four words: I love this shirt.

In more than four words: I wore & abused the hell out of this shirt. Five of seven fishing days I wore it, with no washes in between. It was soaked in saltwater and sweat, smeared with fish slime, and drizzled with coffee, Marie Sharp's, Coca Cola, Belikan and very nearly tears. The Airgill Chill held up to all of it.

It's sturdily built but lightweight and quick-drying, with the right number, size and location of pockets to hold your camera and a small fly box. Size large was slightly baggy on me, but I didn't mind the loose fit in the billion and eight degree heat.

Two additional considerations: 1) it was surface-of-the-sun hot a few days there; and 2) I'm a Canadian who spent the majority of summer in far Northern latitudes. I was a pasty-white cracker in Belize, and the shirt's Omni-Shade® UPF 30 sun protection kept my upper body pasty-white throughout the week.

This is a premium fishing shirt. It will travel with me to any hot climate from here on in.

And yes, I would have gladly dropped my own coin on it with zero regrets. But I didn't have to, so big win for me.

Web: Columbia Performance Fishing Gear front page here; www.columbia.com

3. Coyote
No, not the cuddly animal. Coyote is the new album from Matt Mays. It's good. Like, really, really good. This may be blasphemous, but I like it better than Jack White's album Blunderbuss, and I thought that was the primo album of 2012...until I heard Coyote.

Check it out on the iTunes store here.

Here's the first track on the album; it's definitely one of my early favourites.

Things of Three

Three items/subjects/places/people worth checking out to make life as an angler and global citizen far more enjoyable:

1. Fish Tales Fly Shop, Calgary, AB
The positive side of getting weathered in at the project site in Nunavut last week is getting to meet Matlock (aka @findeep) for a quick fish on Alberta's Bow River and going for sushi with him & Cod (@chroniclesofcod) during a seven-hour layover. Best layover ever. Wet socks & all.

Matlock picked me up at the airport and we headed to his local fly shop so I could grab a license. The fact they had been closed for about an hour didn't really slow things down much; they unlocked the door and got me set up with both a license and the new issue of The Drake for my flight home.

Fish Tales is a great shop, loads of inventory and run by a seriously kick-ass nice dude. If you're in Calgary, it's worth a stop. And Cod guides outta there, too.

Check 'em out on the web here. For a Google Map, click here.

Supporting your local fly shop isn't a cliché. Try rolling into a BassPro or Canadian Tire to buy a license an hour after they're closed. Yeah, thought so...

2. The Shack Up Sessions
This is Ross Neilsen's new solo album, recorded inside the Robert Clay shack at The Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale Mississippi, just down the road from the famous crossroads of highway 49 and 61.

It's good. Really good.

Ross has been mentioned a few times here, and his music is on my regular rotation of playlists & albums. And for good reason: his songs are at times rocking and whisky-chugging, and always soulful and honest-to-goodness blues.

This album is a little less loud but still everything one could ask for in a blues album.

Ross also had a special message for the fly fishing crowd that reads this: "Keep yer poles bent."

You can preview and download the album here & on iTunes; for a physical copy shipped, click here.

Ross can be reached via his website, rossneilsen.com, and through Twitter, @rossneilsen.

And if this picture doesn't brighten your day, check your pulse.

Ross (right) & Karl's search for a bass player brought interesting characters.

3. William Joseph HemoCuts
One of my favourite fly fishing accessories. Probably one of the best sub-$20 items in the fly fishing industry, in my mind.

Pros: easy to grip, easy to open, pinch barbs up to 1/0 saltwater hooks, cutting blades are sharp, and they lock down tight when shut.

Cons: they don't make a big, eff-off size for toothy/salty critters.

Check 'em out here.