More randomness

It's been a while since I wrote an essay of complete random bullshit, and, since I haven't posted here on ten or so days, now's as good as time as any.

1) Niger
Yes, Niger (not Nigeria. Two different places).

I'm going to Niger tomorrow for three weeks or so (and possibly again in January).

Hopefully I won't land what Bjorn called a grand slam of dysentery, malaria and getting kidnapped.

I will have internet access but have no idea of the workload as of yet, so posts may be sporadic. Well, more sporadic than usual...

There's no fishing there, which really doesn't help me write content for Traveling Angler Tuesdays.

Which brings us to...

2) Traveling Angler Tuesdays
Traveling Angler Tuesdays might be placed on hold for a little while.

I have no fishing trips planned or schemed (but some are dreamed). I am working on a few subjects for upcoming posts (doing liveaboard/mothership trips, using booking agents, etc.) and I was hoping for a few guest posts from other Traveling Anglers I was in touch with, but for now, this Traveling Angler isn't doing too much angling.

If anyone would like to contribute a guest post with how-to's or other fine points of being a Traveling Angler, by all means, get in touch, but I'm not chasing people down.

Trying to track down fishing addicts to write something is like herding cats, for f** all.

Not that I blame them. I'd rather be fishing, too. I'll always be a fisherman that writes, not a writer that fishes.

3) Pic of me with the best Key Lime pie ever

I'd shoot someone for a piece of that Key Lime pie right about now.

And that, folks, is why gun laws are tight in Canada. We'd shoot people over pie.

But not dog shit. Never dog shit. That's just irrational.

4) International Fly Tying Symposium
Last weekend I was in Somerset, New Jersey for the tying symposium; my first 'official duty' as Clear Cure Goo's writer-not-in-residence. I had a blast meeting a lot of folks that I had only spoke with via Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Skype up until that point.

I understand turnout was a little down this year; a lot of that had to do with people dealing with the aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy.

Thanks to Brian of CCG for letting me tag along and to everyone for stopping by the CCG booth to say hi. It was great meeting y'all.

Note: I'll probably write a little more about the IFTS on the Clear Cure Blog soon, so keep your eyes peeled for it over there. 

5) Being sick sucks hole.
Honestly, I've been having my ass kicked by a cold/flu since the tying symposium in NJ, so I haven't been posting too much here, there, or anywhere else for that matter.

I've been combining various elixirs and concoctions for the last few days. The congestion remains...but I seemed to have made a new friend that appears after certain medications have been mixed together:

As I'm 28 hours away from boarding multiple tin-pigeons (with their healthy recycled air) for the better part of a day and a half, I'm hoping adding some Buckley's flu medication into the mix finally knocks this bastard down the basement stairs for good.

I'd like to take the elephant with me to Niger, though...

6) Being sick isn't the only excuse, though...
As I wrote many weeks back, I've been using my side project, The Saltwater Fly Journal, to share a lot of content that previously would have been posted here. Stuff like this. And this. And this, too. So sign up for email/RSS updates (right hand sidebar, underneath the Redington banner) so you don't miss anything awesome on The Saltwater Fly Journal.

Because someday, there will be awesome stuff there. Trust me.

7) The following people/blogs need to keep doing what they're doing...
...because it's damn good:

• Warmwater Chronicles
• Smallmouth Fly Box
• Pine Island Angler
• Stream2Stream
• Chi Wulff
• Salt 396
• and many, many more...

8) Some people just don't get it.

"Kramer goes to a Fantasy camp? His whole life is a fantasy camp! People should plunk down $2,000 to live like him for a week." George Costanza

Someone recently referenced that quote while talking to me about my life. Some days I think it it's bang-on.

But that particular day I just purchased this to keep strapped to my body 24/7 in Niger.

Fantasy camp, my ass...

9) I love this website.
I like to mix it up once in a while here: fly fishing and lifestyle.

That lifestyle probably doesn't jive for the majority (go back to 1) and 8) on this list) but I'm sure two or three of you are interested in it a little bit.

Oh, that link might be classified as NSFW and/or the kids. There's a lot of swears in there.

My apartment is in a state of flux right now. I call it controlled chaos. The clutter and squalor quotients are kept to a minimum, at least. The kayak, fishing gear and all the fly tying materials in the living lend a certain loveable ambience to the place.

UFYH gives a much-needed dose of reality to the realm of cleaning & organizing: cleaning sucks, but it needs to be done (for advanced level reality, give this guy a read...if you can handle it)

It's a good site to read when things get out of control.

10) The new James Bond...
...was ok. It was no Avengers, by any stretch, but it was good.

11) Music for your playlist
A few tracks I've been listening to recently, give 'em a listen:

(Can't see the videos above? Click here to view the full post)

Things of Three VIII

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

1. TFM interviewed on Itinerant Angler
Glass guru Cameron Mortenson of the Fiberglass Manifesto spoke with Zach Matthews on the Itinerant Angler podcast the other day, sharing his insights on current trends in the world of modern fiberglass rods.

The discussion ranged from a who's who of modern glass rod builders to the feel of casting slower action rods. The podcast is a great listen; Cameron really knows his stuff.

Since following along to Cameron's glass sermons over the past couple of years, I've dipped my toe into the shallow end of the fiberglass pool. The 7/8wt Cabela's CGR ended up as one of my favourite rods, and I've dusted off my dad's old Shakespeare two-piece rod a few times. They're fun to cast, and playing a 2lb smallmouth on them is a near religious experience.

Though not a devout glass disciple, I've discovered my casting style and technique (or lack thereof) is better suited to slower action rods, and have since adjusted my rod quiver accordingly. Gone are a couple super-fast action rods (eg, TFO's Axiom). Another lightsaber has found a home with me: a new 7wt Redington CPX (I now own the CPX in 7, 8 and 10wts). Casting the fiberglass rods helped me determine what works best for me, and the slightly-slower action of the CPX is it...it just took a few other 7wt rods to figure that out.

If you haven't taken a glass rod for a spin yet, I recommend it. There's a rod loan program over at TFM to give you a chance to demo a few. It's worth looking into.

Listen to Cameron on the Itinerant Angler podcast here, and visit The Fiberglass Manifesto website to get your inner glass geek on.

2. Google Nexus 7
You might recall me singing the praises of my iPod Touch in previous posts. And while I still believe it's a amazingly useful device for communicating, snapping pictures and listening to music (especially when traveling light), the Nexus 7 otherwise blows it out of the water.

With a 7" screen and larger touchscreen keypad (equipped with Swype), it's far easier for reading and typing content, and videos can be watched without holding the device 4.5" from your face. Synced with my Google account, it has everything I need (email, calendar, contacts, etc) for my jet-setting ways.

The Nexus 7 is also far more comfortable to read my ever-expanding ebook library than my iPod Touch, and the screen allows me to read with the lights off, unlike the Kobo e-reader. As both Kindle and Kobo have Android apps, I'm able to keep both libraries on one device. Brilliant.

Am I retiring the iPod Touch? Hell no. I'm still a big fan of Apple products. But it's a lot easier on my brain traveling with the Nexus 7 & iPod instead of my MacBook Air, which remains my HQ for all things Mat in the digital world.

And another bonus: it's far, far cheaper than an iPad. I wouldn't own a tablet if the Nexus 7 wasn't the price it is ($250 for 16gb model).

Web: google.com/nexus/7/

3. The (updated) Saltwater Fly Journal
Blatant self-promotion? You bet.

But a couple evenings of sleeplessness from jet lag brought some flashy renovations to my little side project, The Saltwater Fly Journal.

Gone is the plain-Jane minimalist look. A flashy header pic and a few coloured fonts later and I'm ready to take on Midcurrent*!

* - No I'm not.

Though still existing as an aggregator of news, videos and info from the salty realm for now, I'm excited about putting more effort into the Saltwater Fly Journal. Expect content about community supported fisheries and eating seafood to accompany the usual fare of saltwater fishporn, gear and fly tying. And yes, there will be some original content in there, too...eventually.

Note - Don't fear, for the rambling bullshit that you've been used to seeing for nigh onto 270 posts will continue here on mattrevors.com.

I'd be pumped if you clicked over and checked out The (new) Saltwater Fly Journal.

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Enter your email address to subscribe (I will never, ever spam, sell or trade your email address):

Who's in?

(click image to go to the Tying Symposium's website)

I'll be the at the symposium this weekend, hanging around the Clear Cure Goo booth (trying to be helpful, a.k.a., not a nuisance).

Stop by to say hi to Brian & I if you're in the neighbourhood!

Traveling Angler Tuesdays: Wishin'

Me, in Belize (Photo by Dylan Rose)

SADness

Yes, I'm alive.

No, I haven't been fishing...except for a few hours chucking fowl-sized flies for muskie. And no, I didn't hook (or see) any.

The vise was hauled out a few nights back, tying a few mid-sized ugly flies to refill the bass box for next season. But even that burst of spontaneous creativity was short-lived due to traveling for work.

It's -12°C here in Idaho (about 10°F in Yankee units), with snow on the way. I didn't bother to bring any fishing gear this trip for my post-work / pre-flight pilgrimage to the Boise River. Time constraints and such.

If you can't tell, I'm about three weeks deep into the winter blues and we're not even past the midway point of November.

I'm hoping for Sage to release a high-priced, angler-themed ultraviolet light to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder. I'll be one of the first to buy.

Only 154 days to go...

Note: my SADness is self-diagnosed and caused almost exclusively by lack of fishing. And probably not real. I'm sorry if people who truly suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder are offended at what they may perceive as insensitive humour. It's not my intention to offend, only to entertain...and whine...

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One thing that isn't 154 days away that I'm looking forward to is going to the International Fly Tying Symposium!

I'm going to help spread the word about Clear Cure Goo and its overall awesomeness, so if you're at the show this coming weekend, stop by the CCG booth to say hi to Brian and I...and buy some Clear Cure Goo!

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One of the mid-sized uglies I tied up the other night came out pretty good, if I do say so myself:

It's pretty simple, can be done in any number of colours, and only has seven ingredients including hook & thread:

• Hook: TMC 8089 #10
• Thread: black 6/0
• Tail: rabbit strip w/ Krystal flash above (long) & below (short)
• Body: Cactus chenille (black & copper shown above)
• Eyes: Medium dumbbell eyes
• Silli-legs

I used some Clear Cure Goo on the eyes & to finish the head, but any head cement could do the trick.

In the bass bug pictured, I used three legs per side (resulting in six legs/side), which, in the end, is a little excessive & a bit of a pain in the arsehole to deal with when wrapping the chenille. I'll only use two legs per side (four legs a-danglin') in the future.

This was the first fly in my new Bass Fly Philosopher's Collection, in which there are two components:

1. Surface flies: Sexy is good. Flashy is good. Precision is good. Think of deer hair bass bugs, hand-crafted foam & balsa poppers, so on, so forth. Care & effort is worth it.
2. Sub-surface flies: quick & dirty ties. Clousers, buggers and their variants that can be tied quickly, cheaply, and thus lost on bottom or structure without too much grief for time and dollars spent.

Most of my bass fishing is in a smallish river; hence, the majority of bass flies I use (and lose) are weighted flies I dead-drift along bottom or toss into structure. Because I'm one of only a handful of bass-on-the-fly guys in the area, the fish aren't all that heavily pressured by seeing a lot of flies. I don't need to antagonize over near-perfect appearance of crawfish claws to get some fish to eat.

For subsurface, simple is better. And cheaper.

The Ancient Greeks said it best, lamda phi balla ding dong: Keep it simple, shithead!

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A couple of notes about the TMC (aka Tiemco) 8089 bass bug hooks:

They are awesome. Big, wide gap & a good, stiff shank (that sounds dirty, huh?).

They're sharp as f**k (if you need a translation for that, here's a handy guide on understanding my people). I wasn't paying attention while palmering some rabbit hair, and, well, it really fuckin' hurt.

They are really big. Like, big. Don't think a TMC 8089 #10 is equivalent in size to some Mustad streamer #10. Because they are not. Not at all. I even did a little graphic for y'all on how goddamned huge these TMC 8089s are:

Yes, that's your standard Mustad 34007 saltwater hook. Like redfish, baby tarpon, snook-sized fly hook. The TMC 8089 #10 is almost the exact same size, albeit with a thinner gauge wire. The Tiemco engineers must've been huffing a little too much glue when labelling the 8089 series...

But still an awesome hook.

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)

Traveling Angler Tuesdays: Global Rescue

When one travels off the beaten path in pursuit of fish or other adventures (or for work), it's always good to plan ahead about how you're getting home in the worse case scenario.

Since my first trip to West Africa in 2010, my plan has involved forking some cash over to become a member of Global Rescue.

With different membership plans and options available, Global Rescue provides emergency response services in case of medical or security risks to their members.

Because of the nature of my travel, I have both the medical and security plans that cover me for up to 90 days out of my home province at a time (I added the security package once I found out the location of my next assignment). 

It works out to be about $55/month for this coverage. I consider it an extremely good investment.

Note: The company I'm (loosely) attached to has a contract with International SOS, which I have access to, but I pay extra for Global Rescue out of my own pocket. That says something right there, huh?

Coincidently (and conveniently), an email update from Angling Trade arrived while I was writing the draft of this today, with a little blurb about Global Rescue. It involves an experience Jim Klug of Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures had on one of his many travels, resulting in Global Rescue getting a call. You can read about it here.

You can also read more about Global rescue in this article from Outside Magazine here.

Oh, if I'm not cool enough to review & recommend Global Rescue, these guys might be sufficiently cooler.

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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.

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 Tuesdays: The Charleston Five

My lovely girlfriend and I went on an epic road trip a few months back and we ended up in lovely, historic Charleston, SC for five days.

We really loved it: the food, hospitality and fun were all in abundance.

There's something special about historical port cities and towns. They give me a good feeling. Halifax, St. John's (Newfoundland), Seattle, Montreal, Portland (Maine), Vancouver, Belfast (Maine) and Charleston have each given me that vibe over the years. I can't put my finger on it, but part of it is definitely the architecture. Or maybe the fresh sea air. Who knows? I like it though.

Note: Sorry Saint John (New Brunswick), Sydney (Nova Scotia), but you're a little ways off from making this list. Keep chasing that rainbow, though!

Here's my list of five must-sees/dos if you're heading to the Holy City for a visit (plus a bonus tip for affordable accommodations right in the heart of Charleston):

1. South Carolina Aquarium

There's a reason I put this at number one: the SC Aquarium is AWESOME! Snakes, albino alligators, sharks, a big-ass eagle, lots of fish, lots of things to see. Expect to spend a couple of hours wandering around to see everything, but allocate more time if you plan to take in a show at the 4-D Theatre.

Bonus: if you happen to get skunked fishing for redfish, like I did, at least you can see them up close at the Aquarium. Just don't expect to be allowed to grab one for a grip & grin...

Web: scaquarium.org
Location: 100 Aquarium Wharf  Charleston, SC (map)

No hero shots allowed!

2. Sullivan's Island
There's a beach. And there's Fort Moultrie, an old-timey fort in service for over 170 years. Fort Moutrie was manned through many major incidents of modern history, including the Revolutionary War, the 'War of Northern Aggression' and up through World War II.

Sullivan's Island beach. Not Fort Moultrie.

And Sullivan's is also home to Poe's Tavern (more on that below), too.

There's also kite-surfing lessons, which is awesome if you like watching people slam face-first into water and/or sand at high velocities. I know I did.

Location: map

3. Lowcountry Fly Shop
Scotty D and the gang at Lowcountry Fly Shop have an awesome shop & know their shit. Everything you could ask for, for both fresh & saltwater, is at the shop. Loads of tying materials, too.

Lowcountry also runs a guide and charter service. Scotty's a workhorse on the poling platform. He put me into lots of fish, too (I just messed things up a lot). Getting to see a part of the Charleston region from the bow of Scotty's flats boat was a definite highlight of my trip.

Note: Fishing in Charleston? Work on casting short-shots. Seriously. Fifteen to thirty feet. That means five to twenty feet of fly line out of the tip. Choose your rod wisely. I'm already mentally preparing for my return trip. And yes, Charleston reds do seem to be smarter than Louisiana reds...

Pop in for a visit, buy some flies, book a guided trip, ask where to eat/drink...ask if Scotty still has my sneakers...you can do it all at Lowcountry Fly Shop. A mandatory stop for the Traveling Angler whilst in Charleston.

Web: lowcountryflyshop.com
Location: 280 W. Coleman Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC (map)

Big-ass bridge. Scary with a kayak strapped to your roof rack. But Lowcountry Fly Shop is over there...

4. Hominy Grill

I'm not a souvenir guy, but I keep this on my fridge.
That must say something right there.

This was conveniently located around the corner from where we stayed. We ate there twice. We had plans to go again. It was that awesome.

A trip to the South isn't right without eating Southern food. It's truly the food of the angels. Perhaps big-boned angels, but angels nonetheless.

The first meal we had at the Hominy Grill was the big nasty biscuit with fried chicken breast, cheddar cheese and sausage gravy. With grits, cornbread and sweet tea.

If one was to eat Southern-style, it's full-ass or no-ass. And eating that leads down the path to full-ass after a while, I'm certain. It was delicious. My mouth is watering right now.

The second time in, we had breakfast. I was considering the big nasty again (yes, it's on the breakfast menu, too) but opted for the egg biscuit. Something about biscuits in that part of the world really makes sense. With grits on the side, once again.

I like grits. And sweet tea.

Damn it I'm hungry.

Note: I started making grits here. It took a small but coordinated search to find authentic grits in Atlantic Canada, but I did it. That's what I do. I find stuff. I'm good at it, and often receive a substantial sum of money to find stuff. Interested in me finding stuff for you? Hire me. Seriously.

I regret not making the third trip as we were planning to buy the Hominy Grill Recipe Book when we went back...but I just noticed they have recipes on their webpage. Win.

Web: hominygrill.com
Location: 207 Rutledge Avenue, Charleston, SC (map)

5. Poe's Tavern
Located on Sullivan's Island, Poe's Tavern has the best damn fries and burgers we had on our road trip. Bar none. Just go. You won't regret it.

Note: Special thanks to Cameron over at TFM for recommending Poe's Tavern as well as the SC Aquarium for our adventures!

Web: poestavern.com/sullivans-island/
Location: 2210 Middle Street, Sullivan's Island, SC (map)

6. Affordable Accommodations in Historic Charleston (BONUS)
This is your money-saving tip for this post. And a call for people to think about prioritizing when you're on vacation.

Here's an exercise: Go to Expedia and search for hotels in "Historic Charleston."

Spendy, right?

Enter Not-so-Hostel, located walking distance to everything in "Historic Charleston." A private room, shared bathroom and next to the old-timey Southern veranda for sippin' mint juleps. That was mid-summer, I might add.

Note: Hostels, in the eyes of North Americans, get a bad rap, mostly due to the inconsiderate dirtbag hippies. Some people don't like shared bathrooms, either. I say get over yourself. Use the bathroom and get outside to see stuff. And it's funny that many of the same people that bitch & moan about staying in a hostel will also bitch & moan about the high price of a hotel room. Figure your shit out, people.

And I'm not saying all hippies are inconsiderate or dirtbags. I'm saying the inconsiderate dirtbag kind of hippies really ruin a lot of shit (especially if you're in a band and you steal booze from the people who promoted your show...you f**kers know who you are). The extremely condescending "yippies" (hippy + yuppy), typically found wearing Patagonia clothing and driving Subaru Outbacks* are annoying, too, but at least they don't ruin shit like the inconsiderate dirtbag hippy does.

* - I'm considering buying a Subaru Outback, but it's due to mileage/storage/reliability combination. Seriously. How's that for irony? No plans for a Patagonia soft-shell anytime soon, though. But Patagonia does make apparel of excellent quality. Just sayin'.

My girlfriend and I were trying to keep our accommodation costs on this road trip as low as possible. We were aiming for a budgeted cost of $50 per night. We did a few overnight drives ($0/night, except extra coffee/Red Bull), a few nights in campgrounds ($20-$40/night), a few hotels ($109-$145/night) and four nights at the Not-So Hostel in Charleston...at $60/night.

That's not a typo: we spent five days/four nights in Historic Charleston for $240 total, cheaper than many hotels charge per night in the summertime in Chucktown.

A side-benefit of staying at the hostel was being within walking distance of lots of restaurants and activities, so no burning gas while we were there, either.

Wandering around Charleston, eating delicious Southern food, going fishing with Scotty D. seeing the SC Aquarium and the other fun we had wouldn't have been possible if I didn't happen to come across the Not-So Hostel's website. We wouldn't have been able to spend five days in the Holy City at regular hotel rates. The rates are too damn high.

Web: notsohostel.com
Location: 156 Spring Street, Charleston, SC (map)

Fancy hotels are nice, but if it came down to sleeping in a king-size bed or seeing Becky hold a baby alligator...

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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.

Truth