Troutrageous!

Fracking? Enter Jack Donaghy

2012-05-25T03:00:00.000-04:00

Yeah...the big guns are being brought out against hydrofracking on Saturday, June 2nd. Look out gas companies, here comes Jack.

Courtesy Syracuse.com

What they are in store for...

If only I lived closer to Syracuse...

The #odbloglove Proposition

2012-05-24T03:00:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not talking about the new Odblo Gloves from Glacier Glove...

Odblo Gloves???

In reading this blog, you might have recognized that I like to give out the "blog love" in my posts pretty frequently. What's blog love you might ask? Simply put, it's the mention/promotion of another blog for an interesting post, or even more importantly, to simply provide little bit of exposure to a new blog, helping it gain a few more readers.

I received blog love back in the day from a fellow blogger, so I only feel it's right to return the favor now, especially since Troutrageous! has gained a somewhat ~~delusional~~ dedicated following.

While blog-on-blog promotion is great, I noticed on Twitter yesterday that the blog love hashtag (or #bloglove) is a very underutilized term within tweets. Do a search, I dare ya - you'll get a few results, but nothing along the lines of #FF, #RT, or even #fishchat. I started using it for a few posts yesterday and the response from the bloggers that originally wrote those posts was great. Yeah, they were overwhelmed by the power of the blog love.

So what I'd like to propose...the next time you're on Twitter and want to re-tweet a blog post from someone...go ahead and add the "outdoor blog love" hashtag (#odbloglove) to the end of the tweet. Unfortunately, the much shorter #ODBL is already taken by foreigners.

For those of you slow on the uptake I'm tossing an od to the front of bloglove to make this unique to our outdoor demographic. Hunting, fishing, camping, it's all good...

See, any lazy bobo can just hit the RT button and send a tweet along; this actually takes a little initiative, and will make finding good blogger-recommended outdoor content even easier.

Or don't...and suck worse than you do already.

Wednesday Nibbles - The First One Since February Edition

2012-05-23T03:00:00.000-04:00

Hey look what's back...Wednesday Nibbles. Yeah, the sh*t show that just won't go away is back once again, just like scabies on a hippie. So what are we...we?...I mean what am I going to talk about today? Probably nothing worth noting, but I missed writing these things, so here we go anyway...

So what's the deal with Michigan? Has that damn state become the fly fishing epicenter of the universe or something? Seems like every blog I read...and probably a few I don't...are all raving about Michigan fly fishing. Fontinalis Rising, Pile Cast, TFM, Fishingpoet, The Freshwater Fly, just to name a few. Steelhead, trout, carp, bass. It's like nuts or something.

In 2013 I think a trip to Michigan in is order, because like Wisconsin, I've got Mitten Envy. Anybody want to go with? Buckeyes need not apply.

Speaking of Buckeyes, remember that short bus that took you to school back in the day? Yeah, I know you do. Well evidently fire trucks come in the same size. Hey Small Fly Funk...what is this...a size 26?

For those of you that don't know, friend of this blog Owl Jones (okay, we have a weird bromance...we're like a trailer park version of Tom Chandler and Singlebarbed) has started a popper business called ZazzyPop. If you're reading this, you probably already know about this venture, but I thought I'd plug (get it...plug?) two things he's got going on. Why? I guess because it's good karma and these one of a kind bad boys are handcrafted in the U.S.A.

First off, through the end of this month, which is May...and only a few days away...ZazzyPop is running a "Buy 3 Get 1 Free" deal. I mean that's a pretty good offer if you ask me. What's free these days?

Also, a good reason why you should definitely consider taking advantage of the offer is because ZazzyPop is also holding a 2012 "Big Fish" contest where all you have to do is send in a pic of a big fish caught on a ZazzyPop and you can win a free custom fly rod from Misfit Rods as well as a barrel full of ZazzyPops. What? Yeah, I'm not lying. More contest info can be found HERE. You can't win if you don't play, so get some ZazzyPops and get on the water!

Ummm...do you like to dance? These folks evidently do...and no, there is no truth to the rumor that this is behind the scenes footage at last year's Tenkara Summit. Although with enough Sapporo sake bombs, I'm certain Dr. Ishigaki and Daniel-San can make this look tame.

Totally random thought...anyone else excited about the sequel to Anchorman?

Finally, time for some blog love. Yeah...with a three month Nibbles hiatus I'm horny as a two headed rhinoceros...and need to give out all kind of virtual hugs and kisses and other unwanted advances.

First on the list is Fly Hook Chronicles a blog written by "Fish4Life" but also known as "flyfishing84" on Instagram...or Steven Carr. It's a blog with a lot of pictures, a lot of fish, and just interesting to look at from time to time. Check it.

Fly Hook Chronicles Ink

The second bit of blog love is actually just re-establishing the locale of a blog that's been highlighted in this space before. What was once "Average Outdoors" is now post identity crisis and is now going by "The Eastern Fly." This blog is currently in it's tenkara phase, which I can appreciate, but if that's not your thing, don't get lost in that. There's a lot of other content on here that's worth checking out too.

Gear Review - Revo Bearing Polarized Sunglasses

2012-05-22T03:00:00.000-04:00

A while ago...like almost 3 months ago...a gentleman representing Revo offered me a pair of sunglasses to review. Why? Because I've got a bit of a past in doing such eyewear reviews such as THIS, THIS, and THIS...and even THIS. However, a mix of cloudy weather and poor circumstances have largely kept these off my noggin, unable to provide the desired review...so I'm sure he just thought I took the goodies and ran.

Revo Bearing Sunglasses - Black Ink/Graphite

Fortunately, these sunglasses recently hitched a ride to the Smokies to participate in the Owl Jones/Troutrageous EPIC fishing trip and got a bit of a workout, especially on Days 2 and 3. So being a man of my word, here's that review Mr. Revo Dude, albeit a bit overdue.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The first thing I noticed when I opened the box is that these sunglasses are pretty solidly put together. The frames and lenses are pretty much all fancy plastic, but it isn't cheap plastic in any way. (I'm certain to be corrected by the manufacturer that the frames are nylon and the lenses polycarbonate...whatever...like I said...plastic). As a matter of fact, the frames are actually "eco-friendly" according to the Revo website, so you can feel good about wearing them as you scarf down your tofu and granola parfait:

Eco-Use is a nylon frame material made in part from the seed of the castor bean plant. Not only is this material sustainable and more environmentally friendly, it is also exceptionally light and flexible. It’s the perfect complement to the superior optical performance of our Revo High Contrast Polarized lenses.

Other than that, the spring loaded hinges provide light tension and smoothly move how they are supposed to, there are some softish rubber nose pads to keep the glasses in place high on your nose, and they feel nice and light on your head. Good deal...I'm diggin' them so far...

They even make a mossy rock look dapper

ON THE WATER
I have to admit, these lenses are pretty damn good...and that's really the most important thing, right? They might be the best of the batch from the sunglasses I've reviewed to date. The technical mumbo jumbo to describe these polycarbonate "Serilium" lenses makes for ~~fantastic propaganda~~ a good read...also lifted from the Revo website:

High Contrast Polarization™: Polarization like you’ve never experienced before.
Revo High Contrast Polarized lenses provide visual acuity on surfaces like open water and snow where sunlight can be harsh and reflection can distort vision. These lenses selectively filter the color bands that we are most sensitive to allowing the natural spectrum of color to come through vividly and clearly. The result is sharp color contrast and crystal clear vision. See the world that you’ve been missing.

What does that mean? Well put on the sunglasses and it's magical...like a unicorn barfing a box of Lucky Charms...freakin' rainbows and and four leaf clovers everywhere. Well, not really, but they do cut glare and even help you track extremely tiny micro-fish like this one as they rise to your dry fly from over 25 feet away. I know the day I spot my first Sasquatch, I'll be wearing these Revos.

Look at the handsome sunglass-wearing ass holding the tiny fish

ANYTHING TO BITCH ABOUT?
You know, not really. The glasses are light, the lenses work good, the frames are largish so they block out more than their share of light. I also ~~intentionally threw~~ dropped them on rocks a few times and they didn't break. What else do you need? Oh, I guess they won't get you a beer if you're thirsty, but that's what trained squirrels are for. Duh.

Just make sure not to teach them to drink the beer.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER GOODIES?
Actually, other than the sunglasses, there weren't any. With all of the other sunglasses I've reviewed, they usually came in retail packaging with either a hard or soft sided case, a lens cloth, and some sort of leash-type thing to keep them around your neck when not on your eyes. I was kinda surprised, as I'm not sure if it was just because I received a review sample or something, but my sunglasses came caseless, only in a plain white drawstring pouch, that I suppose doubles as a cleaning cloth. Not a big deal...but I obviously can't review or comment on those components (should they exist when purchased at retail).

TO CONCLUDE...
If you want a pair of sunglasses, you should at least consider these, especially if you can't find the pair that Macho Man used to wear. I won't tell you they are a "must have" simply because they're pricey ($189 MSRP) and I know not everyone wants to drop almost 2 bills on sunglasses. Heck, I've reviewed 4 different pair of polarized sunglasses all at different price points and I wouldn't say any were "bad."

What I will say is that unless you're an total doof and lose your Revos in the stream and let them float away, these Bearings are well built and perform well, so you should definitely get a solid return on your investment over time. Sleep well knowing you won't be wasting your hundred and eighty nine bucks...even if buying 47 bags of Cool Ranch Doritos could be interpreted by some as a better $189 purchase...but when is that not the case?

DISCLAIMER:
The Revo Bearing sunglasses tested in this product review were provided to me at no cost, but hold a retail value of $189 per the manufacturer's website. I currently hold no association with Revo whatsoever, and probably would not until they get one of their squirrel henchmen to bring me a cold PBR and a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. As with all independent gear reviews at Troutrageous!, I try my best to keep my reviews honest and unbiased. If something is good, it deserves applause; if it sucks, I'll let you know that too. It ain't in my interest to steer you wrong, so why waste the time in doing so?

Back Behind The Wheel

2012-05-21T03:00:00.000-04:00

It's been a few days since the last post around here...and Russell Westbrook's shirt has received far too much play. Unfortunately, last week's slowdown in blog posting was not due to an extended fishing weekend, but rather a weekend of work (with admittedly a little play) down in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ric Flair appearance at Walmart...and I was a few days early...crap!

This is just a post to get back in the groove a bit and set the table for a full week's worth of fishing-ish posts. So what's in store for Troutrageous! readers leading into Memorial Day weekend? How about a few overdue product reviews, perhaps some bad Photoshop, and yes, the return of Wednesday Nibbles. Sound good? Well, you know I don't really care what you think anyway.

Oh, and for those of you that don't do Instagram or Twitter and haven't been following along there, here are a few pictures of last weekend. No rainbow trout, but lots of brightly colored cars.

The Look Of A Winner

2012-05-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

Being born & raised in the Philadelphia area, the 76ers are my favorite basketball team. As such, I'm rooting for them pretty avidly in this year's NBA Playoffs...but if/when they get bounced, my interests will immediately turn toward Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder, for no other reason than shirts like this in post game press conferences...

Zazzy Pop?

Want one for your summer BBQ? Only $115 (ouch!) from the home of the alligator polo, Lacoste. Or then again, try on an equally awesome shirt for size at a slightly lower price...

Oh, The Agony!

2012-05-15T03:00:00.000-04:00

Yeah, time to fill out some paperwork thanks to an end of day in-stream stumble down in North Carolina. Will this be considered abuse of warranty due to my own clumsiness? Guess I'll find out. At least I'm not lying by saying it just snapped hauling in a lunker mid-fight.

Say what you will about tenkara, but a least getting a replacement section only costs about $7 and can be acquired without sending in your whole rod + $$$ + a TPS report.

Appears the CGR will be inserted into the rotation for the time being...

Guest Post - The Top 5 Fly Fishing Apps

2012-05-12T03:00:00.000-04:00

After my 3 post Smokies outburst, I needed a break from posting, so today, I present a guest post.

This post was forwarded to me by Steve Jacobs and I think it's pretty topical considering the prevalence of smartphones among anglers. While I can't say I've personally used or endorse the apps mentioned, I figure if you've got fish on the brain like me, they're probably worth a download at some point. Enjoy.

------------------------------------------------------------

Top 5 Fly Fishing Apps

As a fly fishing enthusiast I never thought the Internet would weasel its way into my love affair with the great outdoors and the thrill of the fish hitting the fly. I must say however that after years of fighting against technology and progress, I have been seduced. I confess my fly fishing obsession has been enhanced by numerous apps.

Today I am going to highlight just five of the many apps that I have found to be very helpful and enjoyable. Some tend to be geared more for technical and instructional purposes such as how to tie certain types of knots. Others tend to be focused on facilitating the observational and contemplative aspects of enjoying the sport. This is done by creating memories within journal entries and even being able to share and compare those experiences and observations with others that share the same passion.

1. The Pocket Fisherman by Magic Mobile
This App provides information about specific species of fish, information on regulations and records within the 49 Continental states and GPS mapping for the closes tackle shops and marinas. It allows you to search according to name of fish or you can identify a fish by looking at pictures. A summary of each type of fish, providing description of appearance, average length, weight and natural habitat is provided.

2. Fishing Knots by Perished-apps
This app only demonstrates 10 knots but the nice thing about it is that it is one of the easiest tutorials to understand. The descriptions and the pictures are done so well that it is quite easy to understand and duplicate. Although it would be nice to have a larger assortment of knots, the app is FREE!

3. Orvis Fly Fishing by Green Mountain Digital
Orvis is obviously a well known name in the fishing industry. The company markets a large amount of high quality fly fishing gear. It sells exotic overseas fishing safari trips and is active in promoting numerous conservation projects. Many people have been introduced to Orvis via their fly fishing apps for the iPhone. (Also available for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire)

This app has a huge number of features. It has everything from instructional videos, to podcasts, to glossaries. It really comes in handy when you need to reference a large database of information.

4. Animated Fishing Knots By John Sherry
This app has significantly more knots than the "Fishing Knots" app I mentioned earlier. Knowing how to tie lots of specialty knots is crucial for those who are serious anglers. It covers everything from the basic Drop Shot knot to the complicated Arbor and Yucatan Knots.

Unlike "Fishing Knots" this app is not free, but it is priced right. If you are still acquiring your knowledge base of need-to-know knots, this is a great app. It is available through iTunes store.

5. Fishing Notes by Jimmy Houston
This app is being promoted by Jimmy Houston. He is a bass fishing celebrity; he had a professional fishing career and is probably known best for his television series. This particular fishing app is pretty much an all-in-one fishing log app. Users can add journal entries about their fishing trips in various locations and compare them to those had by others. It brings together a fishing community through the use of the app.

One of the nice things about it is that you don't need access to an active internet connection to make entries which is a handy feature for those deep in the wilds. It also provides real time weather forecasts for all locations.

There are so many fishing apps available today that it is difficult to evaluate all of them. Some of them become really invaluable once you begin using them. Hopefully one or two of the ones highlighted in this post will be of interest.

------------------------------------------------------------

Author Bio: Steve Jacobs is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys everything from hunting to fishing and beyond. Over the years Steve has come to be an expert in many of the fields he loves – hunting and fishing gear, supplies, ammo etc - and works for Sportsman’s Warehouse helping others enjoy the outdoors.

Fly Fishing The Smokies With Owl Jones - The Finale On The Nantahala

2012-05-11T03:00:00.000-04:00

Part 3 of a 3 Part Series. (Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

After a day of dawn to dusk fishing, it felt good to sleep in a little bit on Sunday morning.

Unfortunately, we wouldn't be sleeping too long, as the Nantahala and her trout were calling. Camp broke down and packed up very quickly, and before you knew it, Milliam had everything loaded into the bed of his truck (I bet that guy is good a jigsaw puzzles) and we were ready to go.

Before we were able to escape, two representatives from the Children of Elias did stop over to thank us for the use of the lighter the prior morning. Actually the one-sided converstation went something like this...

"Thank you a-gain for the ligh-ter...

we brought you some coo-kies...

and a pray-er card...

E-li-as loves you..."

(Okay I made up that last part about Elias).

Being a nice gesture, Owl thanked them and they walked off...only to return no more than 5 minutes later.

"If you don't like the coo-kies...

we know...you will like these..."

And wandered off again, back to the mothership.

Not to be one to pass up free food, we teared into the napkin wrapped parcels. After taking a first bite, Owl almost gagged on the blueberry corn muffin. Meanwhile over in raisin cookie land, I now know what dog biscuits taste like. Ungrateful?...yes...but cognizant of the effects of ingesting rat poison, let's just say we stopped eating then and there. Well except Milliam, who despite acknowledging the robust sawdust flavor and consistency, ate two full cookies and brought the others for the road. Farewell Smokemont.

Enough of that...fishing...yeah, fishing...

We drove a little bit around a bunch of winding roads until we finally made it to the Nantahala, a much larger river than the small streams we had been fishing the prior two days; one which we pretty quickly found out was also recently stocked.

Full of stupid stockies

As far as the details of this outing, there weren't many. Throw out a weighted nymph or woolly bugger, let drift, jerk on the retrieve, catch fish. I think I caught 6 or 7 within the first 20 or so minutes. 14" rainbows and 10" brookies were the norm, with a random brown tossed in there for good measure.

This pattern followed for the next 5 or 6 hours at each of the pull-offs we stopped at. The only thing that slowed us down was hunger (quickly remedied by Oscar Mayer) and then an imminent, although shortly lived threat of rain.

At the last pull-off of the day I had the unfortunate pleasure of slipping on a rock and going down hard to my knees. While I wasn't hurt, my rod tip was, but quite honestly with all the catching that day, I didn't mind a bit. Rod tips can be replaced...and if they can't...it's not like I own just one fishing rod.

After that, a bit of hijinks ensued. Cover your eyes PETA.
I not so proudly present the premier of, "Smoky Mountain Bridge Fishing."

A bad backcast...luckily no tractor trailers were driving through

With that bit on nonsense over, the EPIC Smokies trip of 2012 sadly came to a close. We headed back to Georgia, stopping only for some BBQ on the way, and listening to the M.C. Hammer channel on Pandora all the way back. Pandora gave Naughty By Nature a lot of play time love. I didn't complain. Owl did. Don't mess with his toot-toot.

Once back at Owl's house in Gainesville, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Mrs. Owl, who I thank for the extreme hospitality and clean shower and towels. (I hope I didn't make too much of a mess of the bathroom.) I think that was first time I'd ever gone 3 days without a shower, and ripe was not the word.

The next morning would bring some light Atlanta traffic, the airport, and a flight home. Thank you Owl & Milliam for a great time and patience you had with this too often errantly casting Yankee. If you're ever interested in heading North, Pennsylvania & I will be happy to host a future outing...we've got plenty of trout streams...as well as hotels...

Fly Fishing The Smokies With Owl Jones - The Meat Grinder, 28 Step, & A Really Long Blog Post

2012-05-10T03:00:00.000-04:00

Part 2 of a 3 Part Series. (Part 1 HERE)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Most alarm clocks either play music or buzz. On day two of the trip, our alarm was neither.

"E-li-as...E-li-as...?

Oh, sor-ry, you are not with our group.

Do you happen to have mat-ches or A ligh-ter?"

Yeah, our alarm was one of the friendly cult members knocking on the tent flap looking for fire. I suppose in all their fun the night before they were ill-prepared for the morning's ~~brainwashing~~ breakfast. And they really spoke funny, putting awkward pauses where they didn't belong in the syllables of words...

It was probably okay that they woke us up anyway, we had a full day of fishing in front of us. Two stops were on the agenda - both in search of wild brook trout. First "The Meat Grinder," second "28 Step," which are code names for not-so-secret streams, but as a guest, I'm not one to reveal their identities.

After a little ride, we arrived at the Meat Grinder and was greeted by this...

A sign to turn away? Beats me, but regardless we headed down the trail to the stream.

No more than 5 minutes after reaching our starting point, what do you think happened? A Guy on a Buffalo sighting? Nope, we wouldn't dream of being so lucky. Rather the sky opened up and it flat out started pouring!

Milliam taking cover

The rain eventually cooperated a bit allowing us to fish some dry flies, but much like the prior day we didn't have much luck.

Cookie break

After a few hours of fishing every little bit of available slack & pocket water, the score was Milliam 2, Owl 0, Me 0. The fishing was actually so slow this giant ball of foam stopped us in our tracks....and...it was...hyp...no...tiz...ing....

Nice hat Owl

Upon giving up on the Meat Grinder we hiked out (in a very, very, very roundabout way) and decided to head back to the car and get some lunch and pick up some local trinkets in nearby Cherokee, NC for me to bring home to Lilly. She scored a sweet (albeit) cheezy and politically-incorrect Indian headdress. I could actually write an entire post, if not a whole entire other blog, about the amazingness of Cherokee, NC, but I'll leave it there...for now.

A #5 served with a side of color coordination

After the brief stop in town, we were off to the upper reaches of the Smokies to fish "28 Step," a smallish stream that Owl guaranteed to have a ton of feisty Appalachian brook trout in it. I kind of found the spot intriguing because it was relatively open and not choked by rhododendron like the previous two streams we fished.

Gangsta

"The water's so low...where's the water?"....was the first thing I heard when we arrived at our starting point. Undeterred, the three of us moved ahead, with Owl and Milliam allowing me to lead the way and drop my dry fly into the tiny little pools first. For the first 45 minutes, fishing was slow...damn slow...as in no fish...but eventually, even a blind worm finds a bird...or something like that...

I was told this is "average" sized. It's not the first time I've been lied to.

Heck, I even managed to catch another one when Owl suggested "tenkara-ing" a fly beneath a small foot bridge...the fly didn't stand a chance.

I believe we all ended up catching a few, but Milliam was the big winner pulling this trophy wild brookie out of a hole toward the end of our outing.

NICE fish!

After that, the day was pretty much over. Milliam & Owl insisted on driving around for about an hour to re-live some sort of fishing adventure in which they got lost and pretty much had to spend the night outside and had nothing to eat but raisins (which Owl threw out). I think he wrote a post about it once HERE.

Retiring to camp again for the night, we settled back in by the fire again, telling stories about ridiculous fishing headwear, blog posts that never made it to "publish," and yellow roller skates, RATT bandanas & gold sequin shirts. Diagram below.

What might have been...

Oh, and of course, we were again serenaded to sleep by our friends from the cult of Smokemont...who it was now clear had gathered to wait for the mothership's arrival via the trans-galactic vortex created by the SUPER MOON!

Up next...the Nantahala...

Fly Fishing The Smokies With Owl Jones - Bradley Fork

2012-05-09T03:00:00.000-04:00

Being a negligent blogger has its perks. The main one is a little extra free time on your hands, which I took advantage of by hopping on a plane and heading South...to go chase trout with Owl Jones & his friend Milliam.

However with those perks, waking up at 3:30 AM to make sure you catch an early flight sucks...fortunately, the flight was pretty uneventful and I found myself in Atlanta pretty quickly.

Plane on the ground, and bag claimed from the carousel, I was picked up at the airport by Milliam...a mystery man I didn't know much about other than random references here and there in some Owl Jones' posts. We met Owl at a carpool lot on the way to the Smokies, where we'd eventually make camp at Smokemont, what was once upon a time was a logging operation, and evidently now haunted...

Smoke 'em if you've got em

After a bit of a drive (cruising past Goats On The Roof and a quick stop at Chick-fil-A) we finally arrived at camp. Thanks to the extremely lax out-of-season camping policies & Milliam's mad MacGyver skills, we got set up in no time...I mean the dude was tying all kinds of crazy knots in rope to tie on more rope to hang tarps on it...a quite impressive feat for a camping invalid such as myself to witness. I unrolled a mean sleeping bag though, so I did my part.

Where do I plug in the TV?

By the time we were settled in it was a little after 5 PM, luckily, the Bradley Fork was no further than a stone's throw from the campground.

Foot bridge...really...

On the water, the scenery was beautiful (oh yeah baby), but the fishing was less than spectacular. At least it just wasn't me and my lack of fishing skills preventing fish from being caught. I think we fished for almost 4 hours and between the three of us managed one fish (Owl). I was fortunate to feel a few swipes at my nymph, but no hook ups, so not even a fight on the end of the line. I didn't mind much though, it was a lot of fun being on some new water simply taking in the surroundings.

Milliam

Yours truly not dapping

Owl

While Owl & Milliam used standard fly fishing gear, I used my 11' Iwana tenkara rod. With this, I feel I must come clean and be honest, I wish that damn tenkara rod was about 2 or 3 feet shorter as I found myself caught up in the low hanging canopy and streamside shrubs quite a bit, even while casting sidearm to avoid them and all that good stuff.

I dig tenkara and everything, but that may not have been the proper tool for the first day's fishing. Maybe it would have been better on day two when I was a little more accustomed to my surroundings. I'm no Ian Rutter. (The comment section is below to bash this statement of possible tenkara shortcoming all you fellow tenkaraists; so have at it...)

Now dark, we headed back to the camp. On the way back Milliam held off 3 separate bear attacks with nothing more than a plastic spork as Owl and I cowered in the bushes. Okay...so maybe that didn't happen...it was really only actually one ambush by a disoriented, and rabid Liger.

An actual liger

Back at camp we sat down to a feast of deer meat, Texas toast, mashed potatoes, potato chips, Mountain Dew, and of course, chocolate covered donuts. (Note to self: don't put Owl in charge of bringing paper plates). Bellies full we settled down by the fire, talked & joked until about 1:30 AM (Owl doing most of the talking), and enjoying the wonderfully creepy church music coming from the 40 person-strong ~~cult~~ religious group congregating at the campsite across the way. Diagram below.

After being awake for 22 straight hours, it was time for some sleep. With a lot of time spent travelling by both by air and truck, the fishing opportunity was relatively short on this day. Tomorrow would bring another early start and more fishing...and possibly even some fish...well, ummm...

The Secret To Tenkara's Fish Catching Superiority

2012-04-27T03:00:00.000-04:00

Okay...now this is super duper top secret stuff...but I'm going to show you what makes tenkara 1000% times more effective than any other method of fishing. Yeah, us goofballs with the telescoping graphite rods aren't lying when we annoyingly boast about tenkara's fish catching superiority.

A few months ago, a tenkara guide I won't mention by name once almost spilled the beans regarding this secret in a popular forum...and then had to cover his tracks quite hastily with some sort of "certification" excuse. That's why us tenkararians are encouraged to throw people off the scent by spreading the fabricated sakasa kebari "one fly" mythology around in liberal quantities.

See this is something we really aren't supposed to let get out - or at least without risking severe bodily harm by ninja attack - but Lilly's been taking karate classes for a month or two, so I think she can hold them off while I flee the scene.

So anyway, here's the deal...

Exhibit A: A standard tenkara rod. In my case, a Tenkara USA Series I Iwana.

To find the secret that makes tenkara "go," you first need to unscrew the handle cap, or whatever it's called...

Okay, with the cap off, the secret should immediately present itself...do you see it yet?

No, let me pull it out a bit more...

That's right. Hidden within the handle of each and every authentic tenkara rod, is a lock of 100% Japanese unicorn mane. And anyone that is anyone knows that nothing attracts fish, especially trout, better than the magic of genuine unicorn hair.

Just don't tell anyone else...okay? Can't have those reel-toting heathens disturbing the secret unicorn stash.

And if upon inspection your tenkara rod doesn't contain unicorn mane...well, by all means contact Tenkara USA and and tell them Troutrageous sent you. They have an excellent warranty program and although this specific benefit is not advertised, Daniel & crew will make things right; just make sure to use code word "cotton candy," so they know what you are talking about.

In Case You Haven't Heard, I'm Headed South

2012-04-25T03:00:00.000-04:00

To date I really haven't really acknowledged here the fact that I'm headed down to Georgia in a little over a week to go fishing in the Smokies with Owl Jones. No, it's not that I'm ashamed or embarrassed by this fact, rather, he's done more than an adequate job speaking for the both of us over at this place...as evidenced HERE, HERE, HERE, & HERE. I mean he's even got a countdown clock on his blog. That's not creepy at all, right?

The non working version

So since Owl is preparing me for this trip via his "Open Letters" series, I figured I'd prepare him what to expect as well. It's not necessarily in letter form, but some things he should probably know. I mean it's the least I can do...

---------------------------------------------------------------------

While I've never fished down South, I've been below the Mason-Dixon line more than a few times for work. Memphis, Louisville, Charleston, Charlotte, Atlanta, Jacksonville, etc...

I'm no BBQ snob, although I prefer a pulled pork sammich "Memphis Style," you know, cole slaw on top. And a dry rub on ribs. But the fact is I'll eat pretty much anything. The greasier the better. And because of that, any meals we partake in, be they made from store bought supplies or fast food are on my dime. I'm not fighting you over this.

I suck at fly fishing. Maybe this is a bit of an exaggeration, but I've only been fly fishing for about 3 or so years, and a good portion of that was consumed by tenkara. I can execute a sloppy roll cast, and a few other tricks, but otherwise, I'm no rock star.

Most people (friends & co-workers) call me Ags...at least when they're not calling me four letter words. Lilly calls me Dad. My internet friends seem call me T (which makes sense, but is still kinda foreign). Only K.C. seems to call me Mike. Am I supposed to call you Owl...Jeff...Mr. Zazzy Pop...in person? Just know in advance, I'm not calling you Sugarlumps.

You already know this, but I've never gone camping before. At least not counting in my backyard with Lilly. I'm a city-ish boy and we just didn't do that. We considered those Cub Scout kids dorks in my neighborhood. The Jersey Shore (no joke) was our vacation thing growing up, not the mountains. So bears don't scare me, but that's due to pure ignorance.

Hey Boo Boo

Thank you for having Mrs. Owl write an email to Mrs. Troutrageous to let her know that while you may be certifiably insane, you are relatively harmless. I think it's making her feel better that I'm off to go hang out with an "internet friend" in the woods for 3 days.

I'm fixin' to learn me some Southern talk...and maybe see an orange Dodge Charger or two jump our creek mid backcast.

You're building this adventure up to be EPIC - much like you did tenkara before you gave it a try. Let's dial that back a bit, don't buy into the "Troutrageous!" marketing package. Plus, I'm no River Damsel, I bite my fingernails. That said, I'm sure we'll have fun.

I curse a lot when I talk. It's a symptom of being an uncivilized Yankee. Know what I fuckin' mean? Sorry about that. I'm also sure our conversations at some point may stray toward politics and/or religion; understand we probably won't agree. I'm cool with that and hope you are too. I know I'm not going to Hell or anything because it doesn't exist.

You'll probably be doing most of the talking. As other bloggers who I've gone fishing with over the last few years can probably attest, I'm not a chatter box. Sure, I like to talk, but my snarkiness tends to show itself in short, calculated bursts. In short, I'm no jibber-jabberer.

We will find a Bigfoot. If not, we'll have fun trying.

And to end, I really don't care about fishing. We don't have to be fishing 24-7 or any of that stuff. Don't get me wrong, I'd like to catch some fish, but don't feel the pressure to be Mr. Smokies fishing guide. If I stumble into one or two hooksets, I'll be more than satisfied and still leave a healthy tip. This trip is an escape from what has been a pretty unforgiving last 6+ months on the job. I just want to soak in the surroundings, enjoy the escape, with fishing being merely a backdrop.

Anyway Owl, thanks for having me. I'm really looking forward to it. The 4th can't come soon enough.

2012 Stony Creek Anglers Trout Tournament

2012-04-23T03:00:00.000-04:00

Holy smokes...it's Stony Creek Anglers Trout Tournament week! Yup, time for my annual commercial.

No, I don't fish in it...I work it as a member of the club, and boy should it be an interesting tournament this year. Why, you might ask? Because the old dam (and the super deep holes) that everyone used to congregate around were removed by the State since last year's tourney.

That means different fishing holes to find up and down the creek, and possibly trickier fish to catch. Either way, it's usually a great time for young and old, and I'm pumped that we finally got some rain this past weekend to make it a possibility. Fish can't swim without water if you know what I mean.

Kiddie Pond

Even if fishing for stockies in an environment like this isn't your thing (and honestly, it isn't mine), the tournament serves as the major fundraiser for our club each year. As a cooperative trout nursery for the State of Pennsylvania, we have to foot the bill for pretty much everything but the fish...the biggest cost being food. And believe me, it costs a lot of money to keep fish healthy and fed each year. Club membership dues only go so far...

For details on the 2012 Stony Creek Anglers Trout Tournament, check out the SCA website HERE, or the tournament flier below.

What Lack Of Fishing Does To Me

2012-04-22T03:00:00.000-04:00

Without any inspiration from any recent fishing trips, I didn't really feel like writing anything last night, so I started another stupid blog. Emphasis on stupid. I don't intend on keeping it up, but heck, you never know...

Awww Damn, Snakehead in Philly

2012-04-19T03:00:00.000-04:00

I'm slow on the uptake sometimes, but looks like a few weeks ago a snakehead was found in Philadelphia...the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Tinicum to be exact...which for those of you not local, that's the swamp around the airport.

C'mon PFBC, make like Maryland and put a bounty on these fuckers. Because once you do, I'm donning sunglasses & hair product, hopping in the Suburban with Duane Lee, Baby Lisa, and my paintball gun, and we're gonna bring a bag full of those bad boys in, drop 'em in a box, and air mail them back to where they belong, care of Lunker Hunt.

The Secret To A Popular Pinterest Pin

2012-04-17T03:00:00.000-04:00

Like a few months ago or something I wrote a post about my experience infiltrating estrogen-heavy Pinterest. For the unfamiliar, it's basically the social media equivalent of "The View," just without that chick from Survivor. (I can't believe either show is still on the air BTW)

11 year old dated reference

Anyway, much like Google+, I haven't been back to Pinterest all that often since, but I will "pin" a picture every now and then just for shits & giggles.

Most of the time, said pins never really generate much user feedback in the form of likes, comments, or re-pins. I maybe get someone to be brave enough to do one of the three, but never all of them, much less multiples of all of them...until the other day. It probably has to do with the fact that I mostly post obscure things like old Nike sneakers and Ric Flair, but whatever...

But I think I've finally cracked the code.

Today I unveil to you the secret of a wildly (by my standards) popular Pinterest pin...

Post a picture of Chase Hundley

Yes, it's that easy to create social media magic.

Damn I've Been Quiet

2012-04-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

So no post since last Thursday. Yeah, I just didn't feel like writing anything. I also haven't done any fishing lately either...we haven't had a good rain in these parts for weeks and the water levels are extremely low. Too low for mid-April if you ask me, but what you gonna do?

Well, I'll tell you what I did instead of fishing (or blogging)...

I bought a new tenkara rod. Because nothing compensates for not fishing better than buying more fishing stuff.

I power washed bird crap off my roof. They live behind my shutters. Good work outta them.

Speaking of bird crap I watched that hockey team in Pittsburgh act like donkeys and pretty much suck hard for 3 games.

I ate 3 Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco Supremes. I should have ordered 12.

I schemed a fishing trip to a new and exotic location in the beginning of May.

I took the dog for a walk in the park. He tried to take a leak every 10 feet.

I got recruited for a top secret fishing trip on the side while out in Utah for that tenkara thingy.

I EZ Seeded and Turf Builded...or is it Turf Built? No red-headed Scotsman appeared.

I went to the grand opening of a cupcake shop....what?...yeah, I really did.

Do you guys care? No. I just felt like writing something, so deal.

Fishing returns tomorrow. Maybe...

Guest Post - Gone Fishing: Top 4 Tropical Fishing Destinations

2012-04-15T03:00:00.000-04:00

Time for another guest post not of my doing. Like all guest posts around here, I didn't write this, so if you see something that doesn't look right...well...I don't want to hear it. Let's face it, I'm pretty liberal with guest posting opportunities...even if they are about improving page rank or the like.

This post was forwarded to me by Jessica S., and I enjoy being able to click "copy," then "paste," and take the day off... The vacation from blogging makes it convenient about daydreaming about real life vacations...which ties into this post quite well. Enjoy.

------------------------------------------------------------

Gone Fishing: Top 4 Tropical Fishing Destinations

Today’s workplace is no longer confined to an office or a cubicle: with email, smartphones and social media, it’s nearly impossible to get away from it all, even for a few moments of each day. But if you have a chance to take a real vacation, an island fishing trip could be the perfect escape: whether you’re a novice or an expert fisherman, you could try new ways to fish and add a record-breaking tarpon or bonefish to your catch list while you and your companion enjoy lush tropical surroundings, miles of sandy beaches and incredible sunsets.

Getting Ready for the Trip

First, you’ll need to renew or obtain a passport and visa, if necessary. Visit your doctor for any required vaccinations and arrange for travel insurance from Atlas Insurance or another provider to cover any medical emergencies, evacuations and other unlikely events that you may encounter when traveling abroad.

Seychelles

Seychelles, a small group of islands near the east coast of Africa, is considered one of today's hottest tropical fishing spots and is a favorite destination of salt-water fly fishermen. Try your hand at bonefishing in the waters surrounding Alphonse Island -- the flats there are also home to permit, barracuda, trevally and grouper. Spend an afternoon surf-casting for feisty pacific bonito and dog-tooth tuna. Take advantage of deep-sea fishing charters for your chance to catch a sailfish, rainbow runner or wahoo.

The Bahamas

Game-fishing at its best is also available closer to home. While there are over 700 islands in the Bahamas, Andros, Long, Grand and Abaco Islands are famous for flats teeming with bonefish, permit and tarpon. Challenge the wily bonefish in the cays, flats and shaded creeks on the north shore of Grand Bahama Island. Fish from flat-bottomed boats or experience the thrill of casting while wading on the flats. Head out to sea on an evening charter for tuna, sailfish, marlin and dorado.

Belize

Perched on the coast of the Caribbean just below Mexico, Belize offers pristine beaches and extensive flats rich in tarpon weighing as much as 100 pounds (the average size in the summer) and bonefish in the 10-pound range. Fish the reefs at Ambergris Cay where grouper, jack, barracuda, wahoo and mackerel are abundant. Go for a Grand Slam of permit, bonefish and tarpon on the same day or a Super Grand Slam by adding a snook in this fly-fisherman's paradise.

What to Bring

Your #8 rod for bonefish action and a sturdier rod for bigger game should cover most fishing plans. A favorite rod and reel can easily be transported on your flight or shipped ahead. When you make your reservations, ask about the flies, lures and other tackle that are working for this season's fishing and pack extras. Bring several changes of light-weight clothes, swim gear and a ventilated rain jacket. Don't forget your sun block, sunglasses, fishing hat and vest. If you wear corrective lenses or prescription eyeglasses, bring spares.

What to Do

Each of these locations offers much more than fishing (as if that's not enough!) to keep your non-fishing companions happy; you can snorkel and scuba dive in the warm, clear blue waters where they can swim alongside tropical fish and explore the reefs and ocean floor, horseback riding along miles of open beaches, and luxuriating poolside in a resort or spa.

Getting away from it all for a few days could do wonders for you and you’ll return back to the grind of everyday life feeling refreshed and ready to go.

----------------------------------------------------------

Jessica is interested in traveling and spending time outdoors. She enjoys spending her time fishing and being out on the water

So Where's Our Reality Show?

2012-04-12T03:00:00.000-04:00

I have to admit it. I'm hooked on reality TV. No, not Jersey Shore or Big Brother or crap like that, but rather the shows that are on Discovery, TLC, A&E, History, Animal Planet, etc... (half those channels are pretty much the same thing anyway).

Yeah, if you haven't noticed, I love me some fine "unscripted" programming like American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, Hoarders, Swamp People, Finding Bigfoot, Deadliest Catch, and so on and so on. Truthfully, I never watch these shows in real time, rather in weekend marathon installments. They're much more palatable and addictive that way.

Never doubt science. Or Bobo.

Anyway, it sorta got me thinking....where is OUR show? And by "our" I mean the world of fishing...or whatever you'd call it. I mean all these networks really do is put the word "American" in front of anything, and BAM!, you've evidently got a show. (American Pickers, American Guns, American Restoration, American Chopper, etc, etc...) Where's American Guides...or American Fly?

Now, yes, I realize there are plenty of fishing shows on TV. But I'm not talking the likes of Bill Dance, Larry Czonka, Jeremy Wade, or even The Spanish Fly (may he rest in peace). That noodling show doesn't count either...although it's close. I'm talking something a little more offbeat. From what I read from pockets of the fly-fishing blogging universe, there's seemingly enough characters out there to make at minimum half a season of shows. I mean if there's a show called Full Metal Jousting...well...ummm...c'mon.

These goofs go medieval on your ass?

The Fat Guy Fly Fishing guys...maybe Third Coast Fly...Gink & Gasoline...Lo Fi Fly...hell, Marc Crapo's beard alone could become a mainstream sensation not seen since the likes of Brad Pitt waving a fly rod.

The beard does all the talking

Just don't include Moldy Chum, as that would clearly be best served in a "The Soup/Tosh.0" format.

Who knows, maybe this already exists on some Outdoors channel I refuse to pay Comca...I mean Xfinity...another dime to subscribe to. But if it does, what does it matter; it ain't on the TV schedule alongside Toddlers & Tiaras, so you know nobody else is watching either. Go big or go home.

Then again, maybe us fisherfolk just aren't all that entertaining and exist in a niche so small we can only effectively amuse our pathetic selves...The Real Housewives of the Front Range would never work, right? Yeah, that's probably the case...

Got an idea for a fishing TV show?...think you have the perfect star?...the comments await below!

We Goin' Sizzler

2012-04-11T03:00:00.000-04:00

That is if Sizzler = Salt Lake City.

Finally booked my flight for the 2012 Tenkara Summit last night for the mere fee of $35 + 60,000 US Airways miles...(I knew all that business travel would come in handy someday).

Actually pretty psyched to go fish somewhere west of...um...Pennsylvania.

Charles Cotton Lived Here

2012-04-10T03:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, not really.

But I bet he slept off a few wild nights (& more than his share of Old E) on the River Dove inside.

For the right price you can visit...but you ain't getting in unless you know the secret word...

Wanna take a guess, give it a try in the comments below...

A True Troutmobile

2012-04-06T03:00:00.000-04:00

Wonder if there's a TFM sticker in the rear window of this trout-inspired car...

Mercedes Benz SLK Aphelios Car Concept by Apostol Tnokovski

"The Mercedes Benz SLK Aphelios Car was inspired by Ohrid trout, an endemic species in Lake Ohrid, Macedonia. Apostol Tnokovski designed this concept vehicle as part of Macedonian Mercedes Design Contest. It’s a futuristic sports car with fluid body design to give you any sense of power and speed in visually stunning vehicle layout."

For more pics & design jibber-jabber, click HERE.

Happy Birthday...

2012-04-05T03:00:00.000-04:00

...to a rad wife and mother...

...and a most excellent partner in crime.

I love you K.C.

I Have Lost All Faith In Trout Unlimited

2012-04-04T03:00:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I have some serious issues with Trout Unlimited right now. I actually may consider rescinding my membership because those spinsters at TU are clearly misguided, to the point where they are openly lying to their members via print media.

See, in the Spring issue of TROUT Magazine, there was a little article about blogs written by an author I choose not to mention by name (for his own safety). Within the article, there is an inset; "Ten Fly-Fishing Blogs You Should Check Out."

Crappy picture hijacked from Kyle Perkins' Facebook page

The list contains the all the usual suspects, like top notch and well-respected blogs like Subterranean Trout, Choldy Mum, and The Fiberglass Book Report, etc, etc... but then smack in the middle happened to be this crappy blog. Believe me, I could not make up a such a work of fiction, even if I wanted to.

Now while I'm used to Troutrageous! being honored by the prestigious academic community - Ivy League institutions such as the Sports Medicine Schools and Zen Colleges come immediately to mind, I can only believe the author of the article in TROUT Magazine was either jet lagged, hungover, or enjoying one of those funny little cigarettes when compiling this list. Troutrageous! in a Ten Fly Fishing Blogs You Should Check Out....c'mon now! An April Fool's joke perhaps? Delusional journalism like this is nothing but reckless and irresponsible, and unfair to YOU the readers.

Geeze, after this list, can we really absorb anything TU puts into print without at least a hint of skepticism? The next thing you know, they're going to try to convince you that the Pebble Mine thing is a necessary evil for the future of our country...I mean who would actually believe that.....?

Links for 2010-11-04 [del.icio.us]

2010-11-05T00:00:00-07:00

Troutrageous!