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roughfisher's vault 2010.07.30

2010-07-30T07:00:00.035-05:00

Furthur, Live at Utica Memorial Auditorium, February 20, 2010. Utica, NY.

Set 1
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl >
Promised Land,
Cumberland Blues,
Ramble On Rose,
Foolish Heart >
Reuben & Cherise
Dear Prudence
Satisfaction

Set 2
China Cat Sunflower>
The Wheel>
I Know You Rider
Magnolia Mountain
Unbroken Chain
Comes A Time
GDTRFB
Touch Of Grey
And We Bid You Goodnight

Encore:
One More Saturday Night

More goodness from the Furthur Summer Tour. I've been digging the outro jams on Unbroken Chain from this tour. Foolish Heart, Reuben and Cherise, and China Cat > Wheel > Rider is tight. Phil is rocking the shit like an 18 year old bad ass and it's all Bobby and the boys can do to keep up.

Building a bigger ball of twine

2010-07-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

More yarns to add to the already growing ball of twine. No, I'm not in direct competition with the World's Largest Twine Ball over in Darwin, but my collection of threaded fibers are beginning to overtake my kitchen. I would be a bit more concerned, but the King of Yarn and Fiber has got a far bigger obsession than I and enough materials to stuff a school bus. I think I'm still good, for now. Here are some tasty yarns that I scored recently:

Paton's Classic Wool, a 100% Wool yarn at 3.5 oz per 23 yd skein. Comes in such delectable shades as Cognac Heather and Moss Green. A fine spectral blend of young wool fibers.

Lion Brand Fun Yarn, a 100% Acrylic yarn at 1.75 oz. per 85 yd skein. Comes in vibrant classic colors, this yarn is a solid choice for rug or sparkle yarn substitutes. At $1 per skein, you can't go wrong for the money.

Vanna's Glamour Yarn by Lion Brand Yarn, 96% Acrylic, 4% Metallic Polyester, 1.75 oz. per 202 yd skein. I don't much care for the metallic polyester strand through the yearn, but it is easily removed. What's left is a fine fiber yarn that resembles antron/zelon. I love the crimped, reflective properties of a trilobal fiber.

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Yarn, 80% acrylic, 20% wool, 3 oz. per 197 yd per skein. This is a worsted weight yarn with many color varieties including heather and other spectral shades. This is a great do it all yarn; plenty of bulk, body, and highlights. How can you go wrong with flavors like Avocado or Chili? Freaking delicious!

A twelve step program may soon be in order....

Built for the Mountain Life

2010-07-27T07:00:00.002-05:00

Announcements:

Joining the ranks of fellow ruffian Bruce Smithhammer, the roughfisher has just been invited to join the Mountain Khakis Ambassador Team. Why Mountain Khakis? Simple, they are the only pants on the market durable enough to withstand the physical and chemical abuse doled out by the cretins that seek out the path of the Brownliner. Mountain Khakis are Built for the Mountain Life™.

The Brownliner Infantry is slowly infiltrating the Industry. May Dog save their souls.

Flugtag 2010 -- Twin Cities

2010-07-26T07:00:00.061-05:00

Red Bull Flugtag Twin Cities.

Over 90,000 strong filled the waterways and packed the banks of the Mississippi to watch a bunch of homemade flying machines make their way off a 30-foot high ramp. Spectators bore witness to a world record flight as team Major Trouble and the Dirty Dixies soared 207 feet to victory. the roughfisher was there to capture the world record flight on photograph.

Hilarity ensues as 36 teams liftoff from the giant ramp. Few survive the fall. Here are a few highlights:

If ever there was a craft for us fly fisherman it would be the Team S.W.A.T, a giant mosquito.

Hometown favorite Zorbaz entered their own craft in the event, Zorbaz Flying Food Zquadron, taking home the People’s Choice Award with the most text votes.

This was some of the funniest shit I've seen since watching brother Ben put the moves on some unsuspecting ladies and failing miserably. The poor kid just ain't got no game.

Flugtag!

Swagger

2010-07-22T07:00:00.002-05:00

I've been getting schooled this summer. I could blame the early spring, the recent heat wave, or the persistent storm cycle that has been wreaking havoc with our weather, but that would be weak sauce, baby. I typically don't even fish much in the months of June and July; due to my hectic work schedule, and the fact that carp and roughfish are typically still spawning through early July. But enough with the excuses, I just don't have any game.

I flailed around trying to flaunt my ghetto nasty Carp Crack to some lot lizards. The best I could do was lip a sumbitch clam in the beard.

Finally got me a dirty whore to come home with and spend the night. She sure had some purdy gums. Now I need to go get me a shot of penicillin.

Excuses are like assholes. Everybody has one, and they all stink.

Blood on the tracks

2010-07-21T07:00:00.046-05:00

Two quillback and a drum tossed up on the bank to rot. For what? Totally disrespected.

Karma sure can be a bitch.

How to become a bASS assASSin

2010-07-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Top tips from the bASS circuit:

1. Make sure you have a old school mesh trucker cap. Give yourself a "hey son!" if it's a Tennessee hat.
2. Pop your lid up to the top of your head. Cocked at a 45 is also acceptable.
3. Throw a ghetto nasty pattern like a Thunderbird or some Carp Crack into a shoal of rocks.
4. Wait for it.
5. Heave that sumbitch up out of the water like it was going out of style. Rip it and Grip it Son!

6. Get a half chub drooling over your bass thumb.
7. Repeat.

Wet Seal

2010-07-19T07:00:00.097-05:00

If I lived just a few miles further north, above the 49th parallel, we wouldn't be having this discussion. However, since I am an American, I am subject to the Marine Sea Mammal Protection Act of 1972. That means no seal fur for me. No, I don't care about wearing some damn fur coat around town, I've got plenty of bling already. It's just that seal fur is an amazing natural fiber, noted for it's translucency and magic when added to a dubbing blend. There are a fair amount of natural substitutes, like mohair or angora, but it's just not the same.

I remember catching this article on the Global Fly Fisher a while back when I was debating on whether or not to head up to Hudson Bay and start clubbing some baby seals. Okay, maybe I wasn't that hard up, but I had debated on whether or not I wanted to head up to the 'Peg and risk smuggling some goods across the border. Fearing an anal search and seizure, I started looking for other alternatives. I don't need to end up in Federal pound-me-in-the-ass-prison over a square of fur. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but floss and just about any other fine rayon, dacron, or ployester strand material would make a great substitute. Even the stash of Bernat Boa I have been hording. Plus they come in just about every color of the rainbow.

Enter the trilobal fiber. Antron, Z-Lon, Z-Yarn, Sparkle Yarn, whatever you want to call it, this stuff is the bomb for adding highlights to a blend. Just like Needloft, the STS trilobal blend from Hareline offers a bit of sparkle, only in some wacked out colors. I have yet to find Kingfisher Blue in any of Needloft's catalogs, and I definitely don't need to deal with the hassle of dying such an odd color, so I don't mind picking up a bag of this stuff for highlights. It looks exactly the same as Angora, is the same diameter, and is just as translucent when put up to light. Only cheaper.

I recently sat down to make a new olive dubbing blend. I've got a few all synthetic blends, but wanted to create a blend that incorporated a bunch of natural fibers. Funny, how I range from going from all synthetic materials back to digging natural fibers. Evolution. It was a veritable smorgasboard; I threw every fine fiber I had under the sun into that container. Mohair, angora, wool, rabbit, hare, rug yarn, STS trilobal fibers, floss, and Bernat Boa (polyester). The grinder had a workout.

I present Wet Seal dub. A fusion of natural and synthetic. About to make some fish sweat.

roughfisher's vault 2010.07.17

2010-07-17T07:00:00.019-05:00

Furthur, Live at the Hampton Coliseum, February 12, 2010. Hampton, VA.

Set 1:
Shakedown St.
I Need A Miracle
Til' The Morning Comes
Stuck Inside Of Mobile
Dire Wolf
Picasso moon
Big Railroad Blues
Two Djinn

Set 2:
Scarlett Begonias
West LA Fadeaway
Mason's Children
Dark Star
Dear Mr. Fantasy
King Soloman's Marbles
Days Between
Viola Lee Blues
Dark Star
GDTRFB
Donor Rap

Encore:
And We Bid You Goodnight

Two Djinn is rocking the shit for me from this show. Shakedown, Scarlet, and King Solomon's Marbles are also smokin' hot. Enjoy.

Thunderbirds

2010-07-16T07:00:00.051-05:00

The Thunderbird, or Binesi in Anishinaabeg, is a supernatural bird of power and strength, capable of creating storms and thundering while it flies. The beating of its wings create thunder and stirs the winds. Binesi can shoot lightning from its eyes.

Tying up a Boreal Bomber dressed in all black has always conjured up visions of the thunderbird in my head. Look at a pictograph of the great thunderbird and you will notice a similarity in the profiles of each. This pattern is a perfect homage to Binesi. It is composed of components from the great white north like moose mane and ruffed grouse, colloquially known as the thunderbird, due to its loud drumming. In addition, the tungsten head allows the fly to dredge deep, thundering along the rocky riffles.

Ruffed grouse come in two color phases, gray and red phase. I found it only fitting to tie a version of a Boreal Bomber in red phase as well.

Hey you dirty Cracker

2010-07-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Crack Pack is good for what ails you. Equip yourself with a 12 pack of dirty carp flies that keep fish hooked. Also available in a case of 24.

Don't be a tweaker; Put a set on layaway now.

Bombing run

2010-07-14T07:00:00.021-05:00

A lone bomber on a solo mission. Tipped with a thermonuclear orange thorax. Time to head into the fall-out shelter.

"Three Months of Summer" fishing contest

2010-07-12T07:00:00.044-05:00

Just a reminder to submit your entries for the Fishy Kid "Three Months of Summer" fishing contest. This contest is divided into four categories (coldwater/warmwater/saltwater/brownwater) and will allow all Fishy Kids seventeen and younger to participate. As with everything done on the Fishy Kid website, the success of the contests would not be possible without the support of our Gear Sponsors. We here at roughfisher.com are proud to sponsor the brownwater portion of the contest. Be sure to get your entries in to win a bunch of killer swag, including some deadly custom tied flies by the roughfisher. There's still plenty of time left to participate!

1. The "Three Months of Summer" contest will begin on June 1st and continue until August 31th, 2010.

2. To participate please upload your fishing photos into the appropriate gallery. There are galleries set up for each of the four contests being Coldwater, Warmwater, Saltwater, and Brownwater.

3. Within each contest category there will be prizes given for the following:

Biggest Fish
Smallest Fish
Most Unique Fish
Most Fish
Random Overall Winner

In all there will be twenty prizes awarded during this contest. Contest prizes will come from a long list of Fishy Kid Gear Sponsors such as:

Mountain Khakis
Osprey Packs
Hook & Hackle
Montana Fly Company
Scientific Anglers
Backwater Paddle Company
Patagonia
Fishpond USA
Rainys Flies
Temple Fork Outfitters
Finactic Designs
ECHO
Charleston Angler
Idylwilde Flies
Cliff Outdoors
roughfisher.com
William Joseph
South Fork Rod Company

4. Winners will be randomly drawn from each category and a single photograph may qualify for more than one such as Biggest Fishy and Most Unique Fish. Fishy Kid will divide up all the photos into the appropriate categories and every effort will be made to maximize your submission for the contest by including it in several categories.

5. Definitions of each contest:

Coldwater - Trout, Salmon, Steelhead

Warmwater - Various Basses, Sunfish, Bluegills, Perch, Crappie, Pike, and Musky.

Saltwater - All Ocean Living Fish

Brownwater - Carp, Catfish, Gar, and Drum.

6. Fish do not have to be caught on flies or fly tackle. The purpose of this contest is for Fishy Kids and their families to get outside and enjoy their time together on the water.

7. If you have any questions at all please feel free to send an email to gofish@fishykid.org

Good luck fishing, and have fun!

Scurvy Pirates

2010-07-10T07:00:00.006-05:00

Issue 15 is out. Get the latest issue of US CarpPro magazine now!

It's an illusion

2010-07-09T07:00:00.007-05:00

I got the idea from a solarized photo I took of the Admiral Akbar. The image resulted in pattern that mostly resembled the original version, save for green eyes instead of orange. I thought that was a tasty little tweak, and just had to find out in person if that was indeed the case. You be the judge: compare the solar phase tie to the original image.

Here's a rubber legged version for added awesomeness.

Slight of hand, or is it real magic?

Suburban Blue Lines

2010-07-08T07:00:00.040-05:00

In the middle of a sprawling suburban landscape lies a little gem, home to trophy browns and corpulent pike. Venture on a bit downstream and you'll find yourself in carp country. Thanks to a few keen fellows with insight (almost a rarity these days), this treasure is being cherished and preserved, rather than developed.

Click the photo for a larger version

Thanks to you guys who have helped keep this gem sparkling. You know who you are.

Dragon Slayers

2010-07-07T07:00:00.019-05:00

Dragon Slayer
Hook: vintage Mustad 4880, Size 7
Thread: UNI-Thread 6/0, Black
Tail: Wild turkey marabou; (optional) Medium Centipede legs, light olive
Body: Frosty Naval dubbing, Peacock
Thorax: Ruffed Grouse, dark
Head: #8 painted bead chain, green

Time to go cast some spells and slay some dragons, my Liege.

New items

2010-07-06T07:00:00.010-05:00

New items have been added to the online store.

You can now hook yo' self up with some Mohair Mojo or Super Squirrel dubbing blends. Both are spectral blends, only $3 a bag. Add increased awesomeness to your flies and dub with Mohair or Squirrel.

Get messed up with a Crack Pack, available in a 12 pack ($26) or a case of 24 ($46). Each pack comes with a full assortment of flavors.

As always, shipping is always free. Get hooked up!

the Boreal Bomber

2010-07-05T07:00:00.033-05:00

Crafted with some of the boreal forest's finest specimens: moose mane and ruffed grouse.

Boreal Bomber
Hook: vintage Mustad 4880, Size 7
Thread: UNI-Thread 6/0, Black
Tail: Moose mane
Body: Frosty Naval dubbing, Peacock
Thorax: Mohair Mojo dubbing,various colors
Ruffed Grouse, dark
Head: 4mm tungsten bead, unfinished

swazzle

2010-07-02T12:00:00.012-05:00

More items have been recently added to the roughfisher.com zazzle store, including "I heart" tees and bumper stickers, some cool logo art tees.

Git yo' self some swag.

Admiral Akbar

2010-06-30T07:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks go out to The Daily Fly Paper Blog for recently featuring the Admiral Akbar pattern on their site. The Daily Fly Paper often showcases patterns from legends like Carrie Stevens, Davie McPhail, Paul Schmookler, the Global Fly Fisher, and now me. Now I know I made it. Bask in my glory.

Crown Jewels

2010-06-29T07:00:00.052-05:00

One of my favorite spots on earth, located deep within the Superior National Forest. Serene and picturesque, this place symbolizes the heartbeat of Northern Minnesota. Towering outcrops of granite and greenstone, majestic pines, drumming grouse, and the forest floor littered with blueberries and wild strawberries. The added bonus, Salvelinus fontinalis swim these waters. I make it a point to visit whenever I'm in the region.

A brook trout caught from the pond back in 2006.

Lowbush blueberries, the jewel of the Canadian Shield. Not to be confused with the bastardized commercially cultivated highbush variety, these berries are the real deal, sweet and juicy.

I've made a lot of great memories at this place. I just hope to someday share this with my kids.

I heart Minnesota.

DIY Bugger Barns: Revisited

2010-06-28T07:00:00.030-05:00

The end result to the DIY Fly Boxes. I finally got around to putting together some of the larger Bugger Barn sized fly boxes this past weekend. Only available in case quantity, I went in with fellow bloggers Ben, Cameron, and Tony and split a case of the Flambeau 4040-2 boxes. I steered away from the traditional brown foam that I use on my boxes and made some in several different colors, including a crazy orange that will be home to my carp nasties. I even tipped the sticker to resemble a tailing fish. All that awesomeness for just under $6 a piece. Bitchin'.

I'd like to see how those other guys' boxes turned out.

Bumpin' Uglies

2010-06-24T07:00:00.011-05:00

No horndogigin' bass assassin can resist this piece of ass. Good for those hood rat smallies from around the block. Those sluts will be begging for more.

I'd hit that.

It's a trap!

2010-06-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here's my best calamari pattern, Mon Calamari that is. Here's the Admiral Akbar pattern, tied with red squirrel tail, Super Squirrel dub, grouse hackle, and orange beadchain eyes, on vintage Mustad steel, a size 7 O'Shaughnessy hook.

"May the force be with us"