Tuesday, January 31, 2012

January

Man what a month! January has been a busy one. Four Fly Fishing Shows have come and gone. Granny and I are presently flying home from NH after a ten day east coast trip. We worked the Marlboro, MA and Somerset, NJ Fly Fishing Shows. Although the Marlboro show was spoiled by weather and New England football, the Somerset Fly Fishing Show was superb.

The Somerset Fly Fishing Show is the biggest fly fishing show in the world. I won’t guess how many folks came through this weekend but it was a ton. On Friday attendance records were broken big time and there were times on Saturday where I had to leave a half hour early just to get to my seminars because the aisles were so lined with people. It was really amazing.

Granny and I land in Jackson Hole tonight around 10 PM. We’re dreading the thought of digging out the Explorer then driving Teton Pass. Then there’s our driveway – we don’t even know if we can drive in. Our driveway is short but since we left home it’s done nothing but snow. Supposedly Victor got 5 feet of the white stuff in one storm! It’s all part of the adventure. No matter how tonight goes we’ll be home soon.

I’ll be home for about ten days. In the next couple days I’ll get some good snow pics from around Victor and the house and let you know how tonight went. After resting up around home a couple days I’m off ice fishing to Pinedale, WY with friends Doug McKnight and Derek DeYoung. We’re going to dunk jigs down deep in hopes of a giant lake trout. We’ll see.

My next gig is local. I’m hosting a showing of the movie “Connect” out at Teton Village, Wyoming on Wed night February 8. If you’re in range and haven’t seen this movie yet than this is the time. On February 15th it’s on the road again with a one night gig in Kalamazoo, Michigan where I’ll be presenting “Fly Fishing Through Midlife Heaven”.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Marlborough Fly Fishing Show

The Marlborough, MA Fly Fishing Show is in the books. This was my third consecutive year speaking here. It’s been a solid show for me and a fun one because I know a lot of folks from the area because not only did I grow up in the northeast but I’ve also spoke at clubs around here several times over the years. The one drawback however is that if you keep coming, eventually you’re going to get beat up by bad weather. And although we didn’t experience a big nor’easter, we had enough snow on Saturday, the normally “busiest show day”, to drop attendance significantly. Further more, the New England Patriots played their championship game on Sunday. And although Sunday was a good show day, it certainly would have been even better if New England’s beloved football team wasn’t playing.


The next show is this weekend, the Somerset Fly Fishing Show January 27, 28 and 29, held at the Garden State Convention Center in New Jersey. Here you can catch up with me and Granny in the fly tiers area. I won’t be tying flies but I’ll be drawing up some Cliff Fly Boxes and hopefully mixing that with a little watercolor painting. I’ll also be giving a couple presentations. On Friday at 1:30 I’ll be giving my “Warmwater Fly Fishing – Bass, Carp, Pike and Many More” and on Saturday at 10 AM I’ll be doing “Saltwater Fly Fishing – Bonefish to Billfish”. If you aren’t casting in the salt yet or chasing bass or carp with the fly these presentations are a must. I promise you they will get you psyched to start!


I’m spending a few days with my family up here on Wolfeboro Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee New Hampshire. This is the place where I grew up fly fishing for smallmouth bass, yellow perch, various sunfish and the list goes on. It’s a little frozen right now but the fish are still here and the smallie fishing continues to be fantastic. I was hoping to hit the ice a few hours while here this week but amazingly the ice is not ready despite being late January.


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Western Idaho Fly Fishing Expo

Two fly fishing shows have already come and gone. This past weekend I was a speaker for the Western Idaho Fly Fishing Expo held in Boise. I’ve given presentations in Boise many times over the years but this was the first time working the show. All I can say is that the show was superbly run by Erik Moncada and the rest of the many Boise Valley Fly Fishing Coordinators.

As always I was busy with presentations from PowerPoint to casting demos as well as promoting my artwork, books and the latest DVD’s. Between talks I based myself out of the Anglers Fly Shop of Boise. The owners John and Maja ordered my books and Simms T-shirts with my latest artwork on them and I helped them sell a bunch. When not selling I doctored up some Cliff Fly Boxes for people and visited with them about all aspects of fly fishing. It was really fun weekend.

I could use some rest today but instead I find myself unpacking and repacking. I head for New Hampshire tomorrow for a quick visit to the folks then to Massachusetts for the Marlborough Fly Fishing Show. If you’re in the area be sure and stop by the show to say hi. Even better, catch one of my presentations. On Saturday at 3:30 I’ll be doing my PowerPoint presentation “Four Seasons of the Yellowstone Trout Bum” and on Sunday at 11:30 I’ll be presenting “Improve Your Fishing Photography”.

That’s about it for now. Busy busy this winter - Good stuff!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Denver Fly Fishing Show

The Denver Fly Fishing Show was a great success. Masses of fly fishers and new to be fly fishers from all over attended. I was there to give fly casting demonstrations and present PowerPoint seminars. Between my shows I answered questions about every aspect of fly fishing, visited with friends and dabbled with my art.

Usually I paint up a green back cutthroat when in Denver. Greenbacks are the famous native cutthroat trout of Colorado. This year however, I never got around to breaking out the paints. Instead I “sharpied” up about six Cliff Fly Boxes and even better I drew on two pairs of shoes! Sandy Roberts, a well known casting champ and longtime pal of mine, called me last week to ask if I would draw a bass on a pair of her shoes. I told her only if they didn’t stink. Luckily, they were bran new white boat shoes. All I can say is it wasn’t easy. Stitched seams and rubber adhesives made my new canvas difficult to deal with but the end result was success. Not only did I sketch her up a pair of largemouth bass sneakers but also a pair of common carp.

My next show is the Western Idaho Fly Fishing Show that runs Friday and Saturday – January 13th and 14th. I’ll be doing a ton of presentations starting with a kickoff of “Four Seasons of the Yellowstone Trout Bum” at 12:30 on Friday. Then at 2:30 I’ll demonstrate the Double Haul on the casting pond. At 5:30 yet another favorite presentation of mine, “Fly Fishing through Midlife Heaven”. And wait, I’m working hard Friday, if I have a voice left at 7:30 you can see “Improve Your Fishing Photography”. You don’t want to miss any of these programs! I haven’t looked at my schedule for Saturday but it’s on the show website and none will be the same as Friday.

Hope to see you there!



Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Even "Currier" Puts Down the Fly Rod

Is it really already the 4th? Time flies when you’re having fun. I’ve been preparing for a winter of hitting the speaking circuit. Check my schedule and see if I’ll be in your neighborhood.

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday I’ll be working the Denver Fly Fishing Show. You can catch me throughout the weekend at my booth. Even better, Friday at 11:30 you can catch my “Improve Your Fishing Photography” presentation. Saturday at 4 I’ll be doing a show on “Fly Fishing for Carp” and Sunday at 2 I’ll be giving a casting demo at the main pond. I hope to see many of you there!

I have one other note of interest. My South African friend Leonard Flemming recently launched his dream – an internet magazine. It’s called Wade Magazine. I can tell you Leonard’s first issue was gorgeous and a unique read. Many of the articles are about fishing destinations far from the US. Expect to see fish you haven’t heard of from places even Google Earth has trouble finding. Best of all, issue number 2 is out. Please have a look as I have an article about fly fishing in Madagascar.

That’s it. Off to Denver very early tomorrow. Stay tuned and hope to see some of you there!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!





Yesterday ended a great year of fishing and today starts another. I hope everyone enjoyed the blogs and are ready for more.


I'll be on the road much of the next three months speaking at the Fly Fishing Show and fly fishing clubs throughout the US and Canada.  Take a look at my schedule and try to catch up with me somewhere!