The Legend of Eddie Rivard

I had the pleasure of sitting in on the Brown Trout and Bridge Beers Podcast while they interviewed fly fishing Legend Eddie Rivard.  This had to be one of my favorite podcasts that the 3BT crew has put out.  Eddie is great fly fisher-person, canoeist, adventurer, drive thru orderer, and blogger.  Here are some photos from the night.

The Legend Eddie Rivard.

Eddie talked about brown trout, musky, and how he used all of his free time exploring new water with his canoe.  He also talked about how he and Eddies Army regulate the internet and social media platforms for the #muskyonthefly hashtag.  If you're using it, you better be using it right, because, Eddie is watching.

Grant in his 2nd natural habitat.

Matt Ebbers amongst the Hamms.

The Legend Eddie Rivard

LINKS

- Eddie Rivard Instagram

- Eddie Rivard Fly Fishing Blog

- Brown Trout and Bridge Beers Podcast

- Brown Trout and Bridge Beers Instagram

- Grant Meyer Instagram

- Matt Ebbers Instagram

Final Hops & Hoppers of 2019

Tuesday December 17th marked the last Bob Mitchell's Fly Shop Hops & Hoppers open tie night of 2019 at Lake Monster Brewing in Saint Paul.  The turn out to these open fly tying events is usually good, and there's a lot of diverse fly Tyers that attend to tie flies, drink craft beer or soda, and talk about past and future fishing trips.  It's also a great excuse to escape the house and shake off the cabin fever if ice fishing or winter trout fishing is not your thing.

Lucas Gluesenkamp aka Strange Bugs sits amazed that a ziplock baggie appeared on Jim's vise.

Lucas Gluesenkamp whipping up some bass bugs that are not strange.

Bobby Regan lining up some feathers 

I cannot remember the last time I brought my vise to an open tie.  I've learned over the years, that I never tie flies at these things, and I spend more time taking photos and talking to others.  I'm okay with that.  I prefer to tie my mop flies in the comfort of my own home, so, no one can steal my secret mop fly recipe.

Mike and Sam focused on their bugs.

Micah Crider tossing the whip finish on a winter trout streamer.

Micah Crider getting ready to start another fly.

All kinds of flies were being tied.  Trout flies, musky flies, dry flies, and streamers.  The only consistent thing I noticed on this night were the laughs.  There were a lot of them.  I think we all need to get out and fish.

Driftless Drew whipping up a bug the same size of a Driftless brown trout.

Armone Vang tying a chironomid that ended up in one of my fly wallets.

Looking forward to future open tie night, but more importantly, I'm looking forward to 2020.

Cheers to all of you!

Top 4 Fly Fishing Accessories Under $25

Here's a list of my Top 4 fly fishing accessories under $25 that are made in the USA.

Rising - Work 6" Pliers: Made in Utah, these have been my go to pair of pliers for the past 2 years now.  It's one of those tools that has multiple uses that come in handy on the water.  Not only do they help you remove  your hooks from a fish, but they can cut your line, smash the barbs on your hooks, and be used to tighten those knots on your hook (Keep the pliers closed, put the hook through the circle opening and this allows you to pull on the hook end without the risk of driving that hook in to your finger).  Rising  tools and nets are all made Utah.

>>LINK TO PURCHASE<<

Vedavoo - Wader Wallet:  Made in Massachusetts, these wader wallets are one my absolute favorite pieces of gear this year, not only because I helped design it, but because, they're simply awesome.  I typically have a backpack full of camera gear and to me, it's sort of a pain to change out flies because I hate a rigid rectangular boxes in the pouch of my waders.  Now I can simply clip my wader straps through the back of this fly wallet, and wear it.  It has a thin profile and plenty of space for a days worth of streamers on the water.

>>LINK TO PURCHASE<<

O'Pros - 3rd Hand Rod Holder:  Made in Wisconsin, the O'Pros knocked it out of the park with their updated 3rd Hand Rod Holder!  It now has the capability to rotate to whatever angle you want your rod to be at when changing out flies.

>>LINK TO PURCHASE<<

Cliff Outdoors - Days Worth Fly Box:  Made in Wyoming, these are the perfect fly box for your sling or hip pack when fishing for trout or small fish.  It's the perfect fly box for a bunch of mop flies and nymphs...all I need when trout fishing.

>>LINK TO PURCHASE<<

November Podcasts

Brown Trout and Bridge Beers

Episode #12 of the Brown Trout and Bridge Beers podcast featuring guest John Piacquadio who is a fly fishing guide, and fly fishing artist out in Montana.

- 3BT Instagram -

- John Piacquadio Website -

>>>LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE<<<

Remote No Pressure

On the latest Remote No Pressure podcast Jeff talks with Dan and Ally Earnest of Whiskey Leatherworks about fly fishing and their journey as business owners.

- Remote No Pressure Website -

- Whiskey Leatherworks Website -

>>>LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE<<<

Anchored with April Vokey

On episode 148 of Anchored, April sits down and talks with Land Tawney of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, to learn about him and the Montana based organization.

- April Vokey Website -

- Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Website -

>>>LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE<<<

Tanuki Pocket Ninja Kickstarter

Another great find at IFTD 2019 was the Tenkara Tanuki Pocket Ninja.  I met Luong Tam when he asked if we were going to one of the after parties and if he could jump in the Uber with my friends and I.  Absolutely was my answer.  After talking he turned out to be a rad dude, and he has a rad new Tenkara rod coming out, the Tanuki Pocket Ninja. (Kickstarter link - CLICK HERE)

The Kickstarter went live for the Tenkara Tanuki Pocket Ninja on 11/15/2019 and it's already exceeded its goal.  Having held this rod first hand, and even helping out filming a short little video of me putting it in a glove compartment of a rental car, I can tell you that this rod is a backpackers dream.  It's light, responsive, and it breaks down really small!

This rod is definitely going on my wish list, because, it would be perfect for the Driftless Area streams that I fish, my local lakes for bluegill, and when I'm traveling and in need of something compact.  I see this being the perfect rod for backpackers and people who enjoy hiking, but don't want to carry a big rod tube, etc.

KICKSTARTER

>>>CLICK HERE FOR KICKSTARTER LINK<<<

Vedavoo x Dead Meat Customs November Giveaway

With fly tying season here, Vedavoo and Dead Meat Customs have teamed up to bring you a pretty sweet fly tying giveaway!

Prize Offerings:

- Vedavoo Bench Basin

- Vedavoo Magnum Tying Wallet

- Dead Meat Customs mixed eye package (63 pairs) that includes some custom Vedavoo logo eyes ($90 value)

- DMC and Vedavoo Stickers

- DMC bar coasters

How to enter:

1. Follow both Vedavoo and Dead Meat Customs on Instagram

2. Like the photo in the original post. Link: CLICK HERE

3. Tag a friend in the comments.  Each individual comment tagging a friend counts as an entry, so, enter as many times as you want!

Contest starts 11/15/2019 and closes at 10 PM CST on 11/21/2019.

Rising Travel Net Giveaway

At IFTD 2019, I was able to see all of the amazing new products that were coming out.  One of my favorites had to be the Rising Travel Net.  Such a brilliant idea, that was executed to perfection by the crew over at Rising.  We all love to travel to fish, and while our rods, reels, and flies are easy to travel with, our beloved nets simply are not.  Problem solved!

To celebrate the official release of their new Travel Net, the crew at Rising is giving one away to one lucky angler.  The giveaway starts on 11/18/2019 and closes out on 11/25/2019 and a winner will be chosen at 12 PM MST.

To enter the giveaway for a chance to win this great piece of American made gear, enter here:

https://risingfish.net/product/travel-net/

Please click on the link below to enter.

>>>ENTER HERE<<<

Fly Tying Season

Snow is now on the ground, and based on the future forecast, it's not going anywhere.  Enter fly tying season...and half assed ice fishing season. I'll most likely spend more time tying flies than sitting on the ice.  I'm really good at catching trees during the warmer months, so, I need to get those boxes filled back up.

Vedavoo Fly Tying Wallet keeping all of my tools organized. 

My Bench Basin is always near my vise ready for scraps and whatever else I toss in it.

My fly tying gear you see in the 2 photos above.

1. Vedavoo Bench Basin - Perfect if you go to open fly tying events, trips, friends houses, or other parts of your home.  Also works great for an on the go dog bowl.
2. Vedavoo Fly Tying Wallet - Great for keeping all of your tools organized at home or on the go.
3. Vedavoo Pinch Pouch - Another great piece of gear for organization.  Perfect for keeping all kinds of small things together while you're on the go.
4. Rite Bobbin Half Hitch - My favorite bobbin to use for all of my trout, bass, and similar sized flies....I even use this for my pike and smaller musky flies.
5. Rising Stellar Scissors - Hands down my favorite pair of scissors out there.  I've been using them for years, and have several pairs of them.

I probably sound like a broken record, but I'm definitely not giving up on this blogging thing.  I really need to contact the Google and figure out why I cannot "reply" to comments in the comment section.  It's not recognizing my Google account name/log in information.  Maybe it's because I've been neglecting the blog.  More to come.

Smallmouth Bass Float

Got out in my Flycraft to do a solo smallmouth float down a river in Wisconsin.  It was a beautiful day, and it was the first time in a long time I was able to get out on the water to just do some fishing, and it was awesome!

The CARF Flycraft ready to float.

Morning coffee on the river, taking in the sights and sounds.

The smallies seem to eat literally everything I tossed their way...clousers, other various streamers, and I even brought my spinning rod and tossed some paddle tail plastic baits.  All of my offerings were crushed!

One of the many smallmouth I hooked up with.

Of course I lost track of time out there, and was late getting back for dinner.  I think we've all done that once or twice...or 100 times.

Links to gear used/seen in post

Raft

Net

Bug Stopper Hoodie

Awesome Coffee Holder

Amazing Coffee Lid

Vedavoo: Dirty Harry No-Kink Reel Case

The Paul Puckett Dirty Harry design is back!  I remember when Vedavoo released t-shirts of this design a long while back.  I still wear that t-shirt to this day.  So stoked to see Dirty Harry make a return.  Definitely going to need to pick one of these up.

Vedavoo Limited Edition Dirty Harry No-Kink Reel Case

Paul Puckett knocked it out of the park with this one!

Vedavoo Limited Edition Dirty Harry No-Kink Reel Case

Paul Puckett Art

Glass Is Not Dead

#glassisnotdead - The Fiberglass Manifesto

Picked up a new/used Cabelas CGR fiberglass rod (5'9" - 3 wt) at a recent gear swap at Bob Mitchell's Fly Shop.  It had a broken tip, but that was an easy fix.  My homie Drew was building himself a new rod, and he was putting together an order, so, I had him add a new tip top guide to shopping list.  The new tip top fit like a glove, and my new glass rod had a new life.

Perfect for the #icatchsmallfishtour

Since I already own a 3 wt rod set up I got years ago, I didn't need to purchase a new line or reel for the glass rod.  I'll just use the reel for both rods, and that is A-okay with me.  It actually fits the rod perfectly, and I was able to take it out right away to test it out on a local lake before all of the heavy weeds grew in.

So many bluegill were caught.

Bunch of crappie this size.

Rod bends in to the evening.

It was a fun time out there with this rod, and I'm looking forward to using it more and more this summer.  It's crazy how much bend there is!  It's the perfect rod for the #icatchsmallfishtour

Vedavoo: Reel Service Project VI

VEDAVOO started the REEL SERVICE PROJECT as a means to raise funds for worthy causes and in this case, Captains for Clean Water.  VEDAVOO messenger bags featuring the original artwork of marquis artists Paul Puckett and Jorge Martinez were built as prizes for those who support these efforts.  100% of the proceeds from will directly benefit the featured charity.  All construction, materials, artwork and administrative expenses have been donated.

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A post shared by VEDAVOO | Better American Gear (@vedavoogear) on May 21, 2019 at 2:09pm PDT

CAPTAINS FOR CLEAN WATER

Artwork by Jorge Martinez

Artwork by Paul Puckett

The Vedavoo Reel Service Project VI ends on June 1st

ENTER HERE

Ibo Island - Mozambique

Back in September of 2018, I left the country.  I traveled to the country of Mozambique (That's in Africa for those that are unaware).  I spent time wandering around the capital Maputo, and then traveled all the way to the Northern part of the country to Ibo Island, which is located in the Cabo Delgado Province, and is an island part of the Quirimbas in the Indian Ocean.

A celebration on the island during our visit.

Ibo is an amazingly beautiful place filled with amazing people, and I was saddened to hear that a Cyclone hit the region and caused major damage.  Cyclone Kenneth had the force of a category 4 hurricane.  Upon hearing the news, I contacted our host at the lodge we stayed at during our visit with hopes that everyone was safe, but did not hear back for over a week.  Electricity on the island was knocked out, and so many homes were totally destroyed.

Below you'll find a link to a news article talking about and showing the damage that has occurred in the region.  I have also included a link to Oikos, and a direct link to donate to support Mozambique.

Daily Standard News Article

Istituto Oikos Onlus Link

Casa Das Garcas Lodge Instagram

Donate - Help Mozambique

Casa Das Garcas - Sign outside of the lodge.

A young kid watching the morning tide roll out.

Taking in the Indian Ocean from the Casa Das Garcas pier.

Anchored on a sand flat in the Indian Ocean.

One of the many beautiful sunsets witnessed.

LEM Boulevard Bike Helmet

This Summer I plan on riding my bike a lot more.  With the more bike riding, I got a new bike helmet from LEM Helmets.  One of my plans for this Summer is ride around the Twin Cities, spot fish a bunch of places, and stop at some breweries.  My homie Grant of the Brown Trout and Bridge Beers Podcast is an avid rider of bikes, and he's down.  Should be a lot of fun!

Fun colors on the box

Lots of air holes to keep my head cool

Safety and style

Slapped a CARF Creative sticker on the new helmet, because, that's what I do.  I have stickers, and they need to be stuck.  Here's a short video of me working on my magic skills.  Let me know what you think! 

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Worked on my magic skills to make a new @lemhelmets bike helmet appear on my table. Going to be riding a whole bunch this summer. Anyone else down to join @meyer.grant.d and I for a bike, fish, and brew tour around the Twin Cities one of these days? 🚲 🎣 🍺 • • • #LEMhelmets #lem #helmet #safety #cycling #mountainbiking #commuterlife #fishing #beer #brewery #magic #magicthegathering #abracadabra #minnesota #midwest #beer

A post shared by Justin C A R F A G N I N I (@justincarf) on May 6, 2019 at 7:28am PDT