No You Didn't!

I've received a lot of T! Party pictures the last month and a half.  I wanted to thank all my awesome friends and readers for having some fun with the stickers and shirts and actually sending in some snapshots, as I thought most would be thrown in the trash upon receipt.

However this [name withheld] T! Party member may set the new bar.

It's...aaaaa...ummmm...uhhhh....well...

For once, even I'm speechless...

Sorry in advance for the nightmares.

Wednesday Nibbles - It's My Thursday Edition

Hey..I got a secret...it's Wednesday...and if you were smart like me and took off this Friday to have a nice big Labor Day weekend...it would really be your "Thursday"...how you like that....BTW...if you didn't take off on Friday...talk to your boss...it might  not be too late if you ask today...just sayin'....okay...enough of that...time for the Thursday Wednesday Nibbles...

Kinda sorry I missed that Tenkara Summit last week out in Montana.  100+ dudes talking about swinging their fairy wands and only using one fly...sounds awesome.  Except I'm not joking.  From some of the pics that have come out HERE and HERE I'm damn envious of those that attended.  Why do all of you out West get to have all the fun?  I mean Mr. Patagonia himself, Yvon Chouinard even made an appearance...holy balls!

Hurricane Irene came and went last weekend.  There's been a lot of jokes locally that it was a storm hyped by the media (namely news networks) for ratings.  I'm as cynical as the next guy...and maybe I didn't really need to run out and try to find D batteries...but last time I checked the death toll was 42.  That's not hype.  Also, tell these folks in Vermont that lost these bridges that the severity of the storm was fabricated.



I'd rather be cautiously forewarned than f*ck with Mother Nature.  When she's pissed she's pissed.  That said, I still can't stand that tool "Hurricane" Schwartz.

Sorry about that little bit of condescending writing....I don't know what got into me...back to fishing....

I typically dig what Loon Outdoors is up to.  They make some quality products with an environmental slant.  Then I see the "Nip and Sip" highlighted in Midcurrent as a Best in Show from the recent IFTD show.

Nip and Sip - for the fancy

So line nippers combined with a bottle opener?  Okay, whatever...maybe for the frou-frou, but my beer opens with a pop top, or if I decide to be highfalutin, a screw off cap.  But to each their own...enjoy your fancy new nippers...pinky finger extended....of course...

Check out this movie.  I love it, especially since I have a true fondness for Spaghetti Westerns.  Dog vs. Cat...in a duel...high noon...I can't watch this without laughing...especially at the way it ends...



To end, blog love.  This week's blog love goes to Steven Smith's blog "Average Outdoors."

It gets the blog love this week for a few reasons:

1) It's based in Pennsylvania - Go Keystone State!
2) It's relatively new (started in August) and could use some attention
3) He was referenced in LVLimestoner's "Goddammned Tricos," one of my favorite posts of 2011
4) Well above average photography, oh, and videos too
5) This recent T! Party contribution...

Flattery (& dinosaurs with pumpkin friends) get you everywhere...

The T! Party Continues

Got back from Washington D.C. yesterday and really didn't have a chance to compose my thoughts enough to write an original post.  Driving almost 4 hours straight up I-95 through a monsoon will do that to you.

That noted, over the weekend a flurry of new T! Party pictures came streaming into my email box & various social media outlets.  Trying to keep up with them, I started this post and am just hitting "publish"....now....

On the back of Chase's AVALANCHE

Not to be outdone, finding excellent company on the back of Chris' Pathfinder.  I'm fond of BBQ too.

RD is sporting a T! Shirt.  T! shirt?  Yeah, more on that later this week.

Greg's window is very fly fishy.  The T! keeps following TU.

George's lawn mower.  No offense peeps, but this is best placement to date.
He also wrote the best post about a T! sticker on a lawn mower I've ever read!

Tedd gives T! some placement next to a Roughfisher.com sticker....nice!

Last but not least, Matt aka fishingpoet tossed this T! on his kayak...and a fancy border around the photo.  :)  

If you sent in a pic and I overlooked posting it, check HERE first...it's the zoo in which they all live.  If you still don't see it, drop me a line in the comments of this post with a hint of where you might have sent it.  And if you have stickers and haven't taken a picture yet...ummm....

Wednesday Nibbles - No Underlying Theme Edition

OK all, Wednesday Nibbles time.  A lot going on this week, so I'm gonna get right to it!

Got an email (or should I say gmail) from Kyle earlier this week.  You know Kyle...Compleat Thought Kyle...@kyleindenver Kyle....ever willing to organize a fly tying "Hangout" Kyle...  Yeah, that guy.  Well, he sent an invite on behalf of his group The Greenbacks | Colorado Trout Unlimited to pimp their summer challenge of "Clean Your River."

Does Al Snow know they found 'Head'?

Basically, you go out and pick up trash on your local river, stream, pond, whatever...and post some pictures to the Facebook Group Page HERE.  In doing so, not only does the environment win, but you have a chance of winning some swag from Simms.  Pretty sweet deal for something we should all probably be doing anyway!  Check it out...then get out trash pickin' if you know what I mean.  I can think of a local boat launch or two that could use some TLC.

I find enjoyment in watching idiots.  So should you...



An interesting event coming up in October is the first annual FlyStock - a weekend of fly fishing, music, & fun activities in which the proceeds go to benefit Project Healing Waters.  There's not a ton of information available at the moment other than the date (October 28th - 30th) and the location (Long's Fish Camp in Kingsland, TX), but if you've got access to get there, sounds like it will be a fun time.

If I were you I'd bookmark the website HERE, follow them on Twitter HERE, or do the Twitter #flystock thing to keep up to date as additional details come out.  I likely won't be able to make it (geographical handicap), but I'll definitely be ponying up for a "concert tee" or two when the time comes.  Love the logo!

Bacon Bacon Truck please come to my town...


This week's blog love is going to go to Finewater Fly Fishing.  I'm a bit of a newbie to this blog...even though it dates back to 2007 and makes interesting use of household pets.

Cat in your stripping basket?

I'll be honest...my carp kick ended up bringing me to this site.  As you know, I've been doing a lot of "research" (aka reading blogs about carp) this summer and this one...well...not only has had a lot of carp posts recently, but also found a way to sneak a T! sticker into one of them.  You had me at hello...hence the blog love.  That said, it's a really good read even without the sticker.  Check it out HERE and give it a follow if you don't mind.

Oh, and one last commercial....T! Party sticker pic updates HERE....35% off Fish Creek Spinners + free T! spinner coupon code 35percentT! HERE...BTW, is it Friday yet?...no...crap....Adios amigos.

Some More Nibbles

You know what's interesting about eating corn?  You usually see it again the next day.  With that in mind, I bring you a bit more randomness in the form of a condensed Nibbles Part Two.  Nibbles...niblets...corn...get it? You know, because when it rains randomness it pours poorly composed blog posts.

First, thanks to Dave over at Pa Fly Fish - the online fly fishing destination for Keystone Staters.  It's got an active forum (to which I occasionally lurk), a blog, and all kinds of other interesting stuff like Jamborees, yearly calendars, you get the point.  Very active in social media too, like Twitter & Facebook, if you're into that sorta thing.

Anyway, there was a T! Party over on the Pa Fly Fish blog yesterday, the full post of which can be read HERE.  Nice to see some of my blogbuddies & favorite reads make the list too.  You guys know who you are.

obey.

On to some other business.  You know those free stickers you guys are sticking everywhere...well 3 weeks in, I'm not diggin' the way the one on my car is "aging" so I'm ordering up some heavier duty stickers.  The originals were supposed to be for "outdoor use," but like I said, I'm just not happy and stuff like that bothers me.

So, if you stuck one on your car, kayak, etc...(anything outside) and haven't sent me a picture yet to let me know, shoot me an email and I'll toss you a new one when they come in.  If you have sent a pic...I already got you covered.  Fortunately, if you used one on your tying bench, fly or tackle box, KFC bucket, laptop, etc...(anything largely indoors) you should be all good.  Sorry about that all, but again, they were free.

I'd consider this outdoors.

Randomness from the email inbox...The Herring Alliance wants us to protect menhaden, river herring and shad. Big surprise out of a group called "The Herring Alliance," right? I actually got two different emails about this, so it's probably worth a look....HERE. Basically, it's one of those e-petition type things asking the the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to take some action in their next meeting. Sounds good to me...

Do it.  Now.  Wuss.

Those infamous Cheeky boys have a new reel coming out called the Ambush 375.  If you preorder it before August 15th using the coupon code AMBUSH you get $50 off.....the insanely high price of $640.  That's like a 7.8% discount (which is not so impressive when put in those terms, huh?)

Hey, if you HAVE to make like Elton John and score a technicolor reel to chase large trout, bass, and small salmon, I guess this is right up your alley.  Me?  $640 buys a lot of UTZ Party Mix & A-Treat Sarsaparilla (the offiical food & drink of Troutrageous!).

Last but not least, Joel's selling tenkara t-shirts of his own design over at his A Year On The Fly blog.  As a "long time" supporter (of both Joel & tenkara), I ordered mine up last night.  You should too.  I mean it's like art you can wear on your body and not necessarily regret 20 years from now when your skin gets all saggy and your man-boobs droop down to your waist.

Think about it.  It's only $17 + shipping...
and much cooler than wearing a polo pony or little alligator on your chest.

It's A T! Party

That first batch of T! stickers has appeared to have made the rounds and are getting stuck.  I'm getting new pictures seemingly daily via email & various social networks in different settings...with them affixed mostly to car windows....but not always.

Here's a quick recap of what's come in to date...
(Actually I already posted the first two HERE)

This one is from the infamous Cofisher of Windknots & Tangled Lines infamy...definitely enjoy the nice company.

This T! is affixed to George's fly box.
He was even kind enough to write a blog post about it on his blog WILD FLY 365.

Speaking of blog posts, Bruce at Outfitted for Life wrote one about his fondness for stickers too.
This T! happens to be on his mobile fly tying station.

Mark, a loyal (& local) Facebook fan threw the T! up on the back of his Ford pickup.
I just hope the Sirius dog doesn't have to go #2 anytime soon.   

Good ol' original blog buddy Mel from Ass Backwards Angler gave the T! honors not only once on his FishMobile...

...but his gear bag too.  (Hope there's a sandwich or something in there, I'm getting hungry)

Finally, Brookman Trout of A Greenhorn Anglers Fishing Blog added the T! to this existing menagerie...

...to which I'll show the full back of the car for full effect!

So first off, thanks everyone for flying the T! flag.  If you've got stickers and haven't snapped a photo yet, please do and send it over!  I've added a tab to the blog of all the pictures submitted.

If you don't have your T! stickers yet...let the heat cool down on this bad boy for a little bit...then I'll unleash them on the world again.

In the meantime, Happy Friday.  I hope everyone enjoys their weekends and tries not to melt in this ridiculous heat.

Wednesday Nibbles - Cheapskates Edition

Hey yo.  Time for the Nibbles.  I got what 'chu want...literally.

Why do I say this?  That little sticker giveaway I did last week went obscenely viral yesterday.   Yeah, at like 11:00 AM this website called Free Stuff Times let all of their readers know that I (& interestingly enough Los Angeles Bike Polo???) were giving away free stickers...unfortunately, they didn't realize I stopped giving them out to the masses last Saturday.

Once upon a time this title said " Free Troutrageous & Los Angeles Bike Polo Stickers"...fer real!

So I got out of a work meeting at 11:23 AM and had over 80 bottom feeding trolls (many disproportionately hailing from WV & TN for some reason) emailing me wanting free stickers...and it only got worse when that post was then linked to Fat Wallet.com, and then other places like THIS, THIS, and THIS.  If it was like 8 or 10 folks I would have obliged, but I gave up counting once it went over 150.  I basically politely told all of them to f*ck off and enjoy their LABP stickers...and thanks for all of the web traffic...yeah, bring it on Better Business Bureau.

Okay...enough of that.  Did you see THIS?



Wow, right?  Now do yourself a favor and watch it again.  That deer not only got taken out by one car, but it actually got hit by the other one first launching it into the main car.  Crazy...or fake...probably both.

Removing dams is kinda trendy these days right? Yeah, I know...Patagonia's all over that shit. Question - If there's no more dams, what are all of the opening day trout anglers going to fish beneath? But I digress...

The dam goes boom

Anyway, seems up in the Lehigh Valley the Wildlands Conservancy and Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission want to remove not one, but two dams on the Lehigh River. That would not only open up passage for runs of fish (namely shad), but it would also create some sort of world-class whitewater course for kayakers. I was just amused by the fact that the article used the local McDonald's as one of the points of reference when describing where said course would reside. I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere...

Wanna go on a boat ride kids?

Okay on to fly rods...a few months ago I told you about the Hardy Zenith winning the Yellowstone Angler's 5-Weight shootout.  Well, the 8-Weight shootout is done and the G. Loomis NRX was the winner, edging out the TFO BVK (that's a lot of letters) by a nose.

Did I mention the G. Loomis is a $760 rod and the TFO is a $250 rod?  Just thought I'd toss that in...you know, if you're shopping around for an 8-weight.

Finally, time for blog love.  I'm going to a familiar face, although one relatively new to blogging.  Stu of Stu's Fly Shop fame's got a blog that apparently started in June.  Stu's writing style is great...very funny...especially considering he's from NZ and I can't always decipher some of the slang or references used.  Actually, that kind of makes it funnier.

Pillaging craft stores for tying materials - a tradition honored worldwide

Check out Stu's blog HERE if you have a chance...he's currently blogging about a recent swing through the U.S., so it's interesting to see what someone from halfway around the world thinks of American fly fishing.

NOTE:  As I was writing this post I received 6 more sticker solicitations.

Making The Rounds

Got back from Charlotte late last night.  Trying to get my bearings after 2 days of looking at painted sheet metal & inhaling ethanol fumes.  Anyway, feel like I've got a lot of fishing stuff to write over the weekend...so bear with me.

As for today?  Well...I'm gonna make Saturday (tomorrow) the last day to get in on the free sticker action for now.  (Need to get some more envelopes & stamps - had no idea so many people would want in).  So if you want a few, shoot me an email and I'll get 'em out to you pronto.

As for the first batch...well, they already seem to be rearing their ugly mugs...thanks to a few reader supplied photos.

...angling across america...or at least to Yellowstone...

...gettin' Fishy too.

Got photos of T! stickers stuck in inappropriate places?  Shoot me a pic and I'll post it.  Can't promise anything tangible other than having your fishmobile, tackle box, or body part immortalized...for tens of millions of readers to see...but hey, it's something, right?

The Kid...

...lost her first tooth yesterday.  You know what that means...

Dolla Dolla Bill Y'all!

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(A aside - thanks for all of you suckers that wanted in on the stickers yesterday.  First batch is going out in the mail today.  Please send pics of where you stick 'em!)