So this past weekend one of my plans for the Subi came to fruition. Dad and I spent Saturday in the garage making a sweet bed platform with slide out table for drifting adventures this season. And I must say it came out pretty darn good. Can’t wait to get it tested out. Stay tuned…
Fall is in the Air
Today it’s a bit cooler. It’s cloudy. You can definitely feel the season changing with weather like this. And I love it. We need rain. The grass needs rain. And the trout need water. I am so looking forward to getting back to chasing those guys. With the anticipation comes a renewed focus on tying…
Pandemic Summer in Full Swing
So it is now July and Pennsylvania is in quite a heat wave. It’s been in the 90s for the last few days. Streams are low and warm. Trout are stressed. I’m stressed. We need rain. I need to make it rain. So I’ve been tying up some bugs and revamped my website and portfolio…
Alchemy by Jim Hoey
Alchemy: the ancient belief that gold can be transmuted from the baser elements. Apparently it’s been done too, on a very small scale, but requiring unjustifiable amounts of money/energy, and that doesn’t even count the cost of the nuclear reactor.By accident I found a much simpler way of observing the process, even though the whole…
2020 Trout Season
Well the state decided to launch the season unexpectedly last week. Assuming it was to curtail the crowds due to this pandemic we are dealing with right now. Good move in my opinion. I’ve yet to be out. I’d like to, but it would have to be someplace way out there amongst the trees and…
New Design/Illustration Work!
I worked up a couple new designs and they are available in my Threadless shop. Hoping to get some more designs up very soon. A little bit of everything there, so consider supporting a small business and take a look. Visit my shop by clicking here. I also worked on a new watercolor brook trout…
Week 4 of Isolation
This week marks the fourth week since I’ve been pretty much locked up at home, safe and sound. I’m doing well overall, probably losing some weight due to not drinking any beer or hitting any fast food joints. Those seem to go together and always help pack on the pounds. I haven’t really started working…
Firehole Number One. A New Fly for Friday.
We made it to another Friday. Unfortunately this pandemic mess is still here and doesn’t look like it will be going anywhere anytime soon. Bummer because the weather has changed and fly fishing is on my mind. Imagine that. I talked to my Dad this morning to check in and see how he is doing….
Another Day. Another Dumbshit.
Unfortunately that is where we are today. I’m not a real political person – and keep mine to myself, but this guy is plain ridiculous. I won’t even give him the pleasure of seeing his name in print on here. How anyone thinks he’s handling our current situation professionally and with dignity is a moron….
Another Week in Quarantine
It’s Monday. It’s rainy. In fact I think it rained most of the night. The dog is sleeping and I decided to grab the laptop and move from my office into the living room for a change of scenery – and a much more comfortable chair. Sipping coffee as birds are chirping outside. It is…
Day 12 Quarantine Update
Today marks a dozen days since I have been in self-quarantine I guess. It’s Friday and I can say despite the absolute absurdity of life right now – I laughed my ass off today doing a virtual happy hour over Zoom with some great friends. We started at 5 pm and it lasted almost an…
The Old Couple by Jim Hoey
I’m going to try a new concept for the site and occasionally have some guest bloggers submit some work. Kicking it off is a good friend – Jim Hoey. So here’s a great piece by the former Pennsylvania native – and proprietor of the Hoey Fly Shop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He penned this little piece…
Caddis Pupa
A new pattern I’m working on posted over here. Enjoy! ~Drifter07
Troutrageous! + Tenkara Angler
A quick plug for Michael Agneta’s blogs. If you haven’t checked them out, go do it. Very cool content and newsletter that he provides. I’m partial to the TA logo – as I worked on it for Michael a while ago and I’m very proud of the results. Looks so darn good! Thanks Mike! You…
Day 11 Quarantine Update
Today marks the 11th day of self-isolation for the most part. Other than the horrific news clippings and incompetent POTUS or POS – I’ve tried to keep busy and hope for the best. My food supply should be good for another week or so. I dread knowing I may have to make a grocery run in…
Fly Collection
It turns out some people are showing interest in my collection of flies and how I store those little treasures. I started collecting from others and putting them into little bottles with cork stoppers. I add a small cardstock label with their name and other info. All get stored in a cigar box that sits…
Quarantine Update: Day 10
This morning I was up before my alarm by a half hour. So at 4:30 am instead of trying to fall back to sleep, I put on some coffee, let the dog out into the darkness and started the day. Screw it. I’m gonna make the most of the day. I hit the tying bench…
Angler Spotlight: Oliver Edwards
I’ve been a big fan of Oliver Edwards. I remember stumbling onto one of his YouTube videos a few years ago and was instantly hooked. He had a unique way of demonstrating patterns and techniques – with wit and history sprinkled in. The history part is what I really enjoy. And seeing materials that I’m…
Crazy Coronavirus Catastrophe Causing Chaos
So as we all are aware – we are in the midst of something so horrible right now. A pandemic that is world-wide. A pandemic that is tearing families apart. A pandemic that is killing people. It is like living a movie. And I think it is scary as hell. I’m on day 8 of…
Parasol Nymph
Working on a parasol nymph pattern. Enjoy. ~Drifter07
A New Year and New Happenings.
We are well into 2020 and it has been a busy few months for this guy. Firstly, I’ve continued to go the freelance design route and see if I can pull it off for another year. With that said, I have had some interest shown from a few companies — but not enough to pull…
Mom’s Midge
Yesterday would have been my Mom’s birthday, so I decided to come up with a fly in her memory. I call it Mom’s Midge and it a very simple tie. I used a glass bead on a size #14 scud hook because I think the bend is sexy. Tie in some mallard for a small…
2 Material Challenge
I decided to do a little fly tying challenge by seeing what I could create using only a few items wrapped on a hook. In this case it was mallard/wood duck and thread. And I think it really opened my eyes to the possibilities of what can be done with feathers. It forced me to…
Drifter 7 Turns 46: Part 1
I decided to head north for my birthday, as I have done for the last few years. I departed on Sunday at 4:30 am from Pittsburgh, packed to the gills in the Subaru. The dog and I, both rather sleepy, got our fill of coffee and treats on the way and enjoyed a great sunrise…
The Founding Flies Project
A while ago I started reading through my copy of how to tie the founding flies. So I’m back at that, and decided to start at the beginning of the book and tie each fly showcased. The goal is tie at least one that looks half decent that I can eventually put in a shadowbox…
Experimenting with Glitter Thread
I picked up some glitter thread at the local Field & Stream store to see how it might work. Turns out, it looks kinda cool and creates some neat bodies. I bought it in their olive color and tied up a few bugs as a test run. The results are below. What do you think?…
New Designs in the Shop
Yea, that’s right. New designs are up on my Threadless shop. Go check ’em out and support an artist, and a fisherman! The link is: https://drifter7design.threadless.com/ Thanks! ~Drifter07
Steel City Enforcers Collection
So I decided to help out one of my favorite local beer joints. Danny’s Bar and Grill has been on my list of favorite watering holes since it was Cammarata’s. And it is right up the street from my place. Well, they sponsor a law enforcement softball team and have an annual event to raise…
Fall is in the Air
I am really excited for fall fishing this year. For the first time in 3 years, I’ll be able to hit the water on the weekends. Especially since I’ve resigned as an LL Bean Fly Casting instructor. It just wasn’t in the cards to continue to fill up my Saturdays during this fantastic time of…
Bugs, Beer and Bikes
Today is the start (well at noon for me) of the Labor Day weekend. I’m closing up shop and will be in rest and relaxation mode for three or four days. And that means tying up more bugs, drinking beer with buddies and getting a few bike rides in. And I’m pretty stoked already. This…
Brushes with Brookies & Beer 