ciclofish

midges: those tiny fuckers

2012-02-08T14:56:00.002-06:00

Minnesotans are (ironically) bitching about winter being too nice, and though it has kept me off my new cross country skis, it's got me jonezn' for trout ahead of sched. Temps in the 40's mean a big fuck you to ice off paste, those magic handwarmer thingies, & other crap you only use in ice fishin weather.
Indicator fishing is the rule of the day (see: bobbers) and at the tippet end, things like scuds, chironomid pupae, and San Juan Worms bounce off the rocks of the river floor. On occasion you may see a snout reaching skyward and when it does, MIDGE is the word. I'm partial to this variation of a Shane Stalcup pattern (tie it on a curved shank hook with a trailing shuck to imitate an emerger). You prolly won't catch anything and go back to nymphs, but it's always worth a try.
hook: 18-22, abdomen: peacock sword stem, shuck: rafia, wing: medallion sheeting, hackle: grizz

u s royalty

2012-02-02T22:06:00.000-06:00

This is what pop music should sound like.

U.S. Royalty - Every Summer from U.S. Royalty on Vimeo.

and this is even better.

NOTAS DE VOZ from Luke Adams on Vimeo.

almanzo100

2012-01-25T09:49:00.003-06:00

It's time to start thinking about crushed rock again.
The end is nigh, if you wish to ride 100 miles of shitty gravel roads up and down rolling hills all day in total crap weather, you need to send Chris your postcard NOW.

cuppow

2012-01-17T23:25:00.000-06:00

sometimes it takes a landfill worth of crappy over designed products to find the easy answer.

CUPPOW! from Paper Fortress on Vimeo.

shreddn the gnar gnar, brah

2011-12-20T08:53:00.000-06:00

how many pair of skis do you think he goes thru in a year?

JP Auclair Street Segment (from All.I.Can.) from Sherpas Cinema on Vimeo.

reverb

2011-12-12T22:36:00.000-06:00

this is not punk

"Reverb" Trailer from RT on Vimeo.

don't bring your kids here, it's game over

2011-12-06T13:13:00.000-06:00

Sipping Dry trailer from Sharptail Media on Vimeo.

lo fi fly kills

2011-12-06T11:04:00.002-06:00

Before you read the following paragraph, note that GT stands for Gran Turismo, and in this instance it's referencing a fish, a very fast one known as a bonefish:
"I am bat shit crazy about GT’s and when I git me one I am gonna shmash em right in the face and make a pair of boots outta him…GT Gumboots….and you will all write in and want me to make a store so that you can buy a pair to prance about, dance & leap in. You, in a pair of LO FI GT GUMBOOTS running through the forest like a gazelle with a knife in hand on the hunt for an animal to kill and skin so that you can make a pair of pants to wear with them. Yes you just fucking read that."
If you read the Lo Fi Fly blog, that's what you're gonna get and it's pretty fucking awesome. I think you should check 'em out.
*foto blatantly stolen from LoFiFly

beam me to oslo

2011-12-03T18:41:00.000-06:00

I don't usually post the Rapha vids because everyone who knows me knows I'm all about Rapha, and I don't like to seem like a broken record. This however, I found particularly striking with the road and cobble images and I love the Henrik Schwarz music.

Rapha Rides Oslo from RAPHA on Vimeo.

hdr skies

2011-12-03T08:34:00.002-06:00

Hdr skies from Tanguy Louvigny on Vimeo.

rapha-gate

2011-11-30T12:54:00.001-06:00

I don't know that I have an opinion on the issue, however, if I were hard enough to kick ass at the SSCXWC I know I'd sure as fuck get in writing. Whatever your opinion, this is FUNNY:

All the deets over at Hodala

$11 well spent

2011-11-30T10:59:00.002-06:00

I love tools, especially bike tools, most especially old, out of production bike tools that serve no current purpose and have "Campagnolo" stamped into them.
The very first bike tool I fell in love with is the original Ritchey CPR. Mainly because it said "Ritchey" on it, but at the time it was a solid multi-tool that took up minimal space. Having spent years buying and selling bicycle multi-tools from the dense forest of over designed tools at the bike shops I both purchased from and sold out of, I have this to say about the multi-tool: Less is more. That being said, I have found the MT-1 to be the underwhelmingly best all-round tool to have with me on a daily riding basis. No, it doesn't do everything (most tools that claim to don't actually do everything anyway), but this covers the emergency bases pretty well, with the caveat that on a fixie you'll still need a 15mm wrench, mountain biking you'll prolly want a chain tool, and if you ride a Schwinn, you're fucked.

foto borrowed from Park Tools

goods: imogene + willie

2011-11-26T19:43:00.000-06:00

Imogene & Willie from John Moessner on Vimeo.

jesus christ

2011-11-24T10:55:00.002-06:00

swimming upstreet

2011-11-24T10:44:00.000-06:00

They just want to make some babies.

4 on the floor. lionhearted. video.

2011-11-16T20:21:00.000-06:00

Lionhearted - the 4onthefloor ( off of the album "4x4" AVAILABLE NOW ) from the 4onthefloor on Vimeo.

display table

2011-11-15T11:57:00.000-06:00

I found an old steel table frame at a local antique store last week and knew it would make a great industrial looking display table/workbench. After a day of stripping it of its' mustard yellow paint, and another day of glueing cedar wood strips together followed by painting, sanding, oiling, waxing, and the general destruction of a new wood top in an effort to make it look old: I have a new display table.

monster brown trout

2011-11-09T09:33:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure this tackle was entirely legal, but there was no whistle on the play.

Matt Heron Reels in a Gigantic Brown Trout from Filmed In Tahoe on Vimeo.

magenta skycode

2011-11-05T08:58:00.002-05:00

Magenta Skycode - Kipling music video from Flatlight Films on Vimeo.

a tangled tale

2011-11-02T10:41:00.000-05:00

jordan hufnagel is destroying my mind, again

2011-10-31T23:12:00.000-05:00

It's not enough that his bikes are some of the nicest things out there that I can't afford, now he has to go and make these sweet parts. What a jerk.

tweed ride... and imbibing

2011-10-23T18:47:00.001-05:00

The 2011 Minneapolis Tweed Ride is in the books. T'was as beautiful an evening as we could have asked for the fifty-ish participants that included many first time tweedies. Once again our hostess, Carly, treated us to an entertaining tour of Minneapolis' finest pubs and eateries. Though I found myself soaked by the ale and too content to leave my barstool and complete the party route that terminated with the group sweating through their woolens at the Hot Pants dance party at Nomad World Pub, I managed to snap off a few blurry pics prior to weaving my bicycle home for the night.

it's pheasant season

2011-10-20T19:32:00.001-05:00

I'm not much of a hunter, so I rely on some awesome friends for my winter fly tying rations. I received my first batch of feathers today over coffee, and just spent the last hour prepping and separating them into little batches.
Thanks in advance to all my other hunter friends, I sincerely hope your side-by-side shoots straight and your retriever has a soft mouth.

nowhere

2011-10-20T09:38:00.002-05:00

this is not custom

2011-10-18T12:26:00.001-05:00

I love a trim fitting coat as much as the next New York Wall Street hipster guy. After all, the sure sign of a good custom jacket is a small armhole that was obviously built around your frame allowing the arm to swing with your movement and not disrupt the rest of your coat in the process. But...
I found this pic of a Michael Bastian for Gant sport coat on the web and thought I'd share with you all the stress points that are going to lead to this coats' failure well before its' time. Michael is a men's wear icon, but please, let's not encourage people do do this, it's as bad as wearing that old '80's oversized Armani shit. You could argue that if the seams are taped and the fabric has enough give, over time, it will become a custom looking piece, but, please, don't.
This guy is definitely not wearing this coat to a shooting party at the country estate this weekend, I don't think he can get his arm beyond his waist.

goods: rapha city riding socks

2011-10-14T09:42:00.001-05:00

I picked up a couple pair of these recently. They have been worn, washed, dried, worn again. They are awesome. They come in sizes, so they fit my size 48s. Soft & comfy, I'm partial to the fig and anti-freeze green. Get some

foto borrowed from Rapha.cc

off the grid

2011-10-13T11:57:00.000-05:00

Off the Grid Fly Fishing Trailer from RA Beattie on Vimeo.

joey is not ok

2011-10-06T10:18:00.000-05:00

Go to Bike Hugger to get on the bus.

i'd eat this bug. i mean, if i were a trout

2011-10-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

I can watch Davie McPhail tie flies all day long. This is a great example of how his flies are super precise, yet still very "buggy" looking. The more I tie, the less I like super perfect looking flies. Yes, there are times on super still water over finicky trout that you need the catalogue cover shot quality flies (and he can tie those too), but on most days you need a good silhouette and the appearance of movement from your bug, Davie kills it.

all city: the hipster machine

2011-10-04T13:37:00.004-05:00

My new townie is complete with special thanks to Jeff. This frame was hangin' with the ding-dangs at QBP and he practically forced me to buy it.
You may have seen the animated cyclocross video where they reference dj-ing at the Hipster Machine? Well ever since then, I've referred to the local club Bedlam Theater as the Hipster Machine. Now that the Bedlam is no longer what it once was, it seems as good a time as any to appropriate the name for a bike.
I washed off a bit of it's hipster lust with some Brook's brown leather for the hands and tush. And, no, it doesn't have a fixed cog on it, hence the choice of tires that offer a quality ride instead of a dense ply of I can't feel the road. I didn't want to spend a bunch of $$$ on a wheelset, so I built up some matching All City hubs (a great value, btw) to Velocity Fusion rims.
So, if you see some guy rolling around town lookin' like an aging hipster: Don't worry, it's just me, I'm not gonna steal anything.

best thing i've seen this week

2011-10-02T18:16:00.002-05:00

ending the season on a high note

2011-09-22T19:33:00.000-05:00

The trout fishing season comes to an official halt for Minnesota and Wisconsin this weekend and I was fortunate to get out one more time. I chose El Paso, Wisconsin for my last cold day on the water, 50ish degrees, and it felt colder standing in the river. I landed my best brookies of the season on a pheasant tail wet fly fished dead drift style through a 2-3 foot deep riffle. About 1pm a light drizzle got the trout to nosing up and I landed one of my better browns as he was masquerading as an 8 incher. He was hanging out opposite the food channel in front of a small bush in no more than a foot of calm, still water. I tied a size 20 baetis to 4 feet of 7x tippet and it took exactly one cast. That's the way the season should close.

cross clinchers/tubeless: success

2011-09-15T17:32:00.000-05:00

Josh decided to join me at the river bottom down by Sibley House for the tubeless clincher test run. Which, I must say was a resounding success. The ride, however, was a bit of a trudge. There was sand, lots of it. Fine, soft sand and we managed to stay on our bikes for the first couple of sections, giving me a small sense of accomplishment, but it wouldn't fucking stop. *Note that our bikes are standing on their own in the middle of the trail* I did go down in it once when I couldn't unclip from my pedal and I almost stayed on the ground, it was so soft and deep it was like landing on a feather bed, all I needed was my pillow. By the time we got to the back side of the trail I stopped even trying to go through it, I saw it coming and just got off the bike resigned to hike.

cross clinchers/tubeless: the test

2011-09-15T09:34:00.001-05:00

I just built a new set of cross wheels:
White Industries hubs
DT Swiss double butted spokes
Brass nipples (of course)
Hed Belgium rims
I'm gonna give 'em go as tubeless with a Stan's set up. I've installed the Stan's rim tape and standard rubber strip with valve. Now I'm off to the shop to fill them up with sealant and see how they roll down at the river bottom. If you have never used Stan's and are considering trying to set them up yourself, one thing to keep in mind is that you will need an air compressor. They won't get air fast enough to create a seal otherwise, so if, like me, you don't have your own compressor, this is the part you do at the bike shop.
It seems the group is about 50/50 on how they will work, but I'm going to take them out right after I get them set up today and I'll be sure to follow up with the results. Worst case scenario, I'll have a really nice new wheelset with tubes in it, seeing as how I'm out of shape and won't likely race them anyway, it doesn't much matter...

wasting light

2011-09-15T08:51:00.000-05:00

Foo Fighters were in town last night. I could've gone thanks to an awesome pal, but I was feeling too wasted from the previous few days activities, as well as knowing what I had stacked up in front of me for the next few. He showed me this YouTube video of the band performing their new album live, uninterupted, to nobody and it's really amazing. They have to be about the cleanest band out there at playing real rock-n-roll without kitch or any of that other false persona bullshit that pulls me away from a lot of hard rock these days. Just a bunch of really talented rockers doing their thing, so if you're one of the 10 or 12 people like me that hadn't seen this, check it out.

jeff tweedy covers the black eyed peas

2011-09-09T10:24:00.002-05:00

i was moved to tears

beer & fish, fish & beer

2011-09-06T10:45:00.001-05:00

This is awesome, and it's not $50. Just sayin'

cyclocross season: git'er purdy, git'er dirty

2011-09-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

The weather changed from summer to fall literally overnight and seems to have instantly made cyclocross the only topic of interest in the Minneapolis cycling community.
My cross bike has been sitting in the spare bedroom covered in dry dirt with no kit on it for a few months now and it seems the time has come to bring it back to life. So, as an obsessive-compulsive type, I take it out back and give it the once over in this order:
-remove every last little bolt, washer and screw.
-scrub it down so there's not a spec of last season left on it.
-frame save the seat tube (being an IF that's the only tube I have to worry about).
-put a nice thick coat of wax on it, let it dry, buff it out.
-install shiny new kit.

Now I just have to take it down to the river bottom and get it dirty...
BTW: The Curt Goodrich team were at the Angry Catfish for coffee the other morning and said there was plenty of sand at the river, so plan on getting in a shoulder workout. Don't forget to practice your Rocky the Flying Squirrel either.
If you're interested in giving your road bike the full-fish treatment before you put it away for the year, stop by the Angry Catfish, they'll be glad to treat your bike better than their own.
Next up: The road bike:

rush river, wisconsin

2011-08-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

With summer highs still reaching for 90 degrees, I knew I had to get to the river early if I wanted to cast to rising fish. I set my alarm for 5 a.m. knowing I wouldn't get out of bed. I managed to get vertical at around 6, made coffee, tied a few flies (the boxes are getting thin), got my shit together and hit the road.
When I arrived at the river (I think the town is Martel but I'm not sure, these towns are tiny and they all look the same: farms, a gas station, two bars and one church) there were three cars in the gravel pull off. I hadn't fished that spot this season and was looking forward to it. After cursing under my breath, I drove a mile to the next bridge: two cars, fuck! Third choice: I pull off the road at the park and gear up.
I get to the water and start lining my rod to the sound of pretty splashy rises from trout that are big enough to know better. Baetis are coming off the surface pretty heavily and before I know it I've caught more trout than I can keep track of and I've only covered maybe 300 yards of water. Once my last size 16 bwo decided it wouldn't float any longer, I reeled in and called it a day only five hours in.

No monsters today, but a nice mix of browns and brookies. The fly of the day was a baetis pattern I created: tail: barred wood duck split into a V, abdomen: light olive thread with brown thread wrap, thorax: peacock herl, wing: barred wood duck, hackle: dark dun.

james blake + bon iver

2011-08-17T22:10:00.000-05:00

Fall Creek Boys Choir is apparently going to be a reality in one week, at least according to James Blake's tweet earlier today. Not to sound like a fourteen year old girl, but, For Emma is perhaps my favorite album of all time and James' debut is one of the freshest albums I've heard this past year. I love the slow build and HUGE payoff on the Wilhelm Scream, if you haven't heard it check it out. I will be counting down the days...
A brief news article with some accompanying cover music here

4onthefloor x daytrotter

2011-08-01T16:08:00.000-05:00

There's a new Daytrotter recording from 4 on the Floor. Check out their cover of Smokestack Lightning, it will blow your mind. For the record, their artwork doesn't do BD1's beard justice, but the thought of it shaking hands with Jim Morrison's beard will eternally make me smile. Check it here

a peek inside my fly fishing pack

2011-07-28T13:29:00.003-05:00

Do you ever wonder what the guy fishing upstream from you is carrying in his vest? I do. There are so many products out there and so many ways to do things that it's hard to know what you're missing out on. In that spirit, I thought It'd be fun to list out what you'd find in my pack on an average day on the water.

1. Filson chest pack. I started using this roughly a decade ago after trying many vests and other chest packs. I really like the idea of a main compartment that gives you access to most of the things you need without going from pocket-to-pocket. It also has a classic look and is made in the U.S.A.
2. Patagonia Torrentshell jacket. It's cheap, waterproof and I can wear it casually. I'm not a fan of spending $200+ on a jacket that sits in your fishing gear unused most of the time because you'd look retarded wearing it around town.

3. Fly reel. Until I hit the water to rig up I just throw it in my pack so it doesn't get forgotten at home, it's happened.
4. C&F small fly boxes. Usually 2, sometimes 3: One for dries, one for nymphs, one for streamers and terrestrials.
5. Indicators and split shot. I've found this plastic box works great for me, I like having all of this in one spot and I haven't managed to accidentally empty all my shot into the river yet...
6. Shake & Float. I love this stuff, keeps 'em floatin' high.
7. Waterproof video/still camera. It's a bitch to use when you're trying to get shots of your own catch, but awesome when filming someone else.
8. Mini flashlight. For tying flies on at nite or finding your way back to the car, I usually carry a slightly larger one as well.
9. Abel tool. This is not a great tool for daily use, but when you need to trim a fly, hone a hook or open a beer it's good to have.
10. Soft weight. I usually use split shot, but still carry this for some reason.
11. Glow-in-the-dark strike putty. I love this stuff, if you don't have it: Get some! It's great for low light nymphing, but I also put just a trace of it about 2 feet above tiny dries to help me track them, even in daylight.
12. Mucilin. I usually wipe a bit across the first 10 feet of my fly line before I hit the water. I don't know that it works all that well, but fly lines start to sink after a while and it drives me nuts.
13. Bug dope. Mosquitos can suck a dick.
14. Sunblock.
15. Lip balm.
16. Gink. Keep it off that CDC, brother!
17. Tippet: 7x, 6x, 5x, 4x, 3x, 0x
18. 3rd Hand tweezer. I keep this clipped to the inside main pocket on my pack and use it to tie on flies, it's a lot easier to spin than trying to spin the fly in your fingers, a hackle plier works pretty well too.
19. Magnet. I keep two of them attached to each other on opposite sides of the pack cloth. They are good instead of a fly patch for smaller flies as well as for holding a fly on deck while prepping a double rig.
20. Leaders & licenses. I keep my licenses in an empty leader packet in my pack, that way they are always there if needed.
21. Nippers on a zinger. The last 10 years of so I've been carrying around a titanium nipper from Fishpond that I really liked (note: past tense). They stopped making it a while ago, what with its' outrageous price and lack of any usefulness beyond the aluminum version, but it was awesome. It must've snagged on something while I was hiking a few weeks back and the nipper and zinger disappeared. I was beyond bummed out, I only hope the person who finds it appreciates it. Anyway, I replaced the zinger and in an effort not to spend ridiculous $$$ on the new Abel nipper, I'm carrying around an old nipper that's been sitting in my gear bag forever.
22. Forceps. Last time I was out west I bought this rainbow one, I think trout enjoy looking at the prismatic colors while I'm removing a hook from their jaw. I've left a couple of these on the bottom of deep pools over the years and I always carry an extra one in the back of the pack just in case. It's too valuable to be without and I hate trying to use it while working around some sort of retractor/retainer that keeps it from getting lost.
23. Lighter. You never know.
That's a pretty detailed list. On any given day you'll also find a bottle of water and miscellaneous unhealthy snacks in the back of my bag. There will also be extra tippet in 5x and 6x hanging out with the back-up forceps and lighter. I used to carry a small seine that I made from a window screen, but it never helped me catch a fish, so I stopped.
If you carry anything unique that I may have never thought of, please share. I'd love to know about it.

oregon manifest video

2011-07-27T21:12:00.000-05:00

pink im6. yeah, this is happening.

2011-07-25T23:00:00.003-05:00

I bought a pink fly rod blank and admitting it feels kinda like I'm admitting my substance abuse problem for the first time. I was feeling like building a rod and I needed a 10 foot seven weight for steelhead fishing. While looking for a blank, I came across this. It's a seven foot, three weight, 2 piece blank and it's really pink.
Last night I installed the reel seat and cork grip, now I need to get the guides placed, wrapped and epoxied, and of course, fish with it.
In actuality I have no need for this rod, I really bought the blank for a couple reasons: It'll be good to build a practice rod before I put together my seven weight (I refinished a bamboo rod about ten years ago and haven't built one since then). Secondly, more and more people have been asking me to take them out fishing and more of those people are women. I thought it'd be nice to have an inexpensive guiding rod with a little feminine appeal.
Building a graphite fly rod can vary in price quite a bit with the rod blank sort of setting the tone. You can buy a $300 blank or spend as little as $25. If you spend $300, you're not likely to skimp on the other components and will end up with a $500 rod, I will have $100 into this rod when it's done. I could have done it for less, but I couldn't bring myself to put a cheap clunky reel seat on it so I went to REC and bought a really nice reel seat.
I don't expect this to be the best fishing rod, but it's going to be used by beginners anyway, although, I have to say I'm kinda looking forward to fishing it myself.
Fair warning: If you ask me to take you fishing, you may find yourself casting a pink fly rod in rural places where they give meaning to that sort of behavior...

these girls

2011-06-27T08:11:00.000-05:00

Don't know if I like this, or the album version better. Best Ryan Adams song either way.

scott fly rods

2011-06-25T12:15:00.000-05:00

Scott | behind the scenes from Scott Fly Rods on Vimeo.

100% made in USA. I recommend checking out their fiberglass series.

i was made for loving you

2011-06-24T01:15:00.000-05:00

Despite the fade out, this KISS cover rates.
When you grow up with a band like KISS, you never really can leave them behind. You get older, more sophisticated, your musical taste evolves, you gain an acute disdain for throw away pop music, and '80's hair bands can suck-it! But you still have that place deep inside of you where, underneath the Van Halen and Duran Duran, lies the real reason you started listening to music, the very beginning, the greatest band in the land: KISS.
When we were kids they told us KISS was an acronym for Knights In Satan's Service. Of course, it's not true, but I still write their name in all caps. Why? Because they earned it. They introduced millions of kids to rock n' roll. Even though they were total shit, they were THE shit.

ski boys

2011-06-23T16:06:00.001-05:00

SKI BOYS from Benny Zenga on Vimeo.

You've likely already seen this, but I'm sure you don't mind. This is simply one of my favorite videos on the interwebs and I feel compelled to revisit it every so often. It makes me think of early R.E.M., the Cali culture that was everywhere in the '80's and the current fashion trend that has brought Gant, Woolrich, and Sperry back into the fold.

armstrong spring creek

2011-05-31T16:43:00.002-05:00

The spring runoff came earlier than expected. My second day in Livingston, after fighting off some car trouble in Billings, was spent watching the Mother's Day Caddis come off in swarms in the afternoon sun above thick pools of chocolate milk. The bugs were there, but the trout wouldn't have any of it. Determined to get some good fishing in after 1,000 miles behind the windshield, I ponied up the $75 to spend the next day on Armstrong Spring Creek.
I'm not usually a fan of country club fishing, but I was glad to have the option on this trip. Paying that kind of money to catch some trout seems pretty excessive as you're handing it over ($75 is the OFF season price), but after you've spent the entire day catching 14" to 22" trout on dry flies, you've forgotten that you even paid to fish. Not to mention, if these rivers weren't on private land, they would have been fished out by us greedy anglers years ago.
My day on Armstrong Spring Creek consisted of rigging up at 8am in drizzle with a temp of about 45 degrees. I spent the first couple hours nymph fishing a size 18 glass bead pheasant tail nymph with a size 22 chartreuse caddis larvae behind it. I had some success, but didn't catch a lot of trout, I did manage to hook my biggest trout of the day only to watch him jump twice in opposite directions before releasing my hook. The opportunity to switch to dries came around 11am. Noses were up and I saw size 16 baetis adults coating the slow water along the bank. The trout weren't happy with my offering, so I downsized to 20s and regularly hooked up for a couple hours. Went into town around 1:30p to warm up with some coffee and tied a few midges at the coffee shop before returning to the cold where I spent the rest of the drizzly afternoon catching trout on size 20 midge adults. Called it a day around 6p.

abel reels

2011-05-31T14:22:00.004-05:00

I have fished Abel fly reels for around 15 years and I have never had a problem with them. Until now. I ordered a new reel and was unhappy with the quality of the finish. Full disclosure: I got a REALLY good price on it. Nonetheless, I was not happy. For the first time ever I needed to talk to the folks at Abel and sort things out.
As a life-long retailer, I've dealt with way too many pushy douche bag customers that think the louder they scream the better the service they will receive (unfortunately, in today's corporate retail atmosphere that's often the way it works). So I take the approach that if a company cares about me as a customer, they will simply listen to my story and make things right. If they don't see it that way, they can burn in hell, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it.
Needless to say, after a ten minute conversation with Don, I had a new reel being overnight shipped to me at their expense so that I'd have it in time to pull trout around in a Montana spring creek two days later. Not only that, but his generosity extended beyond words for, I fear, it will lead others to try to take advantage of such generosity if they know of it.
Sometimes even the best stuff isn't perfect, sometimes it's better than perfect in the end. If you need a fly reel, consider an Abel, they take their shit seriously.

blue diamond

2011-05-05T19:36:00.000-05:00

I just scored these on my Montana road trip. More on my vintage fountain pen fetish later...

if it ain't chartreuse

2011-04-26T12:33:00.000-05:00

it ain't no use.
That's what the guide that I was sitting next to at Kettle House Brewery said when I told him this was my go-to fly. Here's a tip I shouldn't be willing to share: When nymph fishing, whatever fly you choose, tie one of these off the back about 10 inches behind. Whether you are in Minnesota or Montana, it's gonna be the bug the big fish eat. You're welcome. *not actual size*

did someone say fashion week? kirk miller in nyc

2011-04-20T15:19:00.002-05:00

I remember Kirk Miller walking into the Minneapolis store I worked in with his father, Frank. He was just a teen, but you could tell he and brother, Derreck, followed in Dad's footsteps of appreciating the finer things even back then.
The Miller boys have been quietly putting their mark on menswear for a while. I remember being jealous of the idea of putting skull & crossbone perforations on the toe of wing tip shoes as they did with Barker Black (this was way back before skulls and crossbones were totally played out).
I was perusing the ACL blog today and came across their article on Kirk's new venture: Miller's Oath, check the article out here.
Way to go, Kirk.
photo borrowed from A Continuous Lean

keep curtis weird

2011-04-20T12:22:00.002-05:00

I didn't get to join my friends in Austin, TX for NAHBS this year, but they thought of me, which is quite impressive. They went out of their way to secure me this Austin inspired t-shirt from one of my fave builders Curtis Inglis.
I've been enjoying the Retrotec 29er 1x10 Curtis built me for a year and I'm looking forward to enjoying it in some dry, snow free weather again very soon.
Special thanks to Curtis for tracking the shirt down for me.

angry catfish bike+style+social

2011-04-20T11:36:00.000-05:00

This happened Sunday afternoon at the Angry Catfish.
Free tastings of Intelligentsia coffees were poured and Spring bike style was on view from Rapha, Outlier, Swrve, Chrome and Mission Workshop. It all culminated in the viewing of the Rapha Continental video, enough inspiration to make anyone want to go for a ride.
That's what we did next, winding the nite down with a mellow bicycle pub crawl through The University's east bank and downtown. No one got hurt too bad, although, there was one guy who decided to jump a curb and forgot he was rock'n fixed when he, uhhh, landed? (he's from Fargo). He got up though.

4.20

2011-04-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

It's a 4:20 kinda day in the 612. This is the view of my back yard this morning.

trout season

2011-03-17T11:10:00.002-05:00

The forecast said it was going to be 50+° on Wednesday and it wouldn't be long before the snow melt turned the rivers in to chocolate milk, so it was time to start fishing. Packed the gear and an hour later I was in River Falls, Wisconsin. Fishing license secured, I hit the Kinnickinnic River and hiked downstream below the dam. The water was as clear and low as I could have hoped and I immediately noticed small trout rising regularly through the tails and edges of runs. I decided to start with a small nymph double rig, fished unweighted, mid-depth, thinking that the trout were looking up and there were plenty of emerging bugs in the water.

It wasn't more than ten minutes later and I was tight to my first fish of the season, a six-inch brook trout. It was small, sure, but I can't help to think starting the season with a brookie (in a brown trout stream) is a sign of good things to come. As I fished the next few hours, it was all browns caught mostly on a caddis larvae imitation I created and that I find to be particularly effective pretty much everywhere. My timing was right, and at the end of the day I had caught well over a dozen trout of larger than average size to start my season, an indicator of good fishing ahead?

l'eroica

2011-03-10T09:36:00.001-06:00

This would be the dream cycling vacation.

EROICA VA from Edouardi Sepulchro on Vimeo.

freeman transport sale

2011-03-09T21:44:00.001-06:00

Freeman Transport is having a sale. That means you get 20% off if you want to buy me a new cycling cap, or maybe some awesome USA made toe straps (brown, please).

campagnolo drillium

2011-03-09T12:00:00.001-06:00

I have trouble believing that Campy would really do this but if they do, sign me up. Hopefully they'll drill out some chainrings while they're at it.
Not to be greedy, but how 'bout some cantilever brakes too, please.

fcuk, yeah!

2011-03-09T08:47:00.000-06:00

cinelli sesamo

2011-03-08T01:37:00.000-06:00

I was surfing eBay looking for a new stem to put on a bike with a 1 inch steer tube and I came across this. It's the Cinelli Sesamo. Originally available in 1998, it was the first stem that separated so that you could install/remove your handlebar without removing the brake lever and bar tape from the bar. This was a huge step forward in design if you were a mechanic and although it was chunky, heavy and almost immediately improved upon, I'm excited to have one and look forward to putting it on my Bianchi Pista Via Condotti.

4x4

2011-02-23T18:38:00.001-06:00

The 4 on the Floor's new album, 4x4 is now available on iTunes, although you should already know that. They're recording a session for The Current's Local Show, playing the Turf Club Friday nite and then they hit the road headed east, followed by SXSW. Later this summer they go west with The Evening Rig, another Minneapolis band you need to know about.
Anyway, if you haven't heard them on the radio yet, go check them out, and buy their record (cd, download, whatever).

iceland

2011-02-23T18:20:00.000-06:00

This. This is really high on the list.

cutters

2011-02-20T10:25:00.005-06:00

What happens when the bicycle industry gathers in Minneapolis for the weekend and you offer them free beer and shitty food? The Cutter's Ball, part duh. All the hipsters within cycling distance converged on the Peacock Groove bicycle production warehouse and annihilated it. They even drank the Moosehead Light Lime. Ughh.

top row: Angry Catfish hipsters+badass chicks. Dr. Noren, the hostess. Ben+Dave+Karl of the beards
bottom row: Randall of the veggies, the Stuper Bowl stuper podium. A Peacock Groove.

lucchese

2011-02-20T01:58:00.006-06:00

I was in Las Vegas for the MAGIC convention this past week (I'll save my thoughts about Las Vegas for another time). Although "magic" combined with "Las Vegas" likely makes you think of some fucked-up David Blaine illusion, MAGIC is actually the trade show for clothing people (sort of an Interbike for fashion). By trade show I mean crazy fucking swamp of textiles that you wade through for three days hoping to come out of with the feeling that you've set yourself and your clothing business up for success in the upcoming months. Good luck with that.
For me, however, it was a chance to see what was happening this fall in menswear that looked inspiring. I saw a lot of stuff that I'd wear from the likes of Woolrich, Levi's and Spiewak to name a few, but most of the stuff I saw was either too douchey for my taste or simply reminded me of Ralph Lauren from 15 years ago. It seems that we've gotten to a place in time where the fashion cycle is circling itself so eagerly that things are coming back into style before the people in the suburbs have stopped wearing the originals.
The most excited I got all week was when I happened upon the women's Lucchese booth. Now, I'm not a cowboy, not even in the loosest definition of the word, however, I love denim. And if you truly love denim and you don't, at the very least, appreciate cowboy boots, then I don't even want to hear your opinion on the topic of blue jeans.
The Lucchese boot company out of San Antonio, Texas makes some of the best boots around, and has been since 1883. Next time you happen by a western store check them out, actually, just look at their boot wall, the ones you are drawn to will likely be made by Lucchese.

nahbs

2011-02-09T19:32:00.001-06:00

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show is rapidly approaching. I've had the pleasure of attending the last couple of years and now that it's going to be somewhere warm, it doesn't look like I'm going to make it. The bottom line: If you want to see the best bicycles in the world, go to Austin, Texas, February 25th-27th. Eat some Tex-Mex, listen to some great music and get to know the guy that's going to build your next dream bike.
Above: The Bilenky booth from last year.
Below: Cielo touring, Black Sheep custom headbadge, Rapha/Speedvagen CX team kit (didn't happen), Black Sheep with big wheels, lavender Speedvagen, Courage track dropout. All from the last two years of NAHBS.

almanzo100

2011-01-28T15:04:00.036-06:00

Ride 100+ miles of crushed rock through scenic southeast Minnesota. Takes place on May 14th and is hosted by one of the most thoughtful cyclists you'll ever meet. Don't be fooled though, if you're a winter slug like me, May 14th comes up quick and those hills will kick your ass. Registration closes at the end of January. All you have to do is send a postcard to Chris, Get on it! details here

NOTE: Chris works hard to keep this race free for everyone, so don't forget to click the "donate" button on his site.

wheels... done

2011-01-28T13:34:00.000-06:00

Done. So, the hardest thing about about building wheels after not having done so in a while is remembering how to get started. Making sure that everything is lined up right so that the hub logo lines up with the valve hole in the rim and the spokes go in the right way, I guess you could say I needed a little help.
I did manage to build the rear wheel by myself: Lined everything up properly, stressed it multiple times, dished, round, thread locked the spokes, double checked the tension. I think I can say that I'm ready to build a set all by myself, as long as too much time doesn't go by and I forget everything again.

indy fab

2011-01-27T17:03:00.001-06:00

Independent Fabrication is hitting the road, read about it here. Who knows what this means for everybody on team IF, sounds like initial fall out includes Clint and Joe. I guess it's important to keep in mind that a cool little bike company started by Chris Chance in Somerville, Mass. went out of business back in 1994, those people needed to find something else to do and the rest is history. Best of luck to the gang and enjoy your new home. Pour a little out for Hobo Heaven.

wheels

2011-01-27T10:02:00.003-06:00

It's time to build some new wheels. I am not a wheel builder. I've built a couple, though I had a good support system to make sure I didn't go too wrong. This set, however, I'm determined to do by myself, we'll see how it goes...
The set up: White Industries hubs with their H3 Campy 11 speed titanium freehub. DT Swiss 465 32 hole rims laced 3 cross front and rear with DT Swiss double butted 18/20 spokes and, of course, brass nipples.

mafac

2011-01-20T10:56:00.001-06:00

Mafac "Racer" brakes (the word 'racer' just looks right in italics) were the shit back in the '50s. They often get a bad rap, but it's because brake levers sucked back then. These things worked and still do, they are very adjustable by varying the straddle cable length and they have room for wide tires and fenders. This front one is going on my cafe/bar bike, I may even add a rear brake just to use the set. If you feel like throwing around some dough, go get the Paul version, they are sublime. His canti brakes (also based on an original Mafac design) are the best cyclocross brakes ever made, despite the euro-trash versions that everyone seems so keen on these days.

bridgestone

2011-01-18T17:39:00.012-06:00

Back in the day (read 1989-1992) I used to spend a fair amount of time at the Kenwood Cyclery and The Alt lusting after mountain bikes that I couldn't afford, tops among those bikes were Ritcheys, Breezers, and Bridgestones. Times have changed, and none of those brands have much interest to me in their current incarnations, though Bridgestone is still producing some cool track stuff for the Asian market and their family tree extends to here and here but they no longer distribute to the USA.
Among the useless paraphernalia that I tend to collect, I recently acquired a Bridgestone quick release hub demonstration stand, these were produced for shop employees to show their customers the proper way to use a wheel's quick release skewer. I have no idea when they were produced, or how many of them are out there, but my friend Hurl has been sitting on a couple of them for a while, and now he has one less. Thanks, Buddy!
If anyone has any detailed info on these things, please share.

car

2011-01-14T19:18:00.002-06:00

I recently purchased a new car, and by new I mean 14 years old. As a cyclist I definitely have a love/hate relationship with cars; on a beautiful fall day it is unquestionably more fun to cruise around on the bike getting errands done while enjoying the fresh air and getting a little exercise. But this is Minnesota, it's fucking cold out right now and, well, I'm just not up to slogging around on my bike in six layers of clothes to get the mundane stuff in my life accomplished.
The worst thing, for me, about owning a car is that I like German cars. Since I make no money, this means driving around in constant fear of the next $400 repair bill, but, fuck it. Life is short and I've owned smart, practical cars a couple times and, although they don't break down and they get great gas mileage, I hated them, they just didn't make me happy. So now I own an Audi A6 wagon with 170,000 miles on it. It is comfortable, pleasing to sit in, drives like a car should and I like the way it looks. On top of that the all-wheel drive rocks the MN snow. The only thing I don't like about it is the color. It's red. But I have come to terms with that by deciding that a Richard Sachs "Cross Fucking Rules" sticker looks really good on a red car. Oh, one of the best things about owning an old car: Analog clock, ATMO.

26

2011-01-13T14:14:00.002-06:00

I was rummaging through piles of tying materials yesterday and came across an unopened packet of size 26 dry fly hooks. I have no idea where they came from and I can assure you that I didn't buy them myself. For those of you that aren't familiar with hook sizes, a typical dry fly is between sizes 12 and 16 (smaller #s being larger hook sizes). A small dry fly (think mosquito) is maybe an 18 and a tiny fly is a 20. The smallest dry I ever tie is a size 22.
When fishing small flies, in say the size 20 range, you often can't even see them on the water. What you have to do is try to focus on the general area you land your cast and follow the current bubbles as they meander downstream, raising your rod if you see a trout disturb the surface, hoping that it may have taken your fly.
Frankly, it's borderline retarded to even try fishing a size 26 dry fly, however, I have stood knee deep in a particular spring creek in Montana where I watched 20+ inch brown trout sip tiny midges off of the glassy surface all day long as they ignored my size 22 baetis imitation floating directly above them. So, I decided I'd test my finger dexterity to see if putting a size 26 hook into the vise, without dropping and losing it amidst the remnants of feather, thread and elk hair scattered all over the desk, was even a possibility. 15 minutes later, I was pleased to have successfully completed my first size 26 dry fly: A blue wing olive imitation, tied with light yellow thread, an olive thread abdomen wrap, medium dun tail and hackle, and a few strands of white polypropylene yarn as a wing for just a bit of sparkle.
Now, to finish up five more and then tie up half a dozen in grey with a black wrap and I'll have a dozen flies at the ready for that Paradise Valley, Montana spring creek.

brap-brap, Guv

2010-12-22T17:21:00.001-06:00

deer boy

2010-12-16T12:31:00.002-06:00

S. Carey, formerly known as the drummer for Bon Iver, has a newish album out titled All We Grow. He recently made a video here in the 612 with the help of MPLS.TV My friend Dajana was involved in the project and did the awesome title art for the shoot.
Deer Boy is available here .

Behind the scenes of City of Music: S. Carey from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.

nice nite for a ride

2010-12-03T21:03:00.000-06:00

I had that jug of Montana beer that needed to be delivered to the Angry Catfish bike shop so that I wouldn't drink it all by myself, and I sold my car yesterday, which meant I got to ride over in a nice snowfall. I haven't prepped any of the bikes for winter specific riding yet, and as there was an icy base due to a recent storm, I decided the Retrotec 29er was best suited to the task without taking time for a tire change. It was beautiful out, at least by Minnesota winter standards: A light snowfall with temps in the mid 20s.
The beer got drank, a Mukluk got sold, fried cheesecurds were consumed, inappropriate comments were made. Time to ride home.
In the few hours I was in the shop we must of gotten two more inches of snow and it was the dry, icy kind that rear wheel drive cars and bikes don't do so well in. I managed the ten measley miles home, without traction control or studded tires, though it felt like 20 miles, uphill the whole way. It turns out constantly focusing on trying not to fall over was a hell of an upper body work out too.
I'm home now, a twenty mile commute turned into a work out, it feels good. Hot cider time. I think I'll wait 'til tomorrow to put the studded tires on.

beer

2010-12-03T12:59:00.000-06:00

The winner of the unofficial Ciclofish Montana Beer Tour is Blacksmith Brewing Company's "P.D." pale ale. A very close second had to be Kettle House's Double Haul, which may have won, but I drank so much of it in those 2 weeks I don't think I could taste it anymore. BTW, the "P.D." stands for Panty Dropper.

ipa

2010-12-03T11:24:00.000-06:00

this is a wonderful poster design created for the artenbru poster and beer show in St. Paul, MN. Available here.

the murray

2010-11-28T20:37:00.003-06:00

If you're ever looking for a place to call base camp on that epic fishing trip, or just heading across the top of the U.S. and need a town to crash in for the night, try to make it Livingston, MT. At least for one night.
There are many things to like about Livingston. Of course, the Yellowstone river is right up there, as well as the world class spring creek fishing (even though you have to pay to fish on them). There are, however, some great little rivers in the area that pour into the Yellowstone, and aren't solely private access (that's the only hint you get from me).
Fishing aside, the best reason to stay in Livingston is the Murray Hotel. You will not get a better night's rest in a cooler hotel for under $80 a night, and as if walking into the stag-head infested parlour isn't enough to woo you, the Stockman Bar with your choice of a bloody prime-rib steak dinner or the world's best bacon cheeseburger is stumble-back-to-your-room-in-a-drunken-stuper close by. As an added bonus: Dan Bailey's fly shop is next door to the hotel and you're only a 50 mile drive from the north entrance to Yellowstone Park in Gardiner. Go get yer grizz on!

is your name sally?

2010-11-28T12:50:00.001-06:00

I was just reminded of these ads. They are awesome. Watch them.

freeman transport

2010-11-22T16:07:00.002-06:00

What do you do when you've driven 1200 miles to Missoula, Montana to fish but it's 15 degrees, snowing, and the winds are blowing 20 miles per hour? Well, if you're heartier than me, you fish. Me, I go visit the Freeman Transport office/showroom to interupt Benjamin's day while I get in some serious bicycle goods lust.
Freeman Transport is a small bicycle company that offices out of a back alley right in the heart of downtown Missoula, MT (as well as Minneapoils, MN) and they are cranking out a very few, very deliberate designs starting with one of the most inspired bicycles I've ever seen: The Gravel Racer, with a shot-gun-blued finish and copper plated fork. The bike breaks down into pieces that fit into a custom designed travel bag that gives the best luggage made a run for it's money. They also dabble in American-made cycling accessories that take root more in heritage outerwear and leathergoods than the cycling industry, notable are their saddle bag and toe straps. Most recently they have been building some gorgeous speed demons for the road and track with nearly vertical geometry and brilliant matte-finish paint schemes. All their bikes are hand-made in the U.S.A., just like their accessories, just like they should be.
Special thanks to Ben for graciously spending too much of his morning with me and showing off all kinds of cool stuff before I even had a chance to lift my jaw and ask about it. INSPIRED.

get miles...

2010-11-22T15:24:00.002-06:00

If you're ever road tripping out hwy94 way and get forced to pull off the road for the night because of a shit-ton of snow and sideways wind, I really hope, for your sake, that it's not in Miles City, Montana. Montana is truly awesome, I could spend a whole lot more of my life there than I do now, just as long as it's not in Miles City.
Look for some Montana Awesomeness here real soon...

MNCX

2010-11-13T20:00:00.006-06:00

It's been a mild season for cyclocross racing in Minnesota this year with above average temps and a lack of precipitation. The racers weren't complaining. Last night, as I and many of Minneapolis' cyclists were leaving the One On One Bicycle Studio party for the Minneapolis Presents Calendar, the darkness greeted us with icy pellets. By the time today's racers rolled out of bed this morning there was about half a foot of fresh, wet powder on the ground. It made for an appropriate end to this year's Minnesota CX season. Pictures here

dual suspension

2010-11-05T17:40:00.000-05:00

I stopped by One On One Bicycle Studio today for a coffee and I got to see a 1904 dual suspension bicycle. I don't know much about it, but I took a few pix. Of special note is the early art deco bi-plane fork with two flat, flexible blades on each side to offer some give. The bolt-hinged lower seat stays with the piston shock atop the wishbone is pretty cool too, very similar to some current designs; the Moots YBB comes to mind. Did you happen to notice the chain? Exactly! The brass headbadge is loaded with patent info, and reminds me of the retro badging that we saw on Jordan Hufnagel's bikes at the Oregon Handbuilt show. Everything's been done before...

tweed

2010-10-25T09:15:00.001-05:00

The Fall Tweed Ride took place in Minneapolis on Saturday night and, despite the impending rain in the forecast, about 40 dapperly dressed folks showed up on an array of bicycles, many vintage, some "ridewhatchugot". After a meet and greet/photo op at Kenwood Park, all donned their rides and headed southeast through Minneapolis to enjoy nostalgic camaraderie (and apparently inebriation, as it seemed that every tweed jacket came equipped with a flask) from the vantage point of two wheels. The last of the group ended the night wringing out their woolens by the fire, as a downpour finally caught up to the group just as the pubs were sweeping everyone out the door for the evening. Thanks to Carly Schoen for making this event happen, see you next fall! pictures here

none.

2010-10-16T13:47:00.002-05:00

...and it feels like everything's on sale.

r l winston

2010-10-15T10:25:00.004-05:00

The other day I visited the R. L. Winston Rod Company, which is situated about a hundred yards from the Beaverhead River in Twin Bridges, Montana. I drove about two hours out of my way to find that it's an incredibly underwhelming facility to visit, matched in underwhelmingness only by the town of Twin Bridges itself. It's one of those towns that, after way too many hours of windshield time, you'd drive right thru without even knowing it, if not for the the speed limit changing from 70 to 35 for the quarter mile long main street.
I've been fishing Winston rods since 1999 and find them to be the best in how they perform, as well as in their aesthetics. When fly rod shopping, the shop employee will take you out to the parking lot where you can test cast the rods, he'll talk to you about rod "action", "tight loops" and "accurate presentation". What you don't experience when casting in the parking lot is how the rod feels when a 16" trout strikes your size 20 trico spinner and you set the hook only to have your 7x tippet snap, as the trout heads for deep cover with a hook dangling from the side of it's lip. You're left standing in three feet of cold water cursing under your breath (because he who swears, shall catch no fish), having spent the last 30 minutes in that spot trying to outwit the beast. Anyway, the "soft tip" of Winston's rods won me over a long time ago.

If you're ever in Montana, do yourself a favor and skip the R. L. Winston factory tour, spend an extra hour on the river instead. Check them out here though, and go see them the next time you pass a good fly shop. Even if you don't fish, I guarantee it'll be an interesting experience.

el mac

2010-10-15T08:44:00.000-05:00

he's just fucking awesome, view his blog here

The Humble and Sublime: recent works by EL MAC from ELMAC on Vimeo.

artcrank pdx

2010-10-13T10:46:00.004-05:00

The second annual Artcrank Portland was October 7, and the Angry Catfish and I were there for it along with the Portland bike community. It took place at the Cleaners, a former dry cleaner on the corner in the Ace hotel building. The Ace left the old dry cleaning sign up and now uses the space for shows. Clad in windows along both sides, it was obviously the place to be on Thursday as passers by saw Portlandians (I'm sure that's wrong, but it sounds so right to me) shoulder to shoulder inside trying not to spill their pints as they made their way through the show. Only in it's second year, it's not the epic event that the original Minneapolis Artcrank has become, but knowing Charles, it will soon be forced to move to a larger location to accommodate the crowds. I met a lot of cool people and ran into a few of 612's ex-pats, as well as some PDX local cycle-celebs, you can see more photos from Artcrank here

tatooine

2010-10-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

if you haven't seen the new jeremy
messersmith video for tatooine, then watch it now.

Hufnagel at the Oregon Bicycle Show

2010-10-09T15:45:00.001-05:00

I went to the Oregon handmade Bicycle Show pre-party last nite, and the show this morning. I got to see some of my favorite builders from the Portland area including Jordan Hufnagel, who debuted his new branding, developed with his good friend and excellent designer Caleb Everitt. I'm looking forward to visiting Jordan's studio on Monday, hopefully I'll get some good pix to share, until then there are a few more pix of Jordan's bikes and others on my flickr page.

morning motivation

2010-10-04T09:53:00.000-05:00

DARK SIDE OF THE LENS from Astray Films on Vimeo.
this is the most beautiful 5 minutes you will have today. now, go do something.

face melting

2010-09-30T21:23:00.000-05:00

My friends, The Four on the Floor released their new video tonite. They fuckin rock! So, if you like it, please make sure your friends see it. The guy with the dotted tie in the video, yeah, that's me. I guarantee you that's as close as I'll ever come to being a rock n' roll star.

sick

2010-09-29T12:11:00.002-05:00

LightSpeed Mobile - Meet Your Customer - Sick from Xsilva on Vimeo.

bugs

2010-09-29T11:42:00.001-05:00

Next week I'm road tripping to Portland for the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show and Artcrank. The Angry Catfish decided to come with me, which will make the drive a bit more tolerable, and the trip way more inebriated. Once we're done with Pdx the Angry Catfish is back to Mpls, and it's up to Seattle (just because I'm so close), then back to Montana/Wyoming for some fly fishing in Yellowstone for me.

The bug supply has been depleted for some time, having not done much of any tying to speak of in the last couple years. I decided to sit down and try to crank out some bugs I knew I would go through out west, namely lots of small nymphs, caddis flies and blue wing olives. If you tie flies and fish a fair amount, you realize that flies you tie have to be of a certain quality to catch the trout, then there's the added attention to detail you put into tying them that's just for yourself. I'd say I probably spend twice the necessary amount of time on each fly because of details that the fish will never notice. Anyway, I felt like I got back into the rhythm fairly quickly, but I forgot how fast your eyes go blurry and your shoulders tighten up. I have to take a break after every eight flies or so to recalibrate and I need a massage and a nap after about three hours at the vise. I think I've managed to just about complete filling the empty spaces in the fly boxes, and I look forward to posting pictures of the huge cutthroat trout that probably won't get caught in a couple weeks...

the good ol' days

2010-09-27T13:13:00.000-05:00

Over at A Continuous Lean there's a great photo based article on the new Double RL shop in the Rhinelander Mansion. Having spent 15 years of my life working for Ralph Lauren, this brings back some fond memories. When most people think about Ralph Lauren they conjure embroidered logos and popped collars, as they should, but there is definitely a lot more to the brand. Whether you consider it theatre costume or retro fashion, you have to admit the guy does his homework, and if you want the best traditional styled selvedge edge jeans around, look no further.

lusting for:

2010-09-27T10:32:00.000-05:00

This is the first bike with any carbon tubing that I have ever desired owning. It is the new Independent Fabrication Ti featherweight with a carbon seat tube that goes all the way to the saddle eliminating the seat post. Link to IFblog for more info.

let cyclocross season begin...

2010-09-23T11:06:00.000-05:00

the official song of the best season for riding a bike, let there be rock! HUP, HUP, HUP!