I got to meet up with my old friend Matt Schliske from Schliske Bamboo Fly Rods this past weekend to finally raise my first cane on the Poudre river in Fort Collins, Colorado. I met him and his family (thanks for the hospitality Marguerite) at their house and got a quick tour of the ‘shop’. After a quick mac & cheese lunch that mostly consisted of a conversation between his youngest daughter and her favorite color while she pushed a chair in my direction, as to scare me into a corner, we set out to fish a local spot with a few of his custom rods.

I’ll admit, my expectations were that of a sloppy noodle cast that was meant for only small creeks in tight spaces. Yeah, I was wrong. From the first time I picked up my favorite of the day – a 7952 7’9″ 5wt 2/1  Rio Grande – I was able to easily haul it for distance and accuracy. I never thought that bamboo had such a backbone to it. In fact, I was able to tie a few of my heavy streamers on it and cast with ease.

It had a blonde cane and spring green wraps tipped dark claret with a single dark claret intermediate wrap and triple tipping at the ferrules.  The ferrules were also over wrapped with spring green silk.  The reel seat was spalted maple with Struble nickle silver cap and ring.

While in awe of the pure craftsmanship and design of all the rods I fished that day, the fish just weren’t eating what I was throwing. A few hits, a few misses, but that was about it. That’s a December day in Colorado for you. Numb legs and the sun setting over the mountains after 4pm. Nevertheless, casting flies to fish that weren’t eating was better than sitting at home in front of the television watching my Broncos get beat.

Can’t wait to get one of these out on a late summer or fall day skating streamers to drifting dries. If you get a chance, take a look at the site. I’m completely sold on these custom bamboo rods and can’t wait to get one for myself.

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While fishing with the Rocky Mountain Frenzy Group headed by The River Damsel Saturday, I got a chance to try out a new rod exclusively from Flyfishing Crazy. Larry Snyder has worked with T.L Johnson Rod Company to custom design these rods for each branch of the military. 20% of the proceeds, but $20 from the builder goes directly to Project Healing Waters. From a 486-4 to an 890-4, these rods come in custom wrapped colors at $335 – $345 (with other options available).

I got to take the 8’6 4# out for a spin Saturday on Boulder Creek and was very impressed with the Army colors and overall design of the rod. While fishing it, it did seem a little heavy for that small of a creek, as it had a pretty firm mid-body with a great flex-tip. I landed half a dozen with its precise accuracy, though I really wanted to launch a cast as far as I could. But those of you who know Boulder Creek, those shots really aren’t an opportunity most of the time. However, I did find a spot as we were just about fishing and decided to pull about 75 feet out and see how far it would go. No problem for this rod – I’d really like to fish it on some larger river here in Colorado.

Overall, definitely a quality custom build that goes to a great cause. I talk over and over again that you really can get a great rod and don’t have to pay a $700 price tag. Well, this is one of them, and the custom scribe on the rod adds to the appeal. Thanks Larry for working on such a great project.

Check out these rods by vising Flyfishing Crazy.

There’s a great little meet-up of writers in Colorado this weekend. The River Damsel has quarterbacked a great group of folks who will all participate in her Rocky Mountain Frenzy. I’ll be fishing with them Saturday, and I’m looking forward to seeing those I know and meeting others I don’t. We also have the pleasure of trying out a new Project Healing Waters benefit rod headed by Larry Snyder. I’m looking forward to casting that 8’6 4wt!

Check out the River Damsel’s post by clicking on the image below.

While fishing back-country streams in southwest Colorado last week, I got the opportunity to test the 2011 Fishpond Piney Creek Tech Pack. Like most Fishpond products, I didn’t expect this pack to let me down. However, for years I’ve been stuffing waders, rods, and other gear into an old day pack, so I wanted to see if it was really worth it to own a fly-fishing specific pack.

As I came to find out, this pack not only catered to my fishing exploration, but also could be used as a single day pack if you were only hiking and not fishing (like that ever happens). The straps and connectors are top quality, and the pack can also hold a 100 oz bladder for easy access to water.

For a day of fishing in the high-country, this pack has it all. The side bottle holders have a zip-out section on the bottom that helps secure rod tubes, and the side zip-out sections can accommodate additional water, fly-boxes, or any other items you want to keep separate from the larger pockets.

Take a look at the video below, and don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. I can’t wait to use this pack again, and I would highly recommend it for single day trips where rigging your rod at the truck and hiking miles up river just isn’t the best option.

The craftsmanship in the rod is also superb. From the reel seat, to the premium cork grip, to the guides, this rod met and even exceeded my expectations for the somewhat rough conditions while stalking bonefish. And to that point, fighting and landing fish couldn’t have been better. I’m used to my 690-4 Z-Axis, but while this rod doesn’t seem as fast, it is definitely a rod to consider for any freshwater or saltwater trip you may have planned.

I used a Rio Tropical Clouser line with it, and they seemed to gel perfectly. Even though both got beat up with 6 days on beautiful Andros flats, neither let me down. This rod and line are definitely on my next 8wt rod purchase list.