I’ve come to know Brandon Robinson (aka One Bug Is Fake) over the past year or so. While I’ve never actually shook the guy’s hand, I do feel like I know him, as we started off talking through social mediums, and now regularly share fly patterns and talk over email and on the phone. The guy has a dedication that’s not seen in too many others. A veteran, Brandon has a desire to create and donate different attributes to the blogosphere and fly-fishing in general. While talking with him about posting on Compleat Thought, he revealed something that I really didn’t know.

The following is from Brandon – visit him at One Bug Is Fake.

Almost a year ago, when I bought the domain to One Bug Is Fake, I envisioned a video-blog. My idea was
a sponsored (hopefully) web-tv type monster that would showcase a slightly less “high-minded” way of
living life on the fly. Measure in some funny, baste with an instruction blend, and sprinkle some music
to taste; nothing too fancy, but something that could be enjoyed. I knew I didn’t want to start another
blog, not when there are so many excellent blogs out there. I wanted to do video.

Problem is, when researching video editing, it was coming across as an expensive start-up. Then,
the videos I found out there were either: a stale collections of money shots, or just video versions of
the same stuff I scoured through when I was learning how to fly. The only ones that fell outside of
that Venn diagram were professionally done by people with financial backers. It short, it was kind of
discouraging. The one shining light in all of this was a website I found and subsequently began drooling
over. This website showcased beautiful locations, awesome editing, and really great music. Then I found
out it was done by essentially, a broke college kid… This can be done on the cheap! If you are reading
this, and you are wondering, “Who is this guy?” let me show you. This is a link to my favorite video so
far…

I focused on guest blogging however, and I built my homepage to warehouse all the posts the good
people of the internet have graciously offered to host; while still giving them the page views. The
video bug stayed percolating, until recently. Two things have happened that might change the course
of history! First, TexasRiverBum.com’s HCIC (Head cracker in charge) made a video of me fishing, then
completed all of the grunt work and released it. You can check it out here. Secondly, one of my go-to
fishing buddies admitted he is a carrier of the video bug as well. We are both prior service, so while
shooting the proverbial breeze, we hammered out an interesting hypothetical plan for doing just that.
Problem was, neither of us really had any equipment to pull this off with, but we had a name, “Infidel
Fly” (because “Pork-eating, Free American, Patriotic, Crusader, Fly Fishing Vets” wouldn’t fit on the
stationary, naturally). The two events did serve to convince me that like fly fishing, sometimes you just
have to trust your gut. With patience and determination, you don’t have to do things the way anybody
tells you. “This is what you need!” generally means, “This is why I don’t want YOU to do it!”

I kept an eye out and finally found a potential camera with a low price point, and an awesome return
policy. The purchase was bitter sweet. On one hand, it was everything I wanted to get started, but on
the other hand it had zero mounting points. None. The next model up was close enough to a higher-end
camera for it to make staying cheap, pointless. I went with my cheap option, because the return policy
covered dissatisfaction, and activation from the AllSpark, oddly enough. Maybe I’ve said this before, but
a little known secret about me is, I have NEVER been a fan of delayed gratification. I walked out of the
store basically itching to shoot.

I placated my desire to shoot by coming up with a logo. I varied between texting and calling Dylan
to make a plan for the first video. I dug in the back-forty for old videos from Yukon. I might have
developed a ‘man crush’ here; it’s hard to tell from this close. The plans were made, the location was
picked (this place that link also details a little bit of my history with this creek) and we set out.

I am not going to ruin the video with details from the trip, but I will say this…: We finally have had
continued rain, so the river is a lot murkier than normal. Second, read up on Guadalupe Bass (or read
my post in that last link). Third, Dylan is hooked on fiberglass now, so he fished the old Eagle Claw for
the video. (Did you hear that Cam? I converted a non-believer!) Finally, this video was shot on a cheap
camera, using $50 and below rods, and edited with free software. The music however, was custom and
played on the spot by Dylan. I hope you don’t hate it, the video, that is. The music is good, like left-over
spaghetti.

Just a quick look at what I’m seeing and reading. Enjoy!

First from Yukon Goes Fishing – as always, awesome shorts.

3 Reasons to Catch and Release – Jay Zimmerman

Slamtastic – Gink and Gasoline

Pre-ignition evaluation – Michael Gracie

’bout damn time – Fat Guy Fly Fishing

Brandon Robinson: The “Free Agent Blogger – The Fish News Daily

Lastly, I can’t wait for this full release – Costa Rica Challenge:

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.

That’s right – did a little of my own South by Southwest this past week. Take a gander.

Costa announced last week that they were launching a new advertising campaign with fish sculptures made entirely out of their sunglasses. While I’ve been in this business for a while, I’ve never seen anything like this. From the official press release:

A mix of lenses, hinges, frame arms, nose pads, side shields and retainer cord segments from hundreds of Costa sunglasses went into building the mounted fish sculptures , currently on display in full-page, four-color ads in publications like Garden & Gun, Texas Monthly, Sport Fishing and Bassmaster.

Each fish was built using the sunglass lens color and frame technology necessary to catch that particular species.  The blue marlin model glows with dozens of Costa’s 580™ blue mirror lenses as scales and silver and black frame arms as fins.  Side shields and retainer cords add realistic detail to the billfish body.

Green mirror lenses, nose pads and hinges work together to create a life like bass fish form.  For the tarpon’s scales, more than 150 Costa 580™ silver mirror and gray lenses were used.  The fish also features frame arms to shape the fins and mouth, with a Costa ‘C’ logo accentuating its eye.

The company also announced that these sculptures will be donated to fishing and outdoor advocacy groups later this year.

Take a look at the following video on how these were developed:

A very creative and interesting concept – my only question is where are the salmon?

Bravo Costa – can’t wait to see where these end up.