FlyFishing’s Monday Morning Sidewalk

shannon | February 11, 2019

WET AND DREARY AGAIN

Is it really Monday Morning already? This weekend was a wasteland for Texas outdoor pursuits – cold and rainy through and through. About the only thing we can do is tie some flies, burn hours on pointless internet searches, finish stories mostly written and tie some more flies.

Spring will come – GUARANTEED – in some form or other. It can come like a lion and it can come like a lamb, but March 20th. is IS the first day of Spring 2019. I thought I could smell it about ten days ago, but that has since been washed away by what is a more “normal” winter pattern of rainy weather here in Texas.

If you watch YouTube these days like I watch YouTube these days (I cut the cable), then you may already know that the series “Silver Kings” has undergone some visible changes since last season. Funding is obviously falling away a bit, and the format has taken a turn toward more environmental sensitivity. Bonefish & Tarpon Trust has picked up some of the sponsorship. The production values are changed, and there is no longer a Deep Eddy sponsor. That said, they still have a good number of sponsors with weight. It’s essentially a one-man-show now, with Captain Jared Raskob stepping up to the plate and delivering great “performances” as himself. No really, the guy carries the show, and his comfort in front of the camera is certainly part of the “new normal” for young people who were raised in front of all kinds of cameras and phones from an early age. There’s a whole new era on the horizon fueled by these young people who grow up comfortable on camera. And the producers have found one unique setting that very few if any YouTube series producers use. It’s called “Premiere” and gives you a countdown to when the next episode is released on YouTube. Believe me, I WATCH THAT CLOCK! Check that out and subscribe to “Silver Kings” next chance you get.

All that said, the “Silver Kings” budget has changed for sure, but the product? “Silver Kings” is a saltwater fly fisher’s mainline drug. Compared to the ORVIS flagship personality of Tom Rosenbauer – this budgeted version of “Silver Kings” still kicks some ass. I find it hard to believe ORVIS actually still has this video Tom Rosenabuer’s Top 10 Fall Flies online. Watch as Rosenbauer goes OFF on viewers for having their own opinions. That is a painful video through-and-through.

IN YOUR EYES – One thing that happened on this latest episode of “Silver Kings” was quite a boost in confidence to my thinking on gear for Islamorada. Over the last few days, I have been thinking about a new pair of shades for Florida, and couldn’t arrive at a conclusion that would compliment the lenses I already own. Then I was watching the latest episode (SMITH Optics is one of the consistent sponsors), and Captain Raskob’s guest, Jeff Legutki, mentioned putting on his Chromapop PLUS Ignitors Polarchromic WHICH JUST HAPPENED to be the exact glass I was holding on my wish list.

SMITH OPTICS

One of the reasons I was setting my sight on this particular lens is – these glasses “look like” the lightest shade of lens Smith has, but when you actually check the range of this changeable lens, it does start light for low light, but then has the darkest range for extreme sun as well. Done, and done. So sponsorship does work, doesn’t it?

BETWIXT and BETWEEN

I have a few announcements in the queue, the generic kinds from different organizations that tend to be pretty popular to the masses of Texas fly fishing enthusiasts. I will be running those during days off from my regularly scheduled Wild Art Wednesday and occasional Friday posts. SO be sure to check back EVERY day, or subscribe to get notified of updates – whichever reminds you best!

Have a fantastic week! This weather will not last forever, and if you have fly suggestions for April in the Florida Keys – for any species – lay them on me! If the weather does not favor us, fly tying will.