Ditch Pickle Classic

The Flyfish Journal

2013-05-17T08:07:00.004-07:00

The Flyfish Journal has been supporting the DPC since day #1 and we hope that you will show some love in return! Sign up for a subscription and you won't be disappointed!

Fly fishing's coffee-table bible, The Flyfish Journal publishes four issues per volume in limited editions. Covering fly fishing's icons, environment, and global culture, The Flyfish Journal is the fly world's collectible voice.

Cover price is $12.95(US), with a basic subscription rate of $39.99(US) for four books. FFJ's quality paper, cover stock, and award-winning photography create permanent value. 9x11 inches, full-color, with limited advertising.

CLICK HERE to Subscribe to FFJ today!

Vermont's Great Outdoors Magazine

2013-05-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

All of us here at the Ditch Pickle are completely stoked to have the support of Vermont's newest, most cutting edge digital publication, Vermont's Great Outdoors Magazine.

"VGOM is a free digital outdoor magazine published monthly covering the great outdoors in the Green Mountain State.

Welcome to your source for news and features about the great outdoors. Vermonters love their outdoor recreation and celebrate it. It's part of the fabric of the state and the reason some move here and others stay. We join in this celebration and together, we'll explore the backwoods of Vermont -- the fields, forests, lakes and streams. We love all outdoor sports. While we will cover plenty of hunting and fishing, we'll also hit the other sports like hiking, biking, skiing, camping, four-wheeling, bird-watching, photography ... you get the idea. If it requires you to get your boots dirty, we're probably interested.

Vermont's Great Outdoors Magazine is free and available via a digital publication format, as well as a PDF download for desktops, laptops, phones, tablet computers and digital readers. There is an app for the digital reading platform: ISSUU.

The digital publication is the focus of our efforts, but the magazine will be heavily supported by social media marketing primarily on Facebook and Twitter. A website will support the delivery of the magazine as well as serving as a home base for the publication's efforts and information. Facebook will be the "face" of the magazine and offer readers, the magazine's staff and advertisers the opportunity to interact."

Please send news releases to: news@VtGreatOutdoorsMag.com

READ THE CURRENT ISSUE OF VGOM HERE...

53 Days to the 2013 DPC!

2013-05-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

Someone's going home with a new boat!

2013-04-24T15:48:00.002-07:00

There were quite a few of us that were jealous of the boats Damon Bungard and Brian Cadoret were paddling around during the 2012 DPC. In case you forgot they were the guys stealthily paddling around pulling big bass out of the shallows in kayaks you can stand up in.

Well, we got a game changing delivery from the folks at Jackson Kayak today. The 2013 DPC champion is going to drive off with a brand new Jackson Kayak Cuda 12 on their roof! This is an amazing boat thoughtfully designed to make fishing from the kayak easy. The Cuda will make accessing the skinny water that Missisquoi bay largemouth love a piece of cake. We can't thank Jackson enough for the support they are showing the DPC. We also can't promise the boat won't get a little testing before we hand it over to the winner...

Stop into the Green Mountain Troutfitters in Jeffersonville if you want to check out the Cuda 12. While you're at it sign your team up for the 2013 Ditch Pickle Classic. You can't win the boat if you aren't out there fishing with us!

2013 DPC Dates are Set!

2013-01-29T11:25:00.001-08:00

June 29-30, 2013
Missisquoi Bay on Lake Champlain
Swanton, Vermont

The time and place has been set for the 2013 Ditch Pickle Classic
Catch-Photo-Release Fly Fishing Tournament!!

Check Back Frequently for Updates!

The DPC Making It's Way Through The Channels

2012-07-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

The 2012 DPC Champ, Roland Tremble
(Brian Cadoret Photo)

The 2012 Ditch Pickle Classic was a huge success on many levels and it's great to see some of the post-event exposure the DPC is getting in the presses, on the interwebs and amongst the fly fishing community!
See for yourself...

The East Also Rises - Matt Crawford of Pale Morning Media gives his account of the DPC via the Simms "Wading Room" Blog

Jackson Kayak and the Ditch Pickle Classic - Damon Bungard and Brian Cadoret of team "Jackson Kayak" paddled their way into some great fish at the DPC. If you think those with paddle-power are undergunned in this event, think again!

Local Fly Fisherman Takes First Prize in DPC - When the fish are down deep, just force them to come to the surface! This article, featured in The Islander, highlights the success of local angler and fly shop proprietor, Roland Tremble

Ditch Pickle Classic Lures Anglers to Lake Champlain - Morgan Lyle of the Schenectady Times brings DPC awareness to NY State in the great write-up

Local Guides Fly Fish For Northern Pickles - This article, featured in the Addison Independent, chronicles the DPC experience of 2 fishing guides from Middlebury, Jesse Haller and Wesley Butler

That's a Wrap!

2012-07-15T15:13:00.001-07:00

The 2012 Ditch Pickle Classic has come to an end. We had a stellar year this year with 51 entrants and not a skunked team in the bunch. We fished two hot, sunny days on Lake Champlain and managed to pull smallies from the depths and largemouth from the shallows. It's hard to believe that a tournament hatched in our minds three years ago has gone from drawing 10 fishermen to 51 anglers dead set on sampling what Lake Champlain has to offer.

Past victories have come with largemouth bass pulled out of the Missisquoi bay area. This year the Grey Buggers (Steve Dobrin and Roland Tremble) used their years of experience on the lake to take the team win lifting smallies off a North Hero reef. Sounds like deep water fishing but Roland claims he threw a deer hair popper all day long. These guys spread the love taking home the small bass prize as well with a 4.5" smallie. Enjoy that new 3wt line Steve!

The Buggers weren't the only anglers catching fish. Tim Davis of the Swedish Pimples took the big pickle award with a 20" pig of a largemouth, and Kevin Favreau took home a new rod and box of flies for his 30" bowfin.

Here's the run-through of winners and prizes. Stay tuned for photo-dumps in the future.

Team Prizes:
1st: The Grey Buggers (Roland Tremble and Steve Dobrin) - A pair of Fishpond packs and $150 in Mountain Khaki cash

2nd: The Nymph Pimps (Ryan Beaulieu and Blake Hackerson) - Bugger Barns with flies and a $60 in Mountain Khaki cash

3rd: Tappin'dat Bass (Mike Kontos and Syd Marsh) - Pair of Buffs and $30 in Mountain Khaki cash

Individual Prizes:
1st: Roland Tremble - Lug Pro-model Rock River fly rod and reel combo.

2nd: Ryan Beaulieu - Solitude 5 fly reel

3rd: Syd Marsh - Orvis Clearwater fly reel

Exotic Category:
Kevin Favreau - 30" Bowfin - Fly Logic 8/9 Fly Rod and Vermont Fly guys box of goodies

Smallest Bass:
Steve Dobrin - 4.5" Smallmouth bass - 3wt Rio Fly Line

Big Pickle:
Tim Davis - 20" Largemouth bass - 4 Benjamins (someone jump this guy in the parking lot!)

A big thanks goes out to all the sponsors for this years Ditch Pickle Classic. Everyone that fished left with something thanks to donations from Green Mountain Troutfitters, Rock River Rods, Stream and Brook Fly Fishing, Vermont Fly Guys, Matt Crawford at Pale Morning Media, Damon Bungard at Jackson Kayaks, Vedavoo, Solitude fly reels, Mountain View, Applegate Farms, Mountain Creek Anglers, and Eric Larsen.
.

51 anglers became Friends of the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge this weekend. Can't thank you all for enough for that kind of support. Looking forward to next year already!

Jackson Kayaks Bringing Some Swag to the Pickle

2012-07-12T18:04:00.001-07:00

You might have noticed team Jackson Kayak on our list of registrants. Local angler, and perennial pickle contestant, Brian Cadoret has been banging around in one of these boats a lot this season and decided to bring another Jackson team member along for the ride this year. Being the nice guys that they are they've decided to bring along some swag for lucky Pickle goers as well.

Yeah there is only mono-filament attached to that rod in the photo but you get the idea. These are stable boats that allow a fly angler to get into tight spots on a platform that doesn't force you to remain seated holding your arm awkwardly above your head throughout the cast to keep line off the water. Jackson makes models for both one and two anglers in case you've got a partner that likes to join you on the water.

Jackson kayaks are built out of a factory in Sparta, Tennessee providing a great American made option in the kayak market. If your looking for a boat to get you into that skinny stuff where the big pickles hide under the grass mats this just might be the ticket. We're glad to have Jackson aboard this year!

They can make or fix anything except broken hearts.........

2012-07-07T18:56:00.001-07:00

The boys at Mountain View has hooked us up this year! These guys keep whipping out all kinds of surprises out of their Enosburg shop. They can do it all! I asked one of the fellas, "Is their anything you guys can't do", and the reply I got was "We can fix or make anything except for broken hearts". Well, this statement pretty much sums it up. Mountain View took it upon themselves to make us some dope stickers for everyone fishing the DPC this year!! These aren't your run of the mill paper back stickers either, these guys do it up right! These are full blown color vinyl die cut decals of the Ditch Pickle Logo that will find its way on your car,boat, or fly box; where you can display your support for the DPC. And I don't want to gloat, but all the DPC administrators got a embroidered DPC hat all did up on a flex fit trucker....If you want a hat, hit these guys up, they got pimp gear waitin..BP

The Pickle in the Press

2012-07-05T07:24:00.002-07:00

The Ditch Pickle Classic is even making the headlines across state lines! Check out this great article written by Morgan Lyle of the Daily Gazette out of Schenectady, NY

One for the bug twisters...

2012-06-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

Mountain Creek Anglers, Mark Hanni, has carved up some sweetness for this years DPC! Mark is a innovator, creating some of the most unique and tyer friendly accessories on the market. Made right here in the USA, Mark carves out everything from tying tables, fly fishing storage, coat racks, rod and reel storage, and lanyards. His artistic ability is just not in wood as Mark designs his own T-shirts and stickers as well. This is one man that has a passion for the the sport of flyfishing and takes it to another level.

A little about Mark:

January of 2008, I started tying my own flies, because I was tired of hanging $2 prince nymphs in the trees along the small creeks I fish.

My friend and fellow Rotarian, Dr. Willis Potter (who passed away in 2011 at the age of 84) had been tying his own flies for 70 years, so I went to him to find out what I needed to get started. He gave me advice on the basic tools I would need and where to purchase them. He had a little work bench in a basement corner, where he tied. Man, it was a mess – he had material piled two feet high! I remember making the comment that I didn’t think I would ever have that much material…

Next, I needed a tying station. I searched the internet for what I wanted - something I could use, while I watched ball games in my basement. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find what I had visualized myself using. But I did find MANY table-top models. And, I found a few desk and chest models that were incredibly beautiful, but well over my price range – plus, they weren’t portable.

I have completely remodeled our home that was built in 1920, so I thought, “Why don’t I just build what I want?”

So I did…

When I finished my first table, I took it to my basement and set it up with all my material and tools. It was great! I could tie at my own speed and stop and watch the game when I wanted – all from the comfort of my recliner.

As I was tying, my wife said, “You ought to sell those on the internet.”

I told her she was crazy – there was no way I could make the tables the same way every time, and shipping would be a nightmare! So, I thought…

I followed her advice and started a little research and design work. A few weeks later, I had the first table completed, and my shop was set up to produce more. And, I even found a company to supply me with boxes for shipping.

I put the first table up for auction on ebay – I had no idea how much to charge for the table, as I wanted to keep it affordable so anyone could buy it. Well, that table sold, and three more sold the next week…

Since that time, the product list has grown quite a bit. I am always trying to think of new options to add to the tables, as well as, other furniture that tiers and fishermen and women might want.

Mark has generously donated his Super Smallmouth Fly-Tying Caddy! This piece is a functional work of art that will make a great addition to any tying desk, especially if it looks like mine! Give Mark a huge thanks and check out all of his goodies he's making, you will be sure to find some "must haves" on his site!

Thanks Mark!

www.creeknuts.com

Another "Reely" Good Prize

2012-06-23T11:21:00.001-07:00

A big thanks to the guys at Stream & Brook Fly Fishing for donating an Orvis Clearwater Large Arbor Reel, Backing, Line combo for the 2012 DPC!
Get your teams registered now folks!

Plop, Plop, Flush!!

2012-06-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hailing from Minnesota and a new fan and sponsor of the DPC 2012 is a Eric Larsen. Eric is an at home tyer and has been honing his tying and fishing skills in the great state of Minnesota. Minnesota is known for its abundant waters, so its no surprise that a fellow tyer like Eric spends the majority of his time as a water hound. Eric also manages Life on the Fly on Facebook, a page dedicated to the love of fly fishing and everything that surrounds the great sport. Eric has sent the DPC a dozen of his own creations in the form of foam, feathers, and rubber legs. It's a full scale popper delight! Big thanks to Eric for supporting this years DPC!

http://www.facebook.com/groups/393218567362222/

Mmmmm Fish Porn.....

2012-06-08T09:16:00.001-07:00

The great folks at Flyfish Journal continues to graciously support the DPC for 2012! The first 40 people to register their team will receive a copy of Volume 3 Issue #2 for 2012!! This package is valued at over $500 bones!

If you haven't seen this publication before, your missing out on the best written, no filler, and stellar fish porn you won't find in any other publication. There's a reason this is called a journal and doesn't fall into the mediocre magazine status.These journals are high quality and will be something you will want to keep and not go to the recycling bin. Want classy reading material to put the finishing touch on that coffee table thats "better half" approved? Then get your team registered; last time I looked over half of the journals are taken already!

Big thanks Flyfish Journal for your support!

http://www.theflyfishjournal.com/

Spin Deer Hair with the Master

2012-06-05T12:55:00.002-07:00

Bomber Swag!

2012-06-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

We know you've seen them, have friends that have some; and you've been wanting to get your hands on a pair. Well, some lucky chums will be getting the opportunity to pull the trigger on some of some of MK's bombproof swag. This year Mountain Khakis has given the DPC nearly $200 dollars worth of MK pesos to distribute as prizes! That's right, those Granite Creek Convertibles or Oxbow Skirt you've been eyeballin would have y'all lookin good for DPC 2013.

MK is based out of Jackson Hole Wyoming and a company that stands behind their products, offering a 1yr Warranty defect free .They take pride in their grassroots marketing approach in offering the best of the best in customer service.

MK's Soul Statement

"Inside us all exists an adventurous soul - a wild heart that is called from nature to live authentically and free from modern society. For many outdoor and mountain enthusiasts pure freedom and rugged adventure has become a way of life. Mountain Khakis were developed specifically for this lifestyle."

The DPC crew gives big thanks to MK for sponsoring this years DPC!

Solitude Reels put the brakes on...

2012-05-16T08:19:00.001-07:00

Its that time and from here on out expect seeing some of the fantastic sponsorships that we are so lucky to have behind us!! Kicking off DPC 2012 is Solitude Reels. Solitude Reels has graciously given us one of their top of line show stopper reels, the Solitude 5. The reel is steezy, Matte gold, and silent drag so you can land your fish without alerting the world. Of course its a fully sealed drag and saltwater safe, they don't mess around over in Washington. Solitude has developed their reels to stop the screamers, and the drag system they have hidden behind that frame; you'll have to see it for yourself. This is going to look good on your rod and a bass on the receiving end. Made right here in the U.S.A.!! Give thanks to Solitude Reels for supporting DPC 2012!

https://www.solitudereels.com/about-solitude-reels-fly-fishing-reels/#

Don't Miss the 2012 DPC !

2012-02-20T07:43:00.000-08:00

2012 Pickle Plans

2012-01-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

2011 DPC Champ Brian Lang

July 14-15th, 2012
Missisquoi Bay on Lake Champlain
Swanton, Vermont

The time and place has been set for the 2012 Ditch Pickle Classic
Catch-Photo-Release Fly Fishing Tournament!!

For 2012 we've decided on a new format for the DPC that will fully take advantage of the best fishing hours. This years event you'll notice is spread over 2 days. The tournament will start at 12pm on Saturday, 7/14 and end at 12pm on Sunday, 7/15. This will allow anglers to fish right until Sunset on Day 1 and get an early start on Day 2. Day 1 results will also be posted at the end of the day, so you'll be able to see how you stack up to the others going into Day 2.

We realize that it can be difficult to secure two days for an event like this, which is why we are providing as much notice as possible. Those of you that fished the DPC last year know that this event is not to be missed and 6 months should be enough time to secure your availability on the 14th & 15th. We are working on some options for group camping for those of you travelling from a distance, so please stay tuned.

This year we are very happy to have secured the Larry Greene Access Area as the location for pre-tournament check-in. There is plenty of parking and a very nice launch at the site. The Larry Greene Access is located on Rte. 78 and directions can be found HERE.

Like last year, each angler's $25 registration fee will translate into a $15 year-long membership to Friends of Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. The remaining $10 will get each angler an official Ditch Pickle Classic t-shirt! We plan to hold the "Post Pickle BBQ" at the Refuge Headquarters on Tabor Road, just down the road from the Larry Greene Access Area.

If you have any questions regarding any aspect of the Ditch Pickle Classic, please direct them to

DitchPickleClassic@gmail.com

For a review of last year's Ditch Pickle Classic CLICK HERE

If you would like to register your team for the 2012 Ditch Pickle Classic, you can do so at any time

HERE

In the meantime, please bookmark our Official Tournament Page at http://www.ditchpickleclassic.blogspot.com/ and check back frequently!

Your Awesomeness Captured!

2011-07-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

To all of those that participated in the "Capture Your Awesomeness" contest thank you! This was a ton of fun and we got to see all the creative and interesting shots! Both the good and the bad.. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! A big thank you to Idylwilde for supporting this contest and giving us the opportunity to fish with some of Kevin Price's bad ass creations! A big thanks to Kevin Price for digging out of his box to donate to the DPC this year, the lucky winner gets a dozen of his ties in box given to us by the New Haven River Anglers Association ; along with a $25 gift card from J. Stockard Fly Fishing! The pics will be going to Idylwilde soon so stay posted and keep your eye out on their blog and site...Let the voting begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.idylwilde.com/index.php

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Idylwilde-Flies/200386215282

Another Pickle Has Passed

2011-07-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe that the 2011 Ditch Pickle Classic is a part of history and we’ve got to wait a whole year until the 2012 DPC, but believe me when I say I couldn’t be happier with how things went down on Saturday.

Check-in

The fishing was far from fast and furious and I could have fried an egg on the deck of the boat it was so hot, but most anglers caught fish despite the conditions and one common theme across the board was that everyone had a great time both on the water and at the awards BBQ!

The final entries were 35 anglers divided amongst 16 teams. We had anglers from Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut all wanting to get their mitts on that trophy and the incredible pool of prizes up for grabs. Vessels ranged from canoes to jon boats to full on flats boats and we had a mixed field of contestants, some of which were guides, some that never casted a fly rod and others that just wanted to enjoy a great day on the water with friends.

The fishing was definitely tough! Bright sun…85 degrees…algae blooms…relentless wind, but damn was it fun being out there and taking part in such a great event! The action was pretty consistent for most anglers in the field…consistently slow! Most teams put at least a couple fish in the boat and we only had a handful or so of 16”+ fish weighed in. It was those multi-point fish that carried the winning individual anglers and teams to the podium.

2011 DPC Champion Brian Lang

In the end it was Brian Lang from team “Lucky Bassturds” that took home the trophy, pontoon boat and title of “2011 Ditch Pickle Classic Champ.” I would imagine that Brian spent the remainder of the weekend cleaning off a nice place on the mantle for his shiny new trophy AND pondering the many things he could buy with his “Big Pickle” winnings of $320!!!! If that’s not enough, you might see Brian out on the lake with his teammate Shreve Soule of the 2011 DPC’s 1^st place team, “Lucky Bassturds” slingin’ some of their new (HAND TIED BY THE MAN HIMSELF!) pike/musky flies donated by pike legend Barry Reynolds! As the winning team, Brian and Shreve also each took home autographed copies of “Bass: The Movie” by Jamie Howard and a couple Buffs for those bright sunny days.

Matt Cain proudly displays one of the bass that
landed him a 2nd place spot on the podium

In the individual ranks we had Matt Cain of team “Good Luck Charlie” taking second place with a pair of real nice smallies. Matt took home the Sea Level Fly Rod and Scientific Anglers Pike Fly Line. Our 3^rd place individual finisher was Tom Getz of team “Hair of the Dog.” Tom put 4 nice fish in the boat and walked with a Fishpond Guide Pack and $25 gift certificate to J. Stockard Fly Fishing.

Tom Getz and his teammate Arne McKinley also brought home the 2^nd place team award for their team, “Hair of the Dog.” They were awarded some fly lines donated by Barry Reynolds as well as a brandy new Buff for each of them!

Matt Cain and Mike Ryan’s team, “Good Luck Charlie” were the 3^rd place team finishers and took home a copy of Barry Reynolds’ “Urban Warfare.”

Drew Price with his "gar-gantuan" 1st place exotic entry

Drew Price of team “Bass-assasins” swept the exotic species category with his 46” longnose gar! Drew was awarded a fly reel donated by Ken Capsey’s Pike Adventures and Barry Reynolds movie, “Urban Warfare.”

Graig Smith of team “Good Swift Kick in da Bass” was awarded a very small Redington fly reel for catching the smallest fish of the day at a whopping 7”.

The post-event awards ceremony and BBQ was held at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters on Tabor Road in Swanton and I really cannot say enough great things about Ken Sturm of Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge and Paul Madden of Friends of Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge! These gentlemen made us feel right at home in a venue that couldn’t have been better for the DPC and I’m very much looking forward to a continued relationship with Paul, Ken and the refuge. It’s an amazing slice of heaven up there and we’re lucky to have it right out the back door!

The 2011 DPC was a success on many different levels. First and foremost it brought together 35 individuals on one of the finest warm water fisheries in the country. The DPC demonstrated that a fishing tournament can be friendly and casual in nature. It displayed a new set of tournament ethics that documented success with photographs rather than live wells, 35 anglers went home with prizes of all shapes and sizes and $555 found its way to a great cause!

Awards Ceremony / BBQ

I want to send sincere thanks out to everyone that made this crazy idea a reality. Thanks to all 2011 competitors for showing up and acting like real sportsmen. Thanks to some of the best names in the industry that showed their support through sponsorships of varying degrees. Thanks to Paul Madden of the Friends of Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge for providing us the opportunity to demonstrate what the DPC could do for his great organization. Thanks to Ken Sturm for opening the doors to the refuge headquarters and celebrating a great day with us. Thanks to Hanna, Naomi and Hillary for all their help and hard work preparing food and making sure everyone had a full belly at the BBQ. Thanks to Brian Price for his amazing grillin’ skills and devotion to making the DPC cry heard across continents. Thanks to Mike Kontos for handling the permitting process, assuring the DPC would comply with all statewide tournament guidelines. Thanks to Ken Capsey for suggesting this big’ole venue up north called Missisquoi Bay for the home of the DPC. Thanks to Brendan Hare for his vision of what the Ditch Pickle Classic could be and his perseverance to make that vision the reality it is today.

The Winners Circle : Arne Mckinley, Tom Getz, Shreve Soule, Brian Lang,
Matt Cain, Mike Ryan, Drew Price

From here on out you might wanna give second thought to attending that distant cousin’s wedding in New Jersey or that family cruise Aunt Hilda’s been trying to get you on for years. There’s a new summer-time holiday we like to celebrate in Vermont…..it’s called the Ditch Pickle Classic and it might as well be called Christmas!

See ya on the pond!

~Chris

Barry Reynolds?????????

2011-07-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Barry Reynolds????What???!!!!!
Thats right folks...Barry sent a package full of ?????? for your enjoyment, and has hooked us up! Why aren't we telling what he sent? Because it's fun, thats why! Barry has had more fishy fingers than a teenage...I'll leave the rest for your imagination..

In 1994, Barry wrote and directed his first video, The Flyrodder’s Guide to Pike which was then followed with the production of an instructional DVD, The Fly Rodder’s Guide to Carp. The last four years has found Barry quite busy completing two full length fly fishing documentaries. In Pursuit of the Water Wolf, taped in Hi-Definition in Western Alaska and Canada, takes a look into the passion and expertise that drives Barry to successfully chase some of the biggest pike in the world with a fly! In his latest and most recent DVD, Urban Warfare, Barry takes a look at fishing close to home and the growing popularity of chasing carp on the fly in the inner city of Denver, Colorado. Currently, Barry is busy doing the “rough cut” on his latest adventures in a new, action packed and cinematographic masterpiece shot in Hi-Definition by TG Lewis entitled “Pursuit,” which takes a look at fly fishing opportunities, culture, and travel destinations across the world-- and right here at home. Pursuit is scheduled for release in 2010.

Need more????

Want more? Show up tomorrow and put your fish pants on sucka's? See y'all in the A.M...lucky ......

A little on the "Wilde" side!!!

2011-07-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.idylwilde.com

Idylwilde that is....The journey began when I contacted Bass Bug Extraordinaire Kevin Price, coaxing him for a few of his badass ties for prizes. Kevin is a guide and signature tyer for Idylwilde Flies and lives in Northern Cali. He is known for his "Price's Pacifier" , "Snake Charmers", Mississippi Mudflap", "Warmwater Whammy", and "El Raton".

When not performing these acts on stage, Kevin also ties flies as well. Kevin is a super dude and was all over helping out the DPC. Not only did he hook us up some of his own ties and banner swag from Idylwilde before taking off to guide in AK, Kevin also contacted the front man, Zach Mertens, of Idylwilde Flies for the DPC. Zach is proprietor of Idylwilde, which is Fair Trade Only company based out of Portland, Oregon. The rest is History...

Zach and the crew at Idylwilde enthusiastically supported the DPC from the get go and loves the direction we have taken the tournament scene for the fly fishing enthusiast. We batted around some ideas and wanted to do something different and fun for all. After countless nights of evil masterminding, here is what evolved for this years DPC....................

Idylwilde's "Capture Your Awesomeness" Contest

The challenge is easy: Best photo wins. Done and Done......

The photo must contain a Kevin Price Idylwilde fly
Only 1 photo can be submitted per person
The top 10 will be chosen by the DPC administrators
Those top 10 will go to Idylwilde Flies which will get posted on their Web page, Facebook, and/or Blog for final voting by the world.
The winner will be mailed a box of Kevin Price's originals and what ever else is decided, of which you won't be dissapointed.

How to Participate: Purchase one of Idylwilde's Kevin Price signature ties....Just Kiddin... Idylwilde has sent us a boat load of Kevin Price's signature flies, enough to provide EVERY individual participating in this years DPC. Cool right?! If your "that" fishing pal that always get stuck behind your buddies camera, this is your chance to cash in and reap the rewards for those stellar shots and be a little less salty about missing out on fishing time. So everyone start channelling your inner Ansel Adams, its on!

A lot of you may also be wondering how are we going to control the measuring of fish for this tournament? Well, y'all with those graduated fish tapes that go from 0"-24" in only 6" might as well leave them at home, 'cause this ain't our first rodeo. Idylwilde has graciously provided EVERY individual with a 26" Idylwilde boat sticker that is the official DPC measuring reference to measure your catches. All applicable catches MUST be photographed using this tape or else the fish is D.Q.'d. This isn't your everyday Wally-World variety boat sticker, you will be more than happy blazing this banner on your boat and have all your friends in envy at your awesomeness. Just see for yourself.

We all want to thank Kevin, Zach, and the Idylwilde crew for their extremely generous support for the DPC. Its a true honor to have a company like Idylwilde to be such a great contributor. From all of the DPC crew and contestants, Thank You!

Brian

J Stockard Fly Fishing ><(((((*>''

2011-07-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hear of J. Stockard Fly fishing? No..? Well here's a chance to get to know them a little better. J. Stockard is a company based out of Kent, Connecticut. Just a hop, skip, and a jump away from us here in Vermont. They carry over 10,000 products of fly tying and rod building materials of the highest quality. You name it- Tools, Vises, Hooks, Natural Materials, Synthetics, Thread, Rod Blanks, Reel Seats, Line-Leader-Tippet, Reels. These are just a small example of brands they carry...

I put a big order in to J. Stockard a while ago after consulting with my friend and pro tyer for Peak Vise Pat Cohen (from the previous post). I inquired if he has ordered from them and he replied " All the time, they're awesome". Knowing that Pat most likely orders entire deer hides for his tying, I suspected J. Stockard must be good. So I deviated from my normal routine of putting my order in to company "X", of whom I've become accustomed to having every order back ordered, and went with J. Stockard instead. To my delight I received my entire order at once in only a couple of days, and all high quality. Thats what I'm talkin about! Enough about my experience, lets get down to the brass tacks. Wether you are familiar with them or not, J. Stockard has generously given us four $25 gift cards for prizes, and in addition, enough catalogs for every person participating in the DPC, all of which have free shipping codes! J. stockard also wants to hear from all of y'all as well, and we might just make it on their page. Thank you J Stockard for your support!

Brian

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/

Independence day flies update!

2011-07-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth folks! We've been lucky enough to have some great tiers donate some flies to us this year. We wanted to feature two of the tiers in this post Aileen Nishimura Ellis (mkflies.com) and Pat Cohen (gotbronze). Aileen's flies have been featured in Hatches, kype magazine, and bloodknot. Pat was recently interviewed by The Drake, and is recognized by many as one of the best deer hair tiers out there. Like I said, we're lucky to have gotten flies from both of these two and some lucky bass hole is going to bring them home.

Aileen sent us a selection of very fishable streamers and floaters, a sample of which is shown here. Whoever wins this set is going to have the whole water column covered. Pat sent us a collection of art in the form of deer hair. I've tried to capture the flies, but pics just don't do them justice. Below the photos is an interview that Pat was kind enough to give to Brian. 11 days to the Pickle people! Better start pre-fishing.

Where are you from, and how long have you been tying?
My first five years were spent in Bayside, NY. We moved upstate at that point and I have lived in Cobleskill, NY for the past 30 years. I have been tying flies since January of 2009. I started fly fishing in 2008.

Whats the average time to tie one of your deerheair bugs?
My deer hair bugs take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours depending on what I am making and what I'm making it for. The Punk Rockers for example take about 1 1/2 hours. The Hummingbird that I make takes about 2 1/2. The little mice take about 30 minutes. It just depends on how complicated the stacking and trimming is going to be.

What are your secret home waters and go-to flies?
My secret home waters....hmmmmm.....my go to fly....well it depends on conditions and time of year I suppose. Summer months I am a top water nut. My Hot Butt Toad is a go to for bass bugging and pickerel picking, my Sili Craw and Fleeing Bucktail are smallie killers. The Munch is a go to for walleye and just about everything else, especially with murky water. The Carp 'n Crunch is my go to brown lining fly. Man, so many flies. So many fish. I can't pick just one.

What publications/seminars have you been involved in?
I have tied at The Fly Fishing Show, The Fly Tying Symposium, Goldstocks Sporting Goods Fly Tyers Cabin Fever, Cortland Outdoor Day, SUNY Cobleskill Wildlife festival, Trout Unlimited and a few other demos. I have had the good fortune of being in The Drake, on a bunch of websites, NY Outdoor News, and the Schenectady Gazette. I just wrote my first step by step article for a magazine called Fly and Tie, it should be available next month.

How did you hear about the DPC, and what are your thoughts on bass tournaments?
You crazy Vermonters notified me of the DPC. I think a flies only bass tournament rocks. Tehre are only a few events like this happening around the country. It is great to see that people are starting to look at us warm water fly anglers a little more seriously. Move over trout bums, the warm water guys have arrived. And yes, we can catch that with a fly. I wish I could make it to the DPC, work keeps getting in the way of fishing for sure.