More to come...

Sorry it has been so quiet here lately. Home is a place I have not spent a lot of time lately so I have fallen a bit behind on getting up shots from the last few weeks. I am targetting this weekend to get that taken care of so stay tuned.... In the meantime here is a fly I tied up to take for a swim on Sunday.



-mike schmidt
http://www.anglerschoiceflies.com/

Bar Flies

Last night was my night on the Bar Flies roster, so after lunch I hit the road and headed north to the Dexter Pub to meet up with the Schultz Outfitters crew.

I got there a little early so I bellied up to the downstairs bar and enjoyed a few frosty beverages courtesy of Bell's Brewery.

We got underway once everyone got their gear unpacked and kncked out a few articulated patterns. There was a wide range of tying experience and we were able to knock out the Meal Ticket and the Red Rocket. Maybe next time we will do some of the really big stuff!




The boys at fishingporn.com surprised me and hooked me up with a customized bottle of Woodford...delicious!


I had a great time while I was up there and am hoping I make the roster next year.
Tomorrow I will finish up a day in the office and then head north to South Bend to do a workshop for the St Joe River Valley Fly Fishers. They are a great group and I am excited to be heading back. Should have some pictures in a few days...

-mike schmidt
www.anglerschoiceflies.com

A little White River and the Louisville recap

Starting off this one with a bit of fish porn courtesy of the boys at Streamside Custom Rod and Guide Service. Kelly, Adam, Erik and Bob headed out to Arkansas' amazing fishery...the White River system armed with boxes of meat to throw, including an good many ACF ties. The first few days were too nice and not as productive but the second half of the weeks sounds like it was much better. Some pretty quality fish here and I understand there were some tanks that eluded them as well.

I have a bunch of flies out there with other groups and really looking forward to seeing what they are able to get in to. Saw a few hog shots today... I am going to have to make that trip happen next year and have a few other streamer afficianados lined up to head out with me!

Last weekend I made my way down to Louisville on Friday for the Derby City Fly Fishers show. Upon arrival I headed over to a local watering hole to take in Linsanity on ESPN; 38 points in a win against the Yellow Kobes was pretty impressive.

Got a surprise when my cousin showed up with his boys to take in the show. The guys were full of questions and had a great time tying their own flies then checking out the other outfitters there. It was good to catch up and we'll see if they get the fly bug!

Heading north at lunch tomorrow to meet up with the Schultz Outfitters crew for Bar Flies at the Dexter Pub in Dexter Michigan. It should be a great time as we tie up some articulated streamers while enjoying a frosty beverage.

This weekend I will be headed up to South Bend to teach a workshop for the St Joe River Valley Fly Fishers, then next weekend it is up to Grand Rapids for the Celebration of Fly Tying. It should be a fun Saturday as usual, and then I head north to hit the water on Sunday with the Fish Whisperer himself...Tommy Lynch. Pretty stoked to see what we are able to entice from the tanin stained waters.

-mike schmidt
http://www.blogger.com/www.anglerschoiceflies.com

A few more shots from Zach Johnson

Got a few more shots from the trip I took with photographer Zach Johnson a few weeks ago. Really digging the way these came out. You can check out his other work at http://www.zachjohnsonoutdoors.com











ahh yes...the shitty grin of a man whose hands stink of brown trout!

Had to have one more to keep the karma going.

One more night of tying and then need to get packed up for this weekends show in Louisville. It has been a few years since I have been to that show so I am excited to see how it goes. I will give you all a report when I get back.

-mike schmidt
www.anglerschoiceflies.com

BUFF show and MRO class week 1

I made it down to Cincinati last weekend for the Buckeye United Fly Fishers fly show. It seemed that this was the best year that I can remember as far as vendors and crowd size was concerned. I believe there were in the neighborhood of 600 people to come through the single day show! One of the people that came through was Michael Decoteau and he got this shot for me as I was in action. I do believe it may well be the best shot I have had taken at a show yet; thanks Michael!

At 11 I took a break from tying on the floor and headed over to the lecture room to demo streamer tying, and specifically the Red Rocket. It was a packed house and we went in to detail on the fly by focusing on the techniques employed as the fly was tied.

It was a pretty packed room that was very engaged. they asked good questions trhoughout and I really had a great time.

Here is a shot of the 'Tying Room'. this year it was a new set up consisting of a full ring of tables so that people could walk the exterior and see all the participating tiers. The swim tank was a hit again and was a great tool to show people exactly how a few flies act in current.

I tried to keep it clean....but this is the aftermath...

Since the show I have been busy this week knocking out orders to get to various corners of the country. Here are a few different shots of some flies that went out the door this week.





Tonight was the first night of the winter tying class at Mad River Outfitters. It is a good group of guys, and I think it will be a really good time through the end of the month. It will be fun to see how hard I can push them in this technique heavy class since a few have only been tying less than two months! They did great tonight and I think will be able to keep up just fine as we navigate our way through a few patterns a week. Homework will be to tie, tie, and tie some more in between classes ;)

Will be knocking out a few more orders and getting some flies ready for Orvis the rest of this week, and then it is off to Louisville for the Kentuckiana Fly Show Friday night. I am really looking forward to this show as I have had to miss it the last two years but had a great time the years I was there before that. Hope to see a few of you there this Saturday.

I did not hit the water this week, but have a whole lot of flies I know are getting a swim right now so keep your eyes out for an upcoming ACF customer fish posting...

-mike schmidt
www.anglerschoiceflies.com

Fly Fishing Film Tour Columbus details

The Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) 2012
Gateway Film Center
1550 North High St.
Columbus OH
Thursday, March 8, 2012
(6:00pm - 9:30pm)

Tickets can be purchased online at http://flyfilmtour.com/buy-tickets for $15, or in store at Mad River Outfitters www.madriveroutfitters.com 614-451-0363 for $12.

ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE COLUMBUS SCREENING TO BENEFIT PROJECT HEALING WATERS www.projecthealingwaters.org

Local event sponsors include: Trout Unlimited, Mad River Outfitters, Central Ohio Fly Fishers, and Miami Valley Fly Fishers. Industry professionals and non-profit organizations will be in the lobby before the films begin to meet with guests: Project Healing Waters, The Fiberglass Manifesto, Angler's Choice Flies, Central Ohio Fly Fishers, Mad River Outfitters, Steelhead Alley Outfitters, and more...
Don't forget to bring some cash. There are some outstanding raffle prizes that you won't want to miss out on!
FLY FISHING INDUSTRY’S LARGEST EVENT EMBARKS ON CONTINENT-WIDE HD TOUR
Adventure film tour showcases global locales while supporting local businesses and filmmakers
Fly fishing’s most celebrated annual event, the Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T), the original and largest event of its kind begins its continent-wide trek January 26th. The traveling spectacle serves as a stage for the best filmmakers in the industry, an avenue for supporting critical conservation groups, an expo for local outfitters, and one heck of a party for growing outdoor enthusiasts and avid anglers alike.

With never-seen footage from across the globe, a party atmosphere, audience giveaways and valuable coupons, the annual high-energy spectacle is the sport’s most anticipated live-event. This year’s tour will make stops in over 125 cities across the U.S. and Canada. Along the way local businesses, conservation groups, filmmakers and fans all stand to benefit from each screening.

“Our goal in doing this is to share our passion and support the sport we love”, says F3T producer Chris Keig. “This year our tour will donate over $30,000 dollars to filmmakers. We’ll work in conjunction with over 175 local business and 150 conservation groups, and we’ll be giving away over $350,000 in prizes to fans who come see us. It’s important people know that walking the talk is at our core.”

This year’s spectacle includes a more diverse set of content than any prior year or any other tour. “We have something for everyone”, says F3T Filmmaker and Road Manager Thad Robison. “From scrappy Steelhead in Kodiak, AK to 100-pound jumping Tarpon in the Florida keys, from places you may have been to destinations we probably couldn’t find on a map if we tried.” Other featured destinations (and fish) include the Bahamas (Bonefish), the Northwest Territories (Grayling and Arctic Char), the jungles of Belize, Scotland, Montana, British Columbia, Wisconsin, Silver Creek, Idaho and more.

With nearly 75% of the shows selling out in advance, the F3T is the fastest growing event of its kind. “We hear from people constantly who couldn’t get tickets, or want us to bring the tour to their town”, Robison says. “As far as tickets go, we recommend our fans visit our local retail sponsors where they can get discounted tickets.”

As for adding screenings, Robison continues, “We’re adding markets each year but we have a program setup where we partner with fans to put on their own show. It’s a great way to raise money for a local group. We help with the marketing and they get to put on a screening, have a great time and make some money.”

The Fly Fishing Film Tour is produced by Webeye Group, LLC. It is presented by Costa, and sponsored by Patagonia, Sage, Hardy Reels, Yeti Coolers, Scientific Anglers, Trout Unlimited, Mountain magazine, El Pescador, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, and is presented in HD by the Outdoor Channel.

Hope to see you there...personally I can't wait!

-mike schmidt
www.anglerschoiceflies.com