The best fishing video I saw in years

Dry Fly Heaven from Joel Whalen on Vimeo.

Happy New Year!!! to all

Merry Christmas to all the Bamboo Community

From Argentina
Marcelo

Let me introduce two Little Ladies

CF563SS 5'6" #3 2/1 The Short Series

Burning blood...

We have to wait 2 complete months to our opening season here in Argentina. I'd receive a video yesterday that immediately put my blood burning. Please take a look.

Flying all over the world

I received today a story from my Singapore friend Kuan Chee Yung (Arthur). The story praise about one of my oldest rods a CF704 7' #4 made many year ago and with a very good tale of fishing different places and different fishes.
Here´s is from my friend's words.

"Of late, I've been fishing very light & short rods as my casting has improved, I fish bushy country, and the spooky fish prefer very small flies. Estuary fishing has been bad due to weather and land reclamation destroying my beloved mangroves. As such, all the Jaguar Flamed canons have not been fished often.... but here is an interesting story.....

I was about to order a new light weight Calviello from you when forummer Erik Osterby put his 7' 4wt Calviello for sale. I jumped on it and now it is with me. As you know, this rod has experienced a long and interesting journey around the world.. First sent to David Edel (Denver), then consigned to Ron Shanaver (Wisconsin) who mistakenly shipped it to Erik in Hawaii. Erik kept the rod as it was really nice but subsequently loaned it to Len Safhay (Cloozoe), as it reminded Erik of Cloozoe's Heddon, and who subsequently fished it hard and broke a tip. You kindly made a new tip that was sent to Banjo with his Guru rod, where Peter Van Schaack picked it up in Maine during Superboo to deliver to Streamer but couldn't meet him, he then tried to delivered to Marty DeSapio (Horsesho)in Roscoe's Catskill Gathering but Marty did not turn up. It was finally delivered to Cloozoe in Somerset and now Cloozoe has sent it to me after braving the Draconian Customs!! The replacement tip lost it's ferrule plug somewhere between Cloozoe and Argentina but I fished the rod with new tip and caught a nice peacock bass on it's maiden Singapore trip (picture attached). I fished the rod in the toughest spot where I had to throw 4wt line 40 plus ft with tall bracken bushes and short trees all around and just a small casting space between 3ft and 7ft and a backcast space of 25ft. I hung up a few times at first but had perfect control after 5 casts and hooked this nice 3lb fish. Another larger fish tried to bite it while I was fighting it... see the bruises. It was returned with fight still in him.

Hope you like the picture and thanks for the rod you made that finally became mine.... and for the many famous friends it made on it's long journey to me."



I really love this stories about fishing... Thank you very much my friend!!!

The old fish

I found a picture today and a wonderful story comes to mind. These are the great things about fishing pictures... they are as a computer that bring past to present and you can live and feel some special catch to live.
It was a cold day of March, some 15 years from now. I remember that was not a typical day, no wind... that in Patagonia is incredible, specially at the Chimehuin Boca. It was my last day of the fishing season and my last five hours at the river, so I decide to do my fishing taking the time for everything. First some "mates" to bring some relax and to heat my body a little.
While I was heating the water to prepare my mates a little breeze start to flow, It was strange I thought, it was a "Puelche"... Puelche is a strange kind of wind that flows only 1 or 2 times in the year. People say that when the Puelche flow, all the fish return to the lake, so they were not the best wishes for my last attempt.
I take a walk near the coast with my mate looking for some movement before I decide what rod to choose and what kind of line and fly to make my try. As they were not the best conditions to fish I decide to take a rod and a line that I really enjoy to fish.
I prepare my Orvis Joe Brooks Favorite with a Perfect reel and an SA Aircell Supreme WF6F.
This outfit cast like a dream and I was sure that I will enjoy every minute at the river. Many cars arrive to the river and when they saw the Puelche, immediately fled the place.
I decide to start fishing and enjoy my last time at the river. I start up where the lake flow into the river (volcadero), the wind help me a lot because maintain my line at the right and I don´t have to worry about the big fly that pass near my ears. I made my classic tour from up to down river and stop at the bridge about 800 meters.
When the light start to gone I was approaching to my preferred place at the Boca... "the curve".
At my second cast I detected some move under my fly. I remember that I thought "stay calm, that was a fish". I went some foot's back at the time I take a look to my leader and my fly. It was a big Honey Blonde one of my preferred for that place...
I made a false cast and a big double haul to help my fly to cross all the river some 15 meters up the fish and start to mend my line. With all my muscles tense I start to work my fly with little but fast hauls... 1 meter, 2... 3... a great V and a great take!!! My Perfect start to sing, my rod draw a circle to the water and at the other side perhaps 50 meters up river a big brown start to jump like crazy. It was a real big fish and I must to admit that I was not with my best rod selection to fight this monster, so I thought "I have to be careful, very careful with this one, perhaps my last fish of the season.
The night catch me fighting my fish, and also found him trying to win the battle at every jump. I don´t remember a fish that jumps like this one. A great fish, a great day, a great catch to demystified what everybody think about Puelche.
This was another great day, and another great memory.



All this memories, keep full my background about bamboo rods and help me to understand what I like to found at any of my rods. Here in Argentina you can always fish some little rods, but always you need to be ready to take all of them because you can find a surprise at every part of any river.

Calviello Introductory Series

To celebrate the launch of the new Calviello Rods Co. I designed the NEW Introductory Series. This rods were designed for fishing and thinking also in an accessible price to let all know about the BOBFS benefits. Don´t miss the chance, all great fishing and casting rods at a very special offer.
Please for pricing take a look at the CATABLOG

CB704IS 7´ #4 2/1 Blonde rod with Jasper Brown Gossamer silk wraps.


CF765IS 7' 6" #5 2/1 Medium Flamed rod with Classic >>Chessnut Gossamer wraps.


CF625IS 6' 2" #5 2/1 Medium Flamed rods. Clear Gossamer wraps with black medium tips.


Thank you

The crisis is here... and now what?

They are trying to sell this new crisis to us as if it were the last, the world finish... All the civilization all around the world are bombed by the news in all kind of media, speaking about default, bonds and equities, banks, salvation plans, money...money... money.

I know that this chaotic situation is new for many of you, but I can tell you by experience that as my grandmother always said "whenever it rained stopped". The world along the years passed by very strong and difficult times and we are here.

The big threat here is to fall into the mouth of this campaign. I will not ignore that all of us have problems and we must be prepared but for sure I will not live every minute of my time and my family time pending for a crisis that I don´t made and that I can´t solve.

Time is our best value and one of the things that we cannot buy with money...

Moments like this one, generates great opportunities fundamentally to enjoy life, to enjoy more time with family, to take your son fishing, to enjoy your tackle treasures...

I remember when I was a marketing man, running my own company... I was the owner of one of the biggest bamboo collection in the country but without time to fish them... Them the crisis of 2000 in Argentina came and I decided to change my life completely.

More time at home, more time with my wife, more time to my children... I got the possibility of see them grow daily. I got time to use my rods, time to read books, time to tie my flies, time to think about rods and time to made them.

So when I think about the loss in the mouth of that crisis, I always thought "Thanks God to show me the real way to enjoy and live my life".

Don´t live pending of the news.

Try to spend lots of time with family.

Enjoy your life

Enjoy nature

Go fishing!!!

Just a thought

Very interesting article, and an honour for me

As you know the world is crossing into a big economical crisis. The media is always talking about it and what they got... crisis goes deeper and deeper. Some days ago I received an article about investments that I like to share with all of you. It was written by an authority in sporting collectables Mr. Len Codella, sure you know about him, and is a big help when we start thinking about new investments at a crisis time. Here´s the article:

AN OPINION

INVESTING ?? – STOCK MARKET VS. GUNS, FISHING TACKLE ??

Well, that tears it! After losing substantial REAL money in the market over the past several months and watching my investments and my retirement savings go up in a ball of fire (without so much as the benefit of the warmth of the flames), I felt it was time to share some observations about investing in things OTHER THAN worthless paper. At the urgings of friends, associates and suppliers, I am inclined to set down a few findings I've made over the many years spent in this business. All to do with the investment side of things, so here goes:

1. I have never lost a nickel on good guns, good reels and good rods.

2. I have lost thousands on "good" stocks in declining markets.

3. High quality sporting items, in exceptional condition, always seem to appreciate in value.

4. Stocks, bonds and mutuals can quickly turn into bad toilet paper faster than you can CYA.

5. There are no real "Shooting Stars" in the sporting collectibles field, only some modest, but sure investment potentials and safe returns.

6. Fondling stock certificates ages a person.

7. Cranking a reel handle or oiling a gun keeps one young.

8. Surrounding oneself with the trappings of the Outdoors is very comforting. Almost as fulfilling as being a successful father (mother), husband (wife) friend, business person, etc. (you get the idea – fill in your own blank).

9. Finding out over time that those trappings are worth more than you paid for them is the icing on the cake.

10. Sporting equipment is not very liquid but then, liquidity is not all it is cracked up to be – especially if losses are the result of quick and easy turn-over.

11. Invest in the very best condition factor you can afford. It will always pay you back.

12. Care for your investments. Clean them. Polish them. Do not let them deteriorate over time and they will reward you even more handsomely.

13. Fine gear does not require feeding or other expensive support over time. It just sits there and appreciates as you enjoy owning and using it.

14. There is almost an illegitimate satisfaction in buying a new rod or reel, fishing with it using care for ten years and then learning that it is worth half again (or more) than the amount you originally paid for it.

15. Fine guns and fine bamboo fly rods, unlike fine wine, do not turn to vinegar over time.

16. Having a stranger admire your tackle on the stream can really make you feel good.

17. Letting them try it out makes you feel even better.

There are more bon mots, but the point of all of this is that there is more to investing in fine gear than just the money, BUT, and that is a big but, it is certainly nice to know that the money is safe, secure and not subject to the whims of super greedy people.

The pleasure of ownership of collectibles far outweighs the modest, but sure, returns they provide. There is comfort in knowing you money is safe no matter how attractive the high return that can be "earned" on a hot investment may be.

COMMON SENSE INVESTING.

18. Always buy quality. Not only will it last, it will always pay you back.

19. On anything that may be a pure collectible; something to be put back and preserved, always remember the old real estate adage of "Location, Location Location". In collectible guns and tackle it is "Condition, Condition, Condition".

20. Try to focus on goods that have achieved a reputation for absolute quality. Products that are widely respected are that way for good reason. "Almost as good" is never good enough.

21. Whenever possible, buy new. It is easier to maintain top condition for posterity, when you start out that way.

22. Seek advice when you are unsure. A reputable dealer or manufacturer will never knowingly give you bad advice. He is reputable because he's earned the loyalty of repeat customers and will always try to insure that they continue to return.

SPECIFIC THINGS TO INVEST IN

The following is a list of guns, rods and reels to be on the lookout for:

23. Payne, Leonard, Gillum, Garrison, Edwards, Granger, Thomas, T&T, Winston, Orvis, Powell, Summers, Young, Jennings, Jenkins, Moran, Lacey, Carpenter, Thramer, Lancaster, Simroe, Nigro, Ciemiega, Taransky, Eden Cane, Scott SC, Schroeder, R.D.Taylor, Calviello, Dickerson Rods.

24. Godfrey, Peerless, Saracione, Hardy, Pate, Tibor, Fin-Nor, Abel, Hermann, Bogdan, Seamaster Reels.

25. Browning, Winchester, Remington, Fox, L.C Smith, Parker, Holland & Holland, Boss, Purdy, Beretta, Famars, Arrietta, Guerini, Fabbri, Grulla, Merkel, Perazzi Guns