I don't know my mosses...

Just a cool bit of moss hanging out on an interesting chunk of rock. I don't know my mosses, can anyone identify?

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I'm ready to get out and try some of the nymphing techniques I learned at The Fly Fishing Show this weekend. And, I know just the place to go! #nymphing #euronymphing #flyfishing #TheFlyFishingShow #WinstonSalem #NorthCarolina #northGeorgia #ChattahoocheeNationalForest #creek #stream #smallstream

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The Winston-Salem Fly Fishing Show 2015

Evenin' Folks,

  I know I'm about a month and a half late, but I wanted to make sure and tell you guys about my trip to The Fly Fishing Show in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  It got off to a pretty rocky start, which, unfortunately, put a damper on the whole weekend, but I got to meet some cool people and sit in on some awesome lectures.

   In spite of some cooler temperatures being forecast, I opted to take the tent and camp at a nice little campground called Midway about 25 minutes outside of Winston-Salem.  It gave me the opportunity to put some cold weather camping techniques that I've wanted to try to the test.  A few sock-covered Nalgene bottles full of boiled water tucked into the sleeping bag a few minutes before bedtime makes a world of difference!  I stayed comfortably warm, even when waking up to 12° F and ice in my mustache!!

  The Winston-Salem show was a Friday and Saturday event.  I got up the first morning and stopped at a McDonald's on the way in to grab a hot coffee and a breakfast sandwich.  Unfortunately, I didn't get much further that morning.  As I was leaving the restaurant, a driver in the oncoming lane to my left fell asleep, drifted into my lane and took the front end off of my little Escape.  I spent the next 4 hours in the McDonald's parking lot calling insurance and car rental companies trying to get the ball rolling and trying to figure out how the hell I was going to get home!  I want to take a moment to say a huge and very well deserved THANK YOU to Mike from Mike's Wrecker Service in Mocksville.  If any of you reading this are ever in need of a tow truck in that area, give Mike a call.  He helped me out a lot, did a great job towing my car and really gave me some great advice on the whole process.  

It was a good little car.

  I'm very thankful that I wasn't injured at all in the wreck, but it certainly made me think hard about attending the second day of the show or just driving home.  Well, I guess I'm a glutton for punishment, because I stayed two more sub-freezing nights in the tent so I could get my fly fishing gear fix.  To say that I wasn't in the best frame of mind for attending a show is a bit of an understatement.  As a result, I'm afraid I didn't take as many photos as I wish I had.  

   The thing I enjoyed most about the Winston-Salem Fly Fishing Show was the number and variety of presentations and lectures offered.  From fly fishing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Bahamas to Alaska, and those are just a few of the presentations I attended.

 One of the most fascinating was a presentation from a gentleman named Ozzie Ozefovich on The Underwater World of Trout.  Ozzie has combined his lifelong love of trout with his lifelong love of the video camera and through his camera's lens he sheds light on the secret world of his favorite fish.  Not only does he study and explain the habits of the fish themselves, but Ozzie also runs tests to determine how the water currents change through the water column and how different structures affect the stream flow.  Ozzie had compiled his research and footage onto 4 dvds that are available for purchase through his website.  I plan to order them, so look for a review here later in the year!

Cecilia "Pudge" Kleinkauf

  A highlight of the show for me was meeting and speaking with Cecilia "Pudge" Kleinkauf, the director and guide of Women's Flyfishing Alaska.  She's such a wealth of information and experience and her passion for the sport is contagious.  Pudge has authored several books and many articles on flyfishing in Alaska, she has hosted a podcast and been interviewed by the Ask About Flyfishing podcast.  I got to speak with Pudge while she was working her table on Tier's Row, she told me she's a regular at The Fly Fishing Shows.  I feel very fortunate that I got to meet and speak with her and I hope I get the opportunity again some day.
  Even though things got off to a rough start for me with this trip, I thoroughly enjoyed attending The Winston-Salem Fly Fishing Show.  If there's a show in your neck of the woods you really ought to check it out.  The lectures, the exhibitors, and the fly shops that are represented really make for a great show.  I'm going to try to attend again next year, but I might have to get a hotel and I won't be going to McDonald's for coffee!!!
  I hope you're all doing well,
     Tight Lines,
          -Nick
  

Winter Camping Checklist

Evenin' Folks,

  For the first time in a while I didn't do any fishing this weekend (haven't been doing much catching lately, anyway!).  Instead, I've been working on getting organized and getting my lists made for my trip to North Carolina this coming weekend.  I'm going to be attending The Fly Fishing Show in Winston-Salem and I'm very excited!  I'll have a full post up after the show with tons of pictures and my experiences at the show.  Make sure you're following me on Facebook and Instagram because I'll be live posting photos there all weekend.
  There was a special rate offered at the local hotels for show attendees, but a hotel room is way outside my budget.  I've never been a big fan of sleeping in a bed slept in by a few hundred strangers before me either! So, I'm camping!  I'm packing up the tent, sleeping bag and chuck box and enjoying a weekend of sleeping in the great outdoors.  I've found a nice little campground about 25 minutes from the convention center and, fingers crossed, the weather should be fairly cooperative for the weekend, according to current outlooks.  Being that this is the beginning of February, North Carolina does get pretty cold.  The night of my arrival the meteorologists are predicting snow flurries and weekend lows in the low 20s.  Since I'm car camping, I don't have much concern for the weight of my gear, but I want to make sure that I am well prepared for whatever the weather might throw at me.  In doing my research, Googling "camping checklist" seems to assume warm weather camping and searching "winter camping" assumes back country snowshoeing or cross country skiing trips.  None of the lists I found seem to be tailored to winter camping in the southeastern US where it could rain, it could snow or it could be 70 degrees all in the same weekend!  So, I've put together my own list and I thought I would share it here with you.

Tent
	Tent
	Groundcloth
	Tent stakes
	Rainfly
	Floor pad
	Kitchen shelter
	Door mat
	Wisk broom
	Tent light
	Cell phone charger
	Extension cord
	Power strip
Cold Sleeping
	Sleeping bag
	Sleeping pad
	Sleeping bag liner
	Extra quilts/blankets
	Pillow
Specialty Clothing
	Long johns
	Heavy socks
	Knit cap
	Henley shirt
	Coat
	Gloves knit & leather Rain gear
Kitchen
	Stove
	Fuel
	Lantern
	Pot
	Skillet
	Plastic utensils
	Plastic cooking utensils (spatula, spoon, tongs)
	Matches/lighter (plus extra)
	Plastic cup/mug
	Paper plates/bowls
	Paper towel
	Plastic pot scraper
	Scrub pad
	Dish detergent
	Dish cloth
	Wash basin
	Kitchen knife
	Cutting board
	Cooler
	Ice
	Hot dog forks
	Small trash bags (used grocery bags)
	Nalgene style water bottles
	Aluminum foil
	Kettle
	French press
	Can/bottle opener
	Kitchen towel/pot holder
	Measuring cup/spoons
	Zip top bags
	Salt/pepper/sugar/spices
	Cooking oil/spray
Light
	Lantern
	Spare mantles
	Fuel
	Flashlight
	Spare Batteries
	Headlamp
Tools
	Multi tool
	Hatchet
	Hammer
	Knife
	Rope/cord
	Duct tape
Campfire
	Matches/lighter
	Fire starter (homemade or store bought)
	Firewood (extra)
	Newsprint
	Folding table
	Camp chair
	Fire poker
Toiletries
	Soap w/box or zip top bag
	Wash cloth
	Towel
	Shower shoes
	Shampoo
	Toothpaste
	Toothbrush
	Deodorant
	Glasses
	Eyeglass repair kit
	Contact case
	Contact solution
	First aid kit
	Lip balm
	Personal medications
	Laundry bag
	Throat lozenges
	Antacid tablets

  My Winter Camping Checklist isn't a whole lot different from my regular checklist, except that I've added a few "extra" and "spare" designations that may not be as important in warmer conditions, and the "Specialty Clothing" and "Cold Sleeping" categories have been added.  I've left out categories for clothing and food because those are very individualized for each person and each trip.  I'm going to keep this as a "live list", as my camping experience grows and different pieces of kit are tested and tried, things will be added and deleted.  I'll also continue with the Seasonal and Specialty categories to tailor each list to each individual trip.  I'll keep the list updated on the blog, so make sure you keep checking back and let me know if you think I need to add anything, I'm always open to suggestions!
  I hope you're all doing well.
     Happy Camping!
         -Nick

WNC Fly Fishing Expo 2014

Evening Folks,

  Sorry for the hiatus, I had to take a little time away from the blog to prepare for finals at school!  But, that's behind me now and I can return to the important things, like fly fishing!  

  Earlier this month I took a ride up to Fletcher, North Carolina to attend the 6th annual Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Expo.  This is considered to be the Southeast's largest fly fishing event.  The show takes place in the Expo Building of the WNC Agricultural Center.  There was  a PBR rodeo happening at the same time as the expo, driving through the Ag Center there were a lot of nice looking trucks hauling horse trailers and cowboys and cowgirls walking horses through the parking lot!  

  The expo itself consists of a large casting pond in the middle of the the big, open Expo Building with aisles of exhibitors down both sides and lecture tents in the back.  The two day show has become a live forum for local fly fisherman to see the latest gadgets and products from some of the top manufacturers, participate in lectures on a wide range of fishing techniques and scenarios and even get casting instruction from IFFF certified casting instructors.  

  This was my second year attending the Expo and while it is a bit of a drive for me from metro Atlanta I enjoy the show because it has a very local feel.  Most of the exhibitors and lecturers were either local to Western North Carolina or, at least, spoke on topics and techniques that pertained to the area.  I think my favorite part of attending the show is getting to meet the folks that work in the local fly shops.  There were 10 shops represented at the Expo this year and each booth is like stepping into a mini version of the shop it represents, the folks are always very nice, excited to tell you about their shop, quick to invite you to their store and love to talk fishing and gear with any like minded individuals.  

One of several demos at the casting pond.

  In addition to the manufacturers and fly shops, the show plays host to many booths from guide services, lodges, magazines and organizations such as Casting for Hope, Project Healing Waters (I got to talk fly tying and bluegill fishing with a couple great guys!), Federation of Fly Fishers and even a booth from the soon to open Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians!  

  Since I made the Expo a day trip from Atlanta, I only had time to take in two of the lectures.  I attended Mac Brown's Dry Fly Tactics, Casting & Presentation where I learned about effectively fishing with dry flies and various techniques to do so.  Some that I never would have thought of and would probably cause some of the uppity dry fly elite to get up and walk out! But, if it'll work it's worth trying!  My second lecture was with Cameron Mortenson and his talk on the Reinvention of Fiberglass Fly Rods.  Cameron's website, The Fiberglass Manifesto, helped to inspire me to start The Suburban Angler, so it really was an honor for me to meet him in person.  His talk on the history and evolution of fiberglass fly rods was fascinating.  The only downside is, now I want to try fishing one!!!  

BBQ and Fly Fishing just go together!

  Since nobody likes to peruse fly gear on an empty stomach, the Expo invited a couple of food trucks out this year.  A local competition BBQ truck and a gourmet coffees truck were parked at the entrance to the building and the IFFF had a beer and snacks booth inside the show as a fundraiser.  Luckily, I had $2 in my pocket so I was able to get the first Pabst Blue Ribbon I've drank in quite a number of years!  

  For the second year in a row I had a fantastic time at the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Expo and I really look forward to attending again in 2015!  For more details on the show and the full list of exhibitors click here and if you'd like to hear an interview with Reba Brinkman, the Expo manager, and hear a shout out to The Suburban Angler, listen to The Fly Fishing Consultant Podcast with Rob Snowhite.  I hope to see you all there next year!

  

   Pleasant Fly Fishing Journeys,

       -Nick