A few notes on J.BFF projects that are in the works:

The early arrival of my little daughter, Brooke, put a multi-month slow-down on my upcoming Single-Handed Fly Casting book, but I’m finally getting back to filling in the blank areas once again. Also trying to get a good handle on shipping costs, using my old Nature of Fly Casting book as a basis. I’m guessing that SHFC will ship for less than $5 in the States (via Media Mail, at least double that if you want it fast), probably in the $12-13 range to Canada and $20-24 everywhere else ) Buying a ride on a jet, even as one little box in the cargo hold, isn’t cheap these days). Understand that those numbers are a *guess* not final.

The SC20 rod project is charging ahead, seemingly dragging me along with it! Blanks are going into production this coming week and parts are being cut and lasered now, as well. Rods 01, 02, 04, 07, and 15 (of 20 total) are spoken for, with a couple of others undecided on numbers at this point. A few people have asked about a demo rod to try, and yes, there will be one. It will be meant as a way to judge action and rod feel only, not as a cosmetic sample. I hope to have it the next week or two and should be able to send it out to those interested in trying the key aspect of the rod before committing to a purchase. As for final cosmetics, once rod 01 is fully built I will have a collection of photos to post on that subject (the reel seat and rod tube cap pictured above are final).

Since the recent article in “Trout” magazine was published (looking back at the 20 years since my days working on A River Runs Through It), I have had numerous requests for available prints and/or paintings. At this point in time, I totally sold out of my “in-stock” painting work Until I can get the time to replenish some non-commissioned pieces, I am only taking commissions for originals. Sizes start at 4×6 inches (paper size) and prices begin at $50, so getting a commissioned original doesn’t have to mean a big outlay of money or space. One suggestion that I have for those interested is to talk with me about a portrait of a favored fish or fly (see the image above as an example). This is a good way to get an image that is personal. If you like some of the work I have done in the Drawing Fish & Flies 52 projects (2010, 2011, 2012), we can talk about revised versions of some of those, too.

I should also mention that I’m planning on offering some of the original illustrations that I did for my father’s 1991 book, Designing Trout Flies. I just dug the image sheets out of storage and figured that a few readers might be interested in having an original illustration to match a copy of their book. I’ll have a listing of what’s available soon.

For those of you who subscribe to the F&W E-List, the latest mailing went out last week. I had a total of 26 bounces, which is fancy-talk for “they didn’t get delivered.” Usually, bounces result from old email addresses still in the system, or mailboxes that have gone unattended for a long time. If you are on the list and haven’t gotten your January 2013 mailing, check to be sure that your email address is up-to-date (use the “update your profile” link at the bottom of a previous E-List mailing), or check your spam filter to be sure the mailing actually got through.

20 years ago, my father (GB) teamed up with his long-time fishing friend and musician, John Beth, to create a CD entitled, “My Madison.” The disc was focused on Montana’s Madison River and what it meant to the angling lives of both my father and John. Genre-wise, the CD was a mix of spoken word and eclectic mood music (death metal or angling rap, not so much). It was sold for a few years and then fell mostly silent. Today’s ease of getting one’s music published digitally, however, has given life to the project once again.

The entire CD is available on iTunes as an album-length download or as individual tracks (other delivery platforms are supposed to be following shortly from what I understand). Rather than re-write what GB has already posted on his own blog, I’ll just do a copy-paste here.

From the first time I stepped into the Madison River in 1962, it has held a special fascination for me. Not only because it holds big fish, but because it is a river of many faces. Most anglers know its middle stretch, which rushes north from Earthquake Lake to Ennis Lake, but there are the headwaters of the Firehole and Gibbon, the meadows in Yellowstone Park, the waters of Hebgen, Earthquake, and Ennis Lakes, the roaring waters of Beartrap Canyon, and the lower Madison that cuts a path through prairie country on its way to forming the mighty Missouri with the Gallatin and Jefferson at Three Forks.

My good friend, John Beth, is also under the spell of the Madison, and in 1993 we pooled our love of the river to produce “My Madison,” a celebration of the river in words and music. John’s seven inspiring and lovely compositions honor this timeless river with an equally timeless quality, and I wrote voice-over prose on my impressions of each of the Madison’s seven sections. Side One is the music with my voice over. Side Two is music only.

The “My Madison” CD received First Place from the Outdoor Writers Association of America for a Natural History Broadcast.

“My Madison” has just been released in the electronic media stores in celebration of its 20th Anniversary. You can listen to selections and buy the album or singles at iTunes, and [soon] other electronic stores.

After fielding a small heap of emails on the subject, I figured that I had better post a pic of my daughter, Brooke. Looking at those eyes, I think you can probably understand why I am a pile of mush in her presence.

Thinking that the next J.BFF rod I release might need to be a small stream (“Brooke”) special. I’ll have to ask her what she thinks about that….

The J.Borger Fly Fishing SC20: Limited to 20 total. 108 inches long. $808.*

A rod designed for trout fishing. A rod based on my memories of casting a shadow under a Montana big sky. A rod that can become an integral part of your own fly-fshing story.

Rolled and built by friends just down the road—artisan-level work by people who love what they do. A sense of the shop itself can be gathered from the slide show below.

The SC20 is 9 feet long, is a 4 piece, and is designed around 5 and 6-weight lines. It has a deeper overall action with a tip that delivers up close. Consider it a modern re-interpretation of subtle “old-school” sensations.

Expect a black-onyx blank, chromed guides and keeper, black-onyx wraps with bright silver accents, a custom-made reverse half-Wells handle, and a laser-engraved nickel-silver reel seat with stabilized burl insert. A matching, laser-engraved and numbered rod tube with cloth sack is also part of the package. More images of all aspects of the SC20 will be posted as rod 01 moves through production.

You can reserve your number with a 50-percent deposit (01. 02, 04 and 07 are already taken). Delivery beginning in mid/late February. Use the “Contact JB” link in the blog’s header or leave a comment to get things going via private email. If you happen to be on the E-List, watch your inbox for the latest mailing (later today) which has a special offer related to the SC20.

Update: Pre-order by February 20, 2013 and get free shipping. Just mention this post.

*Shipping and state/country taxes, duties, etc. are the responsibility of the purchaser.

The shop where the SC20 is made and finished:

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Mandrels—steel that shapes the internal dimensions of a blank.

Prep solution for the mandrels.

Cutting table for shaping the carbon "cloth" flags that make the rod.

Rolling table to get flags and mandrel together.

Taping station for wrapping blank pre-bake.

Custom oven—for baking carbon tubes.

Mandrel/blank separation.

Trim saw.

Handle boring.

Finishing station.

A little look back to 2011 and the Drawing Fish 52 project. This was the fish from the second week of January. I’ve posted the text as well as the image. In the time since, this image went to a reader who had a passion for panfish. Growing up in Wisconsin, I fished not only for trout, salmon and steelhead, but also for warmwater species. I have some really fond memories of casting Hare’s Ear nymphs to the brushy shorelines of Northwoods lakes and feeling that immediate connection with pint-sized fury.

Drawing Fish 52 Pumpkinseed. Almost blew it on this one! I had practiced the general head structure a few times casually before sitting down to paint, and I’m glad that I did. This fish is quite different from trout and salmon in shape (and I’m not exactly known as a painter of panfish, so…). That said, I really do enjoy catching panfish, and when they look like this, it’s hard not to keep casting!

Notes: Went with my Moleskine Watercolour Notebook again. I just really like the paper in it (I’m going to buy one with a bigger sheet size this weekend). As with last week’s rainbow trout, I set up two water trays, opened my paints, and grabbed my favorite mechanical pencil. I got the sketch down OK, although I had to do some adjustments to get away from a too-stretched (read: too trouty) form. That sucked up a few minutes I didn’t really have. I got 20+ minutes in with the paint, and realized I was fussing with unnecessary details way too much and not really getting anywhere solid. So, I just took a breath and went in with a fatter brush and slabs of color straight off the palette. The quick sweeps of orange, the dabbed blues, and the “brushy” greens got me out of trouble. I was able to spend a couple of minutes adjusting contrast with some careful black and white. As with last week, I used all 30 minutes right to the buzzer. I may have to be more minimal or go towards the abstract to get much under 30 mins per fish in this project, I think.

Tech info: Mechanical pencil and watercolor on Moleskin Watercolour Notebook.

The Steelhead Study #1 tees are mostly sold through their print run. I have a few left in all sizes except for 3XL. Once these are gone, I’ll be retiring this design. If you are interested, you can order directly here. New tees are on-deck for 2013, and I’ll have more info in the coming weeks.

A little look back at a holiday fly from another time. “Christmas Spey” from the 2010 DF52 project.

Click the image for a better look.

Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Popsicle. One of the quintessential flies of Alaskan fishing (a modern-day classic from George Cook). My choice from last week (I am behind a week, obviously). Like the Royal Wulff from week 49, this is a great fly to draw or paint.

Notes: This fly has so much melded color that it can feel overwhelming, especially in 30 minutes or less as the DF&F52 project rules dictate. I thought about the approach, then decided that I would follow Jeff’s lead and paint a similar piece to his. I felt that it might be interesting to see two different watercolors that took a similar wash-based approach. So, that’s what I did—for 25 minutes.

Then…

Just as I was about to finish up (and feeling quite pleased with the result), I did something stupid. I broke rule #1 of painting/drawing/sculpting/anything: “Know when to stop.” I added one more wash to what was already over-saturated paper and BAM! Instant mud. I then tried to save it by blotting and BAM! No mud—and almost no underlying color, either. In a matter of seconds I went from “lookin’ good” to “look what I just killed.”

There was no way I was posting that mess, but the DF&F52 rules say “30 minutes.” So, I did the only thing that I felt I could do and channeled my inner Marc Chagall (his drawings, specifically). I first hit the paper with a few pale washes to get things juicy in the middle, but since I had no time to paint bold black lines, I just went with my trusty Derwent dark charcoal. Over that I slopped on color with a foam painter’s brush that I had in my brush container. There was enough time to hit the paper with a few key hues (and some on-paper mingling) and that was that.

Well, Chagall it ain’t, but I actually like the end result. Minimal, but I think not lacking in visual presence. So here you go, four minutes from paper to Popsicle!

Process: Charcoal (dark) and watercolor (applied with foam brush) on Canson watercolor paper.

Available: No. Brooke has claimed this one for herself, so keep it I shall.

JK’s Image: Jeff’s Popsicle here. Another piece that deeply appeals to me. I think that Jeff is ending the year with some seriously nice work.

FWIW, the two tools used for today’s panic-painting here at FF&W:

To say it has been a rather intense fall—and now offiicially winter—would be an understatement. But, every project that I’m working on has somehow managed to move forward, including the “Fly Fishing” book series collaboration with GB. The latest book is The Angler as Predator, and it has passed an important milestone.

TAaP is now through its various edits and is at last into layout with photos and illustrations. That means it’s a “downhill run” toward the press from here. I had hoped to be at this point by mid-Novmeber, but a little someone showed up a few weeks earlier than expected. In any case, the book is back on track, as it’s follow-up entitled, Fly Gear.

There will be an excerpt or two from TAaP showing up on the web soon. I’ll post a link when that happens. Until then, I’ll be slaving over paper, ink, and hot pixels.

This beast of a book continues to fill out. I’ve been going through and adding bits and pieces of what I call “intent and application.” This are short intros to certain skill sets that better define, well, the intent and application of each skill before digging into the physical meat of the instruction. It’s small stuff, but I feel that it helps, and sweating the small stuff is what makes things better (or so they say). There’s a lot of sweat either way, actually, but I think that intent and application are important concepts to grasp before just charging in. At least that’s what I’ve found over the years in teaching casting-for-fishing.

The hauling chapter is pretty much wrapped up now, too, which definitely pleases me. I have a bit of intent/application to fill in there, but that’s minor. So, another one down, and one step closer….

If you’re just joining us here at FF&W and are interested in getting on the reservation list for the 1.001 hardcovers of this book that will be available, check out this post.

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere today is the shortest day of the year. I figured that it would be a good day to make a first post about a long project—all 106 inches of it. Designed to be at home on trout water, slinging bugs and chucking streamers. Only 20 will be made, each a memory of days spent telling a Montana story under a Montana Big Sky. Crafted just down the road from me by a small group of good friends.

More to follow….

Update: 01/20 and 04/20 have been reserved. I’ll have more information about the other 18 over the next few weeks.

I grew up as a fly fisher, and fly fishing has shown me the deeply involved rhythms of water, land, and fish. Fly fishing has been a way in which I could lose my sense of time, but also a way to challenge myself so intensely that a second ticked by like a carefully watched hour. Fly fishing has taken me to movie sets and tent camps, and from jungles to the Arctic. My entire life story is steeped in the cast and the flow and the rise.

From those experiences comes my new brand, J.Borger Fly Fishing. It is a brand that speaks of my passion, as well as my personal desires for functionality and aesthetics in fly-fishing gear. It is a brand in which my hand is meant to be evident, and a brand that reflects my personal values.

For those who have ordered the Steelhead Study #1 tee, all orders as of yesterday have shipped. I probably won’t ship again until after the Christmas holiday. At least two readers are telling me that tees shipped more than a week ago have still not arrived. With the holiday mail volume, I’d say give it a few more days, and then get back to me if your tee is still AWOL. All tees were shipped via first class or airmail depending on buyer location.

There will be a new tee in the new year, so stay tuned (think brown trout).