Trout Grass DVD on Youtube

The DVD Trout Grass is now on Youtube. Not sure it's uploaded with permission from the publisher. It's not DVD quality but still very watchable.

I love this documentary on the origins of Tonkin bamboo as material for making bamboo fly rods and have watched it numerous times. The explanation about fly tying and what it's for starting at around 38:30 is simply poetry.

Enjoy!

Download the video before it disappears (again)!

Update May 2015:
It's (obviously) gone again…

Update Jan 2017:
Use this link to watch it!

Here's another video on bamboo and it's magic:

What is wrong with the weather (again!)?

End of May, early June is usually one of the nicest time of the year to fish in my favorite region of central Europe: southern Germany and Austria. Well not this year. Again?...

I have been writing about unstable and unpredictable weather patterns during spring and summer the last 5-7 years. This period used to be quite predictable and very stable. Planning fishing trips were usually done around new year. Nowadays that's useless. The past couple of years my fishing trips are planned at the most 3 weeks ahead.

This region has recently been pounded by heavy rain for days on end causing flooding rivers, cities drowning with record levels and even casualties.

Even the highway (highway number 8) between Munich and Salzburg has been temporarily closed down due to flooding! That's unheard of...


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Good thing I didn't have any plans to do some fishing during this time of the year because I would have been washed away together with all the fish and luggage... The rivers and streams will probably need some time to recover. I doubt it's any good at least till end of June or even mid July? And I seriously need to hook some nice fish!!!


Update June 21, 2013:
Well, it looks like the other part of the globe in Alberta, Calgary is having problems with flooding caused by enormous rainfall during a very short period (and looks like more rain is to come). The Bow river and its tributary are flooding the city and area.

The news on various news sites are showing epic flooding like small towns under water, people getting evacuating and small creeks turning into raging rivers.

During my trip in fall 2005 to Alberta I remember friends in Calgary talking about the worst flooding of the Bow river area has ever seen in 2005. This years situation looks a magnitude larger. I hope my friends in Calgary are okay. I'll try to get in touch with my buddy Dave, who owns a fly shop.



Update 22 June, 2013:
My buddy Dave is okay. This is what his wife wrote to me:

"... So far we are dry (including the basement) and are fingers are crossed that it will stay that way.
... It is hard to focus on anything other than local news coverage and social media sites! Things are crazy in Calgary. 

Shop is open today - being "manned" by staff that don't have to cross any bridges. I think it's been pretty quiet other than folks stopping in to share news."