My most recent tinned tobacco purchase was Mississippi Mud, the latest Cornell & Diehl product. This blend consists of Perique, Latakia and unsweetened black cavendish. In the tin it's nearly as dark as John Kerry's political agenda, but smells considerably better. The Perique and heavy Latakia component combine to give an earthy aroma that's not lost upon upon lighting up. Mississippi Mud provides some mighty fantastic smoking--rich, rich, rich, with hardly a bite. This is an excellent tobacco, fit for fly fishing or listening to John Fogerty (who, by the way, is finally coming out with a new CD later in the year). Other reviewers have said MM is unusually strong. I disagree. However, if you're accustomed to feather weight aromatics, be prepared for a jolt.
Speaking of aromatics, Savinelli (with the manufacturing assistance of ETI S.p.A.) offers the pipe smoking public a bouquet blend called Armonia. One reviewer has said the tobacco would be more aptly named if the letter "R" was removed. Again, I'm inclined to disagree. Ingredients-wise, the base is Virginia leaf enriched by "golden oriental leaves and a hint of selected Burley and Kentucky tobaccos," spiked with natural fruit flavors. The result is interesting. What you get is a flavorful, slightly biting aromatic, not saccharin sweet. Hardly an all day smoke, but it's okay as peculiar change of pace for the adventurous.
So, I went out on July 3rd to catch a few of those freshly stocked rainbows the state puts in the Swift for the July 4th holiday. As I walked down a dirt path along the river bank I came across a lady fishing with another person who, from my vantage point, looked like a young man. I figured I had stumbled upon a mother/son situation wherein the mom was introducing her teenager to the fun of fly rodding. I asked what the trout were hitting and then said, "You're teaching your son how to fly fish, huh?" The woman answered in a polite, but firm tone of voice, "She's my girlfriend.' Well, alrighty then! It's not often one can make such a social faux pas on the stream. I wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed or proud of myself. I was, however, rather amused at the possibility of being the subject of lesbian pillow talk that night--me, a happily married heterosexual. The irony is still hilarious.
Most of you already know I regard the entire fly fishing industry as one gigantic rip-off, thus it's refreshing to find a few fly rods that are almost worth their price tag.
St Croix's 8-1/2 ft, 4-piece, 4-weight Avid is a decent casting rod for less than $250.00. I acquired mine last Autumn at a substantial discount ($140.00) from The Battenkill Outfitters in Vermont. It possesses the rare virtue of having a medium-fast action that's sensitive. You can feel the rod load, which I find helpful. If you're able to locate an Avid at a bargain price like I did, it's worth getting.
As far as I'm concerned the Diamondglass 8 ft, 4-weight is the finest trout rod on the market for under three hundred dollars. I bought a slightly used model off the internet for $175.00 back in March or April. This, my friends, is truly a great rod. It's just flat out fun to cast. Let's put it this way: I like the 4-weight version enough to want to acquire the whole series of Diamondglass sticks (and there are several of them). However, I think God and my wife might object, especially since I own two bamboo, three graphite and four glass rods already.
The best deal in fly fishing comes from J P Ross. Ross offers quality rods with a custom touch at an unusually fair dollar amount. I have their 8-1/2 ft, 5-piece, 5-weight, which I love, and that's saying a lot since I don't particularly care for graphite. Check out the Ross web site: www.jprossflyrods.com
I want everyone to understand I endorse the above fly rods for two major reasons: First, I know how nicely they throw a line because I own one of each. Second and most importantly, they're made right here in America. I don't care to support U.S. businesses which off-shore their manufacturing and I won't do it. My rods, all nine of them, are produced by American companies on American soil. Yours should be, too.
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©copyright 2004, Perry S. Fuller, 2004
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