Speaking of new gear

Speaking of new gear, this little beauty showed up in the mail today. I am very excited to be the proud new owner (one of very few at the moment) of Flying Pig Fly Rod's Liquid Model 8wt.

 Flying Pig Rods are owned and operated by Larry Damore and his family right outside of Chicago Illinois. You may recognize his name from punk rock band "Pegboy" or his most recent claim to fame; Reverb the 17 minute short film within the film Heart of the Driftless. The trailer for Reverb can be seen right on this blog. HERE. The full version will be played at the 2012 Fly Fishing Film Tour.
 I want to say a few words about Larry. He is a real stand up guy. Honest, enthusiastic, friendly and eager to get his product in the hands of fisherman. He is proud of his product and his goals of creating the lightest, smoothest casting and finest quality rods at the best price he can offer.
Larry put this rod together for me, even though he didn't have to. His rods are currently on back order while he gets his inventory squared away. But because I am going fishing in Mexico in just 2 short weeks and need a fast action rod that will be up for the task, Larry came through.
Being a rod builder himself, he removed the rosewood insert that was on the rod and fitted this model with a Pac Bay reel seat for me.Which leads me to my next point, when speaking with Larry on the phone, he assured me, these aren't run of the mill factory blanks. Larry builds rods and worked extensively with distributors on developing the actions of these rods. These are not re-labeled kits, this is a genuine new product. Oh, and did I mention it comes with a full lifetime warranty?
I will give a detailed write up about the rods performance, and the fishing in Mexico upon my return. Until then you can read more about Larry HERE where Joe Cermele of Field and Stream Magazine, talks about his experiences with his Flying Pig 4wt and a pig of a Rainbow Trout he lands. There is also an interview with Larry himself.

My 4pc 8wt came in this sweet embroidered tube and printed rod sock. I can say first hand the quality of the rod is exceptional. Smooth high grade cork, tight wrappings coated with a clean, even layer of epoxy (not too much either!). I am a big fan of the glossy black finish. This rod might be one of the lightest I own, comparing in weight to my Sage 5wt. I haven't lined it yet, but I can tell this thing is going to be an absolute rocket!

Larry's website Flying Pig Fly Rods can also be found in the side bar of this blog.