Gear: San Juan River Trip 2014

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing a few gear selections for our Spring trip to fish the San Juan. We will be meeting up with a few members of the original FlyfishMagazine crew and since we haven't seen these guys in a few years, one of the first things we will be doing will likely be lighting up a celebratory cigar

Chris Rohr @rohr_chris of The Scandinavian Tobacco group provided us with the smokes pictured above. As if the premium names ( Punch, Partagas etc.) aren't enough to get your attention, these come in unique water proof packaging that will keep the cigars inside fresh for up to two years with no humidor needed. Look for these fine cigars at retailers across the country and watch for more gear highlights here. -long ashes

Flyfish Cuba: Any day now?

Could an island 90 miles off our coast become a major destination for US fly fishers? The thought of virgin bonefish flats and good cigars has crossed my mind before this article by Tom Stienstra of SFGate.com about an expected loosening of travel restrictions to Cuba. The fishing sounds pretty good.

Cuba is where Rice became the first angler to catch-and-release the Grand Slam of Caribbean Flyfishing twice in three days. He landed a bonefish, the fastest of all fish in the world; the tarpon, the most acrobatic; and the permit, the most elusive. Some, like Hemingway, instead prefer deep sea fishing for sailfish, wahoo and other big game. There are also rumors of giant largemouth bass in lakes.

Elements of Style

You still remember it as if it had happened just yesterday. You were a wet behind the ears college kid working in the mail room of Mega-Corp, schlepping around hundreds of pounds of corporate memo propaganda from one office to the next while you waited for your big break.

You saw the big corporate muckety-mucks with their executive restrooms and private parking spaces, slinking off to "business meetings" in exotic locations around the globe in their corporate jets. You knew deep down that they had nothing on you. Nothing but a Harvard MBA and an expense account twice the size of your yearly income that is.

Then one day it all changed. You were delivering the day's TPS reports when you happened by the door of the VP of Marketing. He was shouting into his telephone about things like market penetration and brand identity. Sales were slumping and the brand was suffering from a less than sterling reputation. He needed a plan and he needed it now.

Without even missing a beat you reach into your jacket pocket and produce the one vice that your meager salary will allow. A cigar. But this was no ordinary cigar, instead it was a hand rolled personalized Thompson Cigar that you ordered affixed with your own personal logo "The Crippled Trout." The Veep's eyes widened as you twirled the cigar above the flame of your match until the end glowed the same cherry red as the stove in your one room hovel does when you have money for a lump or two of coal. "What's that?" he exclaimed. You explained that Thompson Cigars could easily imprint Mega-Corp's logo onto the band of a premium hand rolled cigar. The cigars could be given to potential customers making the Mega-Corp brand synonymous with only the finer things in life.

The marketing guy scratched his head and took it all in before dismissing you back to your postal dungeon. Later that month you saw a memo under a stack of interoffice envelopes congratulating the VP for turning around the Mega-corp brand with his innovative "Cigar Initiative."

Oh well you thought, such is the lot in life of the mail clerk. At least the VP's trophy wife would enjoy the big fat bonus he got for your idea and the new jewelery he bought her put her in an excellent mood when you picked her up for your weekly rendezvous later that evening.

Use the link below to purchase your very own custom hand rolled cigars from the Thompson Cigar Company. Be quick about it, the mail clerk is always just a step behind you.

Personalized Cigars

Light'em if You've Got'em

Colts fans will be lighting them up to celebrate. Bear fans might be using them to set fire to their effigy of Rex Grossman. Either way it is the time of year that football fans need access to good quality cigars.

The good folks at Thompson Cigars have asked us to sign on with them as purveyors of fine tobacco products and being fly fishers who also enjoy a good stogie, we quickly jumped at the opportunity. As a way to celebrate our new alliance they are offering Flyfishmagazine.com readers 15% off purchases sitewide until May 1st of 2007. Use the link above and check out their offerings. Here's a hint: Be sure to look at the samplers they offer. Many of them can be had for a great price and come with extras that make them an exceptional value.