About TVangler Welcome to our site! We're a group of outdoor enthusiasts currently residing in North Alabama in the Tennessee Valley. We write about fly fishing and just about any other type of fishing you might be interested in. We also occasionally write about photography, blogging, conservation, backpacking, hiking and whatever random stuff happens to be on our minds. Hope you enjoy!
-TVangler
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By Dewayne Ricketts on April 10th, 2008
The market is littered today with fly tying stations ranging from just under $100, barely enough to balance a spool of thread, to those costing in the upwards of several hundred dollars. Oh yes, they are quite catchy to the eye, but are they really worth the money? No, I don’t think so. Do you even need a fly tying station? No, probably not. But if you are like me and need to add that extra zing to your fly tying man cave, then look no further! I will show you how to build a cheap yet functional tying station for just under $30. Hey, maybe it’s not what an A.K. Best would use, nor a Hawgdaddy, but it’s well worth the money in my opinion. Just tell people that Insane uses one, so it must be cool. 
Ok, here is the quick and dirty version.
Materials and Tools needed:
some sort of drill
saw
tape measure (you don’t really need it…)
3/8″ drill bit
1/8″ drill bit
hole cutting bit
wood glue
3/8″ wooden dowels
1/8″ wooden dowels
magnetic tape
3 wooden cutting boards of different sizes
The power tools should be easy to come by. If you don’t have them, don’t go out and buy one for this project. The thrifty man borrows stuff! You can find the wooden dowels, magnetic tape, wood glue, and cutting boards at Wal-Mart. When I built mine, I had found a 3 pack of wooden cutting boards for about $10. I haven’t looked since to see if they still have them, but don’t get anything fancy. As an alternative you could just cut some scrap boards to make your surfaces. Now, let’s get started…. Continue reading Insane Tactics: Build a fly tying station for under $30
By Dewayne Ricketts on February 5th, 2007
Unfortunately, it has been over two weeks since my last installment of ‘Insane Tactics’. Some of you might have missed it, and others probably used it as an excuse to read other blogs. Despite what the general consensus is on this, I have felt the need to bring it back to life. I do want to thank all of you once more for the love and support you have given me over the last two weeks. Amazingly enough, I have learned several things over the past two weeks that will surely stick with me for the rest of my life. Don’t ever forget that whatever happens in life, God is still on the throne. Good friends are like your most trusted compass. No matter where life takes you or how lost you feel, good friends will always be there to guide you through your problems and bring you safely home. Lastly, when life seems unbearable and you struggle for your next breath, there is nothing like the solitude found in nature to calm your heart and clear your head. Fishing will always be my way out, a means to escape the modern day concrete jungle, and create memories to be shared with new and old friends alike. Thank you all!!
Insane Tactic: Approaching A Stream
Many use a fishing trip as a means to escape their problems, jobs, and sometimes home situations. Some feel that it is their calling to learn everything there is to know and make a living from their abilities. Regardless what your purpose or plan is, the same frustration can haunt you for quite some time. When you surf the internet and read various blogs from fellow fishermen, the first thing you usually notice is the photo section. Yes, that’s right, I hit home didn’t I? Why the HE## can I not catch fish like this…? I just fished that same stretch of river last week! What, you mean they were also using the same fly? A size 12 for crying out loud!! This is so much crap!! I should just quit and continue to be the coffee bi*** at work!!!!! I will be the first to say that I have said the same stuff multiple time, while I have been the coffee bi***. It can be quite frustrating, but it can also be fixed. I’m not saying that you will be catching trout the size of your arm anytime soon, but let’s face it…any fish is better than none. Continue reading Insane Tactics: Approaching A Stream
By Dewayne Ricketts on January 15th, 2007
Yes, it’s been done before but not on www.tvangler.com. This week I wanted to start something new. I had thought about it last week, but I figured it would be better to start on a Monday. My idea is to introduce a new tip or cool product, related to fishing, every week. Some of you may find it useful, and others may think it’s a waste of time but will read it for lack of anything better to do. Feel free to comment or add your own tips and such. Who knows, maybe I will find out something useful from all of you.
Insane Tactics: Keep a fishing journal
Before you go all nuts on me, you should at least hear me out. Most things (my so called words of wisdom) I can tell you have came from personal experiences. I can’t stress to you enough the importance of keeping a fishing journal. In the past, I never saw the need for doing this. I mean really…who the heck has time to write in some stupid book during or right after a fishing trip? On the flip side, who has time NOT to keep a fishing journal?
There are always patterns for catching fish. A few things you might want to include in your journal may be the date, time of day, weather stats (temp, cloud cover, wind, cold front coming through, etc.), fly or lure used, size of fish, number of fish, type of retrieve, etc. You can’t possibly remember all these details from every one of your fishing trips. Don’t waste time figuring out patterns that you have already discovered last season. Continue reading Insane Tactics: Keep a fishing journal!
By Dewayne Ricketts on December 15th, 2006
Winter months can be a great time for finding spring and summer hot spots. While trout fishing in many areas of the country can be a year round affair, warm water fishing slows down drastically during the winter months. This opens the door to many other opportunities such as hunting, fly tying, and reading a good book while sipping a hot cup of coffee. It may not be impossible to catch warm water fish in the winter, but it is more difficult. Why not do some scouting and find some hotspots for the spring.
In the winter months, the water level is at perhaps the lowest of the year. This is a good time to bundle up and find some good water. While the water is at a low point, you will be able to see the actual stream flow. This will allow you to distinguish between “pools” of water with no flow and “channels” where the water will flow during the summer months. Once spring arrives, the water level will increase greatly which to the eye will look like a normal large body of water. If you have done your homework in the winter months, then you will be more prepared and will be able to read the water better. You will be able to distinguish the dead water from the deeper holes where you will most likely catch that record largemouth bass in the hot summer months.
Another advantage of scouting water at low levels is finding structure. No matter what species you are after, they all have one thing in common…STRUCTURE. It is a proven fact that fish relate to structure not only for protection but also as an ambush point for food. Once spring arrives and the fish move into the shallow flats for food and spawning, structure will be a key target in finding fish. This can separate a good day of fishing from an excellent day of fishing. . Continue reading Scouting fish in winter months
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