Gear

Gear — 3 Comments
10
Feb 11

Essential Saltwater Items by Orvis

[Editor’s Note: Our friend Conway Bowman has a new book out, The Orvis Guide to Beginning Saltwater Fly Fishing, which is full of great information, tips, and tactics. Here’s an excerpt, in which he discusses the essential gear for any saltwater fly-fishing trip. The man spends hundreds of days on the water every year, and a few of his suggestions may surprise you.]

via Essential-Saltwater-Items.

I thought this was an interesting list of stuff and since, really, I’m at the bottom part of the learning curve, it is always interesting to hear from the pro’s about what they choose to take with them on the water.

There might be a few tweaks for bonefish anglers, primarily, you shouldn’t take the Boga grip out on the water with you.  Bogas and Bones don’t mix.   Maybe they are for cuda’s and that I can certainly understand.

The list would certainly be different if you were wading all day.  Not enough room for all that stuff when you are on foot all day and there wasn’t mention of anything to put on your inner thighs when they start to chafe (what, am I the only one who has had that happen?).

All the other stuff / Gear — 2 Comments
05
Feb 11

Things

OK… things…

Looks like things are maybe not so bleak in Aitutaki and I hope that is the conclusion I’ll have when things are all rolled out…

Bjorn hi

There are detailed criteria, weightings and conditions outlined in the regulations. Much of the vetting and decision making will be the responsibility of the bonefish management committee, including what limits to put on the number of guides (the number recommended was 5). Obviously the regulations  weren’t designed to fit around individuals or the bonefish association but if applied properly it can lead to a fair and sustainable industry for the guides.

The core requirements for guides are (1) CI Boat Master Certificate, (2) Red Cross First Aid Certificate and (3) CI Tourism Accreditation. MMR has funded all these courses and others e.g. guide fishing training and small business management, although just 2 persons have completed the requirements so far.

Regards, Ben

There remain some questions about who exactly is on the committee and how they get there… but, this is a start.

—

Another thing… I like art… at least when it comes to fishing/fish art.  I’m still wondering how I feel about Bonefish Gyotaku for which, I think, the bonefish likely gave its life.  You can buy this on Etsy.

Bonefish as art

—

Another thing… speaking of fishing art… there is a new member to my little family… a Lamson Lightspeed 4… destined to tangle with cuda’s and I hope some tarpon, Dorado and other beeg fish swimming out in the ocean.

Isn't she beautiful? Pretty girl.

I’ve never caught a big cuda.  I hope to change that in March down at Andros South and that is the reel I’ll have on… well… a rod to be named later.

All the other stuff / Gear — 6 Comments
13
Jan 11

New Players, New Approaches

There are a lot of players in the fly fishing marketplace.  Really… a lot.  There are the folks that everyone knows… Sage, Ross, Tibor, Orvis, St. Croix, Patagonia and a whole lot of other gear makers.  Given how crowded the field is, you’d think there wouldn’t be room for new gear makers, but there are new gear makers emerging.  One thing I think is notable is how these new gear makers are engaging with potential consumers.  They are embracing social media in a way that most of the big players just aren’t.

Maybe they are more nimble or maybe it has to do with not having the cash to run spots in all the fly fishing periodicals.  Who knows how they’ll end up doing… I’d imagine it is a tough marketplace out there… crowded, low margins, small and shrinking market… we’ll have to see.

Rise Fishing Co.

These guys generated a huge buzz before they had even shipped their first rod and it was almost entirely due to social media.  The newest business endeavor of the bunch, Rise is focused on rods and conservation (which is kind of cool). They are rocking a blog, a Facebook profile (879 thus far) and twitter.  Basically, they are all over.  This is a buy-direct endeavor.  You want one of these rods, you’ll be buying one on-line.

There they be... Rise Rods

Allen & Co. Fly Fishing

Maybe they Allen & Co. have been around for a while, but I had certainly never heard of them until a few months back.  Today, they are running banner ads on The Trout Underground, they have a profile on Facebook with 4,371 “friends,” they just launched a blog and are even tweeting (although, with 4 tweets thus far, I’d say twitter is not a big push).  Now, I think it is pretty clear that not all of their 4,371 “friends” has bought a piece of Allen gear… they’d hardly be bit players if that were the case.  Still… it is pretty cool that 4,731 people have taken the time to friend them… that’s gotta turn into at least a couple sales.  Allen is bypassing the shop route… you by direct.  They sell a LOT of different items… from reels to lines to hooks and very, very soon they’ll be selling rods as well.  Who knew?

That there's an Allen Reel

That's on the TU... the world's most popular fishing blog.

Red Truck Fly Fishing

This is the gear arm of Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters (or somehow connected and/or related to them), Red Truck started offering their own brand of fishing rods in 2010 and they have fully engaged the Social Media universe with a blog, a ton of YouTube content, and Leland has the Facebook profile (1,013 followers at this point).  I’ve yet to see one of these rods, but since they are a hop-skip-jump from where I live, it is entirely possible I will in the not too distant future.  Since they are a fly shop, you don’t bypass the fly shop altogether, you just can only get it from one fly shop, or on-line… at least as I understand it.

—

One thing that seems clear is that all of these newer companies are really driven by one or two individuals, so the social media-izing is really up to them… there is no stable of marketing guys/gals to implement a big campaign.  That should probably make the big players a little concerned that folks with little or no market share seem to be getting some real traction with potential consumers and they are doing so with marketing tools the big players have basically forsaken/overlooked/ignored.

A look at some of the big player websites and what that tells us about their use of social media…

Sage – no facebook link, no blog, no twitter. They do HAVE a Facebook page, but they don’t link to it from their website, at least not clearly (2,192 followers).

G. Loomis – no facebook or twitter link, no blog. Again, they HAVE a Facebook page with 2,535 friends, but no link from the website.

Scott Rods – well… look at that… they actually link to their FB Page… amazing. They count 2,177 FBers as followers and posted on FB 10 hours ago. Still, no blog, no twitter, although they do have a newsletter (that I’m now signed up for).

We’ll see where this all goes… if the new players are able to establish themselves and if the old guard can maintain their market share in a world where there will be fewer fly anglers next year than there are this year.  Should be interesting to watch and read about for sure.

Gear — 6 Comments
10
Jan 11

Patagonia Sling Pack – A Review

When I went down to Belize in November I got to bring along a new sling pack from Patagonia.  The pack isn’t out yet, but it will be in Patagonia’s offerings for 2011, so it should be available soon.

The loaner pack, a little battle worn.

Previously, I’d used a waist pack to hold all my “stuff” for flats fishing.  That had been a good option, but after using the sling pack, I’ll likely be looking to buy one when they become available.  Here’s why… the sling pack could be shifted to your back with ease, which kept it out of the way when you didn’t need it.  When you need it, just slide it in front and there is all your gear.  Because it is higher, you don’t have to worry about drying out all your flies if you happen to wade up to your waist.

When down in Mexico in December I was back to my waist pack (I had to send the sling pack back) and routinely I was up to my waist, which meant airing out flies every night.  The sling pack solves this issue.

There was a fair amount of room in the pack, although the compartment for the fly boxes was just a tad short to hold two of the longer Cliff boxes, which is what I use.

Basically, I’m a fan of the pack and I’m a fan of Patagonia, a company that keeps walking the walk (read the interview with Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia founder and Pirate of the Flat and Buccaneer).

The pack in action.

Conservation / Gear — 2 Comments
06
Jan 11

Rise Fishing Co’s Contest – Oppose Pebble Mine (no brainer)

Winner will win a Rise fly rod of their choice and get to choose ANY fly fishing guide that they want to fish with for a day. We will pick up the charter fee for a full day fishing.( not exceeding 650.00).

via Rise Fishing Co.: Stop Pebble Mine Petition.

dozer

OK, you shouldn’t need the lure of a new rod from Rise Fishing (a new rod company launching, well, any second now, read Michael Gracie’s interview with Amanda Switzer) to oppose Pebble Mine, which is just a piss poor idea conceived of by people with broken souls.  However… you can now both oppose Pebble Mine AND get put in the drawing for one of these rods AND a guided fishing trip with any guide you want.

Basically, you can get the goods while doing good and that is kind of a “have your cake and eat it too” scenario.

Do it.  If you don’t, well, you just fractionally increase my odds of winning.

Gear — No Comments
06
Jan 11

A quiver of Orvis – Hydros and Access Rods Reviewed

While I was down in Mexico casting for… well… whatever would eat a 1/0 Surf Candy/Clouser, I had two loaner rods with me… an 8 wt. Hydros and an 8 wt. Access.  Having cast the Helios down in Belize a few weeks back, I’ve now cast three different Orvis sticks in an 8.

I must say… I’m impressed.

If I were going to buy one of these rods, I’d probably go with the Hydros.  The Hydros gets you a rod as good as the Helios with a substantial discount on the price.  I cast the Hydros most of the time I was down in Mexico.  It was light, crisp and powerful.  I was throwing lead eyes and sinking lines and the thing just played very well.

The Access is on the lower end of the Orvis spectrum, but it is still a good stick.  When you put them side-by-side you notice that the blank is thicker and when you pick it up, you notice the extra weight, even if it does come down to a couple ounces.  The Access is a little slower, so I had to change my casting stroke some, but the rod can still pound the casts out there.  It may not be fair to look at the Access after having cast the Hydros for a few days since the Hydros is just a really slick piece of casting rocketry.

A Note on Rod Selection for Vallarta

Vallarta is a hard place to judge for rod selection.  I would have been fine on most of the fish I caught with a 6 weight.  Still, there are a few fish I hooked that would have put a serious beat-down on a 6.  You just never know what is going to be on the other end.  Could be a 5 ounce fish.  Could be a 25 pound fish.

Gear — 3 Comments
01
Jan 11

Fly Fishing Reels: Drag Systems – MidCurrent

This is helpful… a lot of knowledge dropped about drag systems over at MidCurrent.

When manufacturers proclaim the virtues of their drag systems in advertisements and catalogs, they toss around terms such as “startup inertia,” and “cork to Rulon,” and “fully sealed,” often without fully explaining what these things are and why they are beneficial to anglers. If you stop to think about it, these terms raise a lot of questions about how reels are built and how they work. I set out to address these questions and more. What I learned may help you the next time you peer into that glass case at the fly shop — you’ll have a better grip on why objects with such a simple purpose vary so much in complexity … and price.

via Fly Fishing Reels: Drag Systems – MidCurrent.

Fish Tails / Gear / Locations — No Comments
29
Dec 10

Top Posts from 2010

I can’t actually tell you which pages were viewed most over the year, since I’ve only been able to really track viewership since March of 2010… but, I’d bet it is pretty accurate, since about three times as many people read this little project now as did back in March.

1. My review of the Helios reel by Okuma – I wouldn’t have guessed that one would rise to the surface… but it did.

2. Costa Del Mar review – Another gear review was the second most viewed individual post.

3. Interview with Kristen Mustad, Nautilus Reels – What can I say… the guy makes awesome reels.

4. Interview with Chris Goldmark from Puerto Rico – Not a place most folks think about in terms of bonefish, but Chris catches them there.

5. Interview with Joe Gonzalez – Joe was an interview I was tracking down for months.  Glad it finally happened.

6. My review of the TFO LA 375 – Ya love the gear reviews. This one had some fun in the comments section too.

7. News about Buccaneers and Bones – Just a new item I found from the San Pedro Sun.

8. Interview with Scott Heywood, Angling Destinations – One of the first phone interviews I did and a good conversation.

9. Interview with Bruce Chard – Saltwater guru and instructor at Andros South’s Bonefish School

10. Upper Sacramento – A post about my home river, my home water and one cool picture.

I love this picture… not because it is particularly beautiful, but because it shows some of the most important water in my life…. this is from #10.

Upper Sac... Prospect

Gear — 5 Comments
22
Dec 10

My Bonefishing Reels

Since I was talking a bit about reels, I figure I should let you know what I actually am throwing out there…

My primary bonefishing reel is the TFO LA 375.  It is a good, solid reel with a composite disk drag.  I used this on my last trip to the Bahamas (Jan. 2010) and had no complaints (and only compliments) on that reel.  It retails for about $290.

I also have a Ross CLA that I tend to have my 9 wt. line on.  I have not hooked that many fish on this reel and haven’t really given it a real test in the salt.  It retails for about $230.

If I’m going lighter, I tend toward my Okuma Helios.  It is the least expensive of the group and cost me about $173.

I’ve had two spectacular reel meltdowns… the first was a Redington, I don’t even know the model number.  I was on Kauai and the drag just… well… stopped working and I couldn’t figure out  why.  I didn’t even send it back.  This was bought about 8 years ago and wasn’t even a large arbor reel.  I recall it doing well on the Babine River for big steelhead, but after 2 days in the salt it just crapped out.

The other reel implosion was a Cabela’s large arbor something-or-other that chunked out on me down in Mexico with a decent jack on the line.  I landed the jack and tossed the reel.  It was TOAST.

Recently I got to play with a Nautilus NV and Orvis Mirage down in Belize and both are just fantastic pieces of fishing art.

There are so many reels on my wish-list… that Nautilus was just damn sexy.  My friend Shane loves is Galvan Torque 8.

The number one reel I’d like is probably a Zane Ti from Hardy… since it sells for $8,000.  I’d like it so I can sell it and buy a Nautilus and a Galvan, a Sage Xi3 and Orvis Hydros and have enough left over to head to Andros South for a week (and leave a big tip).

Gear — 19 Comments
21
Dec 10

The World of Bonefishing Reels

If you have, oh, $24,000 or $25,000 and some free time, I’d like you to spend a few months testing reels. Sound good?  Great.  Here’s what I’m looking for. The world of gear is… well… full… it is full of makers and brands and marketing hype and really, really short on objective comparisons.  If you were to take all the bonefish-ready reels out there right now, I count 69, the price-tag would come to $23,264 (before taxes).  There are reels under $50 and there are reels over $800 and the only thing you have to guide you in purchasing is name-recognition and brand reputation… which, in my mind comes down to marketing.  What kind of performance do you actually get from the $800 reel?  What kind of risk are you running with that $150 reel?

I wish Consumer Reports would pick this up and run with it, but I doubt that will happen.  I wish Fly Fishing in Salt Waters or Fly Fisherman would do this, but that’s equally unlikely.

Here are some tests to put these reels through…

Durability –

  • Drops – That 3 foot drop off a table would be good to see tested.
  • Sand – How does it work if you drop it in the sand, just for a second.
  • Salt – Well… there is a lot out there and it is generally bad for gear.
  • Big game pulls – If the thing breaks on a 10 pound bone… that would be good to know ahead of time.
  • Heat – Sitting in the sun… heating up… might be bad for some reels, I’d guess.

Performance –

  • Smoothness of the drag – speaks for itself, really.
  • start-up inertia – this gets talked about a lot… I’m not sure how that is measured though.

I want to see this done.  I do wonder if gear makers would actually want their gear tested in some kind of objective way.  What if the $200 reel and the $700 reel are identical in terms of performance and durability?  Maybe the gap is huge.  Maybe it would be really clear.  Maybe the winners would be clear and the cork vs. carbon fiber debate could be settled.  Of course, Middle East peace could break out too.

Field testing is just never going to do it.  A week or a month or a season with a reel doesn’t really tell you anything because you have no real comparison… what you did in that week or month or year didn’t happen to the other 68… you didn’t put them through the same things.

So… if you find an extra, oh, $25K sitting around… let me know.

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →