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Gear — 6 Comments
24
Feb 11

NRX – A review from Angling Trade

I saw the review of the NRX in the latest email from Angling Trade (anyone can sign up for these emails, and you probably should if you have more than a passing interest in what’s happening in “the Industry”).  The rod got top marks from Kirk Deeter as he field tested an NRX down in Argentina.  The review doesn’t talk about what weight the rod was, but I assume it was a bit lighter than would be used out in the salt, and indeed there is an NRX Trout and NRX Saltwater, although I’m not sure what the difference in those rods is, action wise.

I got a chance to cast an NRX at the California Fly Shop back in November and I recall liking what I felt/saw, but 10 minutes in the parking lot doesn’t tell you a whole lot in any way that is useful.  My impression, casting the 9 weight, was that it felt like I was casting a 7.  It was light and crisp and bristled with power… or so it seemed.

I’m sure the NRX is a great rod and I’m sure it is comparable to the other great rods out there… the Helios, the Xi3, the BIIIx, the S4S.  If you got 10 anglers together and asked them which was the “best” you would likely end up with 12 answers.  So much in what makes a rod great is down to the angler.  I’d say it is easy to tell when you have a great rod, but sorting out something like “the greatest” becomes a very subjective affair.  Still… I’ll bet it is pretty sweet.

The price… the price is steep.  I know that these folks have done the research and figured out that there is a market for a rod that is $760.  I’ve cast some of these rods and caught fish on some of these rods, but I’m not “there” yet in my mind.  Maybe it is just too far from where I was when I first fell in love with fly fishing… when a ball-busting rod was $400.  Those were good days and I saw a lot of water and I caught a lot of fish (just none of them bonefish).

If you’d like a tour of the G. Loomis factory, you can check out the YouTube video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfL2xSW6NoQ?rel=0

Fish Tails / Locations — 2 Comments
23
Feb 11

Sparkles – Andros South

The truth is that when I look at the picture, I see the person that made the catch possible and the stories he shared with me…

via Deneki Outdoors.

I’m looking forward to meeting Sparkles myself and hearing some stories.

Andros… I’m coming for ya.

Flies — 13 Comments
22
Feb 11

My vice bites the dust

The thing really isn’t even that old… I think it is about three years old.  I don’t think it should be breaking at this point… but alas, it has.  I was putting a #2 in the jaws there and “snap.”

Damn.

Yeah… it wasn’t a really expensive vice, but still… should probably last more than a couple-three years.  So… I’m in the market for a vice.  The price points are really, really varied…

If I wanted to break the bank I could spend $690 for one of these… A Master Swiss Vice.

Damn... that's a lot of scratch

I am probably just an ignorant fly tier as I can’t imagine what this can do for me to justify the price.  The truth is it probably can’t do anything for me, as I probably lack the skills needed to demand any Swiss tool beyond the army knife.

Michael Gracie has a more viable option for me…

That's $9.57

In truth, I’ll probably spend more than $9.57, but I’m not breaking the bank.  Andros is coming soon… going to have to get on this.

UPDATE: Through the generosity of strangers, I’ll be getting a lightly used Griffin vice.  Awesome.

Locations — No Comments
21
Feb 11

Better in the Bahamas – Unaccomplished Angler

A post on Unaccomplished Angler details a trip to Eleuthera.

Is it really better in the Bahamas? That is a hard question to answer as the frequency from “Mrs. Better in the Bahamas” didn’t seem to suggest that it was, but that is another part of the story all together.

via Unaccomplished Angler.

Looks pretty nice, I must say.

Eleuthera is one of those places that is known for DIY and also has a reputation for being a bit tough due to all the DIY pressure.  I had a good friend who fished it recommend that I never go there.  I know there have to be some uneducated fish there somewhere, but it has slid down on my list of places to get to.

Still… I think anywhere in the Bahamas is likely a place I’d like to be a bit more than San Jose (even if San Jose really is a pretty nice place to be).

Locations — 4 Comments
20
Feb 11

So… Abaco looks nice too.

So many places look soooooo good.  Here’s another…

All the other stuff — 5 Comments
19
Feb 11

Reason #3 Saltwater Fishing is Superior – Iced Guides

Michael Gracie has some ideas about why Carp are better than Trout.  That prompted me to get back to listing all the ways the Salt is better than fresh water fishing.

Yet another reason saltwater fly fishing is way more super fantastically awesome than freshwater fly fishing. – Iced Guides.

It is mid-February now and things are cold.  Here, in the SF South Bay that means temps getting down to the 40’s!  Brrr.  Elsewhere temps are dropping to the point where stuff starts to freeze and if water is freezing and fish live in water… well… comedy and complications must ensue.

The coldest weather I ever went fly fishing in was 16 degrees on the Scott River in Severe Northern California.  Steelhead were the intended target and despite my falling into the river about 30 seconds into the trip, I managed to A. Not freeze to death, and B. Catch some.  The cool thing about the trip was that the Scott is a small river and the fish are mostly in the half-pounder range and you can high-stick/short-line nymph for them.  I caught 2 and had a decent time, my dad was there too, which is always a good day on the water, even if that water aspires to ice-cubes.

Still… I’m going to have to say that the whole scenario does present a pretty clear-cut case in favor of saltwater flyfishing.

Reason #3… Iced up guides

That there is cold...

There is no ice in bonefishing, except maybe in the cooler to keep your beer cold and that is how things should be.

PS – If you haven’t figured this out, and I’m surprised I need to write this… this is really tongue-in-cheek.

Tactics — No Comments
18
Feb 11

Deneki Outdoors – the Moon and Bonefish

So… maybe I shouldn’t worry about the moon phase on my trip to Andros South.

There are many variables in bonefishing much more important than the phase of the moon – weather being the biggest. We think planning your bonefishing trip to avoid a full moon is a little bit silly.

via Deneki – Andros South.

Good… cuz… We Like The Moon… just say’n.

Locations — 2 Comments
17
Feb 11

Acklins… Semi-DIY

Maybe you want to head to the Bahamas but want less than a lodge experience but more than a dirt-bag-esque DIY trip.

Well… there are options.

One of those options is Acklins and Salina Point. The deal is this… you won’t be guided, but you will get pointed toward the right, un-pressured flats at the right tides. You’ll get set up for success, you’ll just have to spot your own fish.  Some people prefer it that way.

If you want a guide, you can get one for about $300 (which is pretty awesome).

You can book through Reel Action Fly Fishing, a week of fishing, unguided, for $1,600 (with a special running right now for $1,460).

The fishing seems… inspired.

I’ve heard about Salina Point for a while now and the prices are right.  Once I run through some of the other places I want to fish (Andros, Aitutaki, Culebra, Florida), I may just make this the next trip.

Gear — 14 Comments
16
Feb 11

Saltwater Reel Testing – It is ON!

Have you ever wondered how the different reels really stack up?

Sure, I’ve read field testing reports, but that is a very uneven way to really test reels.  Even if you had a great day of fishing, how much of a workout did the reel really get?

What happens when you get the reel wet or drop it in the sand?  Will it still handle the big pulls after you drop it off the table after your 7th Kalik?  All reels work great on the first pull.  How about the 100th?

Well… I figure I’m going to find out and I’m going to tell you all how it goes.

I’ve begun soliciting reels to undergo a battery of tests, all off the water, and I’m going to create a page for those tests and their results.

I’m still working out the kinks, but the initial response from reel makers has been really good.  So far I have positive responses from Sage, Redington (they pulled out, which is a bummer), Orvis, Nautilus, Able, Allen, Tibor, Okuma and Loop (add Ross to the mix) with a flood of other emails and phone calls in to just about every reel maker I could think of with a saltwater reel suitable for an 8 wt. (Hatch Reels became the first to decline today… bummer)

I have zero qualification to be doing this.  I’m just curious and I have this blog as a platform so I’m going for it.

None of the reels will be kept by yours truly, sad to say. I imagined it would be easier to get folks to send me reels if they didn’t know I was just trying to score free gear it didn’t look like I was just trying to score a free gear.

I’m putting the finishing touches on exactly how I’m going to carry these tests out so when the first one gets here I’ll be ready to roll.  I put together the set-up for doing the mechanical pulls and this is the first trial run with my newly acquired Lamson Lightspeed 4 (which is really mine).  I think this is going to work.

In the immortal words of Eric Cantona… “Watch this space”

My wife was quick to point out that not only am I not keeping any of the reels… I won’t be making any money by doing all of this work and I’ll get to foot the shipping to send all the gear back.  Such is life.  I’m still excited

Yeah… I’m going to enjoy this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JEYM3Lpbg4?rel=0

I should note, for the reel makers – mechanical pulls with the drill will be done in the range you might expect from a big bone or big Jack… 100-200 feet at a time (I won’t run the drag for 10 minutes straight or anything like that).

Fish Tails / Locations — 6 Comments
15
Feb 11

The Return of FIBFest – Andros South

I don’t really know how many people have been reading the blog consistently over the past year, but I’d bet not that many of you.  Last year, when FIBFest was going on down at Andros South I was only getting about 90 readers a day.  These days I get about 225 or so.  For new readers all you need to know is that I got the invite to Andros South last year as part of a fly fishing blogger boondoggle and couldn’t do it… life got in the way… a move, a home sale, a 3 year old.  I just couldn’t make it happen, which was kind of crushing.

This year, things have fallen in my favor.  Deneki is announcing today the official line-up for FIBFest II down in South Andros and I’ll be there.

My mug will be in these shots soon.

One aspect I’m particularly excited about is the prospect of tagging some bonefish for the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.  I asked Andrew if that were a possibility and he said “Hell yeah!”

This is going to be one heck of a trip and I’ll take readers along as much as is possible (which is through the blog, in case anyone was reaching for a passport there).

The hunting grounds of Andros South.

The other FIBers (Fly Industry Bloggers) are chiming in as well…

Like Michael Gracie…

And… Kyle Perkins over at Complete Thought…

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