Restock My Box Contest
By Bob Reece
As we near the weeks of late summer, fly boxes around the country are falling into disrepair. In an effort to remedy this situation for one lucky fly fisher, I’ve partnered up with Gink & Gasoline. I”ll be giving away one hundred twenty flies to the selected winner. That mixture of flies will include one dozen of each of the following patterns:
Size 6 Tan Beefcake Hopper
Size 8 Purple Beefcake Hopper
Size 10 Chartreuse Beefcake Hopper
Size 16 Amber/Peacock Fusion
Size 16 Chartreuse Fusion
Size 16 Yellow Fusion
Size 16 Brown Fusion
Size 16 Amber/Pink Fusion
Size 18 Red Fusion
Size 18 Purple Fusion
To enter yourself in the drawing, follow both Gink & Gasoline and Thin Air Angler on Instagram. Then post of picture of the inside of your favorite fly box with the hashtag #restockmybox The winner will be drawn on August 22nd. Thank you for taking part and giving us a chance to load you up with some late summer flies!
Sunday Classic / A Tight Line Presentation is Key in Saltwater Fly Fishing
SLACK IS NOT YOUR FRIEND.
When fly fishing in saltwater, keeping the slack out of the system is job one. Slack can cause missed fish, long distance release and even refusals. A tight line is key at every stage of the process, but many anglers overlook the initial presentation.
Triggering a fish’s instinct to strike relies on the fly having a lifelike action when the fish first catches sight of it. That means that the fly should move in the manner of the prey it represents from the instant it hits the water. In most cases that cannot be accomplished with slack in the system. Even, or maybe especially, when fishing crab patterns where the natural action is the fall to the bottom, slack kills. These flies are often eaten as soon as they hit the water and if the line has slack, you will never know it.
There is nothing more important to success in saltwater fly fishing than a tight line presentation, but it’s not an easy thing to pull off. Here are some tips and a video to help you get the slack out.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Your Dream Job Awaits
If you love trout, conservation, and live in the southeast, Have I got a job for you!
Trout unlimited is looking to seriously up their game here in the Southeast. In particular they are ramping up their efforts in brook trout conservation, which makes my heart swell. There is nothing more important, in my mind, than protecting our one native trout.
If you are passionate about cold water fisheries, work well with others and want to make a real difference, here is your chance. TU is hiring a full time Volunteer Coordinator for the Southeast. You can get al the details and apply for this important position at the link below. If you know the perfect person for this job, please forward this to them.
LET’S FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN MAKE REAL CHANGE FOR TROUT HERE IN THE SOUTHEAST!
Read More »Simms G4 Pro Shift Pack: Video
Here’s a fly fishing backpack with a hidden talent.
The new G4 Pro Shift Pack from Simms makes fishing remote, hike-in destinations a breeze.
It’s always a challenge to carry everything you need for a long day, or two, hiking and fishing backcountry locations. Changing weather and the rigors of hiking require a lot of food, water and gear. Managing it all in a pack that still allows you to fish efficiently is no easy task.
The new Simms Shift Pack is designed to do just that. It’s a fully functional day pack with tons of specialized storage for anglers, including a great fly fishing wast pack that slides easily out the side without removing the pack. It’s pretty cool and very thoughtfully designed.
Watch the video to see all the features of the new Simms G4 Pro Shift Pack.
Read More »Early Riser
By Justin Pickett
Many people respond with bewilderment and even cringe when they realize how early I’m willing to rise “just to go fishing.”
I smile and attempt to explain, but it just isn’t possible for those who have never experienced the predawn hours, like I have, to truly understand why. It’s for this moment….
When the first streaks of sunlight pierce through a dense canopy of ancient Hemlocks, casting a bluish glare on the water. The dark of night fades to a velvety purple before being overtaken by a deep, brilliant blue. Shadows recede to reveal a most brilliant palate of colors. Bluebirds and Swallows begin their morning songs as a gobbler sounds off in the distance. The once invisible babble of the creek comes to life as the first risers poke their noses through the foam. The scampering of squirrels bounding around the wispy fog on the forest floor. Everything around you springing to life as if the sun was the heart, and the flora and fauna the
Read More »Search out the Small Water in the Big Water
“Big water is much harder for us to dissect and visualize what we’re fishing. You can’t always see the fish you’re fishing to and it’s much harder for beginners to distinguish productive from unproductive water. When you find yourself in this situation and you’re overwhelmed, try searching out the small water amongst the big water.”
Read More »Sunday Classic / Too Much Mending Can Ruin Your Drift
One of the most critical techniques of fly fishing that anglers often lack knowledge in, is understanding how to properly mend fly line during the drift. If I tallied up all the time I spend each day instructing clients on various fly fishing techniques, teaching the art of mending fly line would easily rank number one on the list. I bet I say the word “mend” a thousand times a day. It’s not that difficult to mend fly line, all it takes is a little practice and time on the water to get the hang of it. In my opinion, it’s much easier to learn how to mend than the art of fly casting. The main reason mending takes so long for fly anglers to master is because the timing of the mend, the direction of the mend and the size of the mend can change from one presentation to the next. Two of the biggest mending problems I see on the water is bad technique and mending fly line too much during the drift. When mending is done correctly, you usually only need one or two mends per drift to get the job done.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Out of Office
The fly-fishing business is pretty unique. In most businesses, folks have their work, and then they have their passion. For folks in the fly fishing business, pretty much without exclusion, their work is their passion. It’s great to see companies put their work aside and just go fishing. In this video a group of hard working Orvis employees do just that. “Summer doesn’t last forever.” Ain’t that the truth. Out Of Office Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »New Orvis Clearwater Fly Rods: Video
The new Orvis Clearwater fly rods offer an incredible fly fishing arsenal at a remarkable price.
Orvis has redesigned their Clearwater series rods for 2019. The old Clearwater rods were a pretty basic offering, with a uniform taper across the entire family. The new Clearwater rods have nothing in common with those older models, except the name and the great price. This new family of Orvis rods offers twenty-eight different models, ranging from a 7 1/2 foot 3 weight to a 15 foot 10 weight spey and even musky and euro-nymphing models. Each rod with a taper that’s fine tuned for specific performance. Best of all, these rods are affordable for anyone, ranging from $198 to $398.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ALL OF THE DETAILS ON THE NEW ORVIS CLEARWATER RODS.
Read More »Spey Casting With The Non-Dominant Hand on Top
By Jeff Hickman
SOMETIMES YOU LEARN SOMETHING VALUABLE COMPLEETLY BY ACCIDENT.
Last Summer I was on the phone with a good friend and regular client catching up. He was bummed to not be able to fish during his favorite Fall season due to a major shoulder surgery he had on his dominant right shoulder a few months previous. Extensive physical therapy was helping but he still had a lot of pain and his doctor suggested he hold off on fishing for several more months. Being the steelhead addict that he is, I knew that taking the season off would not be good for his mental health. So I told him to come out for a three day Deschutes camp trip and I would teach him to cast left handed which would give his right shoulder a much easier job.
He, like many guys that I fish with, had learned to Spey cast back in the days of the 14ft 9weight and Windcutter with unnecessary cheaters. This era of Spey fishing engrained many with a fast, erratic and borderline violent muscle memory. He had always struggled to sweep and cast slow enough for the modern short Scandinavian and Skagit heads to work properly. With his right hand on top, his fly needed frequent removal from the bushes behind him despite my nearly constant pleas for him to slow down.
So when he showed up for his trip he remained skeptical that he could learn to fish left handed or effectively fish without hurting his shoulder. But I made it very clear that he was to only fish left handed and he was not allowed to risk further injury by putting his right hand on top while casting. For backup, I claimed that his doctor had called me to make sure of this.
With no muscle memory with his left hand on top, I started my instruction from the ground up, walking him through the most important casting steps
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