Sunday Classic / Falling in Love Again, With My Winston
I DON’T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED. I HAVE NO EXCUSE, BUT SOME HOW MY WINSTON B2X 6 WEIGHT SPENT THE LAST TWO YEARS IN THE TUBE.
I have a lot of fly rods and I’m always getting new ones to try out, but there is still no excuse for neglecting such a great rod. I got that rod specifically to fish the Green River in Wyoming during hopper season. A trip I used to make every year. I’ve passed on the Green River trip the last couple of years for various reasons and I guess I just forgot about the Winston in the process.
I made it back to the Green this year. Only for a day and not during hopper season but it jarred my memory and I took the old green stick along. Man am I glad I did. It was like falling in love all over again. Not just for me as it turned out. Kent and I fought over that rod the whole trip. Several days, it was the only rod that got fished.
We had a pile of rods. We each brought five and added to that several that we’re sent to us to evaluate for clients. Still, the Winston carried the day and I’ll tell you why. While the B2X has been languishing in the tube, the world of fly rod design has changed. In this case, I’m not sure we can call it progress.
In recent years, rod companies have been beating cheeks to make the
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / 50/50 Video
I absolutely love this video and I love Orvis for making it.
It’s not common, especially these days, to find a company that steps up and take risks just to do what’s right. Let alone one willing to make public the worst feedback they receive from their customers. That’s a company with principals.
WATCH THIS SHORT VIDEO AND YOU’LL SEE WHAT I MEAN.
Read More »Hazard Hooks Review
By Justin Pickett
A good hook is a necessity.
Whether I’m tying my own flies, or buying from a local shop, I always make sure that the fly is lashed to a quality hook. One of the worst feelings in fly fishing is losing a fish to find out that a straightened, or even broken, hook was the culprit. It’s one of those things you should never skimp on. I would much rather buy cheap beer, than buy sub-par hooks. Even the worst beer on the planet is more tolerable when it’s cold. The problem with hooks, though, is that they certainly aren’t getting any cheaper. Many of the popular brands are charging upwards of ten bucks for a twenty-five pack of hooks. Especially for specialty hooks, such as barbless hooks and jig hooks, which I tie a majority of my patterns on. At these higher prices, restocking my assortment of hooks can cost a pretty penny, so finding a quality hook at a lower price is always on my radar.
Lately I’ve been fishing hooks from Hazard Fly Fishing, which is owned by Jeff Harrison and based out of South Carolina. I heard of Hazard from a few buddies of mine that are still very active in competitive fishing and they all had nothing but good things to say about fishing with these hooks. Jeff offered up a handful of his hooks for me to try, and I have to say that I’ve legitimately been impressed. The first thing I noticed with each and every hook that I checked is
Read More »Don’t Just Love Your Cold Water Fisheries, Be Good Stewards Also
By Kent Klewein
Most fly fisherman are passionate about the protection of their trout and salmon streams.
Promoting catch and release, special regulations and protecting various wild salmonid populations, are among the most common conservation topics being fought for today in the sport of fly fishing. But even as important as all of these topics are, there’s another area of conservation that I feel like is equally important, and is being put on the back burner. Why is it, that we aren’t’ also hearing people talking passionately about the importance of protecting our trout waters tree canopies, stream banks and 50 foot buffers (native shrubs and foliage)? After all, they’re essential elements in the conservation pie, and without them, it’s very difficult for any trout water, regardless of its size, to maintain the proper water quality and habitat that cold-water fish species demand for their suvival.
For example, the past five years, chronic drought conditions, poorly managed river/stream buffer zones and the occasional high wind thunderstorm have uprooted and destroyed an alarming amount of trees and foliage along my trout streams in the Southeastern United States. It hasn’t helped that during this depressing period there’s also been a large amount of our native hemlock forests decimated by the “hemlock woolly adelgid”, a beetle brought over from China and Japan, that sucks the life out of the trees by feeding on their sap. Put all of these negative forces together and they’ve really dealt a punishing blow to the health of the trout water in my area, and their ability to sustain year-round trout fisheries. Stream shade and foliage have been reduced greatly in areas, long stretches of stream banks have become un-stabilized and week, and silt introduction by erosion and runoff have become a serious problem. Water temperatures are reaching
Read More »The Drum Major Instinct
By Louis Cahill
I challenge you, no I dare you, to listen to this recording.
On the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, I decided to spend some time listening to old recordings of him speaking. The last thing I expected to hear was Dr. King sum up my feelings about fly fishing perfectly but, through some magical synchronicity, there it was. I don’t know that Dr. King ever touched a fly rod but, as a group, he sure had our number.
It came up just the other day, listening to a fly fishing podcast. My face flushed and blood boiling as I listen to a couple of fishing guides talk about people getting recognition they “didn’t deserve.” If you haven’t done this yourself, you’ve heard it. The advent of social media has been a real thorn in the side of the folks who consider themselves the fly fishing elite. Suddenly, all sorts of folks are getting attention online and old guard are faced with a platform they don’t understand and what they see as undeserved power.
Don’t misunderstand me, there is a lot of horse shit on social media. In general, I have a fairly dim view of social media and the irony of that is not lost on me. What makes me angry is the idea that some group of elitists owns fly fishing. I’m not very good at articulating it, irony again, but it’s a real hot button issue for me. It has been my sole focus, since starting G&G, to try and create a place where all are welcome and equal. To make fly fishing more inclusive and less exclusive. This idea of who “deserves” followers, or pro-deals, or sponsorships flies in the face of everything I believe.
Dr. King calls this the Drum Major Instinct. The need to be out front, leading the parade. The drive to feel that you are better than others. The real need for
Read More »Deschutes Steelhead Camp: Video
Now is the time to book your trip to the Deschutes River.
This trip is one of the funnest fishing opportunities you’re likely to find. Camping in style on the banks of the Deschutes River and chasing steelhead with a small group of good spirited anglers and great guides. What more could you ask for? If you are interested in forgetting about the stress and hustle of life, this is the place to do it.
This short video will give you a taste of Steelhead camp. You’ll see some of the beautiful scenery, thrilling jet boats rides, and you’ll see my buddy Mark Haffenreffer land sweet B-run steelhead.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Protect the Head of Your Nymphs with Thin Skin
The more durable a fly, the more fish you can catch on it and the longer the life of the fly will be. Making a point to tie and purchase your flies with durability in mind will save you time at the tying bench and keep a little extra cash in your wallet. Nymphs in general are the work horses in our fly boxes. They’re constantly getting beat up from banging against rocks on the stream bed during our drifts. One way I increase the durability of my nymphs is to finish off the heads of my flies by folding over and super gluing down a piece of thin skin. This tying technique covers the vulnerable thread at the head of the fly and makes a nice looking nymph wing case. In some cases, like with my rubber-leg copper john version above, I use
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / The Sexualization of Fly Fishing
By Justin Pickett
I RECENTLY CAUGHT A GREAT PODCAST FROM THE BARBLESS PODCAST THAT WAS AIRED JUST A HANDFUL OF DAYS AGO.
The subject matter during the conversation, hosted by Chad Alderson and Nick Hanna, was centered on the ever-growing social media accounts, posts, videos, and images revolving around half-naked gals holding fly rods and fish. Are these ladies good for fly fishing? Are they legit anglers, or just pretty faces hungry for followers? Where do they fit in? Is there a place for them in fly fishing at all? Who better to weigh in on this heavy topic than a couple of veteran female guide/anglers? Kate Watson and Kayla Katayama do a great job discussing some of the challenges that social media brings with these types of accounts, as well as not-so-legit anglers and guides, pro-staff gluttony, and self-promotion. It’s a great discussion that hits a lot of nails on the head!
THE SEXUALIZATION OF FLY FISHING
If you want to check out Kate Watson’s first article, Insta-Perversion, click here.
Response to Insta-Perversion
Read More »Presenting Your Fly to Migrating Tarpon
There’s definitely some strategy involved in tarpon fishing. Migrating tarpon offer the fly angler a great opportunity for a close in counter with the silver king, but you have to play your cards right. Many anglers have watched big schools of tarpon vanish right before their eyes, leaving them to shrug and ask, “what’d I do?” Often there is nothing wrong with the fly,or the cast, except that it was shown to the wrong fish. Migrating tarpon play a curious game of “follow the leader.” when you see that school coming its tempting to lose your patience and cast to that big lead fish, but that’s not the way to go. That lead fish is out there on her own, blazing the trail for the whole school. She’s wary and quite cautious, that’s her job. Almost anything will spook her and the school will follow her lead. Her followers however are a different story. Generally male, they are focused almost completely on her. Sound familiar guys? Ever made a bad decision while you were focused on a female? Those males feel secure because the lead fish is their lookout. If she isn’t spooked they feel like everything is as it should be and if a careless bit of food gets past her they have no problem scarfing it down. Those are the fish you want to target. It’s possible to get many shots at a school of tarpon as long as the lead fish keeps her cool and the more shots you get, the better your chance at a hookup. Check out the video and our buddy Joel Dickey will show you the best presentation for a migrating school. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Tiemco Magnetic Adjustable Bobbin
By Bob Reece
The line between necessity and advantageous varies from person to person. When Tiemco produced its Adjustable Magnetic Bobbin, it sparked frequent discussions among tiers regarding these two categories. My curiosity finally got the best of me and I decided to give it a spin.
While aesthetics may not be critical, this TMC bobbin is easy on the eyes. From a more functional standpoint, the standalone feature results in an easy pickup between uses. It also eliminates the need for any sort of bobbin holder. Additionally, the neck of the bobbin is adjustable. This allows the tier to set the desired length depending on both hook size and pattern style. Complimenting that is a thread catch that prevents the loose thread from dropping back down the neck when it’s not in use.
Whether in Fine, Standard or Heavy Duty; these additional attributes are all helpful. However, the heart of this tool is its magnetic system. I cannot overstate how important it is to watch the calibration video on YouTube when you go to set up you TMC Adjustable Magnetic Bobbin. If it’s not adjusted correctly, it will not work as intended.
I didn’t think that I’d be that impressed with the bobbin prior to setting it up. I was wrong. The smoothness and consistency of tension during use is flat out impressive. I enjoyed being able to alter the tension as I switched patterns. The resulting stability of thread assists in the creation of quality bugs from one tie to the next. An additional bonus
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