Saturday Shoutout / SCOF on TU
Writing for Southern Culture on the fly, Christian Fichtel hold Trout Unlimited’s feet t the fire.
Has TU crossed the line from conservation organization to fishing club? That’s the question Christian Fichtel asks in this insightful piece. I’ve heard this tossed around for years but as far as I know this is the first time it has been openly addressed in the media. Kudos to Christian for taking a position.
If you are interested in trout conservation I highly recommend you read this.
An Open Letter To Trout Unlimited
Part 2: The Follow Up
Read More »Three Proven Options For Deep, Deep Nymphing
By Louis Cahill
IT’S TIME TO MAKE LIKE CAPTAIN NEMO AND GO 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA.
Sometimes the only trick to catching fish is getting the fly down to their level. When you’re nymphing and you’re not catching fish it’s always a good idea to add weight before changing flies. Often one split shot is the difference between fishing and casting.
I have fished with friends who were shocked at how much weight I use on my nymph rigs. They always end up following my lead and catching more fish. Especially in the heat of summer or cold of winter, weight is usually the answer. But just because you’re fishing heavy doesn’t mean you can’t fish smart.
Here are three rigging options that will help you make the most of the weight you use.
THE STRING OF PEARLS
The struggle in fishing deep is not sinking your flies. They are usually weighted and sink pretty quickly. It’s your leader that needs the weight. You can pile up a couple of #7 shot or a half dozen size BBs just above your tippet and it will drag that leader down but there’s a smarter way to use the weight.
I use hand-tied leaders and
Read More »Fly Fishing: Being Outfitted Properly Should Always Be the #1 Priority
Many can attest to the feeling of pure excitement that comes over us right after we’ve parked the vehicle and are fixing to hit the water for a great day of fly fishing. It’s an awesome feeling, one quite frankly, that I never get tired of, because it opens the door for each of us to experience true freedom, solitude and adventure. And there’s nothing like the anticipation of not knowing how the day is going to play out for us. This feeling has gotten me into trouble many times over the years, and I’m sure that I’m not alone. Look back on some of your past trips and I bet you’ve had a time or two where you got in way too much of a hurry, and forgot to pack critical gear. We tell ourselves, “the sky is blue and there’s not a cloud in the sky. I don’t need to bring my rain jacket”. We leave that granola bar or bottle of water in the truck because we hit a food joint on the way into the river and sucked down a 20 ounce bottle of water. Sometimes, we get lucky and we don’t wind up needed the stuff we’ve left behind. Unfortunately, if you get in the habit of doing this too much, eventually it’s going to bite you in the butt. It happened to me on a wade fishing trip with Louis in WY.
I was chomping at the bit to get on the water. It had been two years since I’d made a trip out west fly fishing. My late flight into Jackson had got us off to a late start. Since fishing time was limited I decided to do something I never do
Read More »Sunday Classic / The Christmas Tree Fly
It’s Christmas Eve. The stockings are hung, the children nestled in their beds, bikes and doll houses are assembled, gifts are wrapped, turkeys are stuffed, credit cards are maxed, and still, you have found a few minutes to look at Gink and Gasoline. God bless you, every one!
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Christmas on Christmas Island
What better way to spend Christmas Eve than with some hungry GTs?
It is Christmas eve, after all, so pour yourself a glass of eggnog and enjoy some crazy action from Christmas Island.
MERRY CHRISTMAS FOR GINK AND GASOLINE!
Read More »Keep ‘Em Wet Photo Challenge Winner
Thanks to everyone who submitted their photos for the Keep ‘Em Wet Photo Challenge!
It’s been a great success, with dozens of submissions coming in daily. We’ve received some great entries over the past several days, along with some great feedback!
Choosing only one was a tough deal, as there were some really great photos! However, there can only be one winner. With that said,
the winner of Gink and Gasoline’s Keep ‘Em Wet Photo Challenge is … Andrew Joselow!
This has been one of our favorites since it was submitted! Look at those colors!!! Great job Andrew, and congrats!!!
Thanks again to everyone that participated and made this a successful contest. We applaud each and every one of you for doing your part to keep fish wet! We’re already planning on doing more with KeepEmWet.org in the future, and you can bet on seeing more photo contests such as this one! Congrats to everyone!
Read More »Don’t Let Go of the Fly Line in Your Rod Hand During the Hook Set
Have you ever set the hook on a fish, and the next thing you know, you’ve got your arms spread apart in the shape of a giant slice of pizza, leaving you unable to reach the fly line with your rod hand? Do not be ashamed if this happens to you every now and then on the water. You’re not alone, I promise. Many fly anglers do this regularly, and the reason they get themselves in this situation is because they’re letting go of the fly line in their rod hand when they set the hook. You can completely eliminate this problem on the water if you make sure you keep a solid grip on the fly line with your rod hand during and after every hook set. Doing so, it will allow you to maintain tension and control of the fish while you’re stripping in fly line or getting that excess fly line on the reel.
I know some of you that have found yourself in this situation have probably used your mouth to hold onto the fly line until you can get your hands back into the correct position. God, I know I have plenty of times.
Read More »Starting Fly Tying Season Off Right
By Bob Reece
While some people tie flies year round, the majority of fly tying in the Northern hemisphere takes place during the winter months. As the chill builds in the air, we move into this time of year filled with hours spent behind the vise and a building anticipation of next season’s adventures. The following are four tips to consider as you move forward into another spell of spinning up bugs.
Dedicated Work Area
If at all possible, set aside a dedicated work area for your tying. Having a platform where your supplies can be stored, organized and left out saves immense amounts of time. Without this, tying time is lost to transporting, setting up and putting away tying tools and materials. With a dedicated work space, creation can begin as soon as you sit down. If needed, patterns can be left partially completed in the vise until your return.
Deep Clean and Donate
As years pass, the drawers, cabinets and other storage compartments for your fly tying materials can turn into matted dungeons of unused creative goods. Prior to getting behind the vise this year, pull all of your materials out of their storage areas. Inventory, sort and organize the supplies that you’ll be using this year. The inventory will help with the next tip below. Sorting and organizing will help you increase your efficiency, resulting in more bugs tied. Set aside those materials that you know you’ll never use and donate them to a good cause!Organizations like Project Healing Waters, community fly tying classes and fly fishing clubs at your local schools will be happy to put those supplies to use.
Material Orders
A new year of tying often brings with it the need or “need” for new tying materials and
Read More »Sunday Classic / Dealing With Stuck Ferrules, the Smart Way
Years of fishing bamboo rods taught me one thing for sure. Stuck ferrules are as unavoidable as the occasional skunk and that holds true for graphite. Sometimes it’s avoidable but often it’s not. What is totally avoidable is damaging your rod in the process of unseating them.
Often it’s as simple as getting a good grip on the rod. When a rod is wet it’s easy for your hands to slip and strip off or bend snake guides as they go. When you get a good grip on the rod you find the ferrules were not as tight as you thought. I carry a pair of latex gloves in my pack for that purpose. The latex gets good traction even when the rod is wet, making unseating the ferrules much easier.
When ferrules are stuck and more force is needed there are a couple of options. Most folks know the trick of holding your hands high and pulling them down behind your head. This lets gravity and the natural rotation of your shoulders work together to pull the ferrules. You can also put the rod behind your knees and push out on your forearms with your legs. Both of these methods work, sometimes.
When ferrules are really tight
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / 30 Reasons
A remarkable film about love, loss and true spirit.
Imagine yourself paralyzed from the chest down, without even the use of your fingers. Would you have the resolve to find a way you could cast a fly? Would you have the determination to learn to fish again? Would you have the courage to make a list of 30 species of fish and set out to catch them all?
This is am inspirational trailer for a film in the works. It’s well worth your time. You can learn more and help support the cause at 30reasonsmovie.com.
Read More »