Keep ‘Em Wet Photo Challenge
It’s been a while since we’ve posted a giveaway, and with the holiday season upon us, we’re feeling like we need to give something to one of our awesome followers!
“Keep ‘Em Wet!” has become a popular phrase amongst the social media pages, groups, and movements. Not only just a phrase, it has become a practice that many of us have chosen to uphold with hopes that leading by example will convince others to keep fish in the water, whether they’re snapping photos or not. Fish need water to survive, and we can all do a better job of doing our part to protect the fish that we pursue, whether it be trout, steelhead, bonefish, muskie, tarpon or bass.
We want to see your best, most creative “Keep ‘Em Wet” photos! Get out on the water and submit two of your favorite photos for the challenge before midnight on December 18th. Louis and I will be judging on the content and creativity of the photos, and we’ll announce a winner on December 22nd! One winner takes all!
So what’s up for grabs?!
Art has quickly become a popular mainstay within the fly fishing world. With fly shops, anglers, and even restaurants and businesses adding their favorite pieces to their walls in order to show off their passion for fly fishing, as well as the vibrant colors of the fish we chase. So how about a one-of-a-kind painting of the winning photo on 18×20 canvas for the winner?
Megan Pickett (yes, my sister as you might have guessed) is a very talented artist, local to the metro-Atlanta area. With most of her work being commissioned, she teaches art at a large private school in Atlanta, GA. The winner of the photo challenge will be contacted by Megan in order to discuss the details of the painting, as well as
Read More »Sunday Classic / Choosing a line for your switch rod Part 2: Choosing a line
BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC LINES AND HOW THEY FISH, LET’S TAKE A MINUTE TO UNDERSTAND THE SWITCH ROD.
If you have not read “Part 1: Understanding lines and line tapers” you can find it HERE. I think you will find the information helpful.
The switch rod is a product of evolution. A decade ago the average length of a two- handed rod was 14 feet and the average line weight was 9. As two-handed casting has become more popular and its application more varied, the average two-hander has become shorter and lighter. The modern two-hand rods are less fatiguing, beautifully balanced and more versatile, allowing Spey-style casting in tighter casting situations.
The switch rod adds to this adaptation the option of single-hand casting and high sticking. Things that couldn’t be accomplished with longer heavier rods. This makes the switch rod the most versatile rod ever made and the most confusing. It is a rare angler who uses their switch rod in every application it can handle.
A switch rod is really a short, light weight Spey rod. Although it will accommodate overhand casting, even with traditional lines, its taper is designed for two-handed Spey casting. Therefore, in most applications, it will perform its best with a line designed for two-handed casting. When matched with the right line switch rods are not only versatile but incredibly effective.
A lot of switch rods spend their lives in the closet because they got matched with the wrong line. Often, folks coming from a single-hand casting background will set their switch rod up with a traditional line for single-hand overhead casting and find that it performs poorly. This is because the rod is under lined and it’s an easy mistake to make.
Switch rod and Spey rod weights are rated on the AFTTA standard and single-hand rods and lines are rated on the AFTMA standard. It’s like comparing Celsius to Fahrenheit or meters to feet. This means that a 5-weight switch rod, for example, takes a much higher grain weight line than a 5-weight single hander in order to get the proper load. That 5-weight single-hand rod needs a line in the range of 180 to 200 grains, whereas a #5 Switch rod needs 300 to 330. That’s a huge difference and if it seems unnecessarily complicated, that’s because it is. It’s critical when choosing a line for your switch rod that you think in terms of the grain weight needed to load the rod.
Here’s a breakdown of suggested grain weights for switch rods by line ratings. These figures will vary from rod to rod and may also be affected by your casting style, but it’s a good guideline.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / River Of Grass
Everglades restoration may be one of the most important ecological challenges of our time.
A few months back, when deadly algae blooms devastated Florida’s coastal wildlife, there was a fair amount of discussion in the media. That may have calmed down for now but the crisis facing Florida and the Everglades is still very much alive. It’s a complicated issue who’s roots go back a hundred years. There are solutions, but the first hurtle is understanding the problem.
This video, sourced from Orvis News, does a great job of explaining the situation, and some of the ways it might be resolved. It will help you understand how we got here, and how we might get back.
CHECK OUT “RIVER OF GRASS.”
Read More »RIO Winter Redfish Fly-Line And Knots Video
The Folks at RIO are always working to put you on fish.
RIO has lead the way in specialty fly lines. That paid off in 4 big wins at the IFTD show this year. One of the great new products which won was the Winter Redfish Line. An aggressive taper made for targeting bull reds in the colder months.
Another winner was the Knot Tying DVD. RIO has done an excellent job demonstrating and testing 29 great fishing knots. Theres more to this disk than you might guess.
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO FOR ALL THE DETAILS ON THE RIO WINTER REDFISH LINE AND KNOTS DVD.
Read More »3 Ways to Make Your Wiggle Minnow Fish Better
The foam wiggle minnow has been a mainstay streamer for me for trout and other predatory game fish for several years now. When you combine its realistic swimming action and the significant water it pushes during the retrieve, its one of the best streamers I know of for calling in fish from great distances to eat. Plain and simple, the wiggle minnow will catch fish just about anywhere you visit in both fresh or salt, regardless of the water conditions you may find yourself fly fishing. Furthermore, it also fishes well on all types of fly lines (floating, intermediate, sinking) and on a wide range of rod weights. This can prove to be very valuable if you find yourself on the water with limited gear options. The last few years, I’ve been experimenting with modifications to my wiggle minnows in the effort to improve their fishability.
Read More »Winter Steelhead Retreat
Here’s your chance for some next-level steelheading. March 26-30 2017.
The annual G&G Deschutes River Steelhead Camp has quickly become one of our most popular events, and it’s no wonder. Not only is the trip a blast but it has helped a lot of anglers really up they’re steelhead game and spey casting skills. Now I’m excited to announce a new steelhead trip for anglers looking to experience the next level, winter steelhead.
We will be fishing the Clackamas River near Portland. Thanks to conservation efforts, recent Clackamas steelhead runs have been some of the best in memory, with wild steelhead returning in good numbers. Winter fish are big, strong, and a challenge for the angler. Along with the challenge comes the reward of landing one of the most special fish on the planet. If that sounds like fun, and you’re up for a challenge, I’d love for you to join us.
The trip is arranged and guided by Fish The Swing, and I will be hosting. We will stay at the new Fish The Swing Clackamas River Lodge, right on the river with private bedrooms and a chef preparing meals. We will fish hard and enjoy some great company. There are only 4 spots for this trip, so let me know ASAP if you are interested, or would like more details, at hookups@ginkandgasoline.com.
Guests will arrive Sunday, March 26th between 5pm and 6pm, and settle in for dinner at 7pm. Breakfast will be at first light, then we will walk out front of the house and get into the boats to go fish for the day. Hot lunch will be served on the river unless the weather is bad, in which case we will head back to the lodge for lunch. Dinner at 7pm, and repeat again each day. On the last day (Thursday) everyone will need to have their bags packed before leaving for fishing. You will fish all day then return to the lodge to depart for home/airport.
Rate: 4 nights/4 days is $2750
I look forward to swinging some flies with you!
Read More »Sunday Classic / Fly Fishing Lights at Night
It’s long been known by fishermen, that bright lights shining on the water at night create fishing hotspots.
The lights attract plankton, which in turn, attracts the baitfish and other food sources that feed on them. Once you’ve got a good concentration of forage food hanging around the lights, it doesn’t take long before the larger predatory gamefish move in and begin making a feeding frenzy of the situation at hand. Using the lights as a perfect tool to coax and gather the food into a small area and the cover of darkness as camouflage, predatory gamefish will take turns darting into the light with mouths open to pack their bellies full. This feeding scenario reminds me very much of the relationship I have with my refrigerator. When I wake up in the middle of the night with my stomach growling, I know exactly where I need to head to get my quick food fix. The relationship gamefish have with lights on the water at night is no different. When available, gamefish will regularly utilize lights to locate and ambush food under the cover of darkness. Fly fisherman should always take the time to locate and fish lights on their home waters, because they will almost always provide consistent action.
If you randomly asked one of your fellow fly fisherman about targeting lights at night, they’d probably respond with success stories about either fishing lighted piers in saltwater or boat docks on freshwater lake impoundments. These are by far, the two most popular places fisherman prefer to utilize lights shining on the water at night, but it’s not the only places we should look. Fishing lights for trout
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Hookshots Musky…Or Not
The boys from Field and Stream are back on the hunt for musky.
When you’re chasing musky the question is always the same. Will the musky show? Maybe, and then again, maybe not, but either way this is some hard fishing action with something for everyone.
CHECK OUT HOOKSHOTS, “MUSKY FLY DREAMING: PART 2”
Read More »Simms Headhunter Fly Rod Luggage
It’s always a challenge to fly with fly rods and reels.
Fortunately Simms has a new line of luggage designed just for your gear. The headhunter line includes traditional tubes and larger cannons for single and double-hand rods, as well as reel cases and the roomy Vault, built to hold everything you need. The Vault offers the option of backpack straps and is suitable as a carry-on or a checked bag.
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO FOR ALL THE DETAILS ON THE SIMMS HEADHUNTER FLY ROD LUGGAGE.
Read More »Fly Fishing And Being Thankful
Once again fly fishing is there when I need it.
Over the years, when I have been at my worst, my fly rod has been there like an old and dear friend. It’s kept me company when I was alone, it’s focused my mind when I was in despair, and it has comforted me when I was in pain. Fly fishing has been my refuge when everything else has failed. I never expected to lose it when I needed it most.
I guess I’m making a habit of sharing something personal on Thanksgiving. If you read what I wrote last year, you know that the past 16 months have been the hardest of my life. I don’t say that lightly, and there has been some competition, but since the loss of my godson I have been to places in my heart I never imagined were there. A year ago I said I didn’t know if this was a thing I could fix with a fly rod. I know now, that it can’t be fixed at all. It must be accepted, absorbed even, made part of the whole, but there has still been some question whether the fly rod would come to my aid this time.
Life is, at best, one half risk and one half reward. That equation weighs into all things, but nothing more than love. If you can give your heart and keep that ratio one to one, you are way ahead of the game and that isn’t exclusive to loving people. There is risk in giving your heart to anything and fishing, at least for me, has not been an exception.
My heart, it seems, is prone to dehydration. It runs dry from time to time and water is the only thing which restores it. The solitude of standing in a river, or on a flat, grounds me. It washes away the bitterness and drowns the discourse. The purity of a fish’s soul calms me. The act of participating in that lovely creature’s struggle, and the act of releasing it, seeing it swim back into a deep pool reminds me that there is peace waiting for all of us. I know it isn’t something everyone understands, but it has comforted me.
I have to remind myself that it is only a coincidence that our world became such an angry and divided place at the very time I needed a little extra understanding. It has been very hard not to take it personally. I didn’t know what I was putting at risk when I decided to make fly fishing a job. I had no idea that I was hanging a target around my neck when I spoke publicly of my love of fishing. That sounds silly, but I’ll wager you’d be shocked to read some of the emails I get. Would you guess that I’ve had my life threatened for writing about catch-and-release fishing? I have, and
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