Saturday Shoutout / Now Or Neverglades
Don’t miss this chance to help save the Florida Everglades, You won’t get another.
Finally, finally, FINALLY! Something is getting done to help stop the tragic and ongoing destruction of the Florida Everglades. I’d personally like the thank the Orris company and in particular Perk Perkins, who I don’t think gets the credit he deserves for his conservation work. Good job gentlemen.
If you are not aware of the situation in the Everglades you should read this post from Orris news. Either way you should add your name to the Now or Neverglades Declaration. I have. This fragile ecosystem is on its last legs and if it goes down it will take the fisheries in the Florida Keys with it. Don’t hesitate.
ADD YOUR NAME TO THE NOW OR NEVERGLADES DECLARATION.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN.
Read More »The Fishpond Thunderhead Fishing Pack Reviewed
Every couple of years a piece of fly fishing gear comes along that makes me wonder how I lived without it.
The Fishpond Thunderhead pack is one of those brilliant designs. It makes you wonder if the folks at Fishpond will ever run out of great ideas. This pack solves some specific problems for me and is versatile enough that you may find uses for it no one has thought of.
Like many great ideas, the Thunderhead is a simple one. A waterproof sling pack. That doesn’t sound like cold fusion. It’s exactly the simplicity of it that I love. It’s versatile, functional, durable and comfortable.
To start with, the Thunderhead is actually waterproof. Not water resistant, but totally dry, which is great for flies and gear but absolutely essential for cameras and other electronics. This was what initially got my attention. I am always looking for a safe, comfortable way to carry my camera and lenses, sound recording gear and cell phone and still be able to fish. The Thunderhead is the best solution I’ve found yet.
It’s the perfect size. You can load it with a surprising amount of gear without it becoming cumbersome to fish in. It swings completely behind you where it doesn’t interfere with line management or hang up on bushes. The wide shoulder strap is comfortable and doesn’t wear on you, even when the pack gets heavy. A waist strap can be used to keep the pack from sliding around, but I seldom find it necessary.
The Thunderhead uses the same waterproof zipper as the Yeti Hopper soft cooler. It’s extremely rugged and completely waterproof. It also makes the pack easy to get in and out of, unlike roll-top packs. I discovered a bonus to
Read More »Happy Birthday To Me
Happy 4th of July G&G fans! Here’s a piece of trivia for you, the good old US-of-A shares its birthday with Gink and Gasoline.
Today is a kind of special day. G&G turns 5. It’s hard to believe but it was 5 years ago today that the first post went live. It’s been an amazing 5 years and I can not tell you what your support has meant to me in that time. I simply can not thank you enough.
Much has changed and much has stayed the same. We remain committed to delivering the best fly fishing content possible. We stay focused on our community and we dedicate ourselves to our readers. I would like to share with you the 2 things I am most proud of in the last 5 years.
Our annual readership has grown to 2.5 million.
In our 5 years on lime we have posted every single day.
Now, just for fun, Here is the first ever Gink and Gasoline post from July 4th 2011.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Careful Where You Point That Thing
TOOTHY AND GENERALLY ILL TEMPERED, BARRACUDA ARE A BLAST TO CATCH ON THE FLY.
Their vicious attack is almost unbelievable to watch. My buddy Andrew Bennett holds a nice one here for a sub-surface hero shot.
The Bahamians eat them. Barracuda are generally not edible because they eat poisonous reef fish and store the toxins. Eating one in the Florida Keys will kill you. The cuda that live on the flats can be safe, but it’s a risk. The Bahamians have a test.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / America’s Most Un-Wanted
It’s official, the most endangered American river runs right by my house.
“The basin that includes the Chattahoochee, Apalachicola and Flint rivers is the country’s most endangered, according to a study released today by the conservation nonprofit American Rivers.
The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report says chronic mismanagement of the rivers, coupled with legal jockeying between Florida, Alabama and Georgia over water control has “put the basin at a breaking point.”
Excessive water use, mishandling by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and political gridlock have caused disastrous consequences for Florida’s Apalachicola Bay, the report says. Oyster, crab, shrimp and other species in the bay — where the rivers deposit into the Gulf of Mexico — were “decimated in 2012 and have scarcely recovered since,” the report states.” – Lagrange Daily News
Most of our readers will not even recognize the name Chattahoochee River. It has never and will never be known as one of America’s great rivers but it has been a very special place to me. This beautiful river was the first place I ever had a 100 fish day or saw a blizzard hatch. Unfortunately, those are but distant memories. I have watched this river die right before my eyes.
Yes, there are still trout in the Chattahoochee and
Read More »Umpqua’s Bandolier, Just What You Need
By Louis Cahill
The more I fish, the less I want to carry, and the Bandolier fishing pack from Umpqua makes it easy to carry just what you need and nothing else.
The bandolier is one of Umpqua’s new Zero Sweep packs, which feature slick, anti-snag design. These durable fishing packs are beautifully designed and keenly functional. They have the features you need and nothing you don’t to get in the way. The Bandolier is the smallest pack in the line and my personal favorite.
It’s designed to work as either a sling pack or wist pack and does both well. It’s made for the angler who knows what they need and keeps things simple. It’s light weight and stays out of the way. The materials and construction and very good and it dries quickly. Best of all, you can wear it all day without knowing it’s there.
The main compartment easily holds 2 large fly boxes. There are 2 side compartments for accessories, which are large enough to hold a trout reel. There are 6 internal pockets, one zippered, for organization and a lanyard for keys or whatever you like. The space is well organized and everything is in sight when you open the pack. No digging for lost tackle.
There are 4 Zero Sweep tool docks on the front of the pack.
The 2 on the outsides accommodate zingers. You can also use elastic cords or rubber bands to keep nippers and other tools in their pockets. The 2 center docks hold hemostats or similar tools. These docking stations perform as advertised. They keep tools at hand, while keeping them from grabbing your line or catching on brush. A cord hidden in a velcro pocket up front holds tippet spools for easy access.
The drying patch on this and other new Umpqua packs is a huge upgrade. The foam patches are now
Read More »“What’s In Your Sightline?” Giveaway
By Justin Pickett
It’s giveaway time here at Gink and Gasoline!!!
Are you enjoying reading our blog? A lot of thought and effort goes into bringing you fresh content daily, and we want to see how and where our readers enjoy reading Gink and Gasoline. Post a photo on Instagram of yourself reading G&G in your favorite spot. We want to see what’s in your sightline while you read up on our latest content. It might be the subway, your home office, or the middle of nowhere. Make it fun, unique, or crazy! The most creative reader to submit a photo will receive a one of a kind Artist Series Trout 2.0 leather bracelet from Sightline Provisions. Even better… We’ve chosen a Gink and Gasoline inspired color scheme just for this giveaway!
Sightlines Provisions is a Texas-based outfit that’s delivering handmade leather goods with a flair for the outdoor activities that we love to enjoy. The owner, Edgar Diaz, takes a lot of pride in his handcrafted leather goods. Each piece is of the highest quality leather and utilizes only the finest quality components. I own a few pieces of Edgar’s work, specifically bracelets, and I always get compliments on them. They are unique and have held up against the elements, only getting better with age. Whether it’s hunting, fishing, or hiking, Sightline Provisions is a great way to show off your love for the outdoors.
NOW GET OUT THERE! SHOW US WHAT’S IN YOUR SIGHTLINE?
Post photos on Instagram with the
Read More »Sunday Classic / NZ Guide, Chris Dore Talks Kiwi Nymphing
So the other day, I noticed I received an intriguing email from one of our Gink & Gasoline followers, commenting on my Angler Positioning post.
It just so happened to be Chris Dore who sent the email, a very popular fly fishing guide from New Zealand. We hit it off pretty quick, he said he loved the blog and we immediately began replying back and forth to each other about trout fishing techniques and tactics. I’d ask him a question on how he would handle a specific scenario and he did the same. I soon realized the knowledge he was providing me was invaluable, and I requested that he write a guest post on the blog so all the G&G followers could get in on the action. I asked Chris to talk about a handful of nymph patterns that he always carries with him on the water. Specifically the ones that always seem to get the job done for him. With no hesitation, Chris replied with this great article for nymphing New Zealand trout water, showcasing some of his favorite nymph patterns.
KIWI NYMPHING – BY CHRIS DORE
New Zealand trout streams do not possess the sheer numbers of aquatic invertebrates found in most North American waters. With the exception of the famous Mataura River in Southland, trout do not have much opportunity to lock onto just one food source–they must take what comes by or they simply may not eat. This opportunistic feeding behavior forces the Kiwi Angler to think more along the lines of presentation over imitation when nymph fishing for trout, and if a trout does not eat your size 16 pheasant-tail or hares-ear nymph, you’d better check your presentation mate.
Follow me…
The three things I consider when confronted by a nymphing fish or an orgasmic piece of trout water here in New Zealand, are size, color and weight.
Size isn’t too important but is still a factor to consider. Again, this comes down to the lack of numbers thing: mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies are present in most streams across the size range, and so trout won’t often discern between a size 16 and 18, or a size 14 or 16, etc. Basically, turn over a rock in your river or stream of the day, and choose a fly pattern that’s amongst the size range you see scurrying about.
Now as a total simplification, most of the crawlies found in our trout streams can be classified as small and dark or big and green. Mayflies, caddisflies, snails, chironomids, stoneflies and dobsonflies all fall into this, and so my fly box represents this. We don’t require all the different color variations I see discussed in American magazines. Our fish pretty much have to eat whatever comes past them in the drift. makes things easy for us tiers here in NZ.
Weight is the major factor I pay close attention to in my nymph fishing. If you aren’t getting down in the trout’s face, then you simply won’t catch fish. Often, I see people covering fish with no results, switching patterns every second, “because he must have seen that”! Well buddy, I don’t think he did.
It’s amazing just how much weight you actually need to get your flies down in fast water, or even through the pools when the fish are feeding deep. It’s always eye opening when you see a fish lift, lift and lift through the water column, and then eat your double tungsten, wired abdomen nymph. Carry flies in a wide range of weights, from the aforementioned double tungsten slim profile depth chargers, to fluffy unweighted nymph patterns, when fish are feeding just below the surface or in the slacker edgewaters. A double tungsten size 16 pheasant-tail or copper john can be just as deadly on my of our headwater streams.
So to the fly Box!
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / The Wader Makers
Ever wonder about the folks who make your waders?
Warning: This video from Simms shows graphic scenes of real anglers dodging work.
I might have been tempted to pass this off as corporate propaganda if I didn’t know so many good people at Simms. In my experience, they have a real passion for what they do and that seems to be especially true of the folks who make Simms waders there in Bozeman MT. It’s an interesting look at the personalities behind the products.
Check out, “The Wader Makers”
Read More »Learn To Tie Flies Like Pat Cohen
Gink and Gasoline is proud to be co-sponsoring a fly tying class with Pat Cohen to benefit our beloved Chattahoochee River.
If you are a fly tyer, I’m sure you know the name Pat Cohen. Pat’s fly patterns are as much art as fly and are as deadly as they are creative. If you have ever thought, “I wish I could tie like that,” here’s your chance.
Pat Cohen will be leading a class at Atlanta Fly Tying 7/20/16 from 6:00 until 8:30 July 20th. Pat Cohen, a very gifted artist, will be coming to Atlanta from New York. His specialty is stacked deer hair flies. He creates birds, fish, frogs and other animals. Visit his website to see some of his work.http://rusuperfly.com/ His work is truly amazing and it will be a treat to see him create one in person.
The event will be held at Orvis Atlanta.
We will require a $25 donation. This will cover the demonstration from Pat, food drinks and a raffle ticket. The entire $25 will go to “Quality Hooch.” An effort to fund water quality monitoring in the Chattahoochee River. Raffle items will include a half day guided trip from River Through Atlanta on the Chattahoochee, a half day unguided trip on the Nachoochee Bend from Unicoi Outfitters and hopefully a framed presentation fly from Pat.
Thanks to Orvis, Gink and Gasoline, Unicoi Outfitters and River Through Atlanta Guide Service and Sweetwater Brewing Company for helping to support us.
To reserve a spot or to be added to future invitations send an email to
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