Sunday Classic / Tiger Trout
WILD TIGER TROUT MAY BE THE RAREST OF THE TROUT FAMILY.
They are a hybrid of a female brown trout and a male brook trout. They are distinctive, the dark modeled pattern of a brook trout’s back extending down their sides to their belly. This bold pattern won them the name tiger trout. The pattern more closely resembles the coat of an ocelot but I suppose ocelot trout sounds silly.
Browns and brooks are both fall spawners so it’s bound to happen that some big beautiful brown trout catches the eye of an eager brookie but getting a tiger out of the deal is still tricky. A brook trout, being a char, has 84 chromosomes and a brown trout only 80. A fertilized egg will yield a fry only 5% of the time. The resulting tiger trout is sterile so there is no tiger trout to tiger trout reproduction.
The science guys have figured out how to make tiger trout in the lab. They fertilize the brown trout eggs with brook trout milt and then shock them with heat which causes the eggs to mutate adding a chromosome pair and boosting the success rate to 85%. A pretty cool trick but why would you do it?
Well, it turns out that the tiger isn’t just in the stripes. Tiger trout have
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Mike’s Bahamian Barrage
Let’s take a little trip to Abaco!
Actually, as you’re reading this, I’m already in Abaco fishing at the Abaco Lodge. But as I type this I’m full of anticipation and excitement about the upcoming trip. My friend Mike Sepelak was there last month and has been putting out a ton of photos and info from his trip on his site, “Mike’s Gone Fishing…Again,” and fueling my fervor.
If your thinking, “I sure wish I was bonefishing in the Bahamas,” check out this collection of Mike’s Abaco posts. It’s almost as good.
MIKE’S BAHAMIAN BARRAGE
Read More »New Shirts and Pants From True Flies
If you’re looking for true high end technical clothing, look no farther than True Flies.
I have a couple of pieces of True Flies clothing and I’ve been really impressed at how they perform. The quality is the amazing. Really the nicest clothing I own, for fishing or otherwise. Honestly, dressing me up is just putting lipstick on a pig, but if care about how you look and you want well designed, well made fishing clothing that feels amazing, holds up to abuse and has all the technical features you need, True Flies might be your brand.
IN THIS VIDEO COLE FAIRBANKS SHOWS OFF SOME OF WHAT’S NEW FOR TRUE FLIES IN 2016.
Read More »Cahill Tells All
I sat down recently for an interview with Kyle Wilkinson for Trouts, “Current” magazine.
I hope it is not too self serving to share the interview here, but I did get the chance to answer some questions I hear all the time. I though G&G readers might enjoy a peek behind the curtain. I won’t make it a habit.
TROUT’S INTERVIEW WITH LOUIS CAHILL
Tell us a little bit about the history of G&G. Where did the idea come from, how long has it been in existence, and in general how did you get this whole thing started?
I was working as an advertising photographer and was shooting more and more for the fly fishing industry. I met Kent Klewein and we started fishing together. It was a great partnership. Kent is one of the most talented anglers I’ve ever known and there is an intensity about him that comes through in photographs.
My photos of Kent were popping up on magazine covers all over and I started getting a lot of emails from anglers who were coming to my photography site to look at fishing photos. A portfolio site isn’t a great vehicle for that. There might be 50 or so photos on that site, but my library of fly fishing photos is about 5,000,000 images. I was looking for a way to better serve that community. Kent had been writing a blog for his guide site and it just seemed natural for us to do something together, so we launched G&G in August of 2011.
Now onto to the name. How did you come up with it and why ‘Gink and Gasoline’?
It’s pretty tough to find a good URL that isn’t taken. It seemed like every idea we had ended at a parked domain. We almost called it Crazy Eddies but that wasn’t quite right. At first we weren’t quite sure what the site was going to be. We were traveling all over the place chasing fish and listing to a lot of loud music in the car. We were playing the Southern Culture On The Skids CD, “Dirt Track Date,” and the song “Fried Chicken And Gasoline” came on. It’s all about being on the road and everything smelling like fried chicken and gasoline. It hit me like lightning. We had a good laugh and registered the domain. Without anyone knowing it, Dave Grossman and Steve Seinberg were listening to the same music and came up with “Southern Culture On The Fly”, so I guess the fly fishing media owes that band some credit.
Let’s move on to you. Who is Louis Cahill? How did you get your start in fly-fishing? Photography?
Read More »Is Your Introvert Personality Holding Back Your Fly Fishing Growth?
Those of you that know me personally, would probably agree I’m somewhat of an introvert. Much of that is due to the fact that I was a shy kid with few friends growing up, and I spent a great deal of my time in grade school getting picked on by extreme extrovert jerks. Thankfully, during my college years, I was able to break out of my shell from the help of some solid friends who always had my back. As much headway as I’ve managed to make over the years, I still haven’t been able to totally kick my introvert ways. For instance, I’m a pretty accomplished fly fisherman, but if you put me in a group of veteran fly anglers, most of the time, I’ll be the one standing on the side-lines with my mouth shut, listening to everyone else talk about their accomplishments and experiences. It wasn’t until I met Louis, that I realized how important it was for my own fly fishing growth, to not let myself be afraid to step out of my comfort zone to learn new skills, and for that matter, not be afraid to let others see the areas where I had the most room for angling improvement.
Read More »New Peak Tying Vise Gets Things Under Control
Remember when you were a kid and you saw something on TV and you just had to have it?
Of course you do. Who are we kidding, fly anglers never grow out of that. That’s exactly what happened when I saw a video of Pat Coen using the Peak PRVLIRS-G2 large hook holding system. I knew instantly that this was going to solve some problems for me.
If you’re not familiar with Pat Coen’s work you should check it out. Many of his stunning partners rely on copious amounts of tightly spun deer hair. If you ever tried this technique, you know what a problem your tying vise can become. I’m not a deer hair guru, but I do tie a lot of big streamers and often struggle with keeping a good solid grip on my hooks.
The PRVLIRS-G2 large hook holding system does this like nothing I’ve ever used. It’s a simple but brilliant solution. The point of your hook slips through a hole in the threaded bar, which is then drawn firmly into a cradle. Once tightened the hook does not move…period. The vise is so powerful I actually cut through a #2 streamer hook with it, while trying to see if I could make it fail.
Once the hook is locked in place, the vise operates like you’d expect. The angle of the jaws is adjustable and it it has full rotary function. It’s very stable on its base and the rest of the vise is as ridged and durable as the jaws. I’ve been able to find no weakness in the construction. I’ve tied everything from trout streamers to deer hair divers and huge musky flies with it. It’s great for redfish, tarpon and bonefish flies too.
Read More »Sunday Classic / How to Keep Your Polarized Sunglasses Like Brand New
Look out micro-fiber cloths, there’s a new player in town
My polarized sunglasses are a critical piece of equipment in my fly fishing and guiding. I depend on them for keeping my vision clear and crisp, so I can untangle knots quickly, spot fish effectively and make precise presentations on the water. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m constantly having to clean the lens on my sunglasses on and off the water to keep them functioning at their highest level. In the past, I’ve depended primarily on using micro-fiber cloths to clean my polarized sunglasses. These micro-fiber cloths work pretty well, but after a while, they get packed full of dirt and grime or get saturated on those wet days, and start losing their effectiveness. I’ve got some micro-fiber cloths now that really don’t clean all that well, even after I’ve taken the time to wash them. Plus, I’m always trying to find a place to stow them in a safe place that’s free of dirt and dust, like a zip-lock bag.
Recently, my parents turned me onto Zeiss Lens Cleaning Wipes. You can purchase them at your local Walmart or Pharmacy (Rite-Aid or CVS), from $3-10 depending on the size of the box. I’ve fallen in love with these individually wrapped pre-moistened lens cleaning wipes, that are safe to use on your sunglasses, camera lens and electronics. It takes just a few seconds to unwrap one of these pre-moistened wipes, and do a quick once over on the gear you need cleaned. Almost instantly, it dries 100%, leaving you with a super clean surface that looks brand new. These days,
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Spey Casting For Recovery
Here’s a chance to have a little fun and get behind a great cause.
Two of the coolest gals I know, Whitney Gould and Mia Shepard, are putting their considerable casting skills to good use at this year’s Spay-O-Rama International Casting Competition. You can sponsor these two with a pledge donation for every foot they cast and get the chance to win a day of guided fishing from Little Creek Outfitters in Oregon.
Casting for Recovery is a program dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all breast cancer survivors through the camaraderie and inspiration of fly fishing. It’s a great organization and a great cause. Pledge HERE!
GET ALL OF THE DETAILS HERE, FROM THE GOOD FOLKS AT DENEKI OUTDOORS.
Read More »Winston Boron 3 Plus Fly Rods
Winston is putting the Peddle to the metal with the new B3 Plus.
Winston has built its reputation on finesse. When you think about perfect presentations and silky smooth actions, you think of Winston, and rightly so. This year they’re breaking out with something new. The B3 Plus was designed to give you all of the Winston feel you’re used to in a more authoritative rod.
The B3 Plus is stronger, for fighting tough species like tarpon, golden dorado and peacock bass. It’s also made to be a cannon with faster action and new guides that shoot line more effectively. It’s available in 6-12 weight for saltwater / 5&6 weight freshwater and the 8&9 weight 8’9″ and 9′ Jungle Rods.
JOHNNY SPILLANE GETS ALL THE DETAILS IN THIS VIDEO.
Read More »Sage Bolt Rocks My Streamer Box
By Louis Cahill
I’ve been fishing a new Sage Bolt 8 weight for the last month and it has surprised me.
It’s not unusual for me to read reviews of a fly rod, even the ones written by people I respect, and wonder if we’ve been fishing the same rod. That’s never been more true than with the Sage Bolt. In the end, any rod review is just someone’s opinion and the same rod is different in every angler’s hands. I’d never encourage you to spend a wad of cash on a rod without forming your own opinion about it first. That said, here’s my opinion of the Bolt, and why I don’t think it’s getting a fair shake in the press.
To be clear, I have only fished the 9′ 8 weight and I have only used it as a streamer rod. In my opinion it’s a fine tool for the job, and I’ll get into that in a minute, but I have not fished the other members of the Bolt family.
There are two types or reviews you’ll see on the Bolt. The first praises it as the next great ultra-fast Sage in a great line of such offerings. The other cites it as a huge disappointment. This review isn’t going to be either and the folks at Sage may have mixed emotions about it.
To start with, the Bolt I have does not strike me as ultra-fast.
I mean that as a compliment. I’m not afraid of fast rods. I’m a serious saltwater angler and I know my way around a fast stick, but in my experience, ultra-fast usually means too stiff and no feel. That’s how I felt about the Bolt’s predecessor, the Method. I didn’t care for it and the only one I ever cast and liked was over lined by 2 1/2 line weights.
Again, that’s my opinion. It doesn’t mean the Method will not cast great for you. In fact, it casts great for me, I just don’t care for it. I’m not criticizing Sage. Jerry Siem is a brilliant rod designer and solidly the most influential figure in modern rod design. The man knows what he’s doing. But I’m not the first to say I haven’t felt love for many of the newer Sage designs. In their defense, when you’re Sage, the bar is pretty high.
The Bolt is plenty fast. You’re not going to pick this rod up and feel a deep progressive bend. It has serious backbone and an authoritative recovery. It is not a broomstick, however. Not just a tip on a stick. That’s really important in a streamer rod. When you are casting heavy flies and sometimes sinking lines, you need a rod you can load easily.
Streamer fishing is not flats fishing, where you make a measured number of considered presentations.
You’re pounding the bank cast after cast. You’re reacting to conditions, new water, the movement of the boat, or a sweet piece of structure you just noticed. Every cast is not a perfect scenario. If your rod is too fast
Read More »