Hoo-Rag The Better Bandana
The most comfortable sun protection I’ve found, and maybe the coolest.
Hoo Rag took on the established big dogs in the sun protection gear market just a few years ago. They have grown quickly and now I see them everywhere. I’m not surprised. Hoo Rag’s commitment to higher quality and cooler designs is a winning combination.
I have several Hoo Rags and they have quickly become my go-to seamless bandanas. They are amazingly breathable, supper comfortable with a little extra stretch and alway look awesome. I see their Skull Daddy models on Harley Riders everywhere.
In this video we take a look at some of the new designs for 2015.
Read More »Go Slow Mo Fo
By Jeff Hickman
Ask any Spey casting coach or steelhead guide what they find themselves saying most often during the day and most likely it’s the words, “slow down”.
I have often joked about just getting a tape recorder to say it for me on repeat. But oftentimes guys say they are trying really hard but they just can’t!
It’s as though their muscles won’t go slow, or maybe their brain won’t let their muscles go slow. Is it fear of failure? Paranoia that they might make a pathetic cast that just lands in an ugly pile of line? How embarrassing that would that be if others on the river saw! Rushed casts can happen for any number of reasons and they happen to everyone from time to time.
There are a couple of tricks I use when people get into this downward spiral of rushing the cast.
First I ask them to take a short one minute timeout and relax their shoulders. After the timeout, I ask them to stop and pause for a full second after setting the anchor. A good way to ensure that you wait a full second is to take a deep breath after you set the anchor. You don’t have to be in such a rush. After the anchor is set you have lots of time to sweep and then cast. It’s as if that pause just sets the tempo for the rest of the cast.
After all, the anchor placement is completely separate from the sweep and cast. It’s important to
Read More »2015 G&G Fishing Trips are Bigger, Better and More Affordable
Kanektok River, Alaska / Deschutes River Steelhead / Dean River Chinook and Steelhead for as little as $2000 / person! I’m excited to have three amazing trips to offer in 2015. Each is a unique adventure. Each a bucket list location and each a chance to catch the fish of a lifetime. I’ve spent the last several years researching these locations and feel really confident that we have the best possible trips planned. These fly fishing adventures are not to be missed! Join me on one of these great trips and I’ll do everything in my power to make it an experience to remember. You’ll meet and fish with other members of the Gink and Gasoline community and go home with new friends, new skills and memories that will last forever. Gink and Gasoline trips are a blast! Alaska West Lodge, July 26 – Aug 8, 2015 Alaska West is a remote but comfortable camp deep in western Alaska. On the banks of the Kanektok River, it offers some of the best fly fishing on the planet for rainbow trout, dolly varden, grayling and all five species of Pacific salmon. Our week in July offers amazing trout fishing. Generally the flesh bite is just coming on strong which means the biggest fish in the river are out in force where we can target them. The mouse bite is typically strong as well, offering the most exciting trout fishing possible. In addition to epic trout fishing, this is one of the few times of the year you can do the salmon slam, catching all five species of salmon. The chum salmon should be in full swing and highly aggressive and the first silvers hitting the river hot and bothered. This week was epic last year and I expect a repeat performance. … Continue reading
Read More »Orvis Recon, Too Good For The Money
“I don’t know what the conversations were like at Orvis when this rod was being developed but I’d be shocked if no one expressed concerns that it was too good for the money.”
I’m not sure what I expected from the Orvis Recon, but it wasn’t what I got. Honestly, up until a couple of years ago I didn’t think much about Orvis fly rods. I owned one years ago. A nine weight that I bought for a trip to Alaska. The rod was fine, but what saved me was the service. I broke the rod days before my trip. I walk into the Orvis store and walked out with a new rod. I’ve had a lot of respect for Orvis customer service ever since.
When it came to rod action and performance, I guess I always thought of Orvis as a little old-fashioned. That changed when I fell in love with the Helios II. I now own 4 H2s and fish them all the time. When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again. The new Orvis rods are clearly to be taken seriously. Still, when I heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited.
I guess I expected a medium action trout rod that wasn’t too inspiring. After all, what could you expect for $425? It turns out the answer is, something pretty awesome! The Recon may be middle of the road in price, but in every other way it’s way out front. A fast powerful action, light weight, beautiful finish and sweet hardware. It only feels like a bargain when you’re paying for it.
I have the 9′ 5 weight. It’s a very
Read More »Sunday Classic / Dos and Don’ts For Guided Fishing
“I have done enough guiding with enough people of all types that I sometimes cheer for the fish.”
My friend Kirk Deeter, writing on the Trout Unlimited blog April 25th, threw out the bold headline: “Guides: Gatekeepers or Profiteers”. There’s no mystery where Kirk stands on the subject. He goes on to write, “I think the sun rises and sets on the fly fishing world where guides collectively say it does. They are stewards of their rivers. They are the innovators, and the teachers. And a good guide is, for fly fishing and trout conservation, worth his or her weight in gold.”
I agree with Kirk completely but it’s apparently a controversial topic. Not everyone loves fishing guides and it got me wondering why. Most of my friends are, or have been, fishing guides. I am not, but I hear the stories and I remember having a few rough days with guides back in the day. I mentioned it to Kirk and this was his response.
“You ask a great question here. Let me put it to you this way. I have done enough guiding with enough people of all types that I sometimes cheer for the fish. Seriously. You can say I said that. On the other hand, nothing lights me up more than sharing a passion with someone who gets it, appreciates it, and really shows some genuine class and enthusiasm. A great guide and client team should be like a Bwana and his tracker… two people on one mission… bound by respect.”
I reached out to a few more friends in the guiding business and asked them, from their perspective, where things go wrong. I decided to make a list. I figured, like Rodney King said, “why can’t we all just get along?”
People hire guides for a host of different reasons but they all want the same thing, a great day on the water. Unfortunately, some days end with neither the guide or the client feeling all that good about it. Malfunctions in the client-guide relationship can spoil what should be a positive experience for everyone. Fortunately these malfunctions can be easily avoided. With that in mind, here is a list of dos and don’ts for your day of guided fishing. Follow these simple guidelines and, even if the fishing is slow, you’ll walk away feeling like you got your money’s worth.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Take The Kids
This weeks Shout out is all about taking the kids fishing.
Cameron Mortenson over at The Fiberglass Manifesto gets to thinking about how he, and just about everyone else, can do better by their kids. It’s an inspirational piece for busy parents.
CHECK OUT, “PARENTS, WE CAN ALL DO BETTER”
Meanwhile, over at Stalking The Seam, Steven Brutger is getting down to brass tacks on how to make winter fishing with the kids a success rather than a tantrum, on anyone’s part. It’s great advice that will keep you and your kids out making memories during the colder months.
CHECK OUT, “WINTER FISHING: WITH KIDS”
Read More »Maven Fly, Fly Fishing Gear For Women, By Women
Quality you can feel, style you can’t help but see.
Women’s fishing clothing is a tough market and one too many fly fishing brands ignore all together. With women being the fastest growing demographic in fly fishing, it’s nice to see a company like Maven Fly taking it seriously.
This is the nicest women’s specific fly fishing clothing I’ve seen. It’s stylish, technical and feels extremely well made. The line is still fairly small but it’s an impressive start. Maven Fly is definitely a brand to keep your Eye on.
In this video Lise Lozelle shows is a few on the cool offerings from maven Fly.
Read More »Covering a Hatch Starts with Carrying the Right Flies
By Kent Klewein
Have you ever been standing in the river watching a big hatch unfolding with rising fish all around you, but for some reason you can’t get the feeding fish to eat your flies?
Covering and owning a hatch starts with you first carrying the right fly patterns. When you know you’re going to encounter a specific hatch on the water, always carry multiple variations (colors, sizes) and stages (nymph, emerger, dun, spinner) to make sure you’re covered. Trout can get really picky during selective feeding.
This very situation happened to me last year running a guided float trip during an intense sulphur hatch. There was yellow everywhere, and fish were in a feeding frenzy, but the trout wouldn’t eat any of my sulphur patterns I tied on for my clients. Even my CDC go-to patterns that always work, were shunned by the feeding trout. I finally found a sulphur pattern after my seventh try that the trout consistently liked, and it saved the day. It ended up being nothing special, just a dun with in a slightly different color shade. The remainder of the float trip all I could think about was how important it was that I had so many different sulphur imitations on hand. It would have been a long quiet drive back if my clients witnessed an epic hatch with perfect conditions, and we ended up striking out on the water.
Your standard parahcute style dun with a small nymph dropper off the back will not always work. Below are some examples of other fly pattern options for rounding out your fly box and owning a hatch:
Read More »Sunday Classic / 4 Tips For Capturing Better Release Shots of Your Fish
Your best shot at capturing a good photograph of you and your catch, is first having someone along with you that’s competent with a camera in their hands. But even a world class photographer will tell you, it’s extremely difficult getting those picture perfect photographs, if the person handling the fish has no clue what their doing. Some of my favorite fly fishing shots to look at are catch and release shots, because there seems to be something extra moving about capturing the release of a fish in a photograph. Problem is, release shots are often some of the hardest photographs to pull off on the water. You have to have satisfactory light and adequate water clarity, but even with both of those, much of your success will ultimately be determined by the cooperation of the fish your shooting. Below are four tips for capturing better release shots that Louis and I have learned through trial and error over the years. Followed correctly, they should increase your chances at getting that perfect catch and release shot.
Tip 1: Choose a Calm Stretch of Water for the Release When Possible
Fast moving water isn’t optimal. If you can find a nice eddy or a calm stretch of water close by, you’ll find it much easier to photograph a nice release shot. In most cases, slower moving water will provide you with better water clarity for showcasing the fish below the surface during the release. I’ve also found it’s much easier to handle and keep the fish in proper position in slower moving water.
Tip 2: Keep Your Catch Calm and Relaxed
Don’t be in a rush to get the shot. Keep the fish in the water and in the net until it has calmed down before you move forward with the release shot. This is especially true if you land the fish quickly. A hot fish generally will swim off so fast, it will be hard for the photographer to time and get the best shot. Your goal is to release the fish at a speed that lets the photographer shoot multiple shots. This will increase the chances you end up with the perfect photograph.
Tip 3: Use Your Arm For Better Control and Timing the Release
One of my best tricks I’ve learned over the year
Saturday Shoutout / Venturing to Cuba
IF YOU’RE LIKE ME, YOU HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
When President Obama announced new policies on relations with Cuba recently the fly fishing community just about wet itself in unison. For as long as I can remember Cuba has been whispered about and rumored to be the ElDorado of saltwater fly fishing. I’ve spent a fair amount of time on Google earth day dreaming of the day that border would open.
It’s certainly not unheard of for anglers to skirt the rules and get a little fishing time in Cuba, but it could be that very soon it will be as easy as running down to the Bahamas. There are still more questions than answers and as many rumors. I was glad to see this piece from The Venturing Angler. It may help answer a few of your questions.
Check out “A New Course On Cuba And Fly Fishing”
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