Gink & Gasoline: Glass Bead Guess Contest Winner
With well over 300 submissions I believe the “Guess How Many Glass Beads Contest” was a huge success. Thank you to all of you who took the time to participate in the Loon Outdoors Streamside Kit Giveaway.
CONTEST WINNER: KEVIN WITH THE GUESS OF 2,890.
The exact number of glass beads in the container was 2,864 and Kevin’s guess was the closest of all the entries. Kevin, please drop us your mailing address and I’ll get your Loon Outdoors gear in the mail as soon as possible.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Standing in the River Carrying a Torch
Standing in the River Carrying a Torch
A different kind of love story.
Men and fish parted ways a long time ago. You couldn’t call it an amiable divorce. The fish got everything. The mountain streams, the lazy winding rivers, the deep blue sea, everything. Men had to pack their bags and crawl, with their heads hanging, out onto the land and they were not happy about it. They learned to breathe air and walk on two legs but they never stopped dreaming of swimming in the dark oceans, nor of the long and lovely fish that had sent them packing. They thought about fish all the time. They made their homes near the water and lurked around the shore, peering into the depths. Men wondered if the fish ever thought about them. Probably not. They saw fish from time to time, sliding gracefully through a pool or leaping a waterfall. They seemed happy. They seemed to have moved on, forgotten about men altogether. Men knew they should be happy for the fish, but they weren’t. They were bitter and moody and often cried at night. Men invented alcohol and that helped. It didn’t take their mind off of fish but liquor is a good listener and it doesn’t judge or mind if you cry.
“Who needs fish, Fuck ’em”, men decided. They turned their back on the water and
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / “Itu’s Bones” & This Is Fly
I DON’T KNOW HOW I NEVER RAN ACROSS THIS AMAZING FILM BEFORE. NOW THAT I HAVE, I’M ECSTATIC TO SHARE IT WITH YOU.
“Itu’s Bones” is more than a fly fishing film. It’s a visionary undertaking with remarkable results. In the film, New Zealand angler and film maker Carl McNiel travels to the island of Aitutaki (located in the South Pacific between New Zealand and Mexico) and convinces Itu, a gill netting bonefisherman, to put down his nets and become a fly fishing flats guide.
Carl teaches Itu the skills he needs and converts his fishing boat to a flats skiff. In time, Itu makes the transition from gill netter to flats guide. But wait, the story doesn’t end there. Itu affects real change from inside the community. Eventually gill netting bonefish is made illegal. A fishery is forever changed right before your eyes.
Read More »New Fly Reels From Sage
FOR 2014 SAGE AS UPDATED THEIR EXISTING FLY REEL LINES AS WELL AS INTRODUCING SOME NEW OFFERINGS.
The updated 2200 series dye cast reels (starting at $129) and 3200 series billet machined reels (starting at $200) both feature sealed carbon fiber drag systems, and offer performance and durability. They are a new take on some trusted Sage reels.
New this year is the Evoke. This big game reel (starting at $575) offers a very different design and a bold look. Designed with the saltwater angler in mind, the Evoke is the flagship offering from Sage.
In this video Kara Armano shows you the features of the new Sage fly reels for 2014.
Read More »Gink & Gasoline: Fly Fishing Contest & Gear Giveaway
It’s been a while since we’ve held a contest on the blog and gave away some fly fishing gear. For a good while now, we’ve been sticking with using photo caption contests for our giveaways, and I’d like to change it up this time around, to keep it fresh, if everyone is ok with that. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m horrible at coming up with witty one liners that make people laugh, and I’m sure there’s a least a few of you out there in the same boat as me, that often don’t even bother to participate because they know they have zero chance of winning.
For this contest, we’re going to make it a level playing field and allow everyone who wants to participate to simply guess the number of glass beads in this plastic container. It will only take a few seconds to make your submission.
The closest to the exact number of glass beads on the container will win. If for any chance we end up with multiple participants in a tie, I’ll provide a trivia fly fishing question that will have to be answered in a designated time period.
We like to thank LOON OUTDOORS for sponsoring this months contest and gear giveaway. They’ve donated a Loon Streamside Kit, which is a sampling of some of there most popular stream-side accessories, and it retails for $70.95.
Read More »Sunday’s Classic / 4 Worm Patterns I Always Carry In My Fly Box
WORM FLY PATTERNS THAT CONSISTENTLY CATCH FISH
It’s no secret worm patterns are super consistent most of the year for catching both stocked and wild trout. They work especially well for stocked fish, after a big rain, and during the spring, winter, and fall seasons. I’ve had days when the only thing I could get trout to eat was a San Juan worm. There’s a bunch of haters out there that will not fish them, claiming it’s the next closest thing to fishing a real earthworm, but look in their fly box and I bet you’ll find a few. I on the other hand, have no problem fishing worm patterns, because they do a great job of keeping my clients rods bent, which in turn, pays my bills. To top it all off, worm patterns are among the cheapest and easiest fly patterns for me to tie. I can rip out about a dozen in less than ten minutes, for about $2.50 worth of materials. Choosing to put worm patterns in your fishing line-up, will almost certainly put more fish in your net. Below are four worm patterns I always keep in my fly box.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / FinPusher, HatchMag & Skinny Water Culture
This weeks Saturday Shoutout we spotlight two fly fishing reads, one from Finpusher, another from Hatchmag, and to round out things, a video from Skinny Water Culture about setting up SUPs for overnighters. Get on the water this weekend and enjoy some great fall fly fishing. Thank you for visiting Gink & Gasoline and have a great Saturday.
Read More »Fishpond 2014 Fly Fishing Gear and Product Video
Fishpond has built a loyal consumer following over the years from its long standing tradition of manufacturing highly functional and durable fly fishing gear.
The first boat bag and waist pack that I started out guiding with were made by Fishpond, and both of them are still in working condition after several years of abuse. New for 2014, Fishpond introduced their Eco-Friendly Tech LTE series of packs, all made from recycled commercial nylon fishing nets. They also added a Roll-Top Boat Bag to their waterproof Westwater Collection and they acquired Nomad Nets which are loved my hardcore angler and arguably the most badass fly fishing nets in the industry.
Check out the product video below from the IFTD show in Las Vegas featuring Kara Armano as she talks about each product line in detail.
Read More »3 Bonefish Rods That Won’t Break The Bank
THESE DAYS THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD FLY RODS ON THE MARKET AT AFFORDABLE PRICES.
With a host of manufacturers committed to offering quality, performance and customer service at a reasonable price, it’s a great time to shop for a bargain.
While you can’t expect all of the performance and high end features that you will find in an $800 fly rod you can expect a rod that will be a pleasure to fish and will last for many years for around $250. If you’re looking for a starter rod or a backup or a rod that you won’t feel bad about checking in your luggage, these budget fly rods can be just the ticket. The cost of gear does not have to stand between you and the fishing adventure you’ve been dreaming of.
With that in mind I chose three budget-conscious bonefish rods to test and review. The Echo Edge, the TFO Mangrove and the Redington Predator. Each has its particular strengths and all will get you out stalking the ghost of the flats without making a ghost of your bank account. All three rods list for $249.00 and all three come with a lifetime warranty. I’ll give you my thoughts on each and you can choose the rod that’s right for you.
The Echo Edge 9′ 4pc 8weight
Action:
The Edge is a powerful fast action rod, no doubt. It excels at pushing tight loops into the wind. It does a great job of picking up line. It allows you to make fast accurate casts. It has a great saltwater action and reasonable feel for a fast action rod, but is
Read More »Sunday Classic / Joel vs The Shark
MY GOOD FRIEND JOEL DICKEY WAS NOT RAISED BY WOLVES, BUT YOU MIGHT NOT BELIEVE IT IF YOU’VE EVER SEEN HIM ANGRY.
With hair the color of a new penny and bright blue eyes that can be uncomfortably intense at times, the ruddy sun scorched complexion of a Bedouin, the build of a boxer and two gold hoops, one in each ear, Joel looks half Viking, half pirate. Born of a long line of Tennessee moonshiners and snake handlers, he has a great southern brogue that’s so deep you can hear the chicken frying when he talks. He has a heart as big as the Florida sky, and a temper to match. He caught his first rattle snake at age six. Joel has no fear. Fear is an important emotion. As humans, our fight or flight response has served us well, in evolutionary terms. Joel somehow missed out on the flight part of that, as well as the fear. He’s all fight. Any other person finding themselves face to face with a fifteen foot hammerhead shark might back down. Joel on the other hand…
The heat there in the Florida Keys that day had been like penance. So had the fishing. It was a perfect day for tarpon. The weather was hot with just a little wind, not a cloud in sight. It was mid May. The peak of the season. The tarpon that had been everywhere just a few days before had vanished. The few we saw had no interest in a fly. This was exactly what we had been waiting for. There was a huge
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