The Bauer Rogue Extreme New in 2014
I’VE BEEN USING BAUER REELS FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.
When I first felt the need to step up to a serious reel, Bauer was my choice. I’ve never been sorry. Years later I had the chance to get to know Jon Bauer and I now understand why I love his reels.
Jon’s understanding of fly reels and the materials they are constructed from is remarkable. He came to the reel business from the racing world where he built and raced cars and motorcycles. When your life, literally, depends on your equipment you take your design and quality control seriously. It shows in Jon’s reels.
For example, the spool attaches to the frame using the same system that holds the wheels on Indy cars. Sound under engineered to you?
I am always surprised when friends express concerns about the drag systems in my Bauer reels. Far too many people are unaware that there is a patented carbon fiber drag clutch at the heart of every Bauer reel. It’s kind of a pet peeve of mine. It seems that somewhere along the way Jon has been out-marketed.
For my big game reels I trust the quality and engineering of my Bauer reels. I have put them through the ringer and they’ve never let me down.
In 2014 Bauer is introducing the Rogue Extreme. The REX has a new look, a lighter frame, and the toughest drag system ever. In this video Jon shows off the features of the REX and talks about reel design and materials. It’s well worth your time.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Hungry, Hungry Bonefish
One of the things that makes bonefish so much fun is their generous nature. When bonefish are feeding they are some motivated little dudes. If you can get a fly in front of them the odds are good that it will get eaten without a lot of scrutiny. This is not to say that’s always easy. Often the conditions make it nearly impossible. Making a sixty foot backhand cast, into thirty mile per hour wind, to a fish that’s booking across a flat, and changing direction unpredictably is plenty challenging. All I’m saying is that once you pull it off, the bonefish will likely reward you for your trouble.
I was at the World Wide Sportsman in Islamorada the other day to pick up a few essentials. They have a big saltwater aquarium with all of the popular Keys sport fish represented. I arrived about five minutes before feeding time and the natives were getting restless. This little bonefish had himself whipped into a frenzy. Watch this video and you’ll see what I mean. Remember there is no food yet, he just knows it’s time and he’s losing his cool. All the other species of fish are chill but Mr. Bone is literally trying to get out of the tank and chase down some grub.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Stalking The Seam
IT SEEMS THAT WE’VE HAD A THEME GOING LATELY.
Whether by accident or design, we have been talking a lot about kids and fishing. It’s likely because Kent is having a new baby, quite possibly as you read this. In honor of that momentous occasion I thought I’d pass the baton to a couple of guys who are experts in the field, or at least quickly becoming experts.
Matthew Copeland and Steve Brutger write a blog called, Stalking the Seam. Matt and Steve are both avid hunters and angler who also happen to be raising small children, working full time jobs and trying to keep their wives happy. Sound familiar???
Stalking the Seam is devoted to doing all of these things well. Balancing there love for the out doors and their love for their family and passing along some wisdom and tradition in the process. Their motto is;
“Hunting, angling, family. We are on a quest to find the sweet spot.”
And find it they are.
CHECK OUT, STALKING THE SEAM
Read More »Innovative New Fly Fishing Packs From Simms
ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS I SAW AT IFTD THIS YEAR WAS THE NEW LINE OF FISHING PACKS FROM SIMMS.
Particularly the Headwaters packs with their “Workbench” concept. The Workbench gives you a convenient space with a modular Velcro system that allows you to customize the pack to your needs.
These packs are roomy and designed for super easy use. The quality is outstanding and they are really comfortable to wear. I especially like the fact that the headwaters packs were designed to keep items from accidentally falling into the river. The boys at Simms seem to have thought of everything.
In this video, fishy dude, Rich Hohne walks you through some of the new features of the Headwaters guide hip pack and the new Headwaters large sling pack. Look for big innovations from Simms in 2014.
Read More »My 2 Year Old Son’s First Day Fishing
As I watched his determined face, and his eyes fixated on the bobber as he tried to pick out the subtle signs of a bite, that’s all it took to make me the proudest Dad on the planet. If a stranger would have walked upon us, they wouldn’t have guessed it was this little boys first time fishing. He looked right at home with that Zebco fishing rod in his hands, like he’d already fished with a dozen times. As soon as he saw a bare hook, he was quick to tell Daddy re-bait the hook, and surprisingly, it took only a few minutes for him to learn that fishing was all about focus, patience, and most of all, fun. Those colorful 3-6″ bream were the coolest things my son had ever laid his hands on, and his tiny arms made them feel like giants on the end of his line.
Read More »Playground Earth Part 2: Flow
THE SECOND EPISODE OF THE BF GOODRICH SAGA PLAYGROUND EARTH IS LIVE ON THE WEB.
This episode titled “Flow” features our friend Chris Gragtmans as well as Todd Wells and Galen Volckhausen. These guys are Über-Badass kayak devils and in this film they run some amazing waterfalls in Hood River Oregon. Chris is a soft spoken, funny and generally positive dude, but when he plunges off and 80 foot waterfall in his kayak, he’s all business. This footage must be seen to be believed.
Kent and I make an appearance at the end, including a preview of our fly fishing adventure on the Owyhee river. Our part of the relay is up next and should be out in a couple of weeks. We are excited, and a little nervous. Stay tuned for updates and in the meantime enjoy the “Flow”
Read More »Big Trouble in Little Mountain
“I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING,” STEVE TELLS ME. “I CAME ALL THE WAY TO WYOMING FOR THIS?”
I look down from the deep head cut at the trickle of water below. It’s, maybe, eighteen inches wide and no more than six deep. The red earth stream bed is pounded flat by the desert sun and the flow is about what a bath tub faucet would produce. A good skipping stone would pass for structure. I can’t imagine how it could hold a trout. Steve is right.
“Give it a chance,” he tells me. His eyes sparkle and an eager smile spreads across his face. “At some point today, this little stream is going to surprise you.”
Red creek is one of a handful of tiny streams that drain Wyoming’s Little Mountain district. The area is better known by sportsmen for its remarkable elk hunting than its fishing. You don’t have to spend very long there to see why a Little Mountain elk tag is one of the most coveted in the west. We see several large bachelor groups on the drive in. They are poised, heads held high and moving light on their hooves, the sun on their velvet racks etching bright gold lines against the morning sky. There are mule deer, eagle, antelope and nesting hawks. The landscape is idyllic, vast, striking and uninhabited. Endless red hills covered with sage brush are slashed by lush green valleys dotted with wild flowers. It’s an oasis for the eyes in a state that can be rough as a cob.
Little Mountain is due east from the famous Flaming Gorge of the Green River. Anglers come from around the globe to float the Green below Flaming Gorge reservoir. The tail water is well known to hold huge trout, as does the reservoir. Rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout as well as carp and the invasive burbot. Lake trout, brook and tiger trout, kokanee salmon, small mouth bass, large mouth bass, catfish and white fish all inhabit the 3,789,000 acre-feet of Flaming Gorge Reservoir. It’s a manmade cacophony of nonnative species, never imagined in nature. Few of the anglers who fish it know that only a few miles east, the beautiful and fragile native Colorado River Cutthroat (CRC) is making its last stand.
Red Creek is known to hold one of the few genetically pure CRC populations in Wyoming. Years ago game and fish officials stocked most streams in the west with cutthroat trout. Their good intentions lead to disastrous results. The practice would go on for decades before scientists began to identify the myriad of sub-species that make up the cutthroat family. By the time this complicated diversity was understood, hybridization had muddled the genetics of cutthroat in most watersheds.
The CRC population in Red Creek was saved by an unlikely intervention. An improperly installed
Read More »Sunday’s Classic / DIY Bug Sampling Net for 2 Bucks
Man, I love my $2 paint strainer from Home Depot.
I’m a big believer in aquatic bug sampling on the water. It has saved the day for me guiding numerous times. Eighteen years ago, Angling Designs won a tackle dealer show award for its “Quick Seine Net”, specifically designed for instant bug sampling on the water. It’s an ingenious product, but I can’t use it because it won’t fit over my big guide net. Searching for a fix, I found myself standing in the paint section at Home Depot staring at a 5-gallon paint strainer thinking, hmmm “this should work and it’s only 2 bucks”. I’ve carried this inexpensive piece of gear on the water with me ever since, and I love it.
Saturday Shoutout / Mr. Brownliner & Swinging for Trout – MidCurrent
This week’s Saturday Shoutout we showcase Lee Terkel’s blog, Adventures in Brown Lining and a great fly fishing techniques article from John Likakis on MidCurrent about swinging flies for trout. The carp piece got me giddy about making a trip for carp on my home waters and Likakis’s swinging article taught me some tricks I need to use in my own fishing. Check them out and may all of you have a grand weekend. Thanks for tuning into Gink & Gasoline.
Read More »Echo Fly Rods 2014 – Shadow 2 & Fiberglass Series
I’m really excited to showcase the new Shadow 2 fly rod and the Echo fiberglass fly rod from Echo today. Louis and I interviewed Tim Rajeff and got the 4-1-1 on these two very cool rods. Tim worked with the highly decorated fly fisherman and guide Pete Erickson to design the super innovative Shadow 2 fly rod. They call it a hybrid design that bridges the gap between a nymphing rod and a traditional fly rod, and I have to say, I like what I see. I’ve found myself in situations many times where I needed a little more rod length to get that perfect drag free drift to a feeding trout.
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