Saturday Shoutout / The Wisdom of Deneki
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE A BLOG POST COMES ALONG THAT MAKES ME SLAP MY FOREHEAD AND SAY, “THAT’S BRILLIANT! WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF IT?”
His week my hat’s off to Andrew Bennett at Deneki Outdoors for his insightful look at the,
“13 Habits of Highly Effective Anglers”
Nicely done Andrew! There is something on this list for everyone no matter how long you’ve been at the game. Whether he’s fishing, blogging or running a fishing lodge Andrew doesn’t do anything half way. You could do worse things with your day than read his thoughts on fishing.
Here are a few more.
Top Mistakes Made Bonefishing
10 Ways to Justify Your Fishing Trip
5 Ways to Blow a Shot at a Bonefish
5 Ways to Catch More Alaskan Rainbow Trout
Spey Fishing for Trout, Part 3 – Tactics
Come fish with us in the Bahamas!
Read More »NetStaff Product Video – 3 Reasons I Love This Fly Fishing Net
Having a quality net with me on the water is something I take seriously because it assists me in several ways on the water. Most obviously, of course, I use it to land fish, but I also use my net as a third leg for safe wading, for pulling my clients fly line to me for re-rigging so neither of us have to move positions, for bug sampling with my DIY Bug Sampler, and last but not least, to help me pull limbs down when they’re out of arms reach to retrieve flies (doesn’t always work). One could argue that a quality net to fly fisherman serves very much like a multi-tool. When we find a good net it usually stays in action for the products life span. Unfortunately, not all nets are created equal and it’s usually hard to find a net that will do it all. Some of us prefer handcrafted wood nets for their beauty and lightweight construction, others just go with what they can find on the shelves at their local sporting goods store, and lastly, there’s a good portion of anglers out there that only settle for using nets that provide the highest levels of durability, strength and functionality.
Today, I’m very excited to shed light on the company NetStaff, who had a warm welcoming at this years IFTD show in Las Vegas with their one of a kind NetStaff. It not only turned heads, it got a bunch of chatter started. As you’d expect from the name, it’s a cross between a fishing net and wading staff, but it also has a couple other cool features in the bag.
Read More »IFTD New Product Showcase Awards Get It Right
IN THE PAST I HAVE NOT ALWAYS AGREED WITH THE CHOICES MADE AT THE IFTD NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE.
If you’re not familiar with it, the showcase is where manufacturers display their new products and the media vote on which products for the coming year are best. In fairness, voting on products that you haven’t had the chance to try on the river is not easy and there is a lot of, well…guessing involved. I do it myself, and I try to make it an educated guess, but it’s still a guess.
Some products are easy to get your head around. It’s fairly simple to decide if you like a fly box or fishing pack but a fly rod can be tougher. It’s hard to know how a rod will fish just by giving it a wiggle. If you think rods are tough, how about a fly line?
Choices are often based, unconsciously, on a company’s marketing and public relations. Those products get press and you end up buying them for better or worse. In my experience the odds of the right products getting the nod are at best 50/50.
This year I actually have some real experience with a few of these products and I’m happy to report that the New Product Showcase awards got it right.
Here are my picks for 2014
The Chard Grand Slam Line from Scientific Anglers: Best Saltwater Fly Line of 2014
Bruce Chard is a good friend of mine so I got this line in my hands really early. I’ve had the chance to fish it thoroughly and in my opinion it’s the best fly line I have ever used. Every saltwater angler should own one. I’ll not go into all the reasons I love this line but you can read my full review (HERE) and you can click (HERE) to buy one from Bruce.
The Rio Perception Fly Line: Best Freshwater Line of 2014
I’ve had a chance to fish this line as well and I really like it. RIO has really put some time in designing this line and it’s paid off. It’s a great performing, very castable line and the tricolor design offers some real benefits for
Read More »Fish The Bahamas and Take Home Some Sweet Gear
WE HAVE EXCITING NEWS. THE DATE IS SET FOR THE GINK AND GASOLINE 2014 SOUTH ANDROS BONEFISH TRIP!
March 22nd – 29th is your chance to hang out with the G&G crew at the Andros South Bonefish Lodge. Eat some great food, drink some rum and experience the best bonefishing anywhere. Kent and I will be teaching the skills needed to catch bonefish including a Bonefish 101 for beginners, fly tying and more. We are dedicated to making this the best fishing trip you have ever taken.
But wait…It gets better!
This year we will be joined by the boys from Simms and they will be bringing every angler on the trip a package of bad ass 2014 Simms flats wear! That’s right, free Simms gear for everybody. How could it get any better than that?
BUT WAIT…IT GETS BETTER!
One lucky angler, chosen at random, will take home a brand new Thomas and Thomas saltwater fly rod! That’s an $850 rod and let me tell you, it is sweet.
You don’t want to miss this trip!
SHOOT US AN EMAIL TO HOOKUPS@GINKANDGASOLINE.COM AND LET US KNOW YOU WANT IN ON THE ACTION ASAP.
YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THE DETAILS INCLUDING COST AND TRAVEL (HERE)
We would like to thank Simms and Thomas and Thomas for their generosity, their support and their enthusiasm. They are the best of the best and we are proud to see our names along side theirs.
COME ON GUYS, LET’S GO TO THE BAHAMAS!
Read More »Sunday’s Classic / Fly Fishing, No Pain No Gain
Have you ever felt like this when you got back to the truck after a long day of fishing?
Giving it my all on the water is a trait I strongly believe in for my fishing and guiding. I always try to make a point to explain to all my clients, that as long as they give it their all and have fun on the water, that’s all that really matters. There’s no reason for them to be disappointed about having a slow day on the water or get upset when a big fish fails to eat, so long as they took the time to approach their holes with stealth, made their best presentations, and fine-tuned their rig and pattern choice. After all, that’s why it’s called fishing not catching, right? We can only do so much as anglers, and even when we bring our best, there still will be times when we won’t be able to persuade certain fish to eat our flies.
Saturday Shoutout / Fly Fishing the Ozarks Videos & Orvis Fly Selection Tips
This week’s Saturday Shoutout we spotlight Fly Fishing the Ozarks YouTube Channel and Orvis for a great piece written by Steve May on how to become more effective at fly selection on the water. Check out the great fly fishing videos and the informative piece about fly selection for trout.
Read More »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 »