The Bauer Rogue Classic, Made for Spey
With more anglers every day discovering Spey casting, I’m shocked at how few really good Spey reels are on the market. Most of the guys I see fishing two handers are using saltwater reels on them and there’s something to be said for that. Most saltwater reels have features like large spools that will carry Skagit heads and good drag systems for fighting big fish but some of the finer points are quite different. For the past year, I’ve been fishing the Bauer Rogue Classic on my Spey rods and I couldn’t be happier. The Rogue Classic is one of very few reels designed specifically for the Spey caster. The primary distinction is the weight. We are trained these days to believe that lighter is better but that’s not the case. Balanced is better. With a lightweight saltwater reel, your long two-handed rod is out of balance. When swinging your fly you are forced to make a choice. To keep the proper angle with your rod, you must either hold the rod tip up with force or move your hand forward off of the cork. Neither is a good solution. Moving your hand off the cork means you have less line control and you risk missing fish. Using force means fatigue and fatigued anglers make mistakes. It’s better to be balanced. The Rogue Classic features a solid back frame which gives the reel the weight it needs as well as a heft that I have to believe translates into durability. It has quick change spools, V-arbor design and comes in a list of cool custom finishes. The state-of-the-art carbon fiber disk drag system features the patented zero backlash seamless clutch and is completely enclosed. The same drag system I rely on in my tarpon reel and has never let me … Continue reading
Read More »Sunday’s Classic / The Trifecta for Fishing Solitude
It seems like every year it gets harder and harder for me to find complete solitude on the river. Solitude is not a necessity for me by any means, but when I’m blessed with it, I find it does wonders for purifying my soul and improving my fishing game. Time seems to stand still when I’m in complete solitude on the water. Every fish I land with no one there to confirm it but me, seems to add further reward and satisfaction. There’s no competition from other anglers, it’s just me and the fish. This allows me to open my mind, think clearly, and get in a zone to fish at my best ability. I don’t care what pace I’m fishing or how much water I cover while I’m out. I just take one fish at a time, like I’m challenging each of them to a game of chess. But to be frank, it’s not even about winning or losing. It’s more about taking in the big picture and understanding why I’m out there in the first place; I love to fly fish. Over the years I’ve developed a betting strategy I call the “Trifecta for Fishing Solitude”. Although gambling never offers us sure win bets, searching out and placing these three bets in order when possible, usually pays out plenty of solitude on the water. Bet #1. Fish off the beatin path Being lazy and choosing to fish water that’s easily accessible generally will bring you company instead of solitude in your fishing. Hiking into difficult terrain is great but you don’t always have to go that far. Sometimes all you have to do is search out stretches of water with steep banks/canyons, thick foliage or even spots where the road moves away from the stream. Fishing off the … Continue reading
Read More »Saturday’s Shoutout / Planet Trout & Small Fly Funk
This weeks Saturday shoutout goes to Planet Trout and Small Fly Funk. Planet Trout Small Fly Funk If you’re wanting to learn more about fishing and tying small nymphs, emergers and dries, these two blogs are a good place to start. I really dig many of the fly patterns on the Planet Trout blog and Small Fly Funk, is super cool because it focuses on fishing and tying fly patterns size 20 and smaller. Both blogs I think are cool in their own ways. Got check them out and support the guys that are writing them. Keep it Reel, Come fish with us in the Bahamas! Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »The Smithfly Modular Fishing Pack
This weeks featured product is of particular interest to me and I know it’s going to interest a lot of you. I get asked all the time how I keep my cameras dry on the water. It’s not been easy, up to now. Ethan Smith of Smithfly has come up with a system that I love. It’s a great fishing pack but beyond that he has provided the only dry bag that I know of which can be worn comfortably on the waist and is big enough to hold a serious DSLR camera. This is one of the most impressive pieces of new gear I’ve seen. Check it out. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Sunday Classic / Trust The Boo
I’ve fished bamboo rods my whole life and I’ve made my own for the last twelve years or so. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked if I was afraid to fight big fish on a bamboo rod. The answer is no. I’ve broken my share of rods but only once did I break one fighting a fish and that was totally my fault. I’ve landed more fish over twenty inches on bamboo than I can count, a few pushing thirty. The two fish pictured were both landed on a seven foot four weight. The tip on that rod measures only thirty thousandths of an inch in diameter but it handled those monsters just fine. A 27″ Hen and a 28″ Male Both Landed on the 4 Weight Bamboo is a remarkable material. When properly heat treated it has amazing strength. Traditional Japanese carpenters use bamboo nails cooked in a wok and high rise construction all over Asia is done on bamboo scaffolding. Do bamboo rods break? Of course they do but a well made rod is much stronger than you would guess and if properly handled and cared for it will take whatever a fish can dish out. I’ve heard it said that fisherman break rods, not fish, and I think that’s true. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to keep that cane rod fishing for many years. • Treat it right. Bamboo doesn’t take a lot of maintenance but there are some things you should think about. Rot is a death sentence for a cane rod. Rod makers spend a lot of time on their finish and it can last a lifetime but it’s not bulletproof. Never put a rod away wet. This is the most common mistake guys make with … Continue reading
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Skiff Republic
If you haven’t seen Skiff Republic its well worth your time. A truly different fishing blog Skiff Republic has its roots in the love of boats for fishing but offers fishing news and points of interest I don’t see any where else. This great video of Joan Wulff from the 1960s is priceless! Joan takes an air boat ride through the Everglades, catches a huge bass and cooks it up for the kids. It’s cheesy fun but also great to watch Joan work her magic! She is as cool today as she was in the Madmen era. We’re going to flash back a couple of weeks. We got a lot of positive feedback two weeks ago on our shout out to Tim Romano. I got an email from Tim this week about a project he just wrapped up for Trout Unlimited. It’s an effect to protect the Green River from Development. The Green holds a special place in my heart and it’s too precious a resource to loose. Check out Tim’s slide show from the Green and get involved in the effort! Oh, and check out the Gink and Gasoline Andros South trip! It’s going to kick some serious ass!!! Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Korkers KGB Wading Boot – Looks to be a Game Changer
There’s nothing I enjoy more than passing on information (That’s been brought back from the field) to a manufacturer and not only have them appreciate the input, but then see them actually use it to make improvements in their product designs. That’s what Korkers has done with their new KGB wading boot this year, and they’re showing that they’re listening and value the input from their loyal supporters. The Korkers KGB Wading Boot (Korkers Guide Boot) has been completely redesigned from the bottom up, and Korkers has continued to stay true to its roots, by choosing the highest quality and most durable materials for their boots, all while maintaining a design that focuses heavily on support and superior traction for safe wading. One critical area Korkers has excelled immensely at, is manufacturing outdoor footwear that is super lightweight. Next time you’re in a retail shop, compare Korkers to other brands, and you’ll quickly notice how much lighter they are. Even with all the steroids they injected into the Korkers KGB wading boot, it still ranks as one of the lightest wading boots on the market today. Korkers took it a step further this year by partnering up with Vibram, the outdoor leader in boot soles, and worked with them to design a super aggressive and durable sole available with and without studs. Korkers has also adjusted their sizing (in the past were known for sizing to run small), and their interchangeable traction control soles work seamlessly with all of their footwear so you can be sure you’re ready to tackle a diverse range of outdoor treking. Korkers KGB Wading Boot Product Video Korkers Traction Control Interchangeable Soles For more product information about the Korkers KGB Boot and the rest of their products, please visit the Korkers website. Keep it Reel, Kent Klewein Gink … Continue reading
Read More »Line Marking Shorthand
I’M TOLD THAT LEFTY KREH CAME UP WITH THIS, BUT I LEARNED IT FROM MY FRIEND RICK WHORWOOD.
It’s a great idea, who ever thought of it. As fly lines get unspooled and respooled it easy to lose track of exactly which line is which. This simple short hand system for keeping up with line weights is a life saver.
Mark the line on each end with a sharpie. Heavy blocks represent a value of five and thin lines represent a value of one. Just like “V” and “I” in Roman numerals. So a heavy block and three lines means this is an eight weight line. Couldn’t be simpler. Mark both ends so you can quickly identify a line whether it’s
Read More »Small Manufacturers Offer Big Value
Walking the floor at the International Fly Tackle Dealers show this year I was struck by something. The cool new products that I was excited about all came from a very specific type of company. None of the stuff I thought was really cool came from the big booths circling the casting pond. Rather, the the really innovative, smartly designed, well made gear could be found at the tiny booths that faced the outer walls. Booths you had to look for, usually manned one or two guys who, in most cases, actually made the stuff themselves. Guys like Scott Hunter of Vedavoo who has turned down multiple job offers from the biggest players in the industry to hand sew his remarkable fishing packs. Guys like Ethan Smith of Smithfly who is making a dry bag for cameras that I have been asking Simms and William Joseph to make for me for years. Guys like Dylan Rothwell of Rising who started making all of his quality tying tools himself after a foreign manufacturing company stole one of his designs. Innovators like Colby Hackbarth from Kast or Jim McAllister from NRS who change the way we think about fishing gear. All of these guys make products that you would love and that would last you a lifetime but you have likely never heard of them. Even our small industry is prisoner to a system where marketing budgets rule. Sage will always win Best New Rod, no matter what they enter because no one can out spend them. The big guys make some fine products to be sure but they often lack the passion and focus that a single visionary entrepreneur brings to the table. If we, the anglers, want innovative quality products made in America, it’s going to be up to us … Continue reading
Read More »How Social Media is Changing Fishing Pressure
Some would argue with me, but I think when you factor in the entire continental United States, trout streams as a whole are getting more crowded. Some of it has to do with population increases and the fact that many of our fisheries and their resources are being mishandled and depleted. But I think, the majority of it has to do with the growing popularity of social media and its ability for real-time communication that’s changing how fishing pressure is being dished out. It’s much easier for anglers today to communicate, quickly comb through the latest fishing reports on the web and then focus their time fly fishing the locations that are producing. Today, when the fishing on a specific trout stream or river begins to drop below average, anglers are much quicker to move on, and search out the next closest trout water that’s fishing more favorable. The days of it taking a week or two for the fly fishing public to catch on and mobilize are over with for the most part. That’s why, if you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed a correlation between the trout water that’s fishing good, and the amount of cars it has in the parking lot and the boats it has on the water. In simple terms, we’re using the technology of social media as a tool to be more strategic and efficient fly fisherman, but at the same time, it’s back firing on us, because it’s bunching us all together. That’s why it’s more important than ever that fly anglers are fishing smarter on the water. Fly anglers need to be quick to adjust their fly fishing tactics when they’re not catching fish, and they need to be willing to think outside the box in what gear and flies their … Continue reading
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