The Steelhead Bullet
The Steelhead bullet is a controversial fly. Some people don’t even think it’s a fly at all because it’s tied on a jig head. You may be able to argue it’s pedigree, but you can’t argue with the results. On a recent steelhead trip we were faced with tough conditions. The water was high and stained and the temperatures were low and numbing. I spoke to my friend Rick Whorwood who had just fished out target water and he described the trip as a waist of time. This had me worried. Rick is a much better Spey fisherman than me and if it was tough for him, it was tough. I knew I’d need to be creative, so I decided to tie up some steelhead bullets. This fly gets down quick thanks to the 1/16 oz jig head and will produce fish nymphed under an indicator or on the swing. The bright color and great action are hard for a fish to resist. This 31″ steelhead couldn’t and she made my trip. Watch the video to learn how to tie this simple but effective pattern. It just might save your next trip. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »A Gift for the Fly Tying Enthusiast Who has Everything
I’m always looking for ways to make my fly tying more efficient so I can whip out a few more flies when I sit down at the tying bench. Sometimes the best ideas come from my friends and family who don’t even fly fish. I was completely surprised these holidays when my wonderful Mother-in-law handed me this magnetic parts tray to open up Christmas morning. What a brilliant idea on her part to find a way to help me keep track of my terminal tying materials and finished flies. God knows I spend a fair amount of time on my hands and knees searching for items falling off my tying bench. No more will I be constantly dropping my hooks, beads and other materials on the floor when I’m tying flies. For any fly shop owners out there that happen to see this, I recommend you pick some of these guys up and stack them next to the cash register. Keep it Reel, Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Sunday Classic / The Holy Moses
That day on the White River in AR Kent and I saw the biggest trout either of us had ever seen. I’m not gonna say how big because you won’t believe me, but this is the fly Kent tied that night and that should give you and idea. Authors Note: That bottle of Stranahan’s Whiskey was better than half full when we started tying. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / The Best of Deneki
Our Friends at Deneki Outdoors have put together their most popular bonefish posts for the last year. Now that’s worth a read! Deneki’s Top Bonefishing Posts of 2011 Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Tying the Chronic Egg Pattern
Sometimes in fly tying it’s the little things that really make a difference in the quality of your finished fly patterns. When I first started fly tying I always hated the look of my egg patterns because I could always see my thread down the center of my finished eggs or they wouldn’t end up symetrical. They caught fish but they weren’t as pretty as the egg patterns in the fly shops and it used to drive me crazy. Since then I’ve adopted using a really cool fly tying tool called an Egg Yarn Dispenser . It allows me to tie my egg patterns super quick and I get true consistency from one fly to the next. Watch this quick fly tying video of me tying my chronic egg pattern. Hopefully you’ll pick up a couple tips to improve your own egg patterns. Keep it Reel, Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Rudolph The Red Nosed Key Deer
This photo was captured early this morning after a flying Key Deer made an unscheduled landing in Big Spanish Channel. It has been widely rumored that the little buck was aiming for Big Pine Key but missed due to too many holiday eggnogs. The deer was last seen swimming across the channel to Big Pine. We have no further information as the Big Pine Police Department will not return our calls. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Sunday Classic / At What Point Does a Fly Become A Lure
Here’s our Sunday Classic for the week in case you missed it a couple months ago. This fly/lure is a complete joke. Seriously though, at what point does a fly become a lure? Are you carrying a streamer box full of lures? Every year new fly patterns burst onto the scene far from the norm, pushing the boundaries and raising the question, are these true fly patterns or just camouflaged lures? First off, let me get something straight right out of the gates, I”m not one of those traditionalist haters, trying to point the finger. As Rodney Dangerfield quoted in the comedy classic movie, Back to School, “I’m not a fighter, I’m a lover”. I thoroughly enjoy experimenting with materials traditionally only used in conventional tackle to come up with new innovative fly patterns. There’s no doubt conventional lures are amazing fish catchers, and the way I look at this topic is very simple. If I can figure out a way to mimic the action or appeal that conventional lures have in my fly pattern designs, I’m going to gain a significant edge over fooling big educated fish. However, I do understand whether I like it or not, we’re going to have to draw the line at some point and define what classifies and distinguishes a fly from a lure. Thankfully for me, constantly evolving technology continues to open previously locked doors, and in turn, categorizes most of my creations as legitimate flies. Take spinner and propeller blades for instance. Henry Cowen’s Coyote striper fly uses a conventional blade in it’s design. It’s been accepted in the industry as a fly, and has also become one of the most popular searching patterns for striped bass and other warm water species. Montana Fly Company sells a streamer pattern called the Kingfisher’s … Continue reading
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Tim Romano Limited Edition Fishing Prints
This Saturday’s Shoutout goes to Tim Romano and Midcurrent.com We’ve just been informed our good friend and very talented photographer Tim Romano will be selling some of his Limited Edition Fishing Photography Prints via Midcurrent.com. Depending on the demand and how many prints are sold, Romano will add additional prints to the online store, and we could even see additional photographers selling their prints on the Midcurrent website in the future. These Limited Edition Fishing Prints would make great holiday or birthday gifts for friends and family and they won’t break the bank at $35.00. Click this link to view all prints for sale Keep it Reel, Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Been There, Felt That, and It Sucks
You hook up with a trophy fish of a lifetime but your the natural high is extinguished quickly as it schools you….
Most of us have been there before and if you haven’t it’s just a matter of time. One of the best feelings in the world comes right after you set the hook and realize you have a trophy fish on the end of your line. On the other hand, one of the worst feelings in the world is having a trophy fish on, and losing it before you can net it. Sometimes it’s our fault while other times it’s simply bad luck, either way, it’s always heartbreaking. Since we always seem to showcase our wins, I thought it was only fare to post one of our losses. God knows we have plenty of them. This loss is provided by our good friend Charlie Murphy who feels numb and lifeless as he recalls play by play what went wrong during the fight of a steelhead well over thirty inches. Poor guy ran out of real estate as the fish hit fifth gear moving into water too deep to follow and rounding the bend
Read More »The Results Are In!
The 2011 Gink and Gasoline Fly Fishing Photography Contest was a big success. We received so many great photos that we were overwhelmed, as were the judges. It’s exciting to see so many folks out there are so excited about sharing their experiences on the water. It was a tough choice but the judges have made their decisions and the results are as follows. First Place and the Redington Sonic-Pro Stocking Foot Waders goes to, Jeff McDonald Second Place and the Fishpond Piney Creek Tech Pack goes to, Chad Chorney. Third Place and the Rio Gold fly line goes to Jeffrey Feczko. Congratulations to the winners! Again, let me say thanks to our Judges; Tim Romano, Claudia Lopez and Paul Puckett. And to our generous sponsors; Redington, Fishpond and Rio. And most of all to all of you who entered your awesome photos. There really were so many great entries. Click here to see them all! Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
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