Saturday’s Shoutout / Fly Anglers Online
This weeks Saturday Shoutout goes to Fly Anglers Online. This website is dear to my heart because I’ve been visiting it for well over a decade. I’ve learned a great deal about the sport of fly fishing and its contributed immensely to my love of fly tying. Don’t be turned off by its old school appearance. Just about every subject in fly fishing can be found on this website, but what makes this website so special are its gracious contributors. All of which solely volunteer their time and information in the effort to prosper and grow the sport of fly fishing. Take the legendary Al Campbell for example, who passed away from incurable brain cancer in 2005. He alone contributed over 150 step by step fly patterns and many articles for fly fishing and rod building. Have you ever wanted to know how to die your own fly tying materials? Looking for hundreds of step by step fly tying patterns both saltwater and freshwater? Wanting to pick the brain of legends and guides in the sport? You’ll find all of these topics and a boat load more on Fly Anglers Online. Below are some helpful links since the navigation can be tricky because of the large size of the website. Al Campbell – Articles & Fly Patterns (Step by Step) Fly Anglers Online – Article Archives Fly Of The Week – Archives 1997-2010 Fly Tying Tips Fly Dying Tying Materials Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »The Gink and Gasoline Fly Fishing Photography Contest
We know from reading your comments that a lot of you are not only avid fly fishers, but also enthusiastic photographers. It’s been fun and rewarding sharing my photos with you, and we want you to share in the fun, so with help from our friends at Redington, Rio and Fishpond we are exited to announce the first ever Gink and Gasoline fly fishing photography contest! That’s right, it’s your chance to show off your mad photo skills and get some wicked gear for your trouble. How sweet is that? Here’s what’s on the table. •1st place – a pair of Redington Sonic-Pro Stocking Foot Waders •2nd place – a Fishpond Piney Creek Tech Pack •3rd place – a Rio Gold fly line We are equally excited to have three, at the very least, semi-celebrity judges. Tim Romano In addition to being a bad ass fly fishing photographer Tim is the managing editor of Angling Trade Magazine, the photo editor of The Fly Fish Journal and blogs for Field and Stream at fsflytalk.com. When does he sleep? Paul Puckett Paul is an amazing painter who has dedicated his talents to capturing the beauty of fly fishing. He also employes his considerable visual skills in clothing design as the creative force behind The Flood Tide Co. He’s a hell of a guitarist too. Claudia Lopez One of the most talented photographers I have ever known and hands down the toughest, Claudia is a world class mountaineer and has dedicated herself to taking us ordinary humans to the most beautiful places in the world to meet the most interesting people. Seriously, you must see her work to believe it. Here’s all you need to know to get in on the action. •The contest is open to everyone except me, Kent and the … Continue reading
Read More »Conch And Beer For Dinner Again?
By now I’m back from the Bahamas long enough to stop grumbling about the cold but not quite long enough for the line burns to have healed. I’ve done my best to rid the world oh Conch and Kalik but if you can find any I suggest you dispose of it as soon as possible. If you need help, shoot me an email. Here’s the recipe for the worlds best Conch Salad courtesy of the gals at Andros South. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Sunday Classic / Tips For Netting Big Fish from a Drift Boat
So you’re floating the river in a drift boat and your buddy just hooked into a trophy trout. What should you do next to ensure you land that trophy? Below are three tips for increasing your chances at netting that fish of a lifetime. 1. When the opportunity presents itself get all your fly line on the reel. After you’ve set the hook, made a few strips to keep tension, and your jaw has dropped to the ground after seeing the giant beast at the end of your line, your next objective will be to find a good time to get all that excess fly line onto the reel. The last thing you want is the trophy fish making a blistering run, and your excess fly line catching on your boot, thigh brace, or rod butt resulting in a break off. When the trophy settles down and holds in a stationary position during the fight, this is when you should take the opportunity to reel in and get all of your fly line on the reel. Doing so you can let that $300 fly reel with a butter smooth drag to do its job. 2. Use your drift boat to block danger zones during the fight. Don’t keep your boat anchored up during a battle with a trophy fish expecting the angler to do all the work. Often the trophy will make a big run downstream or upstream, which will drastically lower the ability of the angler to control the fish. If you’re on the oars, it’s your job to row the boat and follow the fish to help keep that perpendicular fight. Look for danger zones like snags and boulders that the trophy can break you off on. If the fish starts to make a move towards one of … Continue reading
Read More »Saturday’s Shoutout / MidCurrent, Ask the Experts
This weeks Saturday’s Shoutout goes to MidCurrent, for its Ask the Experts section. Anyone that surfs the web and also fly fishes has probably heard of Midcurrent. I try to visit the site at least once a week over a cup of coffee to read the latest content. It’s always well written and very informative. With hundreds upon hundreds of web pages dedicated to fly fishing on the MidCurrent website, it’s no doubt the Google of Fly Fishing. I personally enjoy the Ask the Experts section of the website, that takes questions from followers and is then answered by professionals in the industry. That’s information you can count on being accurate and worth your time to read, and we encourage you to check out. Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »The Scott F2, Better Than Sex?
Years ago I acquired an old fiberglass rod that had belonged to my Grandfather. I don’t know why he owned that rod. It was a miserable stick. I fished it a few times and pretty much wrote off fiberglass all together. That is until a friend put a Scott F2 in my hand. WOW! Ok, now I get it. What a beautiful little rod, both to look at and to cast. The rod I cast was a seven foot three weight. It was truly unique. I’ve heard fiberglass compared to bamboo but I think it’s very different. To be sure, fiberglass is slow. Even slower than some of my favorite bamboo rods but the feel is different. The F2 has a buttery parabolic action that seems to cast it’s self. It will literally cast the leader. If you do much small stream fishing you know how important that can be. That’s not the end of it. The F2 is just as happy pushing out fifty feet of line. I’d hate to have to do it in wind, but there on the casting pond at IFTD it was quite easy. It’s not the rod for every day but a rod that you will look for an excuse to fish. I can see myself fishing this rod on small brookie streams here in the southeast or on winding cutthroat rivers out west. It would be great on spring creeks or anywhere a delicate presentation is important. Any small to medium size water where you will have good dry fly action is a great place for an F2. I own several Scott rods and love them all, so when Jim Bartschi invited me to come by the shop, I jumped at the chance. I got to see every phase of the production … Continue reading
Read More »Gobble Gobble – Turkey’s Multiple Uses In Fly Tying
Do you ever find yourself wanting to pull of the road to snip off some feathers when you see one of these guys? I know it would never work, but it still doesn’t stop me from finding myself wanting to try. Turkey feathers have been used in fly tying since the very beginning, and many of our popular fly patterns today still incorporate turkey feathers in their tying recipes. Turkey tails work great for tying wings in many of our dry flies. It also works equally well for tying wing pads and shellbacks in thorax’s of our nymphs. I love to use the two toned turkey under feathers (basically marabou) for tails in my nymphs and woolly buggers. Dig in deeper and I think you’ll find several other useful situations where turkey feathers will serve you well in your fly tying fresh or saltwater. G & G Tip: Find a buddy that turkey hunts but doesn’t fly fish. You’ll be able to get your hands on all the turkey feathers you can cram into your fly tying bins. Happy Thanksgiving from Gink & Gasoline Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Sunday Classic / Spooky Permit Tips
Permit in glass calm water. It doesn’t get any tougher than that. I know of no one who know more about permit than my buddy Bruce Chard so I ask him for a tip on making a successful presentation. Here’s his reply. Casting to shallow water permit in calm wind conditions can be challenging to say the least. These are the two main conditions that seem to make permit even more skidish than normal. Is that even possible? Shallow water depth and calm wind conditions help to put permit on another level of the spooky scale. So how do we effectively cast to these shallow water feeding circus fatties? Well an even powered wide loop presentation is a good start believe it or not. An even powered wide loop presentation cast will help to spread all the energy in the fly line evenly over the wide loop leaving just enough dispersed energy to slowly and softly roll out the leader and fly with a quiet presentation. This helps you to present your fly right in the permits wheel house and that means game on! Thanks Bruce! Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Saturday’s Shoutout / Fly Fishing Internet Radio
This Saturday’s Shoutout goes to Roger Maves, Host of Ask About Fly Fishing – Internet Radio. Roger has produced 134 fly fishing information packed interviews with the top fly fishing experts in the industry. This sites is great for two reasons. One, it’s completely FREE for you to listen to, and second, it’s great for picking up tips from the pros and learning the ins and out of their home waters. We give Roger Maves an A+ for his great content and a big Cheers to all his contributors. Keep it Reel, Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
Read More »Landlocked Stripers on the Fly
WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS COOL, IT’S TIME TO GET EXCITED ABOUT LAYERING UP AND GETTING ON ONE OF MY LOCAL RESERVOIRS FOR SOME LANDLOCKED STRIPERS ON THE FLY.
The fall and winter months are great times for both numbers and big fish if you’re willing to battle the cold. Dropping water temperatures get baitfish schooling up and very active, and you’ll find schools of hybrid bass and striped bass following their every move. It sounds easy right? Tell me that again when the alarm clock is ringing at 4:00am and it’s twenty degrees outside.
For best results you’re going to want to get on the lake early, well before sunrise. You will find your best opportunity for breaking fish is the first three or four hours of the day. Once the sun gets high on the horizon the baitfish and the striped bass usually go deep. Even with full sinking lines you’ll find it hard to effectively present your fly in the strike zone when fish are deep. Long points close to deep water or flats and humps surrounded by deep water are hotspots for stripers and hybrid bass driving and abusing baitfish. Sometimes stripers will also use the backs of coves to trap baitfish so don’t overlook those as well. If you’re not seeing any breaking fish or activity on your electronics your best bet is to run the lake looking for surface activity.
Pay attention to any birds circling in the air as well, they’re after the baitfish also, and can often give you a clue to where the concentrations of stripers are located. You’ll also want to
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