On The Road
On the road to to New Orleans I spotted this warning sign on a semi truck so I pulled along side and took a photo with my IPhone. It’s a funny photo but a stark reminder of how fragile our fisheries are. It strikes me that we are always one careless moment from ecological disaster. We saw it last month on the Yellowstone. I don’t mean to be all “doom and gloom” but Yikes! Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
Read More »Boots, The Next Generation.
With all of the research and development that goes into rods, reels and every fishing gadget under the sun, it surprises me that it’s taken so long for boots to go high tech. Up until a few years ago my wading boots were amazingly similar to what my grandfather wore. It wasn’t until Korkers came out with the revolutionary Boa lace design and interchangeable soles that everyone in the business took a serious look down. Those boots had some controversial features but since I put the first pair on my feet,I’ve waded in nothing else. Years ago I broke my ankle in a pair of boxy old school wading boots and that memory has staid with me. As important to me as my ankles, is the thousands of dollars of camera gear I carry. For me, a fall can be pretty expensive. In the last couple of years Rubber soles have been all the rage. I’ve heard plenty of my friends in the biz tow the line by saying, “it’s a matter of personal preference”. I don’t know anyone who really believes that rubber is as safe as felt, and more people are coming around to the idea that it’s no more environmentally sound either. IMHO, rubber soles just give folks a warm feeling about not washing their boots. Rubber or felt, you need to wash your boots. There are plenty of places for the rock snot to hide on a rubber boot. I stumbled across a new shoe technology that has been developed for pro basketball players. It was developed by a company called Ektio. It’s pretty interesting. Ankle sprains and brakes are the number one injury in basketball. The Ektio sneaker uses a system of straps and revolutionary sole design that they call a bumper which prevents the … Continue reading
Read More »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 Heavy Metal Sculpin, that has a colorado blade trailing off the back of the fly. Recently fly tyers have utilized entire synthetic bass skirts previously only found on bass jigs to create … Continue reading
Read More »A Closer Look
Another look at the object of all my affections. This time it’s the gill plate of a North Carolina Brown Trout. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
Read More »Something Wicked This Way Comes…..
Or does it? Capt. Joel Dickey explains how tropical storms and hurricanes can create epic fishing conditions. Even with all the satellite imaging and sophisticated radar, we can never be sure as to where a tropical storm or major hurricane will strike land. The fish don’t have all this modern technology and yet they can predict weather much better than we can right down to the day the system hits. So with hurricane Irene barreling through the Caribbean, I’m getting prepared….to fish. Now you might ask what does this have to do with fishing? A LOT! Just like in freshwater before a summer thunderstorm or low pressure system steams through your area, the saltwater fish also know something is coming and therefore react. A couple days before a tropical system rolls through the Florida Keys tarpon, bonefish, and permit feed like there’s no tomorrow. Waking, tailing, and rolling, these species flood the flats gorging themselves in preparation to hunker down for the next few days of less than desirable weather. If you have the jewels to stay in town before a system moves through you will experience what most fly fisherman dream about. The fish we often consider shy and extremely smart on a day to day basis, become dumb and unaware eating our flies without hesitation. These conditions also hold true AFTER a tropical system moves through the Keys, and fishing conditions can even climb higher on the epic meter. Weathering the storm the fish have now been stacked in the deep channels and have not fed for a few days becoming hungrier by the minute. Look out for total flats chaos! The palm fronds, coconuts, and limbs will have to wait around my house. The aftermath will always be there but the extremely blue skies and calmer days … Continue reading
Read More »Secrets of Alaska’s Best Guides
What does it take to be a bad ass Alaska fly fishing guide? Let’s dig around in Whitney Gould’s pocket and find out! Looks like some twenty pound mono, misc tying materials, candy wrappers, a Thing-a-mabobber, a cool heart shaped rock, an empty Pepto pack and a week old Twix. Whitney has the right stuff. In addition to guiding for trout and salmon at Alaska West she is a champion spey caster and the only person I have ever seen kill a salmon with a single boot to the head. She’s a bad ass. She will be hosting Lady’s Week at Andros South this year. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
Read More »Simms New “Catch and Release” System. Pretty Cool!
If there is one word in fly fishing that means quality, it’s Simms. I was impressed by all the Simms gear I saw at the IFTD show. It’s impossible to show on the web what your hand feels when you touch a piece of Simms gear but you can feel the quality. One thing I saw and thought was pretty cool is the new catch and release magnetic pack system. It’s very well designed and the first magnetic system I’ve seen that I trust not to pop loose at the worst possible time. Rich Hohne shows you how it works in this video. Rich, I apologize for the crappy frame in the preview. I tried to change it but no luck. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
Read More »The Envelope Please…
The results are in on the IFTD best new product awards courtesy of Angling Trade. Here are some highlights. Simms took best of show for their pro dry jacket bib and pants as well as best wader and best outer ware. Sage swept both best salt and fresh water rod with the new One Rod Redington showed they love the ladies winning best women’s specific product for their Women’s Sonic Pro Waders Nautilus Reels Monster was voted best salt water reel. The Hardy Ultralite took best fresh water reel. Korkers Metal Head Boot with Svelte sole were the best Eco-friendly product. There is so much cool gear at the show this year. It’s been awesome and exhausting trying it all out. The complete list of winners is below. Best of Show – Simms Pro Dry GORE-TEX jacket, bib and pants Best Outerwear – Simms Pro Dry GORE-TEX jacket, bib and pants Fly Rods, Freshwater – Sage “ONE” Fly Rods, Saltwater – Sage “ONE” Fly Reel, Freshwater – Hardy Ultralight fly reel Fly Reel, Saltwater – Nautilus NV Monster Fly Lines, Freshwater – Scientific Anglers Mastery Textured Trout Stalker Fly Lines, Saltwater – Airflo Ridge Floating Clear Tip Tropical line Eyewear – Smith Chief with Techlight TLT lenses Wading Gear – Simms Freestone stockingfoot waders Women’s-Specific Product – Redington Women’s Sonic-Pro Waders Youth-Specific Product – CasTarget by The School of Fly Fishing Eco-Friendly Product – Korkers Metalhead Wading Boot with Svelte 2 soles\ General Apparel – Buff Bug Slinger Series UV Fly Pattern, Freshwater – Jay Zimmerman’s Texas Ringworm Fly Pattern, Saltwater – Fish Skull Crafty Deciever Fly Tying Material – Fish Skull Sculpin Helmet Fly Box/Storage System – Montana Fly Company MFC Waterproof Boat Box Book – Fifty More Places to Fly Fish Before You Die, by Chris Santella (Angler’s … Continue reading
Read More »Art Gone Wild
Paul Puckett is one of our very favorite artists. I’ve loved his painting for years. I’m really stoked that this year he’s putting his work on tee shirts, hats, and stickers under the name Flood Tide Co. They are way cool! Please support this down earth talented artist and fly fisherman. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
Read More »Finally!
Kast Extreme Fishing Gear It’s about time someone made a high performance water PROOF glove . Kast has done it. We love to fish when it really shitty out. This glove is just the ticket. Take a minute to visit their website and check out their other extreme fishing gear product lines. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
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