The World’s Best Blood Knot
Chris Fave ties a lot of blood knots. About half a million a year.
You’d expect him to have a trick or two up his sleeve. I saw this video he put on Facebook and immediately asked him if I could share it. Chris uses a toothpick to tie a blood knot perfectly in seconds. It’s a pretty sweet trick.
Chris’s hand tied leaders are available in fly shops or on his site. He has tapers for every ovation. Check them out HERE. Thanks for sharing Chris!
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND LEARN TO TIE THE WORLD’S BEST BLOOD KNOT!
Read More »Save Your Night Eyes With The Right Headlamp
By Justin Pickett
Having the right headlamp makes a world of difference.
Whether you are floating the river at night or find yourself tying knots in the twilight hours of a spinner fall, one piece of gear that you’re likely to have with you is a headlamp. And if you don’t, you should. During the twilight and moonlight hours, a headlamp can be an invaluable tool to make tasks, such as knot tying, navigating, and casting, much easier. Having said that, the most important piece of gear is still your eyes.
Even on the darkest nights, there is usually enough ambient light to find your way around. The human eye is an amazing thing and is designed to react to lighting conditions and optimize your vision. Your eyes are vulnerable, though. At night, just one quick flash of a flashlight or headlamp in the eyes can take you out of the game.
High intensity light (especially white light) bleaches the chemical held inside the rods of our eyes (rhodopsin), which allows us to see at night. Once hit with high intensity light, it can take several minutes for this chemical to regenerate allowing you to see and function, and up to a half hour for your night vision to completely recover.
On the river, losing your vision for only a few seconds can be disastrous, several minutes is not an option. Treading around water after dark can be a risky endeavor. Falling off of a boat or losing your footing and taking a dive into any body of water can certainly put an end to your trip, or worse.
To avoid ruining your night eyes, and crippling your vision when you need it most, make sure to
Read More »Why Are We Out There?
By Kyle Wilkinson
It’s a question as old as this great sport. Why do we fly fish?
Why do we make the sacrifices—whether it be time away from family, perhaps less money in your bank account, the risk of possible injury (I could go on)—just to catch a fish and let it go?
Now, I don’t typically do this sort of thing but I had a guide trip the other day that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since. And trust me, I’m not trying to sound all preachy or holier-than-thou in the paragraphs to come. Like I said, this day has simply remained on my mind.
I had a 3-person guide trip with a good, repeat customer of mine. Our destination was the Dream Stream section of the South Platte and the group consisted of a father/son duo, and the father’s friend. As seems to be a resounding theme in Denver, the son lives here and his dad/his dad’s friend were in visiting from the Midwest.
We met up early and hit the river. Both dad/son are good anglers, however the dad’s friend had never touched a fly rod. (which happens to be one of my favorite customers to be dealt). I got him up to speed and within the first 5 minutes we were staring at a chunky 18” rainbow wiggling in the net. This was his first fish ever on a fly rod and we were all excited! As the day went on, he brought many more fish to the net, however
Read More »4 Flats Accessories From Simms That I Can’t Live Without.
When you set off on a trip to an exotic location for a little flats fishing it’s important to have the gear you need. Islands known for great saltwater fly fishing aren’t usually known for having great fly shops. It’s often a major ordeal just to come up with some sun screen or batteries. It’s smart to take what you need. Being stuck on an island for a week without essential gear really sucks. Here are four pieces of inexpensive flats gear that I love and count on, that all happen to come from Simms. Simms Sunsleeves $29.95 I am dead serious about sun protection. When I am fishing in the tropics keeping safe in the sun is job #1. I was skeptical about the Sunsleeves at first but after a couple of my buddies started wearing them and raving about them I decided to give them a try. They’ve become one of my favorite pieces of gear. With Sunsleeves you get the protection of long sleeves while you enjoy the comfort and range of motion you get from a short sleeve shirt. Plus, you can go without them in the mornings and evenings and put them on when the sun is at its worst. It’s great! And from a dollars and cents point of view it’s cheaper than sleeves. Long sleeve flats shirts cost $10 more than short sleeves, so the Sunsleeves pay for themselves. (GET ‘EM HERE) Simms sun gloves $24.95 Sun gloves are absolutely essential for me. Being able to keep the sun off of my hands when the sun gets high is not a luxury, it’s mandatory. I’ve used several styles of sun gloves and these are my favorites. Cool and well fitted with open palms these gloves have abrasion-resistant pads where you grip the rod and … Continue reading
Read More »A Little Chrome Tail
There’s nothing like a little chrome tail to start this day! What a beautiful bright steelhead courtesy of my buddy Jeff Hickman. The bright chrome strips in the tail tell the story. This is a fresh fish, straight from the salt.
Read More »Fixing Line Twist: Video
A day floating the river can turn into frustration when your running line starts to tangle.
There are lots of reasons fly lines get twisted. The most common is being rolled under foot in the bottom of the boat. However it happens, it’s a mess of tangles and knots that make fishing frustrating. There’s nothing worse than landing your fly just short of the strike zone because your running line is tangled.
Fortunately there is a simple trick to fix line twist. I learned this trick from my buddy Zack Dalton of ROI Products and it changed my life. I promise you will love it.
P.S. Watch closely and you’ll see a fish eat my fly behind my back.
WATCH THE VIDEO AND NEVER SUFFER WITH A TWISTED LINE AGAIN.
Read More »Yakima River trout Fishing: Video
Recently I got the chance to float the Yakima River in central Washington.
While attending the launch of the new Sage X rod, the folks at Sage were good enough to host us for a day of fishing on the Yak with guides from Red’s Fly shop. I was fortunate to land on a boat with Jim Mauries of Fly South and Guide Nate Rollie. It was a great day of making loops and fighting fish on a beautiful river.
I took advantage of the opportunity to capture some of Nate’s eleven years of experience with Yakima trout on video. If you are in Washington state the Yakima is a must. The river is full of tough fish and the accommodations at Red’s are amazing.
Watch the video and enjoy “Floating The Yak.”
Read More »The River… Why?
By Justin Pickett
A FAINT FOG ESCAPES ME AS I EXHALE A DEEP BREATH OF MOUNTAIN AIR.
I can hear the tumbling waters of my favorite north Georgia stream just off in the distance. They are surely running super low and crystal clear as expected. My angst is fighting with the need to take my time. I simply cannot wait to drown these flies.
When fishing solo, as I am on this day, I like to put my rod together, place the reel in the reel seat, grab the rest of my gear and head straight for the water. I find my favorite starting point and then I sit on the bank as I tie on my rig. As the sun rises over the mountain, and the fog begins to lift from the water’s surface, I stare into the water, scanning its currents for signs of life. Just a flip of a tail is all I need. I take in a deep breath and exhale, watching my breath as it fogs in the cool mountain air. I feel at peace. There’s nothing here to worry me. I’m safe. I’m not under any time constraints, nor under any pressure. There are no expectations here. It’s just the water and the fish, with the surrounding nature and myself in the background. I am completely at ease in this place.
Yes, fishing and catching fish is fun, and that is surely one of the elements that attracts me to this sport, hobby, passion, past time, or whatever else you prefer to call it. However, to me, it’s more than that.
My wife always likes to ask me, “what do you think about when you’re fishing?” I’m not sure if she thinks
Read More »Stipe Takes on Gierach, R.E.M. Records Fly Fishing Album
WHEN MICHAEL STIPE, LEAD SINGER FOR THE BAND R.E.M., MADE A STRING OF APPEARANCES ON THE COLBERT REPORT AROUND THE HOLIDAYS I WAS SHOCKED BY HIS CURRENT PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.
To be sure, none of us are getting any younger and I applaud Stipe for embracing his graying hair and changing features, but there was more to it than that. There was something eerily familiar, almost comforting, about Stipe’s new look. He carried an air of wisdom that I’d never noticed before and he almost seemed…fishy.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more going on here than meets the eye. Was this just the graceful aging of a pop star or was there something else going on? Was this nature, or craft? I had to get to the bottom of it.
Possibly the greatest perk of being part of Gink and Gasoline is being on the “Celebrity A List,” so I called Michael up for an interview. I was shocked at his candor. It turns out that, not only are my suspicions well founded, they are spot on.
LC- Thanks for taking my call Michael. I’m sure I speak for the entire Gink and Gasoline community when I say, your work has been a real inspiration.
MS- Thanks Louis, I’m a big fan. I read Gink every morning while I have my coffee. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that hook removal video. You really saved my ass there.
LC- That’s great, we knew someone was reading. I’m glad to know it was you. Thanks!
MS- No problem.
LC- I saw your recent appearance on the Colbert Report with Mandy Patinkin. It was a great performance.
MS- Thanks.
LC- Look Michael, I’m going to get right to it. Are you turning into John Gierach?
MS- Well, I think that’s a bit heavy handed. I wouldn’t say I’m “turning into” John Gierach. I think of it more like, picking up where John left off.
LC- So I’m not crazy here? You are definitely reforging yourself in the image of my favorite fly fishing author.
MS- Well no, I wouldn’t say I … OK, yes, yes I am.
Read More »Winter Redfish, Challenge and Reward
The big winter redfish of Louisiana make anglers hearts race, but there are some serious challenges.
Hooking a thirty pound redfish on a fly is a hoot! The big bulls you find in the marsh around New Orleans this time of year are bullies. As tough a fighters as you’ll find anywhere and simply beautiful. I try to make the pilgrimage every year for the shot at great fish but it’s far from a given.
The fish themselves are aggressive. If you can put a fly close enough for them to see it, the take is usually vicious. The challenges don’t lie with the fish, but with the conditions. The winter weather is unpredictable to say the least. When I ask my friend and guide Jessie Register what the odds of having a clear day are he replied, “no better than 50/50.”
Without light, finding these fish in the dark water of the marsh is a daunting task. If the wind is disturbing the surface of the water, forget it. You may still find a fish tailing in shallow water but you’ll work for it. Of course, targeting the smaller fish who are more predictable is always a good option but light is a huge plus when you’re hunting the big boys.
It’s not uncommon to have days where fishing
Read More »