Reviews

Apr
17

Keep it Simple

Gadgets and gizmos are part of fly fishing. Everyone likes great gear. I love the Outside Gear of the Year Issue. I make sure to read everyone and drool over the next great thing. If I am honest, I like gadgets way too much. One place I have trimmed back on though, is my clippers.

Here is fishpond’s version of the clipper. Pretty cool looking. They even come in different colors. They are not new to the landscape, however, I had not had a pair until recently. These babies are pricey, selling for $20 with replaceable teeth and a cool design. You think that for $20 you could use them on all kinds of tippet. Not so. Try to cut the improved clinch with 2x off your fly. Not gonna happen.

Now take this little beauty I bought at Corner Drug in Driggs. It was all of .79. Even if it wears out after one season, I can buy one a year for the next two decades. Hey, I can even do some personal maintenance on the river. Bonus.

0 Categories : Reviews

Apr
7

Do You Carry a Spare Rod?

by Matt Berry

A few years ago while staying at my in-laws, I really needed to get out and do some fishing. I ended up driving two hours to a spot I wanted to fish. Excited, I quickly rigged up and threw on my backpack and proceeded to hike about a mile to a secluded spot on the river. After fishing about 30 minutes I figured out the magic fly and hooked up on a very nice cutthroat for the river I was fishing. While landing the fish, my rod broke in half.

Of course I had always been taught to keep an extra rod while fishing. Of course I did not follow that rule and was left without a rod. So, after traveling two hours and hiking a mile, I headed back home to my in laws, disgusted with myself.

I never break the rule of having an extra rod now, I can tell you.

Don’t have a spare rod but know you need one? Just want a new rod for the summer? Right now you can buy a used Sage Z-Axis 690-4 or 691-4 from us for $370 with free UPS shipping. We also have one TCR 690-4 for sale. Act now, quantities limited. You can never have enough fly fishing rods.

1 Categories : Reviews

Mar
24

Fishing Waders on the Mend

by Matt Berry

If you fish chances are you have some old fly fishing waders lying around that have used up all their life on the river and are just collecting dust.

You have to check out this site and see what this guy is doing with repurposed waders. You will be asking yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that”. Very cool.

0 Categories : Reviews

Feb
17

Size Doesn't Matter as Much as You Think

by Matt Berry

While your tippet is one of the greatest tools, often it is the first to be blamed for your not catching fish. Tippet could be the most underestimated piece of equipment. Today’s tippet material is fantastic, and there is none better than RIO Fluoroflex Plus.

Guiding and fishing many rivers of the west, I have found that tippet size is critically undersized by many fishermen. Nearly all summer long I use RIO Fluoroflex Plus tippet. Yes, it is expensive, however, the benefits are well worth the price. I have listed some tips below.

Fly Selection and Presentation - These are by far the reason you catch a ton of fish or very few fish. Tippet size is rarely the reason.

Tippet Size – I have three basic sizes of tippet in my bag: 2x,3x,4x all are RIO Fluoroflex Plus. I don’t even own a spool of 5x. I use 2x when streamer fishing and on large dry flies. I will also use it if I am fishing large nymphs like girdle bugs. 2x can be used all summer long on the South Fork of the Snake for instance. When fishing large dry flies like stoneflies and Chernobyl ants, I use nothing else but 2x. I will then tie off a dropper from the big dry with 3x. When fish are rising on small dries, I will use 4x for the dry and often tie a dropper off using 4x. Sizing down for the dropper can save you flies. If the bottom fly gets caught on a rock or tree, you will usually only lose the dropper if you size down your tippet.

Health of Fish - We are all concerned about the health of the fish. What better way to care for them than getting them in and off the hook as fast as possible. When you use heavier tippet you really help the fish. They recover quickly and are back in the water fast.

Catch More Fish – Larger tippet sizes mean you lose less fish. Losing less fish means you lose less flies. Better for the fish and better for you.

Save Money – You will save money on flies using a heavier tippet. You can put that savings toward the purchase of your more expensive tippet material.

Use the biggest tippet you can get away with. The fish will thank you.

1 Categories : Reviews

Feb
12

John Lennon Would Be Proud

by Matt Berry

Rubber Soul by the Beatles was innovative for its time, rubber soles on your Simms boots will let you rock like never before. Yep, if you hadn’t heard, Simms is stopping production of felt soles with their 2010 line of waders and wading shoes. Simms is focused on eliminating aquatic hitchhikers that may attach themselves to felt soles and then are transplanted from one water system to another. It is a great idea, but not only because of the environmental concerns.

Felt soles have been a great source of traction while wading, but felt has lived out its days. Technological advances in chemistry have been producing great rubber soles for sandals for some time now. I will be glad to have similar advances on my boot-foot waders.

Currently I have a pair of boot-foot waders by Simms. I ordered them last winter with a lug sole, assuming they would have excellent traction much like other rubber river shoes. Wrong. The rubber on the boot-foot was hard as stone and did not get along with its relatives on the bottom of the rivers. They are very slick, like “I am going to drown” slick. The reason I ordered them with lug was that I really only wear my waders in the shoulder months and winter. Have you ever walked a few miles in sticky wet snow with felt soles? It is a great workout if that is what you are going for. The felt collects snow and before you know it, your feet are packing around several pounds of snow. Not to mention it is rather difficult to walk on an uneven snow laden shoe.

So I took a chance and bought the lug soles. I even went as far as to ask my tire dealer to sipe (cut slices along the bottom). Sipping tires really improves traction for winter use. He must have thought me crazy and said he could not do it. I am going to put screws in the soles for now. One problem with the screws is that they scratch your boat something fierce. They also can cut through a fly line pretty fast.

Look for the new Vibram soles on all Simms sandals, boots and shoes for 2010. I know I will.

0 Categories : Reviews, Rivers

Feb
9

Match Your High Performance Rod with a Great Fly Line

by Matt Berry

Fishing out west means big water and big fish. Because of these two facts many fisherman choose to use a stiff model rod like a Sage XP or TCX. Most rod companies make stiff rods for streamer fishing and big water situations. These rods are great. Fast action gives the angler the precise casting that is needed while casting from a drift boat into pocket water along the banks.

The only problem with these rods is finding a line that meets up to the high performance demands that come with them. Not all 6 weight rods are created equal. For example, a 6 weight Orvis Helios and a Sage TCX are not even in the same world when it comes to actual weight. If you were to cast the two side by side the Helios would feel like a 4 weight and the TCX like a 7 weight. This poses a real problem when choosing a line for the fast action rod to fish out west.

Rio has solved the problem. The Clouser fly line is made with big flies and wind in mind. The front bullet taper is extra large and makes turning over bulky and wind resistant flies a dream. The extra mass in the taper helps to load up the stiff tips of stiff high performance rods in ways that conventional lines just can’t.

For your high performance fly rods, don’t forget to match them with a high performance line, like the Clouser.

0 Categories : Reviews