Sick Gear

Professor Bodkin Rod Carrier

Posted August 20, 2010 - 7:52am

Slap those rods to the hood

There's  nothing as maddening as having to break down your rods and rest them on the dashboard or behind the front seat or, worse, loose in the back of a pickup with Labrador retrievers, while traveling to the next prime fishing spot.Oh, yea. Here's the answer while fishing the Madison, the Ronde, the Clearwater, the North Umpqua and anywhere else that you jump from one spot to the next.Oh, yea. Here's the answer while fishing the Madison, the Ronde, the Clearwater, the North Umpqua and anywhere else that you jump from one spot to the next.

This is especially a pisser when you are road fishing, meaning jumping from one good run to the other, those runs being separated by no more than a mile or two. I dealt with that issue for too many years before securing Professor Bodkin's Rod Carrier. The magnetic bases attach to the hood of my truck and to the roof. The rods are held in place on the padded mounts and a fixed bungee keeps the rods from "jumping." I'd feel fine cruising down a bumpy forest service road with my spey rod arsenal held in place—and that's about, what? Four-thousand worth of product attached to the hood? You want something sturdy and secure when you're moving around with today's great, but expensive rods. And this rod holder is secure.

Lately, I've been bopping around the Madison with my single-handers secured with the Bodkin rod carrier and you'll soon see a dude with four spey rods attached to the hood, tooling around the Ronde and Clearwater. The only drawback: there's no lock on this thing so you have to keep an eye on your goods. Say you're taking a break at Bogan's while fishing the Ronde, or you need some flies for the Clearwater and you're headed into the Red Shed to talk to Poppy—best keep an eye on your loot.

See more at www.www.profbodkin.com/rodcarriers.html

Fishing Dog Photo Contest

Posted August 18, 2010 - 2:03pm

Send your dog pics, win big swag!

Dogs and fishing. Can you have one without the other and still enjoy your time on the water as much as you might otherwise? My personal answer is no. And that's a bummer because I'm Labless for the first time in, get this, 31 years. I was looking through photos the other day and categorizing my shots of Moose and Shadow and I realized how many of those shots were classics, some humorous, others sad, some beautiful, and others wreckless.

I imagine many of you have images that are just as entertaining and I thought a contest would be a great way to share a window into the flyfishing with dogs world and offer all of you a shot at some great swag. Fortunately, a bunch of dedicated fly-fishing companies agreed—they are offering rods, hats, sweatshirts, fly lines, etc., to entice plenty of entries. Submission deadline is September 30. Note: only digital images at 300 dpi. No slides. No more than two submissions per e-mail. Make sure to indicate which categories the photos are being entered in. E-mail to: greg@anglerstonic.com


Categories Include:

Sly Dog

Birdy Dog

Dirty Dog

Salty Dawg

Grand Prize: LOOP Opti Double Hand 4-Piece Switch Rod (Suggested retail: $750)

additional prizes from Yellowdog, Hatch, fishpond, Scientific Anglers, Bug Slinger, etc.

G. Loomis NRX Rods

Posted August 17, 2010 - 4:52pm

How to own one, on the cheap, before someone else gets their greedy, scoundrel pawns on it.

Anglers Tonic was delighted to introduce G. Loomis’ new line of NRX fly rods earlier this month.

Simms' Headwaters Backpack

Posted August 15, 2010 - 9:24am

SIMMS’ Headwaters Backpack

Last year I reviewed Simms’ Dry Creek backpack after tooling around southeast Alaska for king salmon, sea-run cutthroat and steelhead. And I found the pack to function great, with a lot of storm protection for my camera gear and food.

Then, on a trip to British Columba’s Dean River in July I watched lodge owner Andrew Bennett hike through the Enchanted Forest and ride quads through the woods with Simms’ Headwaters backpack over his shoulders. He wore it on his back while throwing a spey rod, too. And I had to have one.Andrew Bennett roping into the Dean River canyon with the Headwaters pack on his back.Andrew Bennett roping into the Dean River canyon with the Headwaters pack on his back.

So I phoned Simms, which was generous enough to send a Headwaters pack to Seattle so I could pick it up my way to Alaska. And, after almost two recent weeks in The Great Land, carrying that pack everywhere—meaning on boats, on beaches, and around town—I have no complaints. I think the Headwaters pack is a sweet angling tool made with quality materials.

For instance, the stitching seems excellent and the carry handle held up despite placing an SLR 35mm body, a 17-35 lens, a fixed 60 lens, an 80 to 400 lens, an 18 to 200 lens, an external Speedlight flash, and a fisheye lens in the bag. On top of that I carried a rainjacket, two rod tubes, two reels and a couple fly boxes. The bag was heavily overloaded and probably weighed 30 pounds, maybe more. As mentioned, all stitching held. And I wasn’t uncomfortable carrying that gear because the pack comes with adjustable chest, waist and shoulder straps. It’s set up for a water bladder, but that would have been supreme overkill in my gear-junkie case.

The only thing I found a little difficult to negotiate with this pack is that the large storage compartment is deep but not wide. I had to dig deep each time I wanted a new lens. But how to solve that without making a large pack that defeats the purpose of a smaller, more comfortable pack?

Simms touts this as acceptable for a multi-day trek, but I wouldn’t carry it for a backpacking trip—too small. For day trips, however, this is tough to beat. Here are some additional features:

The pack uses ballistic fabric to avoid wear in high-wear areas

Korkers Boots

Posted July 28, 2010 - 1:55pm

Korkers Guide Wading Boots: The Answer.

Dude what's up with the boots on your feet?

The Beasties sang those words back in the late 1990s and if you had used that line to ask me what I was stomping around with on the Dean last week, I would have answered Korkers homeslice. And that was a good thing because I've suffered through the whole streamTread, Amphibian Rubber, Vibram sole debacle for the past two years, falling in the river more often than ever before.

So Korkers was gracious enough to send a pair of their Guide Wading Boot, which is made with their OmniTrax Interchangeable Sole System. I wanted to try that system to see if I could find better purchase on the stream bottom, and to see if I could use the boots and their different soles for various applications. And I knew I could give them a severe week-long test on the Dean River, which is a broad glacial flow located on British Columbia's central coast.I wore the Korkers Guide Wading Boot for a week on the Dean River and discovered my answer to recent wading woes. I fished them hard and beat on them and nothing failed, not the OmniTrax soles or the unique Boa wire lacing system. Worn hard, put away wet.I wore the Korkers Guide Wading Boot for a week on the Dean River and discovered my answer to recent wading woes. I fished them hard and beat on them and nothing failed, not the OmniTrax soles or the unique Boa wire lacing system. Worn hard, put away wet.

The OmniTrax system offers multiple interchangable soles that pop into the bottom of the boot. A plain felt sole and a trail lug sole are included with each pair of boots. You can also add a studded felt sole, a Kling-On sticky rubber sole, a Studded Kling On sticky rubber sole and a Studded Rubber Mossy Rock lug sole. I found the studded felt sole to be money on the Dean where you wanted the grab of studs, but you didn't need the hardcore lug soles. And the studded felt soles worked well in the boat, too, not being so oversized as to scratch things up or make me slip. The plain felt soles would have worked wonders, too, but I definitely felt more sound wading deep, in heavy current with those spikes. For streams like the Madison, the Gallatin, the Snake, the South Fork Boise and, say, the Yakima, these Korkers Guide Wading Boots with the felt sole with studs would be awesome

Simms Recalls Wading Staffs

Posted July 5, 2010 - 4:42pm

Get The Word Out

I don't post press releases verbatim, but I thought this was an important one to translate exactly. If you know anyone who uses wading staffs let them know about this recall. Thanks.  gt

BOZEMAN, Mont. (For immediate release) – Simms Fishing Products is voluntarily recalling certain models of Simms 2010 Wading Staffs. The affected wading staffs have a detent button that may not engage or can become dislodged making the staff inoperable.

These staffs, offered in two sizes (52" & 56"), are sterling silver in color and are identified by Simms item numbers AWS101152 or AWS101156 (UPC numbers 94264-10102 or 94264-10103). Affected Wading Staffs are visibly identifiable by a silver cable connector (see photo).

The staffs were sold through authorized Simms dealers from March 1, 2010 through June 17, 2010. About 2,000 affected products were sent to retailers. Simms estimates about 1,000 have been purchased by consumers.

The issue was identified through company testing and customer use of the wading staff. No injuries have been reported in conjunction with the defective wading staffs.

Wading Staffs meeting the above criteria should be returned for replacement or refund by contacting Simms directly at 877-789-6555, by contacting an Authorized Simms Retail or by email at recall@simmsfishing.com.

Contact:    John Hoagland

jhoagland@simmsfishing.com

406-922-1249

TroutHunter Leaders and Tippet

Posted July 5, 2010 - 10:16am

Half-Sizes and Super Strength

I spent a lot of time on Silver Creek in the 1990s and I got pretty good at catching trout in all kinds of demanding situations. I learned to use my eyes as a tool in fishing; I learned to stalk trout and not to just stomp up to the bank; I learned that common flies would not take wary trout on a flat-water surface; and I learned that there wasn't the perfect tippet material because, often, 6X was too big and 7X was giving those healthy Silver Creek browns and rainbows too much of an advantage in the fight department.

Rene Harrop, John Stiehl, and Rich Paini developed the new leaders for a simple reason—they were tired of losing big Henry's Fork trout due to failed leaders and tippet.Rene Harrop, John Stiehl, and Rich Paini developed the new leaders for a simple reason—they were tired of losing big Henry's Fork trout due to failed leaders and tippet.

I found similar frustration when fishing other tricky waters, such as Wyoming's Flat Creek and Idaho's Henry's Fork. So, I was pretty excited to speak with Rich Paini last week and hear about the new TroutHunter series of tippets and leaders that are available in fluorocarbon and nylon, and in the half-sizes of 5.5X and 6.5X. Talk about the solution!

Paini partners with Henry's Fork legend Rene Harrop to run TroutHunter fly shop and lodge, which rests on the banks of the 'fork, just upstream from the famous Railroad Ranch section. That's where he and Harrop and a third partner, John Stiehl, have honed their hatch-matching and presentation skills. And that's where the idea of a perfect leader and tippet system arose.

According to the boys, the sole purpose for developing the new material is because, over the years, they lost some good fish due to beat-down tippet. And they don't want that

The Starbucks Barista French Press

Posted June 29, 2010 - 4:58pm

Killer Pot O' Coffee

I'm still taking heat from Starbuck's Nation for bashing their fall-release of VIA instant coffee. Some say I had a bad batch, some say I just hold a grudge against Howard Schultz, Starbucks' owner and the A-hole who sent the Sonics and Durant off to OK City. I just don't like coffee that tastes like bacon, alright.

Well, to make things even I have to pimp a Starbuck's product, that being the Barista French Press. This thing is full metal, dishwasher safe, and it's a godsend on backpacking trips into trout and steelhead country.

Pushing down the grounds in British Columbia.Pushing down the grounds in British Columbia.

 

This post came to mind a couple weeks ago with I was on the water with Jed Fitzpatrick who runs the rivers of western Montana, meaning the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, Rock Creek and Blackfoot. He spends a lot of time on the Big Hole and Beaverhead, too, and that's where I met him, on the Beav for a big night of swilling beers and a following day of morning headache madness followed by a float down the Miracle Mile and a Half.

I was delinquent in packing gear for the trip. I threw a sleeping bag in the back of my truck, I tossed in my rod, waders, boots and fanny pack, I set the camera gear in the back seat, and I filled the cooler with, like 48 Rainiers. Food. Um, forgot it.

That's where Jed came into play. He'd just got off the Big Hole the day prior and still had a cooler full of the good stuff that his clients hadn't eaten. He built great a.m. sandwiches on bagels and then he whipped out a little coffee percolator and said, "There's not much but I can make you some." 

Don't get me wrong: I appreciated my seven sips and it tasted like heaven, but there just wasn't enough to go around. Jed said, "It's just too small," referring of course to the coffee percolator. "And," he added, "it's fragile. You can't really pack this around with you."

So, this post is for Jed because I told him that morning what he need to get and that item is Starbucks' Barista French Press, which is made of all metal, it's dishwasher safe, and it makes plenty of go-juice for two people and enough for four to have real cups of coffee in the a.m.

Be The Streamer: Galloup's Streamer Express

Posted June 28, 2010 - 7:18am

SA Streamer Express

Finally got my hands on Scientific Angler’s new Kelly Galloup Streamer Express fly line and I’ve now had ample time to throw it on a couple sticks and on a couple different waters, including the Big Hole and Madison rivers on rainy, blowy afternoons.

I first threw it on the Sage XP 9’ five-weight, which is a stout stick that’s solid for throwing streamers and nymph rigs with lead. But, the rod seemed a little overmatched with the weight-forward 200-grain head, not completely turned to jelly, but a little slow on the lift.

So I went classic and threw an old, two-piece Sage RP 9’ six-weight, which was the first true fly rod I ever owned, part of payment to my father, Fred Thomas, who illustrated one of Sage’s first catalogues. Fred gave it to me as a high-school graduation present despite my urgings for a car. He made the right choice and I treasure that rod to this day. And it’s one of the best rods that Sage ever made.

So, is it worth it to throw streamers off a specific streamer line with a sinking head or can you continue to get away with a floating line, a couple chunks of lead, and a big streamer?

The answer, of course, is that you can get away with the floater and that lead, but that would be like cutting your lawn with an old, manual push-blade mower instead of dumping some gas in an auto-drive and doing it right.

I like throwing the 200-grain because it turns a streamer over with ease and the retrieve brings the fly back at a uniform depth. In addition, I can lift and snap a streamer right to the bank, give a couple quick strips, then lift and deliver the fly to another sweet pocket in rapid-fire fashion. That means I’ve covering every possible prime spot whereas the guy or gal throwing floaters is missing half the water.

Simms G3 Guide Pant: FOLLOWUP

Posted June 26, 2010 - 8:33am

FOLLOWUP: SIMMS G3 Guide Pant

This is one hell of a wader, the most comfortable that I've ever worn (and I wore it a lot this past winter and spring) but I have discovered something you need to know about this wader, above and beyond what I previously noted.

During this past spring, which was super rainy in Montana, I took a lot of water over the stern, if you know what I mean, courtesy of shorty wading jackets that didn't drop low enough over the back of the wader and, instead, crept up and left the small of my back exposed.

So, should you not buy the G3 Guide Pant? Are you kidding me? This thing is still the most comfortable wader I've ever fished in and I'll choose it over a full wader almost any day. Just fish in them with an appropriate rain jacket near hand and you'll be fine. Here are a few options: Redington's Barrier Island Jacket; SIMMS' G# Guide Jacket; William Joseph Rain Jacket.

gt