fishpond’s Westwater Collection

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Greg Thomas

FishPond rolled out it’s Westwater Collection at the International Fly Tackle Dealer Show in Reno this past August and I decided that I had to have the Westwater Guide Lumbar Pack.

Here’s why: Since I wore a Patagonia hiking-specific fanny pack back in the 1990s and early 2000s I haven’t found a pack that offers great lumbar support and is large enough to carry multiple fly boxes, a flask, tippet spools, and so, so importantly, my 35 millimeter Nikon with an attached lens and, possibly, a backup lens.

That’s why this pack attracted my eye; it’s cavernous, simple and water resistant. It only weighs 1.4 pounds and, yet, it offers 460 cubic inches of space. With its water repellent shell and welded seams this thing is pretty Continue reading →

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Redington’s Sonic Pro Jacket

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Greg Thomas

Got this jacket back in the summer and waited patiently for the fall weather to come in. But I didn’t get a chance to really see what it could do until I was in Quebec, fishing Atlantic salmon with Camp Bonaventure and Salmon Lodges on the Gaspe Peninsula. That’s when a big storm blew in, with lightening, thunder, and a major deluge of rain.

My guides clamored under an umbrella with a photographer friend, but I Continue reading →

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Fishing For White Sturgeon in Hell’s Canyon, Idaho

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Greg Thomas

Idaho Power Company biologists have completed the first of a three-year survey of white sturgeon and report a diverse population of healthy fish in the lower Snake River between the utility’s Hells Canyon Dam and Lower Granite Dam, which is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. From mid-June to mid-October, biologists studied a 140-mile stretch of the Snake River to capture, tag, weigh and measure white sturgeon. The crew recorded more than 630 live captures across a wide range of weights and sizes. The study yielded sturgeon as short as 1.8 feet, weighing 1.3 pounds, all the way up to a Read More

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Scientific Anglers Tippet Material and New Tippet Spools

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Greg Thomas

Scientific Anglers, which has been a great supporter of my work over the years, offered some new tippet spools this past spring, and they worked well for me this summer and fall.

The new spools offer a very slim profile so that they pack easily into a vest of pack. The centers of these spools are free wheeling and can be set into two positions. If you pop the center hub out the spool can clip into another spool. When its retracted you get that super-thin profile. The actual spools are UV treated to protect the tippet material. And the spool also harbors a built-in cutter. That came in handy when my nippers were swimming somewhere in my fanny pack this year.

Each spool of tippet, 0X to Continue reading →

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Top British Columbia Winter Steelhead Options

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Greg Thomas

I am so, so easy. Watched a steelhead video yesterday and now I have nothing else in my mind but tying Pick-Yer-Pockets and swinging for big, bright coastal steelhead. It will be a while before I do so, but I’m planning where to go and when. Here’s a short article from Outdoor Canada that may help you to find some winter steel, too.

Nothing compares to fishing the wild rivers of B.C. Here are some of the best:

Chilliwack: Better known as the Vedder, this Lower Mainland river is the province’s most heavily pressured yet productive winter steelhead water. It has mixed runs of wild and hatchery fish—as many as 10,000 in some years. The fishing kicks off in early December and peaks in mid- to late January. The fish typically vary between five and Continue reading →

Posted in British Columbia, CANADA, Northwest, Spey, Travel | 4 Comments

Let The Training Begin for Mountain Biking 2013

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Greg Thomas

I am not a bad ass. These guys are bad asses. That or they are stupid. Actually, I applaud these guys for challenging their bravery and being great athletes. Check out this Red Bull downhill mountain biking event and you’ll agree. The only thing I don’t like about this video is watching people manipulate the landscape. Seriously, check out the size of that boulder they break off. Must be in Utah. Do they have enough turf like that to be sacrificing it? Honestly, I don’t know the answer. Do you? If so, please share.
I doubt many of you know that I like mountain biking just as much as I like rowing boats and fishing. I didn’t do much of it this past summer, not even in the past four or five years. Life got in the way. But I’m committing to a return and I want to participate in another 24-hour race. I rode in the 24 Hours of Rappleje several years back, then wrote a story for The New York Times about it. Thought maybe all of you would enjoy that read, so I’m attaching it here. Also have the video here for you, so check it out.

Continue reading →

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Tube Fly Tyers Unite—New Vice Just For You

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Greg Thomas

I have not used this vice, but the press release came across my bow yesterday and I thought you steelhead and salmon guys might like to be aware. I haven’t tied tube flies, but I’ve used a few and some guides swear by them. I don’t like the way the tube runs down the leader when you land a fish and lift it for a photo. Looks odd to me. But you can’t deny that tube flies work. So here you go, you make the call. This could be a sweet tool if Continue reading →

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Supernatural Steelhead Video

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Greg Thomas

Thought all of you West Coast steelhead dudes would like to take a look at this. I love the scene where he’s swinging the tailout. Just looks perfect to me. I watch this short trailer and say, “Damn man, I got to get out there soon.” Is that really going to happen? Maybe not in November and maybe not in December, but boys, I’ll be hitting cold metal in January, February and March. British Columbia, here I come.

Posted in British Columbia, Culture, Northwest, Photography, Spey | Tagged | Leave a comment

Image of The Week: Shore Lunch Deschutes-Style

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Greg Thomas

I took this shot in August while floating Oregon’s Deschutes River with fellow writer Chris Santella. When we stopped for lunch Santella put his final touch on our sandwiches, fresh blackberries from a nearby vine. After lunch I walked over to the bush and ate more handfuls of those wonderful berries. Then we headed for the river and hooked Continue reading →

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Reflections from Quebec

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Greg Thomas

I’ve been home from Quebec for nearly two months and I am still recalling how awesome that trip was. I’ve been revisiting it quite a bit lately, having spent the last few days penning my piece about it for Fly Rod & Reel. That article will come out in the winter issue, which is slated to hit the shelves around mid-December. In the meantime, I wanted to share Continue reading →

Posted in CANADA, Photography, Travel, US & Canada | Tagged , , | 2 Comments