First Smallie on the Fly!

Had a chance to do a float with good dog friends, Mike Schultz of Schultz Outfitters and Florida Keys guide and Ross/SA pro, Capt. Bruce Chard. Schultzy put Chard and myself on an unending supply of river smallmouhth who were on a late-season feeding binge. In spite of over 20 years of chasing the big 3 down in the Keys, Chard had never caught a smallmouth on a fly. Here was his first connection- a solid river fish to start the day!

An Award Winner!

My good friend Martin Bawden of the Flymen Fishing Company received two "Best of Show" awards at the recent International Fly Tackle Dealer Show. The first, for the Best Fly Tying Material and Equipment went to the new Sculpin Helmut that was rleased at the show. This weighted head brings a whole new dimension to tying creepy, crawly, bottom hugging patterns. Sculpin, gobies, madtoms, and even crabs can be imitated with the Sculpin Helmut that is available in two sizes and colors.

Spey Testing

Dog friend Spey junkie and Patagonia Fishing Ambassador, Jeff Liskay, does an evaluation of Scott's new L2H, 11'6" 8-wt. switch rod. The L2H rods feature an innovative blank technology that helps to reduce torque. This give a smooth transfer of power and increased stability when change of direction is made. Components are top grade with Super-grade cork, TiCh reel seat and TiCh stripping guides with SiC inserts.

Teamed up with both a 400 gr. SA Scandi Extreme and a 440 gr. SA Skagit Exteme lines, the L2H 1158 is a rocket launcher with plenty of reserve power. It is feather-light in hand and gets a double thumbs up from the casting geeks.

A New Era in Wading Technology!

Patagonia opened a new chapter in wading technology with the first public showing of the River Crampon and the Rock Grip Aluminum Bar Wading Shoe at the International Fly Tackle Dealer Show. Both items were the brainchild of Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard. In fact, the original River Crampon prototypes were built in the Tin Shed in Ventura, CA, where Chouinard built climbing pitons.

The River Crampon and Wading Shoe incorporate a series of aluminum bars which increase the contact area and provide a sure-grip on rock, cutting through any snot or slime present. If you have ever put an aluminum canoe up on a rock and had to get it off, you'll uderstand.

With over a year in testing, both products have been used on some of the most treacherous wading areas there are- Montana's Madison River, the Ponoi River in Russia, and both the Dean and Skeena Rivers in British Columbia. They will be available January 1, 2012.

New Lines from Scientific Anglers!

This is the first of a series of posts highlighting new products from the just-finished International Fly Tackle Dealer Show in New Orleans. Top fly fishing manufacturers were on hand to showcase new products for the 2012 season.

Scientific Anglers introduced a number of new lines into their Mastery Textured series. Textured lines feature a dimpled finish that reduces friction and surface tenison. This allows the line to be cast farther with less effort and float higher, allowing for easier line pick up and mending.

The Textured Streamer Express lines handle easier in a wider range of temperatures with reduced tangles when lying on the floor of a boat. These lines also feature the SA ID system where the name and weight are printed on the line.

Silver Bullet

Dr. Jamie Mathias holds a fresh silver char/dolly just in to feast on sockeye eggs. Most of the ones we caught were in this size rnge and they hit beads, swung streamers, and even dry flies. The arrival of sockeye salmon in the Naknek lake tributaries starts a feeding spree for all species present. Bears also timed their arrival to coincide with the sockeye.