What’s floating your fishing boat this year?
Monday morning and here we are in the last week of January already! Time definitely seems to wait for no man and meanwhile we are doing our best to advance the way we live with each day that goes buy. For example I have to say that plugging my iPhone into a dock and listening to live radio still amazes me. So with tunes streaming over the broadband and a hot cup of tea I started thinking about innovation in fishing gear.
Even though the act of catching a fish can be broken down into a set of relatively simple processes there is no doubt that the technology available to us today is developing our enjoyment and overall success. For sure great gear, “god with a rod” does not make , but there is a lot more to our fishing experiences than megabyte starved memory sticks filled with fish. Isn’t it a pleasure just owning nice tackle for starters? Are we not all closet “tackle tarts”? I put my hands up and admit that I am and 2011 is going to be no exception. So what is floating my fishing boat on the tackle scene?
How could I start without mentioning SINTRIX™? SIN … what? I am sure you have heard but Hardy have been busy incorporating a 3M designed material into fly rods. The overall result is Silica Nano Matrix which sounds like it should have a lot more to do with an Apple iPhone than a mere fishing rod! All sorts of statements and views are flying around over the internet but there can be no doubting the buzz surrounding this product which is being touted as the biggest development in rod technology for 25 years. I got my hands on the saltwater version known as the Proaxis last year and was utterly blown away, meanwhile the freshwater Zenith has just won one of George Anderson’s famous “shoot-outs”, read more about that here The claims are that this rod comes in at around 60% stronger and 30% lighter than similar models in its class, made possible by binding carbon fibre together with a resin incorporating silica nano spheres. Enough of the jargon; this is definitely one to watch.
A little less exciting but nonetheless practical is the all new Wychwood Competition Reel Case. Don’t be put off by the word “competition” because although this product has been designed around anglers who frequent the match circuit it still offers a host of features which will be beneficial during an everyday session. The capacity is enormous, up to 18 spools can be stored with ease and there is room for a number of reels plus lots of little cubby hole pockets for those all important accessories. But what makes this a step up from other reel cases is the innovative T Fold design which packs down into a compact unit enabling the bag to be carried around a lake using the carry strap or conveniently positioned ready for action while boat fishing. There is even a waste tippet dispenser! My reels will soon be located in this pent house reel case which funnily enough was created by a gentleman who once made his living designing mobile phones!
They have been around for a while but it was Lewis who got me interested in the Varivas range of leaders and so I intend, in the words of Fawlty, to “give them a damn good thrashing!” Of course the whole idea of a tapered leader is not to thrash and these Varivas products have been developed to provide sublime presentation. In particular the Specialist Dry Fly and Underwater Nymph leaders look interesting while I will be keen to get out and thoroughly test the flat butt system. You can find out more here
For the last couple of seasons my glass Costa 580s have never been far away and it is hard to see how they could be bettered. I guess that some may say that a glass lens produces a heavy pair of shades and of course such quality does not come cheap. Costas solution has been to launch a rang of Polycarbonate lenses in 2011 that are incredibly light and come in at below £200 per set. Granted Costas are never going to be cheap but if you are into visual fishing then the investment is well worth it, attach to a decent lanyard (you are much more likely to lose them than break them!) and be amazed by the underwater viewing ability enabled by a set of Costas. I can find little difference between the Glass or Polycarbonate lens although I will be interested to see how durable the new product is. After two seasons there is not a scratch on my glass Costas.
This post could become an essay because there is so much quality gear coming on to the market and I have not even started on my new found interest in light tackle lure fishing! But it would be churlish to end without at least a fleeting reference to those all important flies. Not more flies! What can possibly be new? Flies are variations on a theme for sure but there is no doubting Iain Barrs ability to innovate new patterns and 2011 is no exception. A few days back an interesting Jiffy bag fell through the door and upon opening a host of mouth watering creations greeted me including some stunning looking nymphs. Will they make it to the favourite flies section by the end of the year?
Who knows? All I can say is that even though we have a few weeks to go until the season properly begins to fire it at least feels like 2011 is now well on the way.
Seasonal Fly Thoughts
It is around about this time that I start thinking about my fly boxes. Forgotten, battered and often in need of replenishment after another long season of guiding.
There was a time in my life that I was able to tie flies every day, line up neat rows and gaze adoringly at them while dreaming of future adventures. But that was a long time ago; in fact I was a kid. During my late teens I was still tying a lot and even in my early twenties, but the day to day responsibility of running a shop soon stopped that lark. Slowly but surely all those patterns got lost, given away or moved on during one of my mass “pre-season” clear outs. Eventually my tying gear was boxed up and the vice lay dormant.
So for the last few years I have been relying heavily on what the commercial market has to offer. For my Trout flies I certainly have no hesitation in stocking up with the many, varied and innovative patterns offered by Iain Barr. Based mainly around still-water fishing, Iain has also started to introduce some interesting river patterns. Meanwhile Fulling Mill launched their very popular “Tactical Series”, comprising a range of well proportioned barbless patterns aimed at river anglers. There is no doubt that these flies have scored hundreds (quite possibly thousands) of fish for my clients during the last few years. But …. just sometimes I want something more. Perhaps a little less hackle; or maybe a bit more? A scruffier body, a more visible (and buoyant) wing post and frequently just a little more weight in the case of many subsurface patterns.
There is also a great deal of satisfaction to be drawn from the process of taking a bare hook, lashing a few materials to it and winding up with something that a fish will mistake for its food. So, I am going to dust down those boxes, oil up the vice and try to tie a few flies each week. Daily will not be possible; that’s for sure. But I reckon if I add 20 per week to my collection then each month I will have those “fall back” patterns that I so often wish I had while at the waters edge.
I guess that a New Year is a great time to make plans like this and also a good test of will power which is why I have signed up to this WordPress postaweek2011 scheme to make sure that I blog at least once a week. There is a once a day scheme too. Maybe next year!
