Tag Archives: gear bag

Kitchen Sink Will Travel: The Fishpond Westwater Sling Pack

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gear bagSearch the patent office database and you’ll find thousands upon thousands of inventions that are guaranteed to help you catch more fish. Most have never made it to market, because fish are infinitely smarter than anglers.

I’m one of the dummies, but I do think the most marketable incarnations are the ones that make life easy for the fly fisher, like allowing he or she to travel in comfort and convenience; to carry all those useless fly fishing implements with ease. Do that and shops will sell more of the needless things; prosperity reigns supreme. If it’s water-resistant, you don’t soak the camera when you tumble into the river – you hence catch those background images you desperately need for the hero-shot Photoshop jobs – again, victory. Finally, make it extra spacious, and the roadside burrito cart vendor wins too. If you add all of these elements together someone might accuse you of conducting espionage at some top-secret military installation. Or just being the designer of the Fishpond Westwater Sling Pack.

Fishpond Westwater Sling PackBuild quality

If I knew exactly what technique Fishpond used to weld the seams on the Westwater Sling, you probably wouldn’t care anyway. Let’s leave the techno-babble to those geeky marketing types who are clueless as to what actually matters, and just say those seams are welded tight, look great, and feel like they don’t exist at all.

While Fishpond doesn’t bill the Sling as “waterproof” – they opt for “water resistant” – the Sling was clearly built to keep the wet stuff out. I spilled a half can of beer on it, and splashed it with water to clean it off. When I unzipped it to grab another beer, all was nice and dry on the inside. What more proof does an angler need?

The Westwater Sling is contructed of 1680d TPU fabric i.e. very tightly-weaved with a thermoplastic polyurethane laminate. It should be very tough, and nearly waterproof. I loaded it up for numerous trips, did some bush whacking, carelessly tossed it on gnarly rocks, and threw it in a river. Much to my dismay, the Sling took this abuse in stride. After that, I emptied the pack, carted it into the backyard, and stomped all over it while watching South Park re-runs on my mobile timesuck device. The pack lived, and could still hit the blacktie charity circuit.

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New toy immediately reveals it’s a very useful (and versatile) tool

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ca·pit·u·late
verb,
- Cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; surrender.
Synonyms: surrender, give in, yield, submit, succumb

It has been described as evolution, but like most things preached in repetition the more I heard it the more aggressive I became with rejection efforts. At its core it is part of the genre of steelhead and salmon fishing, and at first (and second, and third) blush the idea of downsizing the product for alternative applications seemed like nothing more than marketing flight of fancy.

Finally, sick and tired of the bunk, I undertook the battle to shut the kook-aid drinkers up once and for all. The wallet was opened…

Two-handed tools

The Scott T3h 1106/4 with an Abel Switch reel

To handicap my effort, I used this preconceived blatant waste of my hard-earned dollars to indicator nymph a crowded, didymo-laden tailwater, the source of which had turned over and bled the flow St. Patrick’s Day green. The narrow passage, the thick brush, and the overhanging tree limbs would be my friends. Then, several unexpected things happened…

I chucked heavy rigs ridiculously long distances with next to zero effort. I changed direction mid-cast, with nary a single snag from behind. The rig never once tangled. Finally, I caught fish, albeit few, and yet walked back to the truck with a smile on my face usually reserved for trophy days.

Swinging fat streamers with sinking tips is a foregone conclusion, and while I don’t envision these spey/switch tactics being ultimately useful in pure sight-fishing situations, I do excogitate toting this rig for virtually every other.

Hence, I admit defeat. To those I fought, please accept my sincerest apologies.

MG signing off (because if you can’t beat ‘em, just pick up a two-handed fly rod)

Fly Line Review: Airflo Ridge Tropical (Trio)

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gear bagI’d read a few favorable reviews of these Airflo Ridge lines, listened to Tim Rajeff rave over their unique construction, spent an afternoon throwing pretty roll-casts at fish that never rose to the occasion, and heard the whispers about Keys guides demanding them on clients’ tarpon rods.

Immediately thereafter I threw caution to the spring breeze, called Rajeff Sports (Airflo’s exclusive N. America distributor), and convinced those folks to let me take some of their saltwater models for a spin during a somewhat hastily arranged trip to the Bahamas. The Ridge Tropical Bonefish in WF6-F and WF8-F, and the Ridge Floating Clear Tip Tropical in WF10-F, were what I got, and the lines were fished on Scott S4S’s in 6, 8 and 10 respectively.

It is a tough job, but I figured somebody’s gotta do it. And now that we have entirely dispensed with the clichés, let’s move on to more…

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The Redington/RIO Summer Vacation Package

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gear bagA while back someone near and dear picked fun at the fact that I take care of my fly-fishing gear. I described how I wipe down my rods after each outing. They snickered. How I let my reels air dry in the office. They chuckled. That I occasionally clean my lines with a soft, wet sponge. They laughed out loud.

“I don’t ever leave my rigs in the truck over night.”

Cue tumble on the floor, in tears.

You spend a great deal of money on your fly-fishing gear, so I think you should take care of it. Some folks, however, don’t think you actually need to spend that much money on your equipment, nor give it a polish each time it gets within a 100 feet of water. And we are about to find out if they are right.

Introducing the Redington/RIO Summer Vacation Package…

The Redington/Rio Summer Vacation Package

Will it survive? Only a summer will tell.

Mysterious (yet very useful) bundles do at times arrive on my doorstep after I beg like a spoiled child behind closed doors, but this delivery was wholly arranged in advance. It starts with a Redington Torrent 9′ 7-weight, 4-piece, a fine looking stick in shiny, semi-translucent green. Said rod is paired with a Redington Delta 7/8 reel in “smoke” color, and wrapped within is a hefty helping of Rio Grand WF-7-F. Total retail value is just shy of $550. No bad for a setup that could easily be used on salty flats. But it’s going someplace much worse.

We are going to call this a break from tender loving care. A test of value proposition. Or simply the summer of abuse. I’m betting I’ll destroy this equipment in short order; meanwhile the folks at Farbank (Redington & RIO’s parent company) are going all in that the gear will still be pristine operating condition when I return it to them. I won’t purposely try and break anything, but I will let it bake in the truck, won’t clean a thing, may occasionally will often set it on a pile of rocks instead of laying it gently in the grass, and will otherwise fish it as hard as possible. With heavy tippets. For carp. In the urban South Platte drainage and nearby environs.

I’d say odds right now are even, but we all know the target species clearly has the upper hand in this game of precision and skill unadulterated dumb luck – let’s hope this setup is smart, because we know the angler wielding it needs a whole lotta help. Intermittent reports on the rig’s perform and condition will follow, including but not limited to a repetitively photoshopped pic of the carp I catch this season.

MG signing off (to call on the cyprinid wrecking crew)

Probably Zombie Proof Too: The Fishpond Nimbus Guide Pack

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gear bagYears ago I decided I didn’t want anything hanging off my shoulders besides the dreadful burden of catching fish. So I shed the vest in favor of a waist pack, caught more fish, and consumed more 7-11 Big Bites (which are a great dawn patrol breakfast treat, until you try wiping the dribbled mustard off your shirt while hauling down an elk-strewn road in the pitch black). Soon after I wondered why my pack’s waist straps started shrinking.

Back and forth I went, vest to pack, pack to vest, until I found what I thought was the ultimate fly-fishing accoutrement storage, the ole’ Mountainsmith Tour. I ran with it, touting its utility, relishing in its capacity…while secretly pissing and moaning about all the straps dangling from it, and finally settling on it being perpetually slung over my shoulder because it was so difficult to spin around for access when lashed over my hips. Yes, purpose defeated.

Fishpond Nimbus Guide PackWhat did I really want in a fly-fishing waist pack? Lots of capacity…lots! And the fewer compartments the better – one biggie accessible from the top would be supreme. Ace the custom features otherwise designed for holding floatant, dry shake, and pliers – all the things that either wind up in a shirt pocket or don’t get carried in at all. Easy in/out access for big C&F boxes, and wide hip padding so I didn’t have to split myself in two to keep the loaded pack from hitting my ankles. Go minimal “strappage” (otherwise designed for Everest expedition participants). Let’s also throw in excess room, after the stones, terrestrials, dries, nymphs and beads extra dries, for a can of bear spray Guinness.

I queried the innermost reaches of my feeble mind for clues as to why the fly-fishing industry couldn’t produce such an accessory, and concluded they just didn’t listen, just didn’t care, were focused on the almighty dollar, and that I was the sole anal retentive in a world of magnanimous, wholly satisfied anglers. Then one day early last fall I woke up a package arrived on my doorstep. Contained within was suspension of disbelief, and I immediately checked the gear closet for electronic surveillance devices. Would this thing actually go to market, or was it just a cruel joke? My suspicions were unfounded – it was real, and the answer to my prayers – the zombie antidote I ordered online after watching Resident Evil too many times Fishpond Nimbus Guide Pack.

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Long-Term Rod Review: Scott S4S 906/4

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gear bagI’ve pulled off a few half-fast rod reviews in the past, only to find some quirk down the road that made me dislike the stick. And go looking for something new. Hence, this review is long term, as I’ve owned the Scott S4S 906/4 for better than eighteen months now.

As rods go, I’ve pared down my quiver considerably in the past few years. The goal: update my rigs while making them serve multiple duties. Let’s face it, premium fly rods are a significant investment—when you plow money into a business venture, you look for multiple revenue streams, so why not look to use your expensive fly rods for multiple situations and multiple species? Over the last year and a half I’ve spent more time with Scott’s saltwater six than any other rod I own. And as a result, I will likely spend more time with it going forward… than any other rod I own.

Scott S4s fly rodThe S4S 906/4 is my go-to carp rod, loaded with (what else?) a Rio Carp. It’s the only rod I use for bass, slinging a Rio Bass. I use it for trout too, when ugly meat is required, on the end of a 200gr SA Streamer Express. And I’ve watched my flats-guide-for-a-day whip an entire Rio Bonefish (that’s a hundred feet, by the way) out with a swift wind smacking him straight in the face. He wouldn’t let me cast the stick off his boat, and after it was in his hands he wouldn’t give it up either—this was advanced casting lesson time, so I just thanked him for the instruction. And tucked my 8-weight between my legs.

As far as the rod fit and finish goes, everything is built just as precisely as the Scott S4s 908/4 I reviewed last year. And it looks exactly the same too, so you can take a look at pictures here. I acquired this puppy after inquiring directly to Scott – my specs were as follows:

I want a stick that is lighter than my average carp rod, bold enough to huck Meat Whistles around my (no longer secret) bass pond, and capable of joyful response while doing the sinking line/Sex Dungeon thing Kelly Galloup style. In addition, I want it to feel right with a skinnier reel i.e. under 6oz, and be willing to get the ever-living crap kicked out of it without looking like it needs a trip to the emergency room. Catch my drift?

The folks in Montrose replied: You need an S4s 906/4.

Since delivery I’ve doubled the rod over, exposed it to the salt, slung streamers all day long (tossing six pound rainbows overboard like dinks after this catch), and podium-ed in a tourney with it.

I spent hard-earned dollars on this rod, but it’s been worth every penny—it is, without question, the the most versatile fly rod I have fished with to date. It isn’t soft enough for really short shots—you have to overline it, like I did with the Rio Carp in 7-weight. But the fatter lines, like the Rio Bass, the SA GPX, and the sinkers like the Streamer Express, engage the stick like the shifter on a 911.

Did Scott get this rod absolutely perfect? Nope… I probably can’t easily turn over a #22 midge on the end of a ten foot 6X leader with it. But I haven’t bothered trying. That is cold-water “fancy” fishing—pristine conditions, smaller targets, fine scotch afterwards. The S4s 906/4 is all e.coli, barbed-wire fences, violent targets, and knocking off a case of PBR during the post-game show. I like those situations, but then again trudging around Denver’s South Platte hasn’t sent me to the hospital yet either. Knock on high-modulus graphite.

I’m not sure Scott was planning on offering anything other than a lightweight, light wind, light-prey, salty handler when they were designing the S4S 906/4, but they wound up with something much more special. It takes a little time to learn its intricacies (i.e. I went through several lines before I found the sweet spots), but everyone else can now fade those trades—the lines mentioned above fit like gloves. After the cast you’ll likely never feel outgunned either.

I definitely haven’t.

MG signing off (because you never show up to a gunfight with a knife, but you might be able to hold your own with this fly rod)

FTC Disclosure: The rod was acquired in exchange for cold hard cash. And nothing more.

Rod Review: Scott S4S 906/4

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Scott Fly RodsIt has become my favorite stick for…just about everything except throwing the daintiest of dries on the tiniest of tippet (what a silly thing to do anyway, eh?) – the Scott S4S 906/4. It’s the baddest soldier in my squad, and it’ll remain that way until it dies or I find something better – the latter seems unlikely right now, and the whole if/or scenario is © Starship Troopers.

Read the entire rod review over at MidCurrent, where I conclude that the S4S 906/4 won’t guarantee you a case of angling-acquired tetanus, but will get you a little closer to the goal line. And that, my friends, is what fly-fishing [should be] all about.

MG signing off (because I wouldn’t use this rod for marlin or tarpon, but the average bear is more than fair game)

Carrying On: The Innovative Nomad Fly-Fishing Guide Net

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gear bagAs fly fishers, we are constantly inundated with marketing pomp disguised as newfangled gadgetry that will help us catch more fish. A rod made of materials fresh off the space shuttle, a drag designed in conjunction with Brembo and Team Ferrari, or a line that both defies gravity and the visible light spectrum (unless you’re wearing the matching sunglasses) — it is all pitched as the fast-track to fly-fishing success. I’ve got zero problem with gear manufacturers doing this, and I applaud each and every angler that buys into the latest and greatest. You likely purchased something you will have forever. That is, until you tear it up. And subsequently buy a more aesthetically pleasing replacement.

Nomad Fly Fishing

Nomad Guide Model

When it comes to the landing net — a near-ubiquitous fly-fishing tool, I don’t often carry one. I find them clunky, difficult to manage when using a waist pack, and prone to alien abduction. Further, having owned several classic hand-constructed nets, I’ve wound up beating them into submission (i.e. wearing the finish off, watching them de-laminate, etc.) and then borrowing someone else’s when the need arose. So when I first laid eyes on upstart Nomad Fly-Fishing’s Guide model net, fashioned with new age materials, the first thing that crossed my mind was fail.

After the laugh, I picked it up, ran my hands across the rubberized finish, twirled it around like a baton (re: my marching band days), and tried bending the handle over my knee. Then I called the manufacturer to plead for a test model.

As specifications go, the net measures 48″ from tip to tail. The basket is 18″ long by 13″ wide (at its widest point), and the basket is roughly 12 1/2 inches deep at its center (accounting for the sag in the 11″ diameter flat section molded into its bottom). It weighs just 16.8 ounces, basket included. That’s ounces, not pounds. Yep, it’s light, and it got that way via a fiberglass/carbon composite. Add the balanced feel and that’s one problem — clunkiness — solved.

Cody Hoeckelberg, fellow Trout’s Fly Fishing store staffer, took the net out several times, on wading adventures, in a boat, and along while float-tubing. Here’s what he had to say:

The net tucked down easily behind my pack, and stayed relatively out-of the way of my legs. But the really huge upside to the net is the fact that it floats on the surface of the water, and does not creep down over time. It’s perfect for any kind of boater, and was easy to manage from my float tube. Even better, the Nomad is very durable. The one I tested took a few rock bites when my “lady friend” attempted to land a trout for me, and it got kicked off the boat a few times too. But it shows nary a sign of abuse.

Nomad Fly Fishing

A carp succumbs to the Nomad

And that’s after I had a go at it. I dragged the net around in two canyons, spending a decent amount of time netting fish while also using the Nomad as a walking stick. Since the manufacturer probably hopefully isn’t reading this, I’ll also admit I purposefully threw the net against rocks, jammed the basket under a few more while landing fish, and stomped on the handle with cleated boots. I couldn’t kill it either. When I wasn’t engaged in attempted “neticide,” the thing was stuffed behind my waist pack. Sure, the long handle is better suited for boat work, but the rubberized finish is dead serious in the no-slip department — while walking I simply pulled it up and it stayed put.

I’ve showed the net to several guides, most of whom immediately suggested the basket needs to be expanded. But they agreed that for the average trout or bass the existing Nomad configuration would work just fine. I also pondered how a bigger basket would act on a float during heavier flows, but then realized I’m not a guide (and I don’t even own a boat). Heck…we landed carp in the darn thing, and those critters are all about the death match! Ok, so their tail was a little cramped — I’ve got little room to argue. But Kevin Best, proprietor of Nomad Fly-Fishing, told me he’s already working on a bigger basket to satisfy professional guide needs anyway.

Nomad fly fishing

27" of measurement fun

“I’m really sorry MG, but nothing is going to convince me to carry around an obvious boat net while wading.” Well you must feel lucky [punk], because you don’t have to. Nomad has another model — same basket, with an 8″ handle, and it weighs just 12.3 ounces. And if you still have mixed feelings, the company already has plans for a mid-length handle too.

Personally, I don’t want to loose the finest touch on the Nomad — the measuring marks up to twenty-seven inches. If only to perpetuate the dream. I figure why have two nets (one for wading, one for boating) when I can make do with one? Which covers yet another issue: that I’m a cheapskate.

Finally, an innovation I can really use.

MG signing off (because I couldn’t break the net, so I might as well take a break)

FTC Disclosure: The net was loaned to me, so I can say what I want about it.

The last fishing net you may ever need

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Nomad Fly-FishingAs the manufacturer suggested, I took a boat net on a stroll. I really wanted to toss in “cause that’s how I roll”, but that sounds so marketing-esqe/cute really fricken stupid. Instead, I bent the darn thing over my knee, and sprained it (meaning: the knee). Threw it against rocks, and tried shoveling gravel out of the riverbed with it. Then I stomped on it with cleated wading boots. After imagining I’d lost it (only to realize it was so light I barely noticed it was stuffed behind my waist pack).

When none of that worked, I handed the Nomad Guide Net to a guy half my age – he tried drowning it, but the beast just would not die. And my colleague even noted he liked the way it looked.

Read the full review of the last fishing net you may ever need over at MidCurrent.

MG signing off (to give the net back to its rightful owner, albeit not without a fight)

Having fallen for the Fishpond Prairie Grass Kit Bag

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I haven’t been much for fancy luggage since an upscale suit bag I was toting disappeared from a baggage claim area in 1995. I’ve used plain brown wrapper ever since.

Then last month I decided to attempt a week-long bonefishing trip with nothing more than a carry-on bag. I went rummaging through the ziploc storage, but they were all full of year-old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I made last time I thought a zombie invasion was imminent. And I’d already calculated that I needed somewhere north of 2,000 cubic inches anyway.

After several vain attempts to assemble a custom duffle out of a half-dozen tall kitchen garbage bags, Aqua Seal, duct tape, and superconducting magnets, I perused several online catalogs for something that might fill the void. The Fishpond Prairie Grass Kit Bag, at a 2,600 cu.in. capacity and measuring just 18″ x 12″ x 13″ seemed like the perfect solution. I could cram it full of Ibuprofen, Alka Seltzer, and Emergen-C and still make it by the gate agent. Hopefully.

As the saying goes, a bad day fishing is still better than a good day working. In this case I was being forced to do both, but the Prairie Grass Kit Bag did not fail. I got everything I needed into it, and even wound up bringing home two unworn t-shirts. I was a little underpowered as content creation goes (the iPad still has a long way to go in the productivity department), but I brought way too many flies, one too many lines, and seeing as I’m not all that fond of barracuda stealing entire rigs (even if somebody else’s fly is on the end) I probably could have left another reel at home too.

In other words, this bag did it’s job and then some. And while I’m not big on fancy accessories – no wanna-be dreg of fly-fishing society should be – there’s nary a snowball’s chance in hell I’m going to part with this puppy.

What features solidified this bag as a keepsake? Well I’ll tell you…

  • The easily accessible side compartments for storing the vast array of electronics that all travelers are forced to purchase at Best Buy hours before their trips (and that the TSA wants easy access to)
  • The easily removable, clear toiletries bag full of shampoos and cosmetics and such that every person except a bald man going on a fishing trip needs (and that the TSA wants presented in full view)
  • The bag’s overall size, which when stuffed to the gills with flies, reels, and seven changes of underwear spare fly lines still fits (snugly) in perpetually shrinking airliner overhead compartments
  • The hinged zippered top, which made it easy to access the goods within without wrinkling the silk smoking jacket I wore to the Slack Tide each evening

Will I be replacing my standard plastic bucket for hauling sloppy wet, eColi-infested carping boots around? Probably not, even though the bag could easily handle it. But the Prairie Grass Kit Bag is now definitely my go-to piece of luggage for overnight, even multi-night, trips where I can save $50 bucks in baggage check fees and at least appear like I’m a productive member of society.

MG signing off (to plan another minimalist trip, safe in the presumption that I won’t need any superconducting magnets)

FTC Disclosure: The bag was provided at no charge, but with no obligation to write a review on it either.