I swear I've written about these before...but I searched the blog and I guess I never did. Maybe it was on Facebook or perhaps even a fishing forum, who knows.
Anyway, I've been somewhat intrigued by the concept of these photography tanks (Photariums) for quite some time, probably as long as I've been fishing.
Photo: Wild Fish Conservancy
The benefits are pretty clear. The fish stays in the water allowing you time to observe, measure, and get some pretty good photos of it. I kind of geek out at stuff like that. Would imagine it makes the "Keep 'em Wet" crowd happy too.
In addition to the retail versions available through the Wild Fish Conservancy, there are plenty of homemade versions floating around on blogs and forums if you look hard enough. Heck, one doesn't even have to look that hard, Photariums have even made the rounds on prominent websites from time to time, I've just personally never taken the plunge.
I guess it comes down to price and necessity. You know, the whole, "do I really need it, do I want to spend that much on it, and am I really going to use it?" Even the smallest one from the WFC store runs about $60. Eh, at least I tend to catch small trout.
Nevertheless, I still think they're pretty cool. Maybe I'll finally break down this year.
Or maybe not.
So what do you think about toting around a plexiglass rectangle when you go fishing?
In today's Throwback Troutrageous! (TBT!) post we go back in time to January 2009. Before I became a snobby fly angler, I was all about spin-fishing and accumulating any type of inline spinner I could find. Mepps, Panther Martin, even tiny brands you've probably never heard of. I opened up one of my Plano boxes to show what sort of hardware I was chucking. Coincidentally, this might be the first time that Len Harris (aka "Spinner") was ever mentioned on this blog. His presence in internet fishing forums used to be legendary, (I don't frequent many forums anymore, so not sure if he's still active telling his stories or posting his "where would you cast" photos). Today, you'll most likely find him on his fantastic The Stream of Time blog. Anyway, check out all this METAL - and if you have a favorite inline spinner, I'd love to know what it is. They're nothing but effective. I was partial to the Wyld Edge Bezerkers, but I don't even think the company that made them is in business anymore...
I was on the PAanglers forum the other day and read a thread (started by "Spinner") that showed what kind of lures he kept in his tackle box. There was a little bit of dialogue following, with some other folks chiming in on their favorites, so I thought it might be fun to show what is in my tackle box 9 times out of 10 when I go out for trout.
First off, I really like these double sided Plano Stowaway tackle boxes. I use model #3449. They are small, compact, and perfect to toss in a fishing vest or jacket pocket. They hold a lot too. which makes them very convenient if you like to bring a large arsenal on the water (like me). I'm all about swapping lures if a particular color or configuration isn't working, so the more the merrier for me.
Side one: Joe's Flies, Rooster Tails, Wyld Edge Bezerkers (my favorites!), Mepps Elix (now discontinued), Fish Creek Nitro Mites, and a small and indispensable Leatherman Squirt tool (with pliers). I usually also cram in some Tin Split Shot & Assorted Hooks in case I want to fish with a bait (usually waxworms) instead of lures.
Side two: Mepps Little Wolf Spoon, Wyld Edge Baby Bezerkers, Fish Creek Armadillos (a great change-up!), & Homemade spinners in assorted varieties. The lures I make myself vary from very standard to resemble Panther Martins or Mepps XDs, to what I call my Michelin Man (a lure that closely resembles a CP Swing), to random contraptions of leftover brass bodies and beads. All of them tend to catch fish rather well - and I tend to stay in the gold & silver family as far as colors go.
Have you seen the Kickstarter for the Tiny Ten yet?
No... Well, it's essentially a launch campaign for a really small tenkara-ish rod, both collapsed (20cm) and fully extended, (1.5m, or about 5 feet long). No, this isn't an "all purpose rod," rather a rod that is to target small fish 10 inches and under. A mountain stream, brook trout rod of sorts.
If this is of interest, here's a LINK to the campaign, as well as some more info below. With a donation of only $35, one of these should be yours come January...
Tiny Ten: Fun, Simple, and Affordable
Tiny Ten is a rod specifically designed for fishing small mountain creeks and Alpine streams. Based off of the principles of Tenkara, the Japanese fixed line style of fly fishing, the rod is highly portable, easy to use, and an excellent way to catch small mountain trout.
This rod is the scalpel of rods. The delicacy of this rod makes ever a 3" brook trout a thrill to catch.
In reviewing the world of Instagram the other day, I stumbled across Six Waters, a relative new entry to the fishing apparel scene. Their stuff is pretty cool.
So who is Six Waters? Well, their website explains that it's the dynamic duo of Dave Blackhurst & Sam Parkinson, "...just a couple of Utah dudes with a passion (ok maybe an addiction) for Fly Fishing and the Outdoors."
Being friendly with Dave from some other online endeavors, I popped him a quick note to get a little more backstory on who they are, what they're up to, and what their plans might be for Six Waters.
We wanted to give another spin on the lifestyle fishing apparel world. We know we are a small fish in a very big river but we love what we do. Sam and I have been fly fishing together for 20 years and thought it was time to get in the industry a bit more.
Sam and I come up with a bunch of great ideas and then I will head to the computer and start designing. I have been a graphic design for 20 years and I love what I do. Sam is such an awesome photographer and Instagram guru that we thought our designs and marketing team could get the word out about the new company.
We loving living in Utah with our families and any chance we can to get out and fish. We both love every aspect of fly fishing from Tenkara to getting out in the middle of the night with a mouse pattern.
So far our best selling item has been the "trout" shirt and hat. This simple design has been great for us. We are looking to release much more designs in the coming days. Eventually, we would like to get much more feedback from everyone on Instagram on the designs we want to release. We are also looking forward to doing collaboration work with other fly fishing companies to get some more awesome t-shirt designs.
So there you go. Just two regular guys like you and me giving fly fishing apparel a shot. Did they hook you? I think they're going to get me to bite at the Roadtrip tee...
The Kickstarter community has been very generous to fishing ideas in the past. Two companies that immediately come to mind that absolutely crushed it on the fund-raising platform are Taylor Reels & the Tenkara Rod Co. I'm always keen on checking out what's new before it's new, so thought I'd highlight some fly fishing Kickstarters currently in progress...
Looking to "deliver the highest quality fly fishing rod directly to you for the lowest possible price," Focus is offering what they call a $800 Focus Foresight fly rod for $300 (actually slightly less).
At the time of researching this article, this Idaho-based company was a little over halfway to their $15K goal, with 16 days to go...
Streem Outdoors is also looking to provide some value for the hard earned dollar. And with many different models, lengths, & weights, it looks like there might be a rod or reel to your liking. "We’re distinguished from other great offerings by our passion by making fly fishing accessible and comfortable for anyone who loves the outdoors. We believe that truly great outdoor products don’t need to ransom other loves in your life. We focus on engineering and designing fly rods, reels and other products with performance that makes our competitors embarrassed to sell theirs at twice the price. And to prove this point, Streem reigns above the rest with our lifetime warranty on all fishing rods."
At the time of researching this article, Streem Outdoors was also a little over halfway to their $20K goal, with 21 days to go.
Last but not least is one that I personally backed, Daniel Galhardo/Tenkara USA's tenkara - the book.
I probably should have called this out here already, but this Kickstarter hit its $10K goal in like a day, didn't seem like it needed the extra push. That said, if you're into tenkara (like me) and by chance haven't heard of this project yet, it's a must have.
At the time of researching this project, tenkara - the book, had surpassed it's funding goal of $10K by more than 3X, with 4 days to go.
Sorry, meant to post these last week, but just getting to it now. These are the last few IFTD-related product press release emails I received that grabbed my attention. Perhaps there's something below that will catch yours too...
Pure Fishing
Pure Fishing is the company that owns many fishing brands - Hardy, Hodgman, Fenwick, & Pflueger (to name a few), and they had sent me an email calling out a slew of new products, starting with this new Hardy reel, the Ultralite ASR large arbor:
Now I'm not going to lie, I'm more of a "classic" Hardy guy, but this reel's got a lot going for it...check out what they had to say in their press release:
Anglers can become more versatile with the new Hardy® Ultralite® ASR (Assisted Spool Release) large arbor fly reel debuting July in the IFTD New Product Showcase. Now it is faster and easier than ever to adapt to changing conditions. The Ultralight ASR's spring-loaded cassette ejection system enables the angler to change fly line in seconds. The lightweight polycarbonate cassettes allow multiple lines to be carried on the water to adjust when the hatch tapers off and going deep is the only option.
The heavily ported, lightweight reels are ideal for the challenges of multiple-situation fly fishing. The Model 4000 is rated for 4- and 5-weight line, measures 3.75 inches in diameter and weighs just 6.2 ounces. The body is constructed with 6061 bar stock aluminium for lightweight durability and the spool built from a high impact composite.
The 340-degree disc drag includes a multi-pad system with color-coded reference for easy tracking of the drag setting. The drag setting can be identified with a simple glance as the red dots on the drag knob clearly indicate a stronger drag and lighter drag settings are indicated by green. The drag can be configured from zero to maximum in just one turn of the knob.
Five models are offered from the 4000 to the 9000 rated for 9- to 11-weight line. In addition to multiple cartridges, the reel is packaged with a soft travel case. MSRP for the Ultralite ASR fly reel starts at 299.00.
The Hodgman division also had a lot of new products. Hodgman's been on a bit of a tear the last few years re-inventing themselves. It's been fun to see the new high-performance items they've added at each show. While I don't know much about this particular batch, the item pictured to the far right definitely catches your eye. An interchangable-soled wading boot...hmmm...
There is actually quite a bit of information on Hodgman's website regarding their 3 new models of H-Lock series boots (as well as much better pictures), so if you're so inclined, check it out HERE.
Korkers
So how could I mention interchangeable soled wading boots without mentioning Korkers? Well, perhaps they heard that competition was coming, because they've clearly stepped up their game with the new HatchBack boots.
Exactly what it sounds like, the back of the HatchBack boot disengages for really fast entry or exit, and then cinches back up snug with a BOA closure. This innovation (perhaps borrowed from the ski industry) looks awesome and is a pleasant surprise. I'm certain anglers will love the convenience.
Here's the press release info from Korkers, with more info on the HatchBack, as well as an introduction to their other two new boot models, the DarkHorse & BuckSkin Mary.
Beginning with an industry first, Korkers’ new HatchBack™ ($239.99 MSRP) features a rear-entry BOA®assisted closure system that makes slipping into this boot incredibly smooth and easy. Korkers dynamic Flow Foam Fit System™ provides a positive fit that keeps your toes controlled but allows articulation and range of motion, while the 3 Ply Fit System adds security and support around the achilles tendon and ankle. The midsole incorporates Korkers’ hallmark Internal Drainage System™ for rapid drainage of excess water and weight, as well as a protective features such as TPU guards at the toe, calf, and shin.
Understanding that female angler participation is on the rise, Korkers created a performance-packed boot made exclusively for women: the BuckSkin Mary™ ($139.99 MSRP). The new BuckSkin Mary™ boot is lightweight and athletic, yet rugged and durable. It comes in sizes 5-11 and is built on a slightly narrower last that better contours to the shape of a woman’s foot, providing better retention, fit, and supreme comfort.
Last, but certainly not least, Korkers new DarkHorse™ ($179.99 MSRP) drafts off one of the brand’s most successful boots, the WhiteHorse, but offers several design enhancements aimed at durability, fit, and comfort. The DarkHorse™ is a lightweight, fast-mover, made for the angler who is looking for just the right balance between flexibility and durability. At 9 inches in height, the DarkHorse™ offers ample support. The combination of the BOA® M2 lacing system and Korkers proprietary 3 Ply Fit System™ lock the foot in place and provide supreme support around the ankle and heel. The DarkHorse™ offers an enhanced EVA Midsole & TPU toe cap for better durability, as well as Protected Stitching™ for better longevity.
If you want to look at Korkers' full 2017 product line, check out this cool e-catalog HERE.
That's about it for my IFTD/ICAST product plugs for this year. I received a few other emails, but nothing that really made me go "wow, that's super cool or unique." It was disappointing to not be able to make the show for the first time in 3 years. I'm hoping to actually get to Orlando again next year, even if I have to plan my PTO day way in advance. It's much more fun to bring you the real scoop from first hand experience and not have to rely on press releases. Either way, it's all good.
Figured I'd gather some of the accessory items into one post. A sort of Wednesday Nibbles of fishing accessories that you might find of interest...some good stuff here, if you're so inclined...
BlackStrap
Because who doesn't like UV protection? This company is particularly appealing (to me) because they have a special series designed by Vaughn Cochran, who runs the Blackfly fly shop down here in Jacksonville. Check out their 2016 collection, including the Blackfly designs, HERE.
Rock Treads
Rock Treads sent quite a few emails challenging retailers & media to test out their slip-proof product vs. competing boot surfaces. As a person who uses screw in studs with my "sticky rubber" boots to combat those slippery rocks in the Smokies, these are definitely interesting. Check out a video with more information HERE.
Fincognito
Check out these fully sublimated hoodies! They also make them in boxers too. Seriously, these are pretty cool. The A.D. Maddox "Running Rainbow" and Hayden Hammond Redfish designs pictured above are new for 2016/17. Want to stand out in a crowd? The Fincognito website is HERE.
FishOn Energy
Talk about adding style to fly fishing apparel. Sure, this may skew toward a younger demographic, but what's wrong with that? I'd probably own most of it if I weren't so much of a tenkara angler. Something about having a reel in the logo really doesn't work for a tenkara guy...but it doesn't make it any less awesome. So much good stuff on their website, it's hard to choose a favorite.
Grayl
Why pack a water bottle to the stream when you can just filter all of the water that's around you? While filters like the Lifestraw & Sawyer Mini have become popular with minimalistic anglers in recent years, Grayl looks like another good (slightly larger) option for water purification.
For the first time in the past few, I didn't get over to Orlando to check out ICAST/IFTD this year.
I registered with all intentions of attending, but the schedule associated with the real "paying" job I hold down had some conflicts, especially considering the fact I took off the prior week for vacation.
But fear not, as registered "media" (ha!), I did receive quite a few new product notifications via email that now that the show has taken place, I have no reservations sharing here. So keep an eye out this week, I'll drop a few on you, starting with gear from...
Souplefly: "Fly Fishing Simplified"
The Bug Visor
The Bug Visor Lite
The Sculpin Lanyard
These are all pretty cool.
Could definitely see the Bug Visor Lite or Sculpin Lanyard fitting into my streamlined "grab & go" fly fishing gear, be it in tandem with my 4-weight, or my tenkara rods. I really like the horizontal orientation of the lanyard from wader strap to wader strap.
So this popped up in my inbox yesterday...and if you happen to be on Gander Mountain's email list, it probably did in yours as well...
Okay, let's digest this bit of epic awesomeness, one piece at a time.
Stars and stripes paint job...
Built in bottle opener...
And it's named #MERICA.
F#ck you ISIS.
Now it's probably not made in America, but that shouldn't ruin our exercise in sporting goods jingoism. Somehow I think Sage's new $900 X fly rod comes up just a little bit short in pretty much every single comparable.
If you want to try your luck on Gander Mountain's website to battle the war on bass, terrorism, and sobriety all in one cast, please note that it's on backorder online, but available for in-store pickup.
I so need one of these...who wants to run down to the St. Augustine store for me?
The second annual Fest was (in my opinion) quite the success. It's rare when you can hold a fishing event/seminar in a modern, indoor setting that's literally a stone's throw away from a well-managed trout stream. Pretty sweet set up.
The event was hosted by Matt & Mike from Badger Tenkara and spanned two days. Saturday was the more robust schedule, while Sunday was an abbreviated session that allowed folks time to get out and take all of their new tenkara knowledge (& gear) to the area streams.
In this post, I'll highlight the vendors and presentations, in a mostly captioned, pictorial form.
Badger Tenkara Presentations: "Tenkara 101" & "All Tenkara Is Local"
The Fest kicked off with some opening words from Mike & Matt. They gave a quick overview of tenkara for the people that are new to the method...
...and then took to the stream for a rigging and casting demonstration! Heck, Matt even caught a fish during his demo...
...if that won't sell tenkara rods on the spot, I don't know what will! Badger also had a table displaying all of their rods, lines, and accessories.
Mike & Kathie had a wide assortment of furled & floating tenkara lines for sale. I picked up a floating furled line called the "Nano-Dragon" that I'm looking forward to getting wet.
And when I said wide assortment, I wasn't kidding...tenkara lines for miles!!!
Speaking of wide assortment, nobody had more gear on display than "TenkaraBum" Chris Stewart. His tables were buzzing with activity all weekend...I had my eye on the two red Tenryu rods.
More rods...
...and even more. Notice the difference in size between the pocket minis in the foreground and the larger rods in the back
Paul Vertrees made the trip from Colorado to show off Zen Tenkara's wares.
He also made a fantastic presentation on how to read and fish the best spots in a trout stream.
I applied many of his pointers with success in the following days.
The new Crosscurrent chest pack was a big hit with attendees, I saw a lot of folks walking away from the table with a new pack in hand. Also got to wiggle their new 3-way zoom rod, the Suzume, one that looks very promising for people that like to fish headwaters.
Three Rivers Tenkara Presentation: "Building Your Tenkara Tool Box: Techniques & Tips"
Anthony's presentation on developing your own personal tenkara style was quite entertaining. I was hoping it would involve a ukelele or some free verse poetry, but I was let down in that regard.
Meanwhile, his Three Rivers Tenkara table was chock full of goodies. Tenkara Times, Oni, & (new) Tanuki rods, as well as linocut prints, flies, and accessories. The flies I purchased from him scored me quite a few trout later in the day. You may also notice a reel on the table, not sure how that got past the front door...
Chris Zimmer had his full line of ultralight tenkara packs on display. The slings seemed to be everyone's favorite, however, I left the show with a roomy Tailwater pack that I've been obsessed with for quite a while.
Rick was behind the Dragontail Tenkara table on behalf of Brent & Brandon. They were displaying the 3 Dragontail branded rods, as well as Moonlit lines and hooks. A compact, but complete assortment of products.
In the times I passed by the booth, I couldn't help but notice a lot of questions being asked about the Hellbender's capabilities in landing the local warmwater fish.
Not so much to photograph here, as it was just a table of business cards and fliers. Trout Buddy is the local Driftless guide outfit of Mike Warren, who not only guides fly fishing, but tenkara as well. Mike offers outings for both novice and experienced anglers...I wish I knew of his services the first time I fished the Driftless!
Tenkara USA Presentation: "The One Fly Philosophy & The Wide Variety of Kebari"
Mark Bolson did a wonderful job representing Tenkara USA. Friendly and helpful, he not only brought people through the Tenkara USA rod and accessory line, but was happy to show them how to tie some winning fly patterns.
He later went from the bench to the stage and did a presentation on Japanese kebari, explaining the different patterns & "one fly" philosophy. I liked that he neither advocated nor condemned it, simply presented information that allowed the audience to create their own point of view.
I know what you're thinking...what does this have to do with tenkara? Well did you know that Farmers sells boat & RV insurance? Maybe...but I bet you didn't know that Laura behind the table is a tenkara angler. Now you do.
There were also two special video presentations made especially for the Fest from overseas.
Isaac from Fallfish Tenkara took us all on a wonderfully visual tour of Japan. He's actually since made the video public, so you can watch it below.
Additionally, Paul & John from Discover Tenkara put together a wonderful video of some of the footage they filmed from Japan that concentrates on advanced tenkara technique featuring "Tenkara Masters" such as Masami Sakakibara. My photo of their video didn't turn out great, so I'll spare you the blurry shot.
Last but not least, representatives from Project Healing Waters were in attendance. The Badger guys committed that proceeds from the Fest would go to Project Healing Waters, and a silent auction and bucket raffle was held to help stimulate donations.
I had heard that over $1000 was raised for Project Healing Waters over the course of the weekend. Not sure if that figure is confirmed, but regardless, by the turnout you could tell it was going to be a nice figure.
The silent auction featured these wonderful Japanese kebari displays tied by "Tenkara Gandalf" Zoan Kulinski.
Oh, and then tons of bucket raffle items...
I won this one!!!! Big score!
There was even a bit of local news coverage on Sunday; the short video below will give you a little more feel for the event. Check out the handsome guy talking to Paul Vertrees at about 0:15.
It's a shame the video is titled "Dozens" as it makes it sound like a weak turnout. There had to be at least 100 people there on Saturday. The hall was packed with a constant flow of interested anglers flowing in and out of the venue. I guess it's technically not inaccurate, though.
So that was pretty much the event part of the Midwest Tenkara Fest in a nutshell. It was a highly fun gathering, one I'd recommend attending to anyone who had never been to the Driftless, or perhaps lives in the Midwest and is tenkara-curious. A giant thanks go to the Badger Tenkara guys (& gals), as well as all of the vendors and presenters; it was extremely well organized and a pleasure to attend.
Don't worry, I did go fishing too... but more on that part of the trip tomorrow...
