Cabela's 11' Czech Nymph Rod

I recently purchased a 4wt  11' CZN fly rod from Cabela's.  I had to wait a while for it since it was on back order, but its in my hands now and its time to give it a quick review.  First off I should mention the price point.  At $200.00 it is probably one of the cheaper fly rods on the market today.  The rod is manufactured in Korea and the fit and finish on the rod is just as good as rods costing 3 times as much.

I have fished this rod since the begining of the season and have been thrilled with it.  The extra foot of reach over my ten foot rods has allowed me a little extra stand off distance for some of the more tricky spots on the river.  On some smaller streams I can cover the water bank to bank without even getting my feet wet.  This is a special purpose nymhing rod, ideally suited for Euro nymphing techniques.

The rod has a supple tip and a bit of power in the butt section.  It presents a cast of nymphs well and the light tip protects fine tippets but the rod's more powerful butt section allows you to quickly bring fish to hand.  I won't comment on the castability of this rod because quite frankly there is no traditional casting involved with many of these techniques.  Recently I had the opportunity to fish the rod with traditional indicator techiques and it is well suited for that purpose as well.  The added length makes mending a breeze but more importantly eleven feet of rod often allows you to keep the line of the water entirely making mending unnecessary.

If your looking for a reasonably prized Czech Nymphing rod you may want to check this one out.  The rod is available in 3-5wt and lengths from 9'-6" to 11'.

Backwater Paddle Company Piranha Paddle

Last year I picked up a Piranha Paddle from the Backwater Paddle Company.  This multipurpose hand paddle has changed the way I fish from a kayak. It is designed to be used in one hand.  This small paddle does not replace your standard kayak paddle but  supplements it instead.

This is how it works for me.  Once I get in the boat, I use my 7' kayak paddle to navigate to my fishing area.  Once I am in place and ready to start casting the Piranha paddle comes into play.  With one hand I can correct the orientation of the boat for the optimum casting position. Once the fishing begins, I can slowly quietly and effortlessly work my way down the shoreline casting away and making minor course adjustments with the Piranha Paddle.  Simply put it works like a charm.

In addition the paddle has multiple specialized surfaces that come in handy while fishing.  The angled serrated forward edge of the paddle is useful for pushing off objects and assists me while launching the craft allowing to push off a shallow bottom until I reach a suitable depth for my regular paddle. It also sees a lot of use pushing off shoreline cover that I happen to get to close to. The hooked portion of the paddle comes in handy for grabbing branches that are holding that inevitable fly that a errant cast caused it to land in a shoreline tree.  The hook also comes in handy for grabbing items that inadvertently fall overboard as well as grabbing on to a piece of shore line cover for exiting the boat or holding the boat fast to another boat or floating object.

Now for the best part...it cost me twenty bucks.  It is by far the best twenty dollars I have ever spent on a piece of fishing or boating equipment!

Simms G4 Pro Waders

Last week my trusty old Simms G3 waders finally gave up the ghost.  I have gotten more use out of these waders than any other pair I've owned, so I was sad to see them go.  They are going back to Simms to see if there is any chance of resuscitation, but I am not hopeful.  Not wanting to fish the season opener swimming in a leaky pair of waders, I took the plunge and ordered a new pair of Simms  G4 Pro Waders.  A few months back I was fortunate to win one of Feathercraft's monthly giveaways and walked away with a $100.00 gift certificate.  That took the sting out of upgrading to the G4's.  Though to be honest it still hurt a bit!  The good folks at Feathercraft had my size in stock and I had the new waders in my hands in a matter of days.

Simms products are pricey but they seem to last the longest for me so in the end I guess it works out the same as buying several cheaper pairs of waders over the same time period.  I'm  pretty rough on waders,  so I'm very intrested to see how well these G4's hold up.  I have seen them reviewed on several sites as "bombproof"...we'll see.

My initial impressions are good so far.  They definately feel a lot heavier as there is more square inches of the wader covered in the 5 layer gortex.  My main reason for upgrading is extra protection in certain areas.  Many of the leaks that developed on my old G3's were in the 3 layer areas that are now covered by 5 layers of material in the G4's.  I think I have to give the nod to my trusty G3's in regards to comfort, but I'm sure that's due to more surface area of 5 layer gortex.  That being said, I would not say the G4's are uncomfortable, they just feel like waders, instead of a pair of well worn pants.  One change I do like is the moving of the seams away from the inside of the pant legs to the tops.  This should eliminate wear problems on the seams caused by walking.

While they may be heavier and not as comfortable as the G3's they should hold up a lot better busting through brush, kneeling, sitting etc.  One thing I do love about the waders is the pocket set up.  The waterproof zippered handwarmer pockets will come in handy for early and late season fishing. There is enough storage on board to eliminate a vest completely on those short trips to local waters.  In addition, the handy flip out tippet pocket I had on my G3's is still there.  On top of that there is a docking station for an additional zinger, a fly patch and a tab to hold a pair of forceps,  features that will certainly be useful.  Finally, the wader has belt loops and comes with a wading belt to round out the package.

The real test will begin next weekened and hopefully continue for a few seasons!  I'll give a full report once they get a little stream time under their belt.

Monic Fly Lines

One of the products at the IFTD this year that really intrigued me was the transparent floating line produced by Monic Fly Lines.  The folks at Monic were kind enough to give me an all weather transparent floating 6wt line that quickly found its way on to an empty reel.  I am looking forward to trying out this line.  I had it out on the lawn today and it cast great.  This should be just the ticket for the still waters I fish.  I have been fishing a clear intermediate line and often yearned for a clear floating line.  I yearn no more!  I'll report more on this line when I actually get a chance to get it wet!

The minimalist approach of Tenkara

One of the things I like the most about Tenkara is the simplicity.  Rod, line and a handful of flies is all you need.

 Over the winter I picked up this simple set up with Tenkara in mind.  This handmade lanyard/fly holder is made by Goertzen Adventure Equipment.  They make two types; one with a fold out fly patch and one that will hold a standard Wheatley fly box (or similar sized box).   This simple accessory holds all the flies you need for a day on the water, extra tippet, tools, and what ever else you feel the need to attach to it.  I have two of these set ups.  The one pictured above is set up for pursuing bluegills, the second one holds my traditional Tenkara flies.

Open up the fly patch and grab what you need.  The design holds wet and dry flies without crushing hackles.  If you lined them up nice a pretty you could carry several dozen flies no problem.

Recycled Waders

During the winter I picked up a 'Nook Sack from Recycled Waders.  This company reclaims old blown out waders and gives them a second chance at life.   Your old waders are "deconstructed" then cleaned and sewn into useful fly fishing accessories.  Each piece is unique, bearing the original wader's color patterns, stains, patches etc.  Send them your old waders to have them make something just for you or you can donate your waders with the piece of mind that they will be recycled into something useful for another angler.
This simple shoulder bag will hold everything I need for a warm-water outing.  It has a large main compartment, a smaller internal pocket and zippered compartment on the front.  Throw a couple fly boxes in there, some forceps, bug dope, nippers and extra tippet and your good to go.  As a plus, it will probably hold the largest fly box you own, perfect for larger bass and pike flies.  I carry far less gear when fishing local lakes compared to trips to trout waters.  Warm-water fishing for me means simplicity and this bag is perfect.