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I've promised for a couple of years to make a DVD from all the underwater video I have taken on Crowley and do it with full narration explaining what you can learn from it. But since the project gets lower and lower on my "to do" list every year, I have decided to just skip all the narration. major editing and just produce the raw video with all the dead time edited out and the best segments put all together.

You'll see over four hours condensed down to an hour and 40 minutes with literally hundreds of fish cruising by as well as real midges swimming up and getting nailed, but of course the stuff you Crowley addicts yearn for, and can learn from, are the takes, refusals and drive-by's of artificial flies. The first part of the video shows nothing but those excerpts and many in slow motion and stop action.

You can order immediately at $17.95 and free shipping (plus sales tax if in CA) and they are immediately available and also in the shop at the same price. You can order by phone at (800) 637-6912 or fax credit card info including last 3 numbers on back of card (4 numbers on front for Amex), and your phone number and address to (760) 935-4085. (Secure fax)

Between this and the Crowley Cam, you'll get absolutely nothing done at work henceforth! -k

 

Deep Nymphing Indicators

These cool little indicators have a unique design that allows you to release the indicator while playing a fish so it will slip down the line. So what, you say?

This means early in the season when the fish are typically in 20 ft to 25 ft of water on Crowley you'll be right there "midging" as usual.

You will need to practice adjusting the release pin so it doesn't come out when you cast but does come out when you have a fish on and give it a jerk, but once you get that figured out they are sweet.

So, you can be out there amongst the fleet of bait dunkers and get to hear them say those oh-so-sweet words . . ."He's got another one . . he's got another one!

Enjoy!

Scientific Anglers Sharkskin

The $100 fly line has arrived. This stuff is truly revolutionary in that it has a texture molded into the exterior of the fly line so what is touching the guides on the fly rod and the surface of the water is a bunch of bumps (an over-simplification) rather than a smooth surface.

SA says this makes for less friction and it sits higher on the water for easier pick-up. This isn't hype - my degrees in science and engineering from a former life bear this out. I haven't fished it yet but it does cast like a dream and you can definitely hear the line going through the guides. Otis said he can now assess whether his clients are casting properly without even looking at them - probably true.

As to the cost, sure it seems pricey, but if it lasts you a hundred days of fishing which pretty much all modern lines do, its a buck a day versus sixty cents. You can check out all the specifics . . .

Click Here to download spec sheet (adobe pdf file)

Rio Gold

Here is the newest offering from Rio and at a more traditional cost of $64.95. I have also casted this line and it is really tough to tell if it shoots better or worse than the Sharkskin as it also flies out of the guides like nothing I've felt before and it would take a side-by-side to tell if one is actually better than the other in shootabilty.

I actually like the feel, taperwise, of the Gold as it really lets you feel the line through the entire casting stroke and seems to more effortlessly turn over when your "stop" on the forward stroke is more like a blur than a stop like most of us suffer from occasionally.

RIO's AgentX and Super Floatation Technologies are incorporated into this line which I also think are real science and make a difference.

You choose!

Click Here to check out what Rio has to say

Master guide, and irrepressible practical joker, Pat Jaeger, (ask about the time he told the crusty old wranglers on a back-county trip that Kevin was gay) has even another talent - woodworking. He has been making these bulletproof wading staffs for a couple of years and is finally putting them on the market. They come in ultra-light Birch or Oak, both at $49.95.

No, they don't break down to fit in your briefcase, but if I found myself half way across one of those ball-bearing-lined streams and knew I'd made a big mistake, this is the one I'd want. Check 'em out!

 

LewLet's face it, there are more variations of strike indicators than any other item in the fly fishing world and of course everyone thinks the one they use is the best. I really liked this one when I first tried it primarily due to the fact it is in-line (leader passes down the center of the indicator), has no little rubber tits sticking out of either end to catch your line on, and is fairly aerodynamic which makes for better casting.

It comes in various sizes and is very easy to put on and moves up and down the line by just grabbing it and sliding it where you want it, but has enough grip to not slip on its own, even for those of us who can't help but over powering our casting stroke. Also the two-color design gives you two options on what color you see in different lighting conditions.

The only negatives are that it is a one-time usage item as you can't take it off and reinstall and you can't install it after you already have a fly tied on but it might be one you'll love, Check it out. -k

 

 

The Sage Z-Axis isn't new, being introduced last year as the Sage XP was discontinued, but it is novel, or better put, revolutionary. I was totally skeptical when Sage dropped the XP as it was the best trout rod for our local area I thought possible and I voiced that position loudly to the Sage rep when he first brought the new Z-Axis for demos.

"Bring this new Z-Axis in a 4-wt with a Rio Grand line on it and we'll do some side-by-side comparisons to find out if this is just a cosmetic change, so Sage has something new to peddle or if there is any substance here.", I believe is a mild version of what I said.

Eyes closed, casting one then the other, not knowing which rod I had in hand, it was amazing. My XP felt great but the Z-Axis had more feel through the entire casting stroke. Period. A significantly better rod.

If you are looking at a new rod this summer come try our Sage Casting Analyser for free and we'll hook it up to your old rod and to the new Z-Axis and I'll bet you'll see the facts in black and white . . . The Z-Axis will make you a better caster!

-k

 

One of our European internet customers told me about this stuff. I ordered him some and some for the shop to give it a try. I've been using old candle wax for years and this is vastly better. One, you won't find yourself considering vise-grips to dissassmble your rod sections on a hot day and two, it seems like magic in keeping the rod ferrules from getting loose over a long day of casting.

My high-modulus graphite rods seem to suffer from this problem. Case in point, my 8-weight Sage TCR rocket launcher, I love this rod but I invariably find myself every few hours apparently trying to stab the bonefish with the top two sections of my rod flying down the line at him. This stuff cured the probem and now I only occasionally look stupid from stripping in the top two sections of my fly rod instead of a fish. -k

 

This new product replaces the meager attemts we have all tried at sliding and thin yarn indicators which can slip through the guides so you can midge (stillwater nymph) deeper than 15 ft. It is pretty simple and works pretty well but takes a little practice on how firmly to press the plastic pin into the floating part so it comes loose only when playing a fish and not when just casting.

The basic idea is when you give it a tug as playing the fish the plastic pin comes out letting the indicator now slip freely down the line. It comes in two sizes and plan on the larger if you are going to try 20+ feet deep as you'll need a couple of split shot to get your flies down in less than a lifetime.

I can't wait for next opening day week when the fish are in 25 ft of water and I can invade the bait fleet and stick a few!

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