Miracle Braid Review

I recently picked up some AirfloMiracle Braid Running Line for my winter spey outfit. I had been using Rio Gripshooter 50# flat mono with no complaints, but wanted to try something different for a while, and am now considering a permanent change.

This line shoots very well through the guides, which is the most important quality of a running line. The braided material is easy to handle, it doesn't slip through the fingers easily, and the .032” diameter is a good size for cold days when numb fingers can have trouble holding onto small line. Also, it tangles less than flat mono, which has been known to knot-up occasionally. Overall, this is a great alternative for guys that have been using a more traditional coated running line like RioPowerflex Shooting Line or Airflo Ridge Running lines and are looking for something a little different.

In my experience with this line so far, I have noticed two drawbacks to a braided running line. The first is that they (both Airflo Miracle Braid and Scientific Angler’s Braided PE) have no welded loops on either end. You have to make your own loops to connect to the backing and/or spey head. While this is inconvenient, some of us geeky fishermen love the opportunity to practice our knot skills. Another drawback with this line is that it is loud when it goes through the guides, similar to S/A Sharkskin Running Line. These are minor inconveniences that are easy to deal with, especially because the functionality is so good. I am going to keep this running line on my reel for a while and hopefully get to battle some chrome winter Steelhead with it soon. 

Andrew Perrault

Gorge Fly Shop

Building the Loop - 

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Simms ExStream Jacket Gear Review

Hunting Chrome

For many, fly fishing is a warm weather hobby, one associated with sunshine, buffs , hoppers and cold beer. For others, fly fishing is a disease, on which causes its subjects to be on the water year around, no matter what the weatherman projects. For those of us who have been infected, winter time does not mean it’s time to hang up the rods and bust out the skis. It’s the time of year when we get to see some of our favorite rivers free of crowds, full of fish, and surrounded by snow and ice...

Many watch and wonder what could make a person want to stand in a 34 degree river with 20 degree air temps, taking a beating from the snow and wind. Speaking as a person who has this disease, I must say, it can be very enjoyable to fish in these conditions… if you have the right gear. The right equipment can be the difference between hypothermia, and enjoying a day on the water fishing for winter steelhead. As winter angler, the greatest addition to my arsenal of fishing gear has been the new Simms ExStream Jacket.

"Extreme Conditions requires ExStream gear!"

 

Full Metal Jacket: Gunmetal

The Simms ExStream Jacket is a product that they introduced in 2013. It features Primaloft insulation, one of the leading materials in cold weather gear. This stuff is the real deal. Even when this material is completely soaked it retains 85% of its warmth. When its dry it is an extremely lightweight and effective insulator that will keep you toasty on the coldest of days. This jacket also features a 100% polyester diamond weave fabric which sheds water and is very breathable. Two front hand warmer pockets, chest pocket and 3 point adjustable and insulated storm hood ensure that every part of the upper body will stay warm when the weather is cold. The hood is also easily removable.

Primaloft Technology

I have spent the last four winters fishing for trout and steelhead.
Before owning this jacket, My typical clothing system consisted of a wicking base layer, a wool shirt(or two), sweatshirt and rain jacket. This system worked but is uncomfortable and very heavy. With the ExStream jacket I can wear nothing but a wicking base layer and the jacket and will stay warm and comfortable until the air temps get down around 25.On days when I am hiking, this is all I will wear with some additional layers in the pack if I get too hot and need to shed the coat. The couple of days I have spent when temps are colder than this I have combined the jacket with a heavy wool shirt or sweatshirt underneath. The combination of the two kept me warm and comfy all day, I even caught myself sweating when the sun snuck through the clouds on a frosty day on the hood. For the long cold days I've had in the drift boat this has been the winning combo as well, I usually shed the sweatshirt if I end up rowing. Then there are the days where its 25 in the morning and 40 in the afternoon. This is where the weight of the jacket comes into play.

A couple weeks ago a friend and I spent a full day fishing the lower Deschutes River. When we showed up to the parking lot, temps were well below freezing. I began my day as usual with a wicking base layer and my ex-stream jacket. By about 11 am the sun was out the air temps had made their way into the high 30’s. I found myself getting sweaty and decided to shed the jacket and put on my wool shirt I had in my back pack. This jacket weighs around 26 ounces and can be compacted almost as small as a soft ball. Unlike heavier layers I had worn in the past this jacket was so easy to carry that I preferred having it in my pack as opposed to my heavy wool shirt. It takes up hardly any room and adds little weigh t to your load. Later in the evening when the sun began to recede, I swapped the wool shirt for the Exstream jacket once again, At this point I really noticed how much lighter and pack-able this jacket is in comparison to other products. The fact that a jacket that can keep me comfortable and warm in temps down to 25 degrees weighs less and is less bulky than a heavy wool shirt was a real eye opener for me. You may notice that there are not a lot of features to be talked about with this jacket, It does not have all the bells and whistles like you may find on other jackets, which is something I like.

This is a strictly business ExStream Weather Jacket, It doesn't have any retractors or fly patches. It does not have anywhere to put your bugger barn or a spot to hang 20 spools of tippet, but what this jacket does offer is protection from the elements. It’s a portable shelter for the angler who does not want to let the weather keep them from getting there fix. In my mind it is one of the most useful pieces of equipment I own, for one simple reason. It allows me to enjoy myself on the river, no matter what kind of curve ball Mother Nature throws at me. I would highly recommend this jacket to anyone who plans to spend time on the water in the winter time.


Jeff Heiskell
Gorge Fly Shop

Simms ExStream Jacket

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Brothers in Alaska: Fly Fishing Adventures

Oh Brothers, where are we?

Adjacent to the only entrance to the small airport in King Salmon, Alaska looming menacingly over any would-be travelers is a stuffed Alaskan Brown Bear. On the base of the mount are the relevant statistics: height - 9 feet, weight 1200 pounds. And then a simple sentence, "This is the average size of bears in the Katmai Region." There isn't even an exclamation point, just an implied message,

"Welcome to the lower rung of the food chain."

Hey Yogi

I was headed into Katmai with my two brothers and my uncle, to spend a week floating American Creek with our two guides. I had floated this river once before - during the high water year of 2008 when fully half the river was blown out completely and the other half was only marginally fishable. Despite a few fortunately non-violent encounters with those formidable bears, I had vowed to return, having seen the potential of this remarkable little river.

My brothers and uncle had agreed to join me as a celebration of my fiftieth birthday, which would come in August. Our trip, though, which was focused on American Creek's unusually large rainbows, took place in the last week of June.

Thankfully, unlike in my previous trip, Mother Nature provided a gem of a week weather-wise. The sun was shining about 60% of the time. We had mostly gentle rain when it arrived, and overcast days were cool enough to justify all the layers required to keep the truly epic swarms of mosquitoes at bay. As my brother Joe observed coolly on the second morning, when he left the relative safety of the sand bar on which we were camping for a makeshift latrine in the nearby woods, "The varsity is out there!"

On a Mission...

Of course, bugs and trout are a powerful combo, and we found plenty of both. We enjoyed spring-creek-like fishing at American's headwaters just below Hammersly lake and sensational streamer fishing farther down. The river was already full of char too, most of them as large as the big 'bows.

And given that we were fishing through the summer solstice, we could rely on 20+ hours of daylight. Perhaps that's why - at about 11:00 pm one evening - I headed out unaccompanied to try some mouse patterns I had tied up. I figured the dusky light would be perfect, and it was, although the fish were far gentler than I expected. Normally a trout will strike violently to stun or drown a rodent. Many times I have had fish come out of the water beside my fly and come down directly on it. But on this calm night they were just sipping my mouse patterns, almost a more daunting sight. It takes a big fish to sip a Mr. Hankey!

20+ hours of daylight, 20+ hours of fishing?

I was so engrossed with my fishing, in fact, that I was oblivious to movement behind me, until I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps. Recalling vividly the stuffed bear that greeted us in King Salmon, I turned slowly to see one of our guides holding his short barreled twelve gauge in both hands. I had figured initially that it was his steps I heard, but now I'm not so sure.

He winked at me and said ironically, "I just thought you could use a little company ... or more company." The bear I never saw, though he certainly saw me. The next day my brothers, my uncle and I decided to hike upriver while our guides stayed in camp. We were under clear instructions to stay on the waterway at all times, that way we would always know how to get back to camp. Besides, the bush once you got away from the river was darn near impenetrable. We took along a foghorn, which we could blast three times if we needed assistance. Then we headed out, remarking along the way how many bear tracks we were seeing, yet we had not laid eyes on a bear. That was almost more unsettling than actually spying one.

16 Small

My brother Joe placed his size 16 wading boots beside one of the tracks and noted - for perhaps the first time in his life - that somebody else had bigger feet! I didn't think it prudent to mention my quasi-close encounter the previous evening, so we marched on to more exceptional fishing - several hours of it.

Around noon, as the day became hotter and we all the more saturated with sweat, especially given that we were hiking in waders, we elected to turn downstream. Our plan was to break camp and float farther down river, through the braids that we were now partly in. Given that we were one of the first groups to float the river that year and the waterways change, sometimes dramatically, we had committed ourselves to staying on the main channel. Our guides had reinforced that need rather relentlessly. But somehow we couldn't manage it. I remember being stymied by some impassable brush, turning inland to get around it, crossing what seemed like a side channel and then finding after 15 minutes of hiking that I had no idea where the main channel of the river was ... or even where I was exactly. My brothers were with me, and my uncle, but we were all a little flummoxed by our situation.

Yes, we were that Stupi

Deciding it was probably best to retrace our steps, we headed back the way we came, only to find ourselves in just as unfamiliar territory as we had been earlier. Without a compass (yes, we were that stupid) and no discernible landmarks to orient by, we began to feel some concern.

We agreed ultimately to travel in 10 minute increments, assessing our direction and progress at those intervals, especially if we had not yet intersected the main channel of the river.





We never did.

At about 2:00 pm, still unable to locate the river or even a small tributary we agreed that we should sound the foghorn. Well, actually, I think my brother Fred raised the issue, and my Uncle Rod responded emphatically, "Blow the f---ing horn!" We sounded it three times as instructed, realizing only after we did so that the blasts - though seemingly loud - would not carry far in the broad, meandering river bottom. Given how far afield we imagined we had roamed, there was little chance our guides would hear our distress call. We hoped at the very least that the horn would push any nearby bears away rather than seem like a dinner bell. Time would tell, we supposed.

Daylight to spare

We were reassured by only one thing - that we still had plenty of daylight left. And so we continued our search for the main channel, bushwhacking through woods populated by all sorts of potential threats, conserving the few snacks we had, trying to ignore the bugs who didn't need the foghorn to be alert to our presence, and looking desperately for something familiar. Instead, we found a little hope in a small stream, maybe two feet wide and a couple of inches deep. Figuring that everything flows either from or to the main channel, we elected to walk downstream, trusting that it might lead us to larger and larger channels. On the way - maybe an hour later - as the stream grew into a viable and surely never-fished braid - we passed some extraordinary water which, I confess, I fished. Sure we were in peril, but a few casts weren't going to harm the situation any. Or so I figured.
Oddly, it was when we hit our third larger channel that Robert Frost's poem about the road less travelled popped into my head. "Way leads on to way," he writes, and so it did. At approximately 4:00 p.m. we reached what we believed to be the main channel, though it was water we had not floated yet. We turned upstream, trusting that somewhere up there was our camp and two rather concerned guides. Half an hour later - to our immense relief - we spotted the braid on which we were sure our camp lay. Approaching it we heard a nearby shotgun blast.

In Search of Camp

Our guides were trying to let us know where they were. We answered with our horn. This time they heard it.
We discovered sometime later that one of our guides had, when we did not arrive back at camp at the appointed hour, followed our trail, only to lose it where we lost the main channel. He was as confused as we were at what had happened. Does anybody ever really know how we lose our way?

It is hard to describe the relief we felt, tinged with embarrassment, when we walked into camp some 8 hours after we left it. My 75-year-old uncle, who was the picture of fortitude and endurance during our wanderings noted that he had maybe 15 minutes of walking left in him when we trudged up our braid. He shed his waders, climbed into his tent, and was asleep before his head hit the sleeping bag. My brother Fred zipped up the mosquito netting for him.

Alive and Well

It sounded so simple ... follow the river. It wasn't. And though we did manage to self-rescue, it was all the things we should have done - have a compass or maps, carry more food, bring a guide or a gps, etc. - that gnawed at us. Foolishness is particularly conspicuous in hindsight. 

We didn't dwell on it. We couldn't. We had several days of fishing ahead of us, and thanks to ample portions of good fortune we were alive and well. This was not our first misadventure together, and it probably won't be the last. It was, though, deepely informative, since all of us would have argued that what befell us could only happen to citified greenhorns. Another helping of humble pie, gentlemen?

Checkmate!

Perhaps, in fact, this was our version of a mid-life crisis. Having survived it, maybe we'll be okay for another fifty years. Lord knows, there are plenty of fish out there still waiting to be caught. And we might even be willing to get lost again, just to find them... 

We will, though, be far better equipped next time, when or if we do.

After the Ordeal

Submitted by Ben Williams


Gear to Consider:

• Flask
• Packs
• Flyvines Lanyard
• packable jacket

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New Brands Survey

Survey - What Brand(s) would you like us to carry?

The future begins now

The Gorge Fly Shop Team is looking forward in 2014. Thanks to all of you we've had many successful years and have never stopped growing. We have put together this survey to ask you what brands or products do you have interest in. With so many choices it's virtually impossible to carry all fly fishing gear. We would like to make sure we're not missing something. This past year we added Kast Gear, Nomad nets and Flyvines. 

Below is a list that we have compiled and by no means it it all inclusive. You also have an option to write in a brand or product that we have missed. You can make additional comments about current, past or possible new fly fishing gear. We value your input and thank you for sharing your passion of fly fishing with us. 

Thank you...Gorge Fly Shop Team 

Take the Survey

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Simms Headwaters Guide Hip Pack - Product Review

Product: Simms Headwaters Guide Hip Pack – Retail Cost $119.95

According to: Simms, in their words: No two fishing trips are ever alike. And whether from backyard to backcountry or cityscape to salty expanse your gear needs are never static. Now, thanks to Simms’s innovative new Headwaters Pack series, you can customize your pack for every new angling adventure. We provide the architecture-you adapt it to house your gear. Compression molded panels fold down to provide a customizable Work Bench at your fingertips. Interior and exterior loop Velcro Fabric allows you to patch on Simms accessories and to keep loose flies from getting lost. Magnetized exterior tool ports provide secure storage and ultrafast access. Like the best in architectural design, Simms Headwaters packs offer the form that allows you to create the function. Reinvent the interior workspace for specific expeditions. Whether you’re out on a quick mission or a multi-day adventure, Ripple Foam waistbands and back panels, bring the ultimate in fit and comfort.
"Pack Picky"

To say that I am Pack Picky would seriously be an understatement and In the ever changing world of fishing packs, I am truly excited to tell you about new Simms Headwaters Guide Hip Pack or the "Lunch Box", as I dubbed it the first time I saw it. There's no shortage of choices out there from companies vying to carry your necessary gear around on the water. You have hip packs, chest packs, back packs, sling packs in various sizes to meet various needs...one only needs to do a Google search or visit a local fly shop, like The Gorge Fly Shop to find out that there's too many choices...

In the steelhead fishing world I have watched the pack phenomenon "evolve" over the years, from pack to pack. Today's steelhead fisherman can carry more than enough paraphernalia in his Simms waders to satisfy a day’s outing. Not having a chest pack on is especially nice when your Spey fishing, last thing I want is a chest pack in the way when I'm dancing with my Spey rod. So, we started using hip packs and sling packs, which carried all of the essential gear, but most came with a drawback.

This is the very reason I'm excited about this review! I've always loved the idea of a hip pack/sling pack or the right sized backpack, but I wasn't so impressed with them once I used them. Anybody who has ever used a "sling pack" knows that during the course of the day you’re gonna elbow that sling countless times to keep it where you want it, which ultimately becomes annoying. With the hip pack you’re regularly pulling it back up where it's supposed to be because you've got enough stuff in there that the sheer weight makes it sag down.

Well, Simms has taken these issues and addressed them very smartly! The first time Eric Nuefeld showed me the new Simms Headwaters Guide Hip Pack, I immediately thought "lunch box", and Eric confirmed I wasn't the first to call it that. As Eric began to give us at the Gorge Fly Shop the lowdown on this pack, I found myself focusing on the “Lunch Box” and not the other stuff he went on to show us. I was very intrigued! So I got my hands on the "Lunch Box" pack and started using it...you could say it was love at first sight, but after using it on the first outing I knew this wouldn't be a one night stand! I now have a pack that I can't and don't want to live without. All of the negatives of the past packs washed away downstream as I use the "Lunch Box" more and more.

For interior storage there is a ton of spaces in the Simms Headwaters Guide Hip Pack to store more than you could ever use in a day trip. Your reels, heads, tips, tippet, hooks, fly boxes, will fit nicely in the lunch box. There are enough compartments to allow you to keep organized and efficient without the burden of an oversized pack. You can even insert a Simms Boat Fly Patch on the front inside panel to store your used flies while they dry out.

Another sweet idea was the Magnetized Tool Ports on each side of the pack. No longer do your forceps just dangle and get in the way. Simply attach your forceps to a Simms Retractor and then slide the jaws of the forceps up into the port and they are secure until you need them by the magnet embedded behind the material. Very cool! Another thing I love about the Simms Headwaters Guide Hip Pack is the “Workbench”. When you open the front compartment, it’s rigged and creates a stable working area. So much so that you can literally lay your rod across it and safely work with two hands while you rig up or tie on a new fly. The main attraction for me was the ability, after using it, to simply slide the pack back around my body out of the way and it would stay put. I have never had to pull it up because it was sagging and I have never had to elbow it to push it back because it was sliding around. When I needed to get something out of it, it was very easy to just reach around and slide it to my side or in front of me and easily access what I needed. Another cool idea is the compartment on the bottom to hold your water bottle, easy to access and much needed when fishing a full day on the water.

All in all, this is by far my favorite pack that I have ever used. I would hands down grab this pack to show a customer. If you’re pack picky like I am, I’m telling you, the Simms Headwaters Guide Hip Pack could change your mind. It did mine! Oh, and yes, there’s room for a little lunch/snacks in there...

Techie Stuff:

Simms Headwaters Guide Hip Pack Key Features:

• Ergonomic molded front panel keeps gear secure * creates a large workspace when opened 
• Main zippered storage compartment has internal divider with 2 pockets in 1 with stretch mesh organizational pockets in each 
• Fully contoured, cushioned waistband with zippered pockets 
• Stretch mesh water bottle pocket at the bottom of the pack for balance weight and easy access

Fabric Tech: 420 Denier Abrasion resistant fabric with DWR
Approx. Weight: 32 ounces
Capacity: 8 Liters, 488.19 cubic in.
Dimensions: 9” X 11” X 5.5”
Colors: Lead, Fury Orange
Stock Size: One Size (00)

John Garrett

Gorge Fly Shop


Greg Darling and Mike Prine at the 2013 I-Cast / IFTD Show in Las Vegas at the Simms booth.

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

A note from Grandma Froggy

Gabe admiring a sweet rod!

My young grandson moved to Hood River at a young age. He and I fished for trout, bass, salmon. I was able to teach him the basics of fishing.

Gabe was 6 or 7 years old when he started dropping in at the Gorge fly shop. He asked lots of questions, admired lots of flies.

Gabe asked the shop to put pictures of him and most any fish he caught in the store window. The Gorge fly shop did that for him .

Make your own Caption!

The shop even helped Gabe out from time to time with flies and equipment. For no reason other then to be nice and support a little boys interest in fishing.

The little boy is now a 15 year old young man and is a fine fisherman. He still drops by the Gorge fly shop frequently.

I drop by from time to time when I need a new rod or reel . I find quality and reasonable prices. I can't resist a few new flies while I'm at it.

Thanks, Gorge fly shop,
Grandma Froggy


Learn more about Gabe in "What's up with Gabe".

Gorge Fly Shop

"Fly Fish the World with Us"