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| Color Rusty |
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| Tan/Yellow |
They are hard to get do get them while you can...Shop Baby Gonga
"The Gorge"
Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977
Showing posts with label Umpqua. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Umpqua. Show all posts
Jan 4, 2021
Featured Fly - Baby Gonga
Feb 22, 2020
Umpqua ZS2 Steamboat Sling Pack - New for 2020
Perfect for spey and switch fishermen. A thumb-loop allows for easy "slinging” from back to front for quick access to essentials.
A large main compartment easily holds a light rain jacket, lunch and boat box, while a secondary face pocket is great for accessory organization and smaller boxes storage.
Buy Umpqua Packs here...
"The Gorge"
Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977
"Fly Fish the World with Us"
Feb 2, 2020
Umpqua ZS2 Waterproof Wader Chest Pack
Clip this roll-top Umpqua ZS2 Waterproof Chest Pack to your wader harness or belt for immediate waterproof storage. This little chest pack handles two standard fly boxes along with all of the standard ZeroSweep features.
Buy Umpqua Packs...
"The Gorge"
Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977
"Fly Fish the World with Us"
Jan 25, 2020
Umpqua Tongass Waist Pack
A large, water-tight roll-top compartment can handle a large camera, lunch, jacket and back-up boxes while the front weather-proof zippered pocket will handle primary fly boxes, leaders and accessories.
The “face” work-station handles core rigging items like hemostats, tippet, nippers and accessories at your fingertips.
Buy Umpqua Packs...
"The Gorge"
Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977
"Fly Fish the World with Us"
Jan 23, 2020
Umpqua XS2 Wader Chest Pack
This little chest pack handles two standard fly boxes along with all of the standard ZeroSweep features. One ZeroSweepTM retractor station (great for nipper and floatant attachment), ambidextrous hemostat station, foam fly patch and tippet holder cover all your key accessories.
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| Also comes in Camo |
Buy Umpqua Packs
"The Gorge"
Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977
"Fly Fish the World with Us"
Jan 21, 2020
Umpqua ZS2 Waterproof Boat Bag - Medium
Keep your valuables dry and organized in this perfect balance of external functionality and internal protection. Umpqua ZS2 Waterproof Boat Bag Medium
Highly structured lid supports ZS2 Fly Patch and hemostat station for easy access.
YKK weather-proof zipper and internal elevated rim keeps your contents dry in the worst of squalls & splash. Perfect, snag-free design and size for moving in and out of boat deck storage.
Buy Umpqua Packs, Bags and Slings
"The Gorge"
Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977
"Fly Fish the World with Us"
Aug 31, 2017
Destination Fly - Umpqua Basecamp
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Umpqua Basecamp, Oregon
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Jun 6, 2017
Creek Crawlers - Crayfish - Crawdads
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| Gila River Crayfish |
Crayfish, Crawfish, or Crawdad, whatever you wish to call them, are just too cool. Imagine life as this hard shell predator. Even though many species prey on them I can't help appreciate how well defensively equipped they are.
Have you ever been pinched...wow! It hurts. Besides defense, a crawfish can also lose a pincher and grow it back. This guy in photo lost one somewhere in its recent life.
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| Eagle Creek Oregon - underwater |
Creek Crawler - Picture and Fly provided by Umpqua
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| Fly Designer Duane Hada |
The small claw feathers tuck tight to the body for good reason. To fish a craw pattern you want to get this on bottom quickly as possible. The slim profile enables it to fall quickly. You can fish it on a sink tip but I prefer to fish floating line with a long leader of fine tippet. The fine tippet also aids in getting to bottom. Once the fly reaches bottom I really don't think bass care what it looks like. It just needs to scurry around bottom deflecting off rocks and stirring silt. It's a brilliant fly design and tied by someone who really understands the purpose and not just replicating what we think it should look like.
Get em here...
"My Passion For Fishing Is A Lifelong Pursuit Of Discovery"
Dec 12, 2015
Umpqua Introduces "Zero Sweep" Packs and Bags
The new, highly anticipated Umpqua Zero Sweep Packs are now in stock at the Gorge Fly Shop and www.gorgeflyshop.com
We have been looking forward to seeing these new packs since our illustrious Umpqua Sales Rep Eric brought them in last spring. Each of these packs are sleek, good looking and solidly built to perform well after taking all the abuse that we can throw at them.
Since they are new, we have not had a chance to put them through a season of rigorous field testing, which for us is the only way to form a solid opinion on them. These are our initial impressions, and they are definitely impressive at first glance.Zero Sweep
Zero Sweep technology is what drives the lineup. All of these packs use a set of features that Umpqua is calling Zero Sweep. The basic idea is that there is little to nothing to tangle up your line on the outside of this pack, yet keeping tools easily accessible. Most tools fit snuggly within the recesses of the pack. With plenty of places to stash all of your tools without snagging your line, this system should equate to more fishing time and less time frustratingly untangling line from your pack. All of these packs have a foam fly patch or two to keep a few flies easily accessible without having to get into the pack.All of these packs have good padding, strong straps and buckles as well as solid stitching and 420 Denier Cordura fabric, which is very strong and durable. Nothing flimsy about any of these packs; I would feel confident putting these through a season or two of Northwest Steelhead abuse (often considered in the industry as the worst type of gear abuse).
Rock Creek ZS Chest Pack
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| Rock Creek ZS |
The smallest pack in the lineup at 200 cubic inches, it is perfect for the minimalist fisherman. It is just big enough to store a fly box, tippets, nippers, hook file, hemostats, a bottle of water and maybe a small camera or a granola bar, but not much else. As I spend years going back and forth between “take everything to the river” and “take nothing to the river”, this seems like a good solution for the guy that doesn’t want to be bogged down by unnecessary items in a pack.
The strap system is comfortable at first impression. I believe that I could easily fish all day without anything getting in my way as with some other packs. This pack is also modular with the ability to attach to the Surveyor Pack which adds extra utility.
Bandolier ZS Sling
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| Bandolier ZS |
Another minimalist pack, this mini sling looks comfortable and functional. With 300 cubic inches, this has a little more room than the Rock Creek, and is my personal favorite in the smaller packs after looking over the lineup. There is one larger pocket that easily opens across the top, with the same Zero Sweep features that help minimalize line tangles while keeping tools easy to access. The main compartment holds two medium fly boxes just fine. The sling can be worn over either shoulder as well as on the waist without any major adjustments. I really like the easily adjustable straps, although they are not all that thick or padded. The minimal weight looks like it would be easy to wear day in and day out.
Ambi-Sling ZS
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| Ambi-Sling ZS |
The Ambi-Sling is another sling pack in the lineup, and probably the most intriguing. Sling packs are making waves across the industry and Umpqua has three different sling packs that should make life easy for anglers everywhere.
One complaint about some slings is that they are built to go over one shoulder or the other. If you like to put any other sling pack over your left shoulder instead of your right, it was not plausible. This pack has fully adjustable, comfortably padded shoulder strap that can be easily flipped from right to left shoulder.
At 1100 cubic inches, this pack is much larger than the Bandolier and the Rock Creek, and there are more options for adding tools to the Zero Sweep recessed pockets. This pack also includes two foam fly patches, five tool pockets/retractors, two hemostat pockets, and quite a few big pockets to stash all of your gear.
I think you could stash a nice camera, rain jacket, food, water and all of your fishing gear in this pack and still have everything easily accessible. This would be a great pack for a long day of walking and fishing. I am thinking of the Salmonberry River, where a minimum of 8 miles of walking per day of fishing is the norm.
Steamboat Sling ZS
This is the new and improved version of the sling pack that started it all. This holds more gear in less compartments than the Ambi-Sling, and in a simpler layout. Designed to go over the right shoulder only, it easily swings around to the front of the angler where all of the pockets open across the top (as it sits sideways in front of you). You can easily stuff a rain jacket, camera, food/water and all of your fishing gear inside and still have access to your gear with minimal shuffling. At 1200 cubic inches, this holds enough for a full day of hiking and fishing while remaining comfortable on the shoulder.
Compared with the Ambi-Sling, the Steamboat is going to be easier to get into while standing in the river, as all of the pockets face up while it is in front of you. The Ambi-Sling has a bit tighter organization, so you can more easily divide and conquer the pockets that you need to get into and leave alone the stuff that you won’t need often. The biggest difference is that the Ambi-Sling has the adjustable shoulder strap for guys that want to put it on their left shoulder. Most people fish with the sling on the shoulder that they cast on, but not everyone dances to that drumbeat. The shoulder strap on the Ambi-Sling also has more padding and looks like it would be more comfortable over the long-run, but without rigorous field testing I am just speculating.
Ledges 500 ZS Waist Pack
If I had to choose one adjective to describe the Ledges 500 ZS, it would be ‘beefy”. This thing has big, comfortable straps as well as a molded ABS frame that provides ridged structure plus ventilation. The frame helps keep it from collapsing on itself so that it remains easy to get into. There is one major compartment that has dividers and pockets, as well as a mini top pocket to stash a few small items like tippets or a small fly box. It features recessed ports and pockets like the other Zero Sweep packs. I could see this as more of a trout pack than a steelhead pack as the internally divided pocket would be more ideal for smaller fly boxes, but maybe not the big mamas that we like to use for steelheading.
This is not the lightest weight pack out there, but the weight has been sacrificed for comfort, and that is a good sacrifice to make. There is nothing worse than a pack with straps that dig into your waist or shoulders. The large, comfy padding should alleviate any concerns in that department.
This pack does have a removable shoulder strap to help to keep it from slipping down on your waist. This is a recurring problem with waist packs, especially ones that are stuffed full, although it doesn’t look as if this shoulder strap is more comfortable than any other. There are two water bottle holders on the waist straps. At 500 cubic inches, this is a great little trout pack that is fairly minimalist, yet very comfortable. I would have a hard time stuffing a rain jacket and some food in there and still be able to find the gear I need, but a handful of trout boxes, tippet, floatant, indicators and all of the small stuff you need is easily organized in this pack.
Ledges 650 ZS Waist Pack
We have not seen any of these yet, but with an extra 150 cubic inches, this would allow you to throw in a bit of extra gear or maybe a light rain jacket.
Surveyor 2000 ZS Backpack
This is the ultimate fishing backpack. Cold, wintry days hiking around on the Oregon coast are no longer a problem with this pack, as one could easily fit a spare jacket, thermos full of coffee and a flask full of whiskey inside and still have access to all of the necessary fishing gear.
I would fish with a backpack more if I could more easily get in and out of it without having to go to the shore, take it off, and then take everything out of it in order to get that one thing I needed at the bottom of the pack. This pack looks like it can help with that problem. It does not eliminate the issue, but makes it easier to deal with.
The Surveyor has a full “clamshell” type of opening on the main compartment, which makes it easier to get to any specific area in the pack as well as accessing/organizing the entire thing. The injection molded frame should make this very comfortable to wear all day, while the Zero Sweep features allow you to access tools while diminishing any excess corners or buckles to catch your line on. The external pockets are easy to access and look like they have good volume to stash your basic fishing gear.
I think you could stash a nice camera, rain jacket, food, water and all of your fishing gear in this pack and still have everything easily accessible. This would be a great pack for a long day of walking and fishing. I am thinking of the Salmonberry River, where a minimum of 8 miles of walking per day of fishing is the norm.
Steamboat Sling ZS
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| Steamboat Sling ZS |
This is the new and improved version of the sling pack that started it all. This holds more gear in less compartments than the Ambi-Sling, and in a simpler layout. Designed to go over the right shoulder only, it easily swings around to the front of the angler where all of the pockets open across the top (as it sits sideways in front of you). You can easily stuff a rain jacket, camera, food/water and all of your fishing gear inside and still have access to your gear with minimal shuffling. At 1200 cubic inches, this holds enough for a full day of hiking and fishing while remaining comfortable on the shoulder.
Compared with the Ambi-Sling, the Steamboat is going to be easier to get into while standing in the river, as all of the pockets face up while it is in front of you. The Ambi-Sling has a bit tighter organization, so you can more easily divide and conquer the pockets that you need to get into and leave alone the stuff that you won’t need often. The biggest difference is that the Ambi-Sling has the adjustable shoulder strap for guys that want to put it on their left shoulder. Most people fish with the sling on the shoulder that they cast on, but not everyone dances to that drumbeat. The shoulder strap on the Ambi-Sling also has more padding and looks like it would be more comfortable over the long-run, but without rigorous field testing I am just speculating.
Ledges 500 ZS Waist Pack
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| Ledges 500 ZS |
If I had to choose one adjective to describe the Ledges 500 ZS, it would be ‘beefy”. This thing has big, comfortable straps as well as a molded ABS frame that provides ridged structure plus ventilation. The frame helps keep it from collapsing on itself so that it remains easy to get into. There is one major compartment that has dividers and pockets, as well as a mini top pocket to stash a few small items like tippets or a small fly box. It features recessed ports and pockets like the other Zero Sweep packs. I could see this as more of a trout pack than a steelhead pack as the internally divided pocket would be more ideal for smaller fly boxes, but maybe not the big mamas that we like to use for steelheading.
This is not the lightest weight pack out there, but the weight has been sacrificed for comfort, and that is a good sacrifice to make. There is nothing worse than a pack with straps that dig into your waist or shoulders. The large, comfy padding should alleviate any concerns in that department.
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| Ledges 650 ZS |
Ledges 650 ZS Waist Pack
We have not seen any of these yet, but with an extra 150 cubic inches, this would allow you to throw in a bit of extra gear or maybe a light rain jacket.
Surveyor 2000 ZS Backpack
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| Surveyor 2000 ZS |
This is the ultimate fishing backpack. Cold, wintry days hiking around on the Oregon coast are no longer a problem with this pack, as one could easily fit a spare jacket, thermos full of coffee and a flask full of whiskey inside and still have access to all of the necessary fishing gear.
I would fish with a backpack more if I could more easily get in and out of it without having to go to the shore, take it off, and then take everything out of it in order to get that one thing I needed at the bottom of the pack. This pack looks like it can help with that problem. It does not eliminate the issue, but makes it easier to deal with.
The Surveyor has a full “clamshell” type of opening on the main compartment, which makes it easier to get to any specific area in the pack as well as accessing/organizing the entire thing. The injection molded frame should make this very comfortable to wear all day, while the Zero Sweep features allow you to access tools while diminishing any excess corners or buckles to catch your line on. The external pockets are easy to access and look like they have good volume to stash your basic fishing gear.
The Surveyor is 2000 cubic inches, which is plenty of room to take everything you would need for a weekend or more of fishing. Another cool feature about this pack is that it is modular. The Overlook Chest Pack and the Rock Creek Chest Pack both strap right onto the front of the surveyor, meaning that you can stuff the backpack full of all that extra gear that you won’t need to get at regularly, like coffee, whiskey food, and extra clothes while keeping all of your fishing gear accessible in the front
Yet to arrive is the New Swiftwater Tech Pack and the Overlook 500 Chest Pack. Stay tuned!
Andrew Perrault
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977
"Fly Fish the World with Us"
Feb 20, 2012
Umpqua UPG Fly Boxes
Flies for fly fishermen are often sharp, delicate, sentimental, expensive, and difficult to locate while fishing. If we just plopped them all in a vest pocket, they would all get lost in a giant, ruffed up ball of feathers and hooks. Not good for the flies, not good for us – heck, we’d likely get stabbed in the process. Well as long as there have been flies, there have been fly boxes. Some are fancy, some – not so much, but they all share one thing in common. They create a home for your bug collection.
Sometimes a bug needs to rush out of the house. Sometimes a bug needs to race back to their bunk. When they are home- they should feel secure, protected. Flies like to be in fine, presentable shape when duty calls. They don’t like to be too crowded. They need a little breathing room but that said, they like to hang out with their own kind. The place should have some sort of insurance policy protecting against flood or other natural disasters. Flies are your friends. They are there to please you, but they do demand some level of respect.
Don’t disrespect your flies. Get a nice house for your bugs. And once you do, create a happy home for your bugs! I’ll go out on a limb here and just say it: “You will catch more fish,” (I firmly believe this.)
Umpqua, long time provider of flies for fly anglers, also offers fly boxes. I guess that is comforting - it’s not like Umpqua is lawn mower manufacturer that happens to claim they know a thing or two about fly preferences. They are pretty darn nice, and they deserve a gander. The Umpqua UPG Fly Box comes in many different styles to meet your needs (and your flies’ needs). While they all share common attributes, they do come in different sizes and colors.
Here’s what I like about them:
- They all have two locking compartments (top and bottom) so as to increase comfortable fly capacity.
-Easy to open and close
-They are waterproof (even when submerged in the river)
-They are durable (drop them and see).
-See- through, plastic walls for easy fly location
-Flies fit nicely into small grooves, so as not to tear up the interior and leave residue on the hook.
-No abrupt, sharp edges
I particularly like the magnets that are included in the UPG Midge and UPG Day Tripper models. When finished with a fly, you need only drop it somewhere near the magnet for easy storage so that you can quickly seek out the next pattern.
Shop Fly Boxes
Sometimes a bug needs to rush out of the house. Sometimes a bug needs to race back to their bunk. When they are home- they should feel secure, protected. Flies like to be in fine, presentable shape when duty calls. They don’t like to be too crowded. They need a little breathing room but that said, they like to hang out with their own kind. The place should have some sort of insurance policy protecting against flood or other natural disasters. Flies are your friends. They are there to please you, but they do demand some level of respect.
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| UMPQUA UPG FLY BOX |
Umpqua, long time provider of flies for fly anglers, also offers fly boxes. I guess that is comforting - it’s not like Umpqua is lawn mower manufacturer that happens to claim they know a thing or two about fly preferences. They are pretty darn nice, and they deserve a gander. The Umpqua UPG Fly Box comes in many different styles to meet your needs (and your flies’ needs). While they all share common attributes, they do come in different sizes and colors.
Here’s what I like about them:
- They all have two locking compartments (top and bottom) so as to increase comfortable fly capacity.
-Easy to open and close
-They are waterproof (even when submerged in the river)
-They are durable (drop them and see).
-See- through, plastic walls for easy fly location
-Flies fit nicely into small grooves, so as not to tear up the interior and leave residue on the hook.
-No abrupt, sharp edges
I particularly like the magnets that are included in the UPG Midge and UPG Day Tripper models. When finished with a fly, you need only drop it somewhere near the magnet for easy storage so that you can quickly seek out the next pattern.
Shop Fly Boxes
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