Charlie’s Gift Guide: 5 Picks I Actually Fish (2025/2026)

These aren’t catalog blurbs—I’ve fished or lived in this gear. If you’re shopping for someone who swings flies, hikes banks, or sneaks trout after work, start here. — Charlie

1) Winston AIR 2 TH (Spey Rods)

“Spectacular feel, feather-light, huge range”

“Winston has been knocking it out of the park the last few years. They have the best lineup of rods they've ever built, and the addition of Air 2 TH is a HUGE cherry on top. I've had the pleasure of fishing these rods a ton this fall and they are absolutely spectacular! Ultralight with unparalleled hand-to-line feel. Slim grips. Great size run to cover everything from smaller one salt steelhead on up to chinook. This may very well end up being one of the best series of Spey rods ever built.”

Why it’s gift-worthy:

• Modern Winston feel with true two-hand finesse.

• Sizes to cover summer steelhead up to Chinook.

• Light swing weight = less fatigue, more fishing.

Who it’s for: Spey anglers who appreciate feel and feedback (not broomsticks).

Charlie’s quick tip: Match with a balanced Scandi for summer, Skagit + T-11/T-14 for winter.

 

Purchase Now

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2) Grundéns Boundary Zip Stockingfoot Waders 

“Articulate better than anything”

“I've been running these waders hard for a few years now and love 'em! I'm not a Deschutes wet wader as I like something protecting my legs out in the ledges and walking through the blackberries. These waders manage to keep me as cool as possible in the summer heat. Plus, they articulate better than anything on the market making climbing out of boats and over logs a breeze.”

Why it’s gift-worthy:

• Front zip = easy on/off and quick ‘nature break’.

• Great articulation for step-overs and steep banks.

• Cool enough for summer, tough enough for brush.

Who it’s for: Boat hoppers, bank scramblers, and anyone who values a zip front.

Charlie’s quick tip: Size for girth/boot first; length is forgiving.

 

Purchase Now

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3) Fishpond Thunderhead Chest Pack (Eco Shale) 

“Finally the right size”

“Sometimes you need something small to carry the bare essentials. Historically speaking, I've had a love/hate relationship with chest packs. They were either too small to hold anything or so big they're always in the way. The Thunderhead Chest Pack is the ideal size to carry what you need yet stay out of the way when casting. This is a great option on the flats when you jump out of a boat to wade a spot for an hour or two and want to have enough spare flies and terminal tackle. Also good for all types of road fishing when your rig is never too far away.”

Why it’s gift-worthy:

• Submersible main pocket keeps essentials dry.

• Minimal bulk; still fits a couple boxes + leaders.

• Crosses over from trout to flats.

Who it’s for: Wade-light anglers and travel/road-fishing folks.

Charlie’s quick tip: Add Fishpond’s bottle holder or rod holder to the lash points for a tidy kit.

 

Purchase Now

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4) Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Infinity 

“My personal favorite”

“You can't keep a good line down! S.A.'s Amplitude Smooth Infinity is right at the top of the list for the best all-around trout line and happens to be my personal favorite. A shiny new line always makes the angler in your life smile!”

Why it’s gift-worthy:

• Half-size heavy taper loads fast, carries long.

• Real “one line does most things” for trout.

• New line = instant rod upgrade.

Who it’s for: Any trout angler with a 4–6 wt who fishes a bit of everything.

Charlie’s quick tip: Pair with a 9–12 ft 4X–6X leader; wipe the line clean every few trips for max slickness.

 

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5) RIO Elite Skagit Pickpocket 

“Slow that swing to a crawl”

“I love these heads for winter Steelhead. At 20', they cast very well on shorter rods and really slow your swing down to a crawl. And do not be afraid of the Sink 3/Sink 5/Sink 7 dredger. When you really need to get down and stay down, this head does the job. It casts surprisingly well for how heavy it is.....just don't let your anchor settle too long before you go!”

Why it’s gift-worthy:

• Compact 20' head = easy load on modern, shorter speys.

• Multi-density options keep flies down and in the lane.

• Winter steelhead confidence booster.

Who it’s for: Two-hand anglers facing cold flows, ledges, and pushy seams.

Charlie’s quick tip: Don’t let the anchor marinate—lift and go; start with 10' T-11 and adjust.

 

Purchase Now

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Need sizing or line pairing?

Call us at (541) 386-6977 or email—tell us the rod, water, and flies, and we’ll rig it right. We can even spool backing/line and ship ready to fish! 

 

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

GorgeFlyShop.com  |  Join our Team |  Contact Us

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Hot Off the Press: Winston AIR 2 TH Is Here

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of the brand new Winston Air 2 TH Series of Spey Rods from R.L. Winston.  Just in time for the tail end of summer steelhead season!  Air 2 TH hits close to home as the entire series was designed and fine-tuned by local legendary guide, Brian Silvey.  These rods were dialed in with the line systems we use on the Northwest steelhead rivers we all know and love.  Winston's Air TH series was excellent and has a huge following, but the new version is a completely different animal!  The Gorge Fly Shop Staff was fortunate enough to spend some time on the water with these rods prior to their release.  Here's a rundown of the major upgrades:

Line-Friendly

This might be the most important upgrade to the series.  Initial feedback from the GFS staff and the Northwest Winston rep, Eric Neufeld, is that Air 2 TH likes a lot of different lines!  Our staff fished the 7129 for a few days on the Deschutes recently and tried several different Scandi and Skagit heads.  Historically speaking, when a Spey rod is available in a longer and shorter 7 weight, the longer option tends to be more all-purpose.  They usually fish well with Scandis and Skagits, alike.  Conversely, the shorter 7's tend to be faster.  They're excellent for heavy metal sink tip fishing, but can be tough to find an ideal dry line for.  That was the real shocker about this 7129.  It fished a 450-480 grain Scandi extremely well with excellent line speed.  That begged the question.....will it have enough under the hood for a heavy sink tip and fly.  And it does!  No problem whatsoever with 10' of T-14 and a weighted fly.  When talking with Eric about the various other configurations he fished, the data was conclusive.  These rods like a lot of different lines and have a fairly broad grain weight window.  This is going to make the series incredibly versatile across the board.       

Grip

Nothing dampens the feel of a great blank like too much cork....and Winston took note of that.  Air 2 TH has a very slim upper and lower grip providing for excellent hand-to-line feel when casting.  This was a huge upgrade from its predecessor.  

Weight

These things feel crazy light in hand.  The 7's feel like a lot of other brands' 6's.  That does not, however, come at the expense of sacrificed power.  They have ample low-end stiffness to accommodate heavy tips and flies and XL fish.  

Additional Configurations

Winston added a few new length/weight combos this time around.  Two that stand out are the 5123 and 8126.  The older Air TH 5120 has a cult following among summer steelhead dry line addicts.  It may very well have been the best casting rod of that series.  That said, it was a hair short.  The additional length will be a very welcome upgrade here.  Then there's the 8126.  A shorter/stouter 8 weight for winter steelhead in tight quarters.  This one is going to be a quick front runner on the coast this winter!

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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Hoody's Hanger - New Steelhead Skating Fly from Aqua

There is simply nothing like taking a steelhead on a skating fly. The pursuit brings out innovative new designs to entice this steelhead bite. 

After many years of skating dry flies for steelhead, Hoody found that tying his skaters on a 60° hook had the most success. The fly skates, pops and gurgles, making it hard for fish to resist. 

Hoody's Hanger is easy to cast and will pop well due to the tail end of the fly being weighed down by the hook. This keeps the legs down and the foam up for that iconic pop. 

Greatest of all are most of the fish hooked on the 60° jig hook are landed. 

Black and blue for those early morning dawn patrols and over cast days, orange for bright fish, and white for that 12 O’clock lunch fish when everyone’s taking a nap.

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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Fall 2025 Launch - New From RIO Products

Our friends at RIO Products have some exciting new gear that just launched!  Here's the rundown of the new products available 8/12/25.  

Elite Scandi Body

RIO's original Scandi Body has a long-standing cult following among Spey enthusiasts.  It was particularly unique in that you could fish it on a shorter rod with a shorter 10' leader or light tip or add a longer tip to fish it on a longer rod.  This still holds true in the new Elite Series Scandi Body, but they made a few distinct changes.  This series comes with the current core and coating tech found in other Elite Series lines.  From a fishing perspective, the head length now varies more with the corresponding grain weight.  The heavier versions are a bit longer to better accommodate commonly used Spey rods in 8-10 weight.  

Elite Scandi MDC Kit

These kits are replacing the Scandi Short Versitip and Scandi Versitip.  Kit includes an Elite Scandi Body shooting head, spool of RIO Slickshooter, four new MDC Sink Tips and a Sink Tip Wallet.  This system allows anglers to cover most depths with small-medium sized flies.  With a short and longer offering, the RIO Elite Scandi MDC Kit has all bases covered for Spey rods of any length imaginable.  

Ambassador Series - Skagit Timberline

The RIO Ambassador Series Gray Struznik Skagit Timberline is an 18-foot shooting head that brings effortless performance to your coastal steelhead program. The compact design makes shorter two-handed rods sing when casting space is limited. Because of its heavily rear-loaded and progressively tapering design, it easily handles the heaviest T-tips, while still delivering a full range of marabous and modern steelhead flies with controlled loop precision.

MDC Versitip

The VersiTip gets an upgrade for 2025.  This Alaska favorite now comes with the tech advantages of the Elite Series core and coating.  Similar to RIO's other line kits, the RIO Elite MDC VersiTip Fly Line comes with the line, four new MDC Sink Tips and a Leader Wallet.  

MDC Sink Tips

After all this "MDC" talk, what the heck does "MDC" mean!?  It stands for Multi-Density Control.  Beyond the full floater tip, all other tips in this series are dual or triple density with the terminal end being the most dense.  The idea here is to facilitate positive turnover and hold your fly at depth.  The MDC Sink Tips are available in 12' 75, 90 and 100 grain and in 18' 130 and 150 grains.  

Classic Sink Tip

By the popular demand of B.C. anglers in particular, RIO launched this new line of 15 footers in the Classic Sink Tips Series.  Available in five different densities at 95, 110 and 125 grains, these tips will be right at home on any big river with gravel bar runs.  

Micro Leader Material

Euro Nymphers rejoice!  There's a new leader material!  RIO's Micro Leader Material is made of a unique nylon polymer that knots easily and firmly and is also incredibly sensitive.  Available in brown, pink and white to allow for endless customization of tight-line leaders.    

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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New Steelhead Flies from RIO

RIO's Mykiss Muddler - Purple

Everyone who swings flies for steelhead needs muddlers in their boxes.  RIO’s Mykiss Muddler is a beautiful version you will want to add to your collection.  It will also be the one you reach for first on your next outing.  The flat head causes this muddler to dive into fishing position quickly.  This fly’s happy place is being swung on a floating line just slightly below the surface.  Tied on a #5 Black Alec Jackson Steelhead Iron.

Shop Mykiss Muddler

RIO's Horse Play - Natural

While fishing the Dean River in BC, we noticed many Deer Flies (commonly called Horse Flies) buzzing around, harassing us. We also noticed that steelhead smashed them with a revengeful attitude if given the chance. We had tied up some samples and sent them to another coworker the following year. The result... she ended up getting her largest steelhead of the trip on the pattern. That sealed it and thus the RIO Horse Play was born.

Shop Horse Play

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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Outcast OSG Stealth Pro - Ultimate Crossover - New Color 2025

2025 Stealth Pro is the Ultimate Crossover Craft for Fly Anglers

Why It’s a Top Choice for Fly Anglers?

In a world of float tubes, kick boats, and full-frame pontoons, the Outcast Stealth Pro stands apart. Designed for anglers who demand serious performance without the bulk, this frameless watercraft has become a go-to for those navigating both stillwater and moving water with precision.

The Outcast Stealth Pro is a high-performance inflatable frameless fishing craft built for serious fly anglers who demand portability, durability, and river-ready design. Weighing just 35 lbs and built with a rock-solid urethane bladder and welded seams, this boat is easy to transport, quick to inflate, and tough enough for remote river trips, high alpine lakes, and tight-access fisheries.

Load Capacity: 450 lbs.

 Good luck finding an older model of the Stealth Pro. Both of the previous green and orange colors popped with high visibility but we find the new blue accents and the continued use of the two tone greys complements your surroundings and further adds to the "Stealth" approach.

Orange and Green models stacked and ready to go. Missouri River, MT
We opted to mostly inflate at camp and drink coffee before heading out.  

Beyond color, what makes this boat special?
With a frame-less design – That means "No Bulk", faster setup, less weight, and more mobility. Easily drag into position down an embankment or carried. Perfect for anglers on the move. I've hoisted this boat over fences where my 14' kayak would make for quite the chore. But what exactly makes the Stealth Pro special? It's got the special sauce, the balance in features and purpose. How does it compare to other popular options in the Outcast lineup?

Let’s break it down.

Who Is the Stealth Pro Built For?

Backcountry Anglers who need a boat they can hike in with.

Stillwater Specialists fishing from low-profile craft.

Travel Angler Packs small enough for flights, truck beds, or roof boxes.

River drifters running smaller, technical waters without a trailer.

Minimalists who want serious performance with simple setup.

Multi-day trip with previous models.

What Sets the Stealth Pro Apart?

Feature	Stealth Pro	Fish Cat Scout	Float Tube (Fat Cat)	Framed Pontoon (PAC 1000)
Type	Frameless Pontoon	Frameless Pontoon	Float Tube	Framed Pontoon
Weight	35 lbs	35 lbs	~15–18 lbs	60+ lbs
Portability	High (fits in trunk)	High	Very High	Low
Setup Time	Fast	Fast	Fast	Slower (frame assembly)
Water Type	Lakes & Rivers	Primarily Lakes	Stillwater only	Primarily Rivers
Rowing Capability	Excellent	Moderate	None	Excellent
Gear Capacity	High	Moderate	Low	Very High

Garage - electric pump inflate test.

Compact Portability – Easily packs into a vehicle, float-plane, or packs up in the outcast expandible boat bag for backpack style carry and check luggage.

Durable Construction - Built with abrasion-resistant PVC and a urethane bladder for long-term rugged use.

Load capacity - Did we say durable? With a 450 LBS rating, this boat provides the confidence in both material and loading your boat for overnight adventures. 

Rockered Hull - Offers better tracking and agility in both flat and moving water.

Open Deck Layout – Gives anglers freedom to cast, switch gear, and land fish efficiently.

Whether you're stalking stillwater trout or floating down technical river stretches, the Outcast Stealth Pro offers the freedom of a pontoon with the precision and performance of a drift boat, all in a compact, DIY-friendly package.

Final Take: Why Choose the Stealth Pro?

We're both lucky and fortunate to have access to some of the best fly fishing gear in the industry. Our team has had experience with various boat models.The Outcast Stealth Pro is one of our absolute favorites.  

Previous Articles to further educate:

1. My OSG Stealth Pro Experience - Ten Years and Counting
2. Outcast OSG Stealth Pro Inflatable - Benefits of Frameless Boats
3. Outcast Stealth Pro Vs. the Competition
4. Outcast Stealth Pro Frame-less Pontoon Boat Review
5. BUYERS GUIDE to OUTCAST BOATS & PONTOONS 

The Stealth Pro is the ultimate middle ground: it offers more mobility and power than a float tube, more portability than a framed pontoon, and better fishability than other ultralight options. It’s a true crossover vessel that meets the needs of today's adventurous fly angler. Is it the best fit for you? 

Call the Gorge Fly Shop | Your trusted source for Outcast boats and expert advice.

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

GorgeFlyShop.com  |  Join our Team |  Contact Us

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Christmas Island - Gorge Fly Shop's Hosted Trip - 2025

Pictured left to right: Leslie, Peter, Doug, Kelley, Charlie, John, Jim, Travis, and Lyndsey

 Gorge Fly Shop's Hosted Christmas Island Trip 2025 

Travis, Lyndsey, and Charlie were joined by a great group of friends, which makes hosted trips just a little better.  John and Leslie were both with us last year. We were beyond happy that they could join us again this year.  New to our GFS group this year were Doug, Kelley, Jim, and Peter.

We were a very well-rounded group. We had anglers with a lot of experience and some very new anglers.  Some anglers had been to Christmas Island before, and some, it was their first time. But, even if you are a very experienced angler, Christmas Island will keep you on your toes, offering a vast array of angling experiences, allowing a fun experience for everyone.  This is part of what makes Christmas Island so special and a bucket list trip!

Two of our crew were flying up from Baja and meeting us in Honolulu.  They had packed all of their gear and reels in with their luggage.  Their rods were in their own Fishpond luggage. They arrived late the night before the Fiji flight, leaving the next morning, headed to Christmas Island. They had texted us in the morning stating the airlines had lost their Fishpond bag containing all of their rods for the two of them.  They worked tirelessly trying to locate it before the Fiji flight.  They were unsuccessful.   Fortunately, between the rest of the crew and a rod purchase mid-flight from another traveler, they managed to have a great trip.  The airlines contacted them 2 days later, their luggage was located, and they picked it up in Honolulu before heading back to Baja.  Crazy set of circumstances, but bring extra rods, reels, and fly lines.  You may never know what can happen during travels.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by our host and some of the guide staff.  They helped us pack up our luggage and gear, and then we embarked on our 45-minute trek to Sunset Horizon Lodge.  After picking our rooms and unpacking, we got our gear set up, and the guides were on hand to help us get our gear ready.  We were then served dinner and had our welcome introductions by the Sunset Horizon Lodge staff and guides.  If you have read about Christmas Island, you are told that the accommodations are rustic and nothing swanky or fancy is happening here.  What you do have is a comfy place to rest your head, AC, good local food, and amazing hospitality.  

First morning, we are all excited for our first day of adventures.   Some are relaxed and enjoying their coffee, while others are finishing getting gear together and getting out all they need for the day's adventures, hoping they did not forget anything.

Every day, our group is split up between two boats.  We all leave the lodge at the same time, together, and take a short truck ride to where the boats are. The guides load up our gear and the coolers, and we set off.  We will not see each other until camp later in the afternoon.  Within our group, we will pick who we want to fish with for the day, and then the head of the guides, each night at dinner, will assign each group a guide.  Typically, it's two anglers per guide, and two groups of anglers per boat.   Unless there is a single angler and their guide.

After a great day on the flats, we head to the lodge.  After unpacking and cleaning your gear, grab a beer or drink, a shower, and maybe a quick nap.  They have a table that overlooks their beautiful beach.  This was a great spot to sit, relax, and enjoy sharing stories of your day's adventures.  It's time for dinner, and get ready for tomorrow's adventures.  It was all we could do to keep our eyes open past 7:30 pm. 

 Last year was my first time on Christmas Island, and one of my biggest takeaways was how different and unique each flat was.  I really appreciated this aspect as each spot was so unique and interesting.   I felt the same this year as well.  While some things were slightly similar, I got to experience so many new and unique fishing experiences this year.

The excitement that builds as you "hunt" down the bonefish, trigger fish, or GTs, while in Christmas Island, keeps you on your toes. In most situations, you are sight fishing, or in my case, the guide was spotting the fish, then he would point them out to me.  Sometimes I would see them, sometimes I had to listen to the guide cues to guide my fly to the fish.  Honestly, most of the time, I'm doing my best just to see 20 feet in front of you while my guide, who is standing on my left side, spots all of the fish that I just can't see.  He says to me, cast at 11 o'clock, 25 feet.  I can see the fish, my excitement is so high,  I manage to cast right on top of it.  Guide motions his hands away, "Spooked."  Honestly, for me, the excitement of seeing them makes casting worse.   My first morning on the flat, I had just missed a bonefish.  It's the first morning I tell my guide. My cast just "happened" to fall apart, spooking the fish.  I then casually make a cast, nice and easy, just getting my line out to pick it back up.  The guide looked over and said....yes, that is how I want you to cast.  I told him it's easy when I'm not watching the fish, holding my breath, and hoping to get my fly in the right spot.  We both laughed!  I can't be the only one who feels this way!

Seeing the bonefish and watching them, you are thinking to yourself.  Now all I have to do is make this cast, nice and easy.  Put the fly right where I want it.  But, in reality, the excitement is building as soon as you spot the fish, you are now holding your breath, you are no longer thinking, you just make a cast. You either put the fly right on top of the bonefish, instantly spooking the fish.  Or you are so far from it, the guide is telling you to pick up your line and cast again.  But, when the fly hits just right, and you are stripping the line in, and seeing the bonefish follow your fly.  Boom, he eats, you strip set the hook  (not trout set), the connection is made.  It's the best feeling, and there is lots of hootin' and hollerin' happening.  It's so fun, you grab a quick picture and go onto the next adventure.

We were lucky enough to have some pretty good trigger fishing....by this I mean that we saw lots of trigger fish as they wiggled their tails high in the flats.  With the weather conditions, they were a bit more spooky than normal.  But, we had a blast trying, Peter from our crew was lucky enough to land one....the only one landed on this trip.  Not to say we all did not try our best.

With the conditions and tides set up, there were a few days that we focused our time on trigger/GT fishing. This was fun! It's nice to pivot and adapt to the weather/tide conditions.   For the GTs, we would use the plug rod to tease them in and then cast the fly rod to them.  While at home, generally, our fishing we are in stealth quiet mode.  So, standing on the edge of the pancake flat, splashing and making noise to attract the GTs was so much fun!   Standing on the edge of a pancake flat is such a cool experience. 

I definitely tried to take it all in, the 6 days of fishing go by so fast.  Taking lots of pictures of each other, scenery, and of course, some of the fish.  Not as many fish pictures this year, but that is not how I rate the trip anyway.  

Life is measured by experiences and the people you share them with, and this will truly be a core memory for me.  

On behalf of Travis, Charlie, and me, we thank everyone for being part of our Christmas Island 25' hosted trip.  Thank you for joining us in Christmas Island and being part of our wonderful trip and lifetime of memories and stories!  

Thank you to Sunset Horizon Lodge, Guide and Boat Staff, and Fly Water Travel!

If you have any questions about Christmas Island, Hosted Travel, Christmas Island gear, or what to bring, please feel free to reach out!

Lyndsey - Beginner Angler, Experienced Fish Spooker!

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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REVIEW: THE NEW - FISHPOND STORMSHADOW CHEST PACK

Callum's, dialed Fishpond StormShadow Chest Pack! Goals! (photo Callum Brock)

I'm willing to bet most anglers today don't fish utilizing a fishing vest anymore.  I can say this because of a couple of reasons, one, the lack of sales on fishing vest and two, the lack of seeing folks on the rivers wearing fishing vest.  This is not to say that no one uses fishing vest anymore, it's just not as common as it used to be.  Today, more and more anglers are utilizing hip packs, chest packs, sling packs or backpacks. Gone are the days where everyone utilized a fishing vest.  

This is especially true when it comes to the spey fisherman.  In general, two handed anglers, including myself just don't like having anything in their chest area that would interfere with the spey cast.  In addition to that, I've become more of a minimalist when it comes to fishing with a two handed rod for steelhead and trout.  I like the freedom of carrying only what I need while I'm actually fishing.  Today, I never carry gear that I might use only a couple of times a year on my person while fishing.  I will have a bag in my boat or truck that will hold that once or twice used item and when I need it, it's there.

Review: "Perfect size for all of your on the water essentials. This is the first chest pack that isn't too big that it gets in the way, yet holds plenty of essentials. This pack has been a great addition this winter steelhead season, but I see a lot of potential for summer steelhead and trout season." - Callum Brock, Gorge Fly Shop.

HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED!

With that said, the new Fishpond Stormshadow Chest Pack is seriously messing with my train of thought.  It's sleekness and secure fit are very attractive to me.  My program is basically that I fish with a two handed rod 95% of the time, spey, switch or trout spey.  For each two handed rod I own, I've put together a labeled one gallon Ziplock bag with all the heads and tips for each rod.

I wear zippered waders so pocket space is somewhat limited so this Ziplock bag is usually stuffed just down inside my waders, above the belt and between the waders and my coat or shirt along with one or two fly boxes as well.  This gives me easy access to them when needed.  But when I have to unzip my waders to relieve myself, I forget sometimes that the bag and fly boxes are there and they fall to the ground.  Admittedly, this gets annoying.  I'll have my cell phone in a smaller sandwich sized Ziplock bag and that will be stuffed in one of the side chest wader pockets that's not waterproof.  I think you know where I'm headed with this...

Callum's boat net in the net slot on the back of the pack. (photo Callum Brock)

PROBLEMS ARE BEING SOLVED HERE!

The problem with the Ziplock bag and fly boxes falling to the ground = Solved, with either the waterproof pocket or the hand warming pocket!  The problem with my waders fitting much tighter because of the bag and boxes in between my waders and shirt or coat = Solved, because I no longer have to stuff the items into my waders!  The problem of having my cell phone in a Ziplock bag and then putting it in a non-waterproof pocket = Solved, with the waterproof pocket!

My initial thought was there'd also be a problem having a chest pack like the Fishpond Stormshadow Chest Pack over the top of my zippered waders. However, the zipper on my waders is easily accessible to unzip.  You can release one or both of the side front clasps and access the zipper that way.  If you wear the chest pack somewhat loose, you can simply reach in or up and grab the zipper.  Either way, you can still keep the pack on to relieve yourself, that is as long as you are going #1 and not #2 obviously.  If you choose to take the pack off to relieve yourself, that's cool too.  All your essentials will be in one easy to pick up and put back on pack.

ACCESSORIES

Fishpond has done an excellent job in creating numerous accessories for their packs so much so that any angler could completely outfit any Fishpond pack to fit their needs.  This alone sets them apart from other companies that produce fishing packs. 

SOME RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES:

• Fishpond Riverkeeper Digital Thermometer
• Fishpond Arrowhead Retractor
• Fishpond Headgate Tippet Holder
• Fishpond Floatant Bottle Holder
• Fishpond Tacky Fly Dock - Magpad
• Fishpond Tacky Pescador Fly Box - Magpad
• Fishpond Nomad Hand Net
• Fishpond Fly Puck
• Dr. Slick Scissor Clamps

Fishpond Stormshadow Chest Pack Front and Back view.

FEATURES:

• Waterproof recycled fabric.
• Integrated waterproof pocket with TRU Zip self-healing zipper.
• Velcro fly-patch (Fly Dock not Included)
• Die cut , Hypalon, and coated webbing tool attachment points.
• Integrated net slot.
• Quick access magnetic fly box compartment.
• Backpack attachment straps (included) for use with Firehole, Ridgeline, Thunderhead, and Wind River Backpacks.
• Hidden zippered pocket on interior of front panel.
• Stretch webbing side straps.
• Front stretch pocket.

Review: Fishpond Stormshadow Chest Pack - "Arrived swiftly to New Zealand, awesome service from Gorge Fly Shop!!! The chest is just the perfect size, light super functional. I just add a Velcro patch on the front pocket over the logo (sorry for hiding it) to add a C&F Design fly patch medium size. I have now plenty of flies. Also fit my Thunderhead Submersible Backpack just a great option." - Jean-Michel on 12/2024 

LAST CAST

I really, really like the fact that I can marry this pack to my Thunderhead Submersible Backpack, and have maximum room to carry what I need for a day or multi day trip.  I really like the thought of summer steelhead fishing, and wet wading using the Stormshadow Chest Pack alone, it just has me excited about summer.  A minimalistic designed but functionally appropriate totally customizable chest pack that is not overbearing.  It will be a perfect addition to your fishing inventory!

Hope this was helpful, thanks for reading!

Gorge Fly Shop Team

John Garrett.

PARTING SHOT - It's always good to end with a sweet fish pic!

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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Limited Edition Colors for Popular Ross Reels

Animas and Evolution LTX in Chocolate

Cimarron in Mardi Gras

Evolution LTX in Mardi Gras

Colorado In Chocolate

Evolution R Salt in Mardi Gras

These all are limited edition colors. Once they are gone, they are gone!

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"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

GorgeFlyShop.com  |  Join our Team |  Contact Us

"Fly Fish the World with Us"