Winter Troutin' 2016

Ice on my rod guides and Trout in my hand, Priceless!

Why do I do it? I can give a dozen reasons not to do it like frozen guides, icy cold water, lethargic fish, frozen reels, numb hands, frozen snot and the list goes on. Now clear your mind for a minute and focus on the fishing. You're in a stream with no one else around. The air is crisp and clean. The sounds you hear other than your own can only be of nature. The fish that eat are the strongest in their environment. Just like you, they're not lying around being lazy. Just like you, winter trout have learn to embraced the cold and strive to live a life of solitude and peace even when it would just be easier to rest back in deep holes and sip on midge larvae all winter.

Those words are as much to encourage myself as they are to encourage others. You see I don't need another excuse to not go winter troutin' but when I put it all aside and finally get to release a strong beautiful fish like the one in the picture all of the excuses to not do it are erased.

How to do it

coffee break

I set out on this cold winters day to float about 5 miles of river in my Outcast Stealth Pro. I especially like to float this time of year. It's so much easier to cover water this way instead of trying to access everything on foot. Snow, mud and ice on foot makes trekking very treacherous. It's much easier to float plus I get to cover a lot of water. I'm only looking for the most active eager fish and I find them in current on seams where the water is alive and oxygenated.

On this day I had three rods with me. That's another advantage of floating, you can carry multiple rods.  My tried and true Winston BIIIX 4110-4 Microspey with a Bauer CFX #4 Trout spey reel. I loaded it with the Airflo Switch Streamer line of 330gr and 10 foot of T-7 Sink Tip. I must confess I modified the Airflo line. Everything is perfect about this line except the abnormally large running line part of it. I couldn't take no more so I chopped it at the back side of the head and applied a RIO Braided loop so I could connect it to RIO SlickShooter mono shooting line. I'm not suggesting everyone should do this. Try it first and you might be fine with it. I made it through last year fishing it but winter freezing temps finally made me give up on it. Too thick to work in icy guides and shooting lines such as mono are much better for this cold weather fishing.

Peregrine Falcon

My next outfit is the new Sage ONE 3110-4 Trout Spey coupled with a Lamson Litespeed #3 reel and the RIO Intouch Switch Chucker #3. The Sage rod feels great! I'll be doing a full review on it in the near future once I've had a chance to fish it some more with some different lines and heads. Right away this grip on the Sage feels so great...It just fits me and the rod balances perfect. What I didn't like on this day was the Switch Chucker. I just don't get this line. It just doesn't turn over for me easy. Maybe it's me or maybe I expect too much from it. I started out with 8 foot of T-7 sink tip but backed off to a 10 foot fast sinking polyleader. It still seamed difficult to turn over.  Maybe it needs a 5 foot polyleader or just a regular leader. I will fish the Sage rod again soon with the RIO Skagit Trout Max heads and also try my favorite scandi the RIO Scandi Short VersiTip. I wished I had the VersiTip with me this day. It would have been ideal for some of the slower riffles that were holding fish. The sink tips I was fishing were too much for them.

Mr Brown hammered a streamer in icy cold water

My third outfit was a 9' 7wt unnamed rod let's consider it a prototype coupled with a Bauer CFX #4 Trout Spey reel. For lines I had a RIO 0.024" Powerflex shooting line looped to a OPST 225gr. Commando head and 8 foot of T-7 Sink tip. I can't begin to describe how fun this setup is. Just think about what you want to achieve and do it. Roll cast like a dream, overheads easy and spey is just too fun. Set you anchor and let it rip or perform a touch and go cast. These super short commando heads bring life to single hand rods in ways that one should not overlook. I found myself fishing small micro seams that I used to pass over because my two hand rods were just to much for these little pockets. With OPST Commando heads or the RIO Skagit Trout Max heads I am now seeing new water to fish and it's paying off. The trout on the top of the page came on this outfit on a micro seam.

Towards the end of my float is a long great swing run. Another advantage of floating is I was able to set up on the opposite side of the river of were it could be foot accessed. A nymph angler was across the way so I stayed clear of him. I was backed up tight to the bank and needed to Snap T cast to set up my swing. A minute later the nymph guy yelled down and said "Nice Snap T!" I yelled back and said you are the first person on this river to know what that is. I went on and caught a couple and he also caught a couple. When I left I rowed my boat across river and up the back eddy to the guy. Got out and chatted. Yep he lived in the NW and had been spey fishing for 20 years on the peninsula and BC. He continued to fish as we chatted and I couldn't help noticing the double spey he was doing with his single hand nymph rod setup. The only reason I bring this up is that it doesn't matter what technique you're doing out there anyone can benefit from some two hand techniques. After watching him perform endless double speys I had no reason to doubt any word he spoke of his steelhead experiences. He wasn't thinking about what he was doing, he was just doing it.

So back to the question "Why do I do it?"
 I think the answer to that is somewhere in this article

More articles like this one in Trout Spey Chronicles

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

San Juan, Animas, Durango - January 2015

Dates were set, gear in check and Tom's flight just landed in the Albuquerque Sunport.

Passport NOT required!

Despite a near last minute cancellation due to illness all was on track to explore winter in the Southwest Trout Region. Winter conditions almost got in the way as our drive had us skirting around a cold front that had just earlier that day left snow on the Continental Divide.

First stop San Juan for some long overdue ego boost. Not today! Having arrived on the backside of a cold front we found fussy fish teasing us with short strikes and avoiding any solid pin of the hook.

What do you call it when the fish don't eat? Casting Practice!

Personally I realized that it had been too long since wetting a line. I knew this because I quickly realized I was off my game. Fumbling, not connecting, not focused and at a later point in the day Tom said "Dude...Chill out!...Just step back, relax and unwind" (deep breath!). You know you got a good friend when he's not scared to look you in the eye and tell you to get it together. Sometimes you need to hear it.Tom went on to land a couple fish at the end of the day while I pulled myself together but the fish were still far from happy.

Dark had fallen on the tiny town of Navajo Dam as we rolled in to the local diner for a dinner chow. Trophy pictures hanging on the wall did nothing to ease the torment of a mediocre at best day of fishing.

Back to our room at the Rainbow Lodge and Resolution Guide Service owner Steve came over to say hello. Steve gave us a great winter rate and his accommodations were exactly what two weary fisherman needed for a great nights rest. After a brief recap of our days success or lack of would be a better way to describe it, Steve offered his expertise and we listened closely. After unloading the truck I quickly grabbed a cold beer from the cooler and dumped my gear on the table. Get it together is the only thought on my mind. Tom and I spent the better part of the evening catching up on what's been going on and preparing for the next day.

Photo Credit Tom Larimer | Larimer Outfitters

Next day came with blue sky and the sunrise quickly leveled the frost. As I drove us down to Last Chance Hole I fired up a song on the stereo. Tony Furtada doing a cover of an old classic Tom Petty "Running Down a Dream."

♬ It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down - I had the radio on, I was driving
Trees flew by, Me and Del were singin' Little Runaway
I was Flying'
Yeah Running down a dream That never would come to me

I got the look from Tom followed with "Dude! What are you doing driving 20 mph down the road? I said "Getting in tune and relaxing, we only have like a mile to go and I want to hear this song"... lol... Geared and ready to go we ran down to the water and made a few casts before our friends from Durango would arrive.

Soon after Beatle and Jon arrived. Truck tailgates dropped and a full on gear convention took place. I pulled out my Jetboil and offered fresh brewed coffee. After our show and tell session we took Beatle's advice and headed up to an area called the Back Channel. This run held great promise. It just felt right for swinging with its heavy current, deep channel and plenty of boulders to create seams.

Jon landing first ever Two Hand Trout catch

It wasn't long and Tom was into a Rainbow and followed that up with a Brown. The advice that Steve gave us the night before had been validated. It was a tiny size 28 red annelid trailing behind our streamers that the fish would eat.  It wasn't until later in the afternoon that the fish started to take the streamer. I could sense the change in the fish's attitude. That's a sign that we're getting tuned in and a good day turned into a great day of fishing!

Ore House | Durango, Colorado

As dusk set in we headed back to the truck, packed up our gear and took off north on a course set for the mountain town of Durango, Colorado. Beatle invited us to join him for dinner and drinks at his historic Ore House Restaurant. Greeted at the door by Beatle, Jon and wives Cheryl and Lyndsey, we quickly settled into the warm, casual, inviting atmosphere while granddaughter Alyson provided entertainment. Will Blanchard of Animas Valley Anglers joined in and we toasted drinks while recapping the days success. Drinks, laughter and an incredible meal kept us going late into the night. Durango is such a fun and friendly town.


Next day we met down on the Animas River close to town. The Animas is a beautiful freestone mountain stream. Middle January and this river is cold! No surprise that these fish aren't going to move far for a fly. About an hour after four of us probing the water Tom hooks up on an awesome Brown. That one fish validated all effort!

Tom Larimer | Larimer Outfitters | Winston MicroSpey

We went on to fish some other areas and later that day the Rainbows started feeding and several came to hand. We admired each one for they were all fat and healthy fish.

Animas River Bow

Dusk settled in as we stowed our gear. Tom and I decided right then that we would stay another night in Durango instead of making the long dark lonely drive back down into Albuquerque. It's the most scenic drive during the day and the darkest drive ever during the night!

Back to town, secured a room and dropped off three days of what was once precisely organized fishing gear now appears in total disarray. Hungry we walked down in town for dinner...I love towns that you can park the rig and just walk to whatever you want. Tom was told when you travel to New Mexico one must experience a green chile cheeseburger even if you're in Colorado! This is true! So with a recommendation from our local friends we entered a local cantina to try the best green chile cheeseburger in town. It did not disappoint and Tom approved!

Drove back to the city the next day and got Tom on a plane headed home. On my drive home I looked back on the past few days and wondered what was my favorite part of the trip. Was it catching up with a good friend, meeting new friends, experiencing a new town, fishing a new river, experimenting with new gear, catching fish or great food and drink. All of the above!

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

SMITH OPTICS: ChromaPOP (Fish in style and with purpose)

Is the grass really greener on the other side?

We've said it before, Smith Optics have been leading the Fly Fishing industry in quality optics for many years. The ChomaPOP's are no different, or are they? 

In recent years we have seen even further forward movement with great lens choices like Ignitor and Polarchromatic Copper and frame choices like Dover, Chief, and Frontman. Smith Optics sunglasses not only have great style and fit but provide incredible clarity with Techlite Polarize Glass lens technology. We have been selling these lenses for a little while now. Last year we tested the Tenet with Low Light Ignitor lenses and this year we wanted to review one of the coolest lenses we saw at last years IFTD show, but with all the cool products out we just recently where able to get our hands on a pair to test. 

Where have you been all my life...

As I waited for my pair to arrive in the mail I was forced to use a different lens, so the first thing I did after getting my hands on a pair of these Frontman ChromaPOPs was go out side and compare them with some of my other sunglasses in my arsenal, including another pair of Smiths I love but aren't ChromaPOP's.

Take the time and admire the good things in life.

FIT, COMFORT, CLARITY: All these things came into play during my initial test. The first thing I noticed was fit. The frame fit nicely on my noggin and contoured my face nicely blocking those annoying UV's and rested comfortably on my nose, did I mention they where cool? If there was ever a pair of sunglasses that made you feel better about yourself, these could be it. I don't ever leave the house with out having them close by. I may even purchase another pair just to go in the Jeep.

MEASUREMENT / FEATURES

• Med-Large Fit / Large Coverage
• Carbonic TLT Lenses
• Evolve Frame Material
• Hydrophilic Megol Nose and Temple Pads
• 8 Base Lens Curvature
• Frame Measurements 61-15-125

CLARITY:
I could go on and on about the clarity of these lenses, but there's enough documentation out there that babbles on and on - let's just say the clarity exceeded my expectations both on and off the river.

COMFORT:
Now to be fair, you can't always judge or even write a review on a product you've only seen once or twice. So for this review, we head to the the Hood, San Juan, Sandy and the Deschutes Rivers. My time spent on these rivers made me appreciate not only the fit and comfort but the lens quality as well. It felt great wearing them all day in both low light and bright sunny days. Rain or Shine I was ready!

GREENER GRASS:

"In order to see change you must open your eyes."

ChromaPOP's slogan for these lenses is "The Grass Really is Greener". So the first thing that popped into my head is if you want the greener grass on the other side of the fence... Stop bleeping on your own lawn. My point is, not everything on the other side of the fence is always better, nor greener. However, when it comes to these Chormapop lenses, the grass truly is greener and the clarity is phenomenal!

I imagine the team over at SMITH's would probably say something like: Front and center with bold charisma and distinction. The Frontman offers crisp and fresh surfacing details, plus enough head curvature and temple thickness to keep out the sun and keep you fishing all day or out on the town. - I would have to agree but add that they're just damn cool!

After putting these shades through the ringer and having some time to think about this article I'm honestly still in love with these Frontman ChromaPOP's. I plan to put them to good use in the coming months.

BUT ARE THEY FISH READY?
So did I catch my first fish on a fly because I was wearing SMITH sunglasses? Or more importantly ChromaPOP lenses? Maybe, one could argue either way. So I'll leave you with this closing thought. You can always change out a fly on the river but the last thing you want to think about is gee, wish I would have warn my other sunglasses.

Article by: Mike Prine - The Newbie
Gorge Fly Shop - Webmaster

SMITH OPTICS: LIFETIME WARRANTY

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

San Juan Chronicles: All in One Day

It was never my intention to write a post about this day...

In fact quite the opposite...

Deer crossing just downstream of the Beaver Dam

It was just supposed to be a group of guys on a one day run and gun to the honey hole and enjoy some fishing. 

The day comes and as you can already guess things don't all go as planned. This is not stuff you can just make up.

I was invited to go along on this trip by a friend (Justin). The remaining group consists of an acquaintance (Robb), an unknown (Kyle) and of course a newbie (Tim).

Out of bed at 3am...meet the group at 4am...Of course the Newbie guy is late to the meeting spot and his buddy has to call him to wake him up. There was talk of leaving him behind but as it turns out Newbie was the contributor of lunch. Turned out to only be a small delay as Newbie lived pretty close to the meeting spot. A little gear shuffling and we were on our way.

The local Wildlife

The drive ahead of us is about 3 hours in normal conditions. Yes, you already guessed that conditions were anything but normal. Started out normal until we hit the continental divide. Are those snow flurries? Two miles later we found ourselves in a whiteout trying to maintain a 25 mph and keep the truck in-between the lines which at this point cannot be seen. This continued for about 50 miles.

Finally upon getting through the whiteout we reached the town of Farmington. Pretty close to our destination and a good spot to get some breakfast. While slurping diner coffee and discussing plans it was realized that Newbie has no wading boots. Seems to have been some confusion about the role of the stockingfoot part of the waders. Not a big deal because our next stop is the town of Navajo Dam which pretty much exists on the traffic of fisherman and with three local fly shops we should be able to get some boots for Newbie.

We reach Navajo Dam and stopped at the local Fly Shop / Diner / Hotel otherwise known as Fisheads. Newbie got some rental boots. At this point of the journey it is now my turn to contribute to the delay of this day. Realizing the night before that my fishing license had expired I attempted to renew on-line. Of course technical difficulties kept this from happening. Again Fisheads to the rescue.

While at the fly shop we inquired for the current conditions. ut oh! More bad news! This is a tailwater and as far back as the beginning of 2014 the water flow has remained unchanged...until this day! Of course! Us river veterans know that after days, weeks, months of no change the last thing you want to do is show up on the day it changes. Needless to say the fishing proved to be tough.

G. Loomis Pro4x 5106-4 Switch Rod

I was the first to catch a fish and swung a nice one out of a tail out. Big and chunky Bow but even he seemed to be having an off day according to the lackluster fight he put up. I didn't touch another fish until later that afternoon.

Justin's first on his new Sage One 4116

Justin (the friend) stuck a couple fish including this nice one. It was the inaugural catch on his new Sage One 4116 switch rod and his first Two Hand catch.

Robb scored a few fish

Tim (Newbie) and Kyle are down river out of sight. Later that day there seemed to be some concern as to what happened to these two guys. Come to find out Newbie took a dunk. With water temp in the 30's and air temp not much warmer Tim did the smart thing and got out of his waders and wet clothes to dry. I understand Kyle stumbled upon Tim sun bathing in his birthday suit on a boulder. Never know what you'll find on the stream. Advice to the Newbie...check out our Layering section...No more cotton under your waders.

The Sun had made its way to low in the sky and despite a "never quit" attitude I think we all agreed without hesitation that the time to give up and head home had arrived. The walk back to the truck that almost became a sprint was strong evidence that river had won on this day. I'm not sure of the total fish count but I am sure that the grand total was still less than the average good day for one angler...far less!

Normally on my way home from this river I drive thru a KFC grab some chicken tenders and chow on them while I proceed homeward. The group had a different
plan. Blake's LotaBurger! I admit I was excited to to have some burger grease dripping from my chin after the long day it had become. I have a general restaurant rule that you order your item the way it comes and making menu adjustments might not work out in your favor. I almost was chuckling while Justin was ordering his burger but three hours later and I had nothing to laugh about. My burger was still reminding me why I don't stop there on my way home.

Twenty hours, 400+ miles and two fish and a Blake's burger later 

I finally made it back home!

You've been there before...we have all done this!

• Hit a snow storm on the way!
• Newbie has no wading boots!
• Who's got Lunch?
• Where did they go? I don't know but he's got the keys to the truck!
• I can't believe the fishing is this bad...Its never like this...

Despite the uncountable highs and lows I would do it all over again tomorrow. Minus the Burger!

Do you you have stories like this one? We would like to hear your "All in One Day" story.

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Outcast Stealth Pro Vs. the Competition

Going Frameless

When a unique opportunity presents itself take advantage of it. That is the logic I've come to live by. I had already put this trip on the calender. I had recently purchased a new Outcast Stealth Pro to replace my old pontoon. Then opportunity hit! A friend says "I have a boat very similar to the Stealth Pro. Your welcome to borrow it anytime." Hmmmm!

San Juan River in New Mexico looks like a great place to give these boats a test drive in the middle of March. Blue Skies and Sunshine feels real good but don't get the wrong impression...still cold here especially mornings. Much time was spent de-icing fly rod guides. We arrived on a Monday afternoon and proceeded to walk and wade for the remaining daylight and didn't give up until it was almost too dark to fish which gave us just enough time to get back to the truck. The wind was howling and casting was difficult. I was worried that the wind would continue through the next day, the first of two planned float days.

Mike in the Stealth Pro at ET Rock

Tuesday came as expected with strong winds blowing straight up the canyon. This will be a good test as we push these boats downriver. This time of year flow is still at a winter minimum so not much help from current. The Stealth Pro rowed incredibly smooth with easy entry and exit of the oars. Outcast did a great job utilizing a long thinner oar blade along with a very smooth pivoting oar lock design. This made it really enjoyable to row. Our competitors boat had a lot of slack and play in the oar system and made it clunky on the water. The problem may have also been amplified by lesser quality oars.

We pushed through a lot of water that first float day. Many of these pools are like small lakes. Much of this water could only be fished from some type of craft. We didn't spend much time fishing it because we really were only equipped to swing or strip streamers and this is some water that you really would want some Outcast Kick Fins to control your position. Pictured above is rock commonly called ET Rock and it marks the end of a long deep bend I believe is referred to as Baetis Bend. The whole pool appears to be next to impossible to walk and wade. I'm sure this could be home to some unbelievable size trout. This area could find use with some of those Rio Lake Lines we just posted about. But on this day we are searching for swing water. More about the San Juan on another day, let's get back to talking about the boat.

This should swing

Integrated Gear System

Integrated Gear System

 A really cool feature of the Outcast Stealth Pro is the ability to add accessories with the Integrated Gear System (IGSystem). The orange patches you see are like sleeves affixed to the outer shell and allow the user to attach a variety of things including Scotty rod holders, anchor systems and side bags. The Stealth Pro comes standard with one side pocket bag. All of these accessories can be purchased from us. The mounts that slide into the sleeve have a common bolt pattern that relates to all Scotty accessories.  This makes many accessories pretty universal to the Stealth Pro. No more strap-on accessories to deal with. I'm going to add another side pocket bag to mine. The Stealth Pro comes with one side pocket and two mounting sleeves, one on each side of the boat. Accessories can be mounted in three different positions. To re-position the mounting sleeve just air down the pontoon and use a blunt object to slide the sleeve into a different position. I used an eraser end of a pencil and it worked just fine.

Simple Installation

Secured without straps

The provided thumb fasteners make for easy attachment and removal of side pocket. The side pockets gives you drink holders on each end as well as stuff pockets and a large main pocket.

Secure some items that could get you out of a jam

It's good to have a few items on hand especially for 2-3 day floats. I use the one side pocket just for these little extras. I carry a few tools just in case I would have to change out an oar lock. An extra one is provided with your Stealth Pro purchase. Outcast also provides an emergency patch. Zip-ties, rope and duct tape round out my bag of "what if" supplies.
I doubt if I will ever need any of this stuff but the first rule in boating is to be prepared. While "up a creek without a paddle" might be a bad situation you'd still be better off than "down a river with one oar."

Safety First

Don't forget these items

Never float without your K-Pump

I wanted a way to secure my K-Pump without taking up valuable gear space. I acquired a couple extra mounting sleeves and inserted one in the back space normally reserved for an anchor. While searching through a bin of old boat parts I've collected over the years I found some old rod holder parts. The bolt pattern is an exact match. Most rod holder accessories today use the same bolt pattern. Using the mount as a clamp I secured the K-Pump stuff sack. While at it I added a grab handle for easy dragging. If you are going to do your own customizing be sure to pay attention to bolt length. The bolts I had were just perfect as long as I put a washer under them.

Ready for gear

Outcast has outfitted the Stealth Pro with many tie down loops. I also added some mounts to the side locations just to give me more tie-down spots.

Tie-Downs

Vs. the Competitor

After two full days of floating both Mike and I agreed we liked the Outcast Stealth Pro boat the best. Only minor differences separated the two boats. The most obvious was the quality of oars. An oar upgrade to our competitors boat would really make a big difference. Next the competitor's oar locks themselves had a lot of play in them. The footrest came in third of dislikes and again it was the lose insecure feeling it gave us. Last of our dislikes was the fact that our competitors boat does not use an internal bladder. While no difference is detected from a lack of bladder it just gives me a more secure feeling knowing that what holds the air in the Outcast Stealth Pro is protected inside a tough outer shell.

Outcast Stealth Pro Flattens the Competition

I really love the freedom of floating

Features -

• Inflated Size: 8' x 57" 
• Tube Diameter: 16.25" 
• Fabric: 500 pvc 
• Material Weight: 30 oz. 
• AireCell Material: Urethane 
• Seam Construction: Welded 
• Warranty: 5 Yrs
• Valve Type: Summit II 
• Weight: 35 lbs. 
• Load Capacity: 450 lbs.
• Frame: NONE 
• Anchor System: IGSystem 
• Oar Type: 5' 2-piece

Frame-less

Frame-less pontoon boats are not completely new on the scene. The Outcast's little cousin the Fishcat Scout has been out for over a year and has proven to be very popular and the competitors boat has been out for at least a couple of years. I had studied all the current frame-less boats available and as loyal customer of Outcast I decided to go with a new Stealth Pro. I couldn't be happier and look forward to all the great floats I plan to use this on.

For More information on Pontoon Boats visit our Buyers Guide

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Fishpond Slippery Rock Wading Staff: Gear Review

Step into the flow with confidence.

As a fairly new Angler, I find myself asking the same questions quite often, why pay X amount for certain fly fishing items, are they really worth it - is this product really worth the price tag and what makes it different than the rest? Product descriptions alone only get you so far, sometimes leaving out important details and YouTube videos can often feel long and drawn out, I know - I've made a few. All I can provide you are my own personal experiences and hope you make the right choice for you.

For this product review: It began last year at the 2013 IFTD / I-Cast show in Las Vegas. While visiting the show and using a generic brand X mono pod to film some of the show I spotted the Fishpond wading staff, it just so happened to have a camera mount under the cork, not something a whole lot of people realize but a feature that could appeal for those wishing to do a little filming or point and shoot but would rather not have a camera around your neck, or worse stuffed away in a pocket during that money shot. What makes this staff different than most camera mono sticks is that they are sealed where the Fishpond wading staff breaks down into 3 sections. This is important while spending the day on the river and these sections allow you to drain any water still inside the shaft where as a closed unit, like my brand X mono pod retains water after being submerged. That won't happen twice...

"A good wading staff is essential equipment on many rivers."

Don't forget the little things.
GoPro tripod adapter

The boys at Fishpond where able to hook me up and I was glad to test this staff on the Sandy, Deschutes and my most recent adventure the San Juan River this past March. Now some of you may not need or even use a staff, but I found it quite handy to have on hand while trekking into new parts of the river I was unfamiliar with, both for support in high currents and to feel for larger rocks in murkier water. Not to mention the added bonus of the camera mount.

The biggest thing I found this staff had going for was three things: Paint, Cork and Mount.

PAINT SCHEME:
Instead of the a traditional black or chrome stick they opted for a green speckled logo look. See pictures below you'll see what I mean. I would say, most people either love it or hate it. Quite frankly, it grew on me as I'm usually a "dressed in black" kinda guy but overall the paint represented Fishpond really well.

CORK / HANDLE:
I found the cork knob quite comfortable to walk with while walking the trails along the San Juan River and the banks of the Deschutes and Sandy. If I needed a firmer grip I had the option to use the foam handle just under the knob.

CAMERA MOUNT:
The mount itself is nothing special. Standard tripod threads and will attach to any standard camera. GoPro's will need a tripod adapter and the JVC Adixxion that i'm testing attach's beautifully with the option to mount vertical or horizontally (depending on how you want to view the screen). However, I found that this feature alone made it a A+ feature in my book and one of the biggest reasons I would recommend this particular wading staff to anyone else like minded or in the market to film or shoot stills on the water.

Fishpond Slippery Rock Wading Staff

Product Features - 

• For general wading and hiking support 
• Advanced locking adjustment system 
• Oversized cork knob for control and comfort 
• Padded, adjustable neoprene strap 
• Foam handle for comfort in cold water 
• Integrated Combi-tip twist mechanism switches between a rubber tip and tungsten carbide tip 
• Extends from 29.5” to maximum safe extended length of 57”

Back to my original question. Is the product worth it? If your looking for something with style, quality and purpose? Than the answer would have to be yes. Are their other options on the market, of course. However I hope my brief insight on this product will help guide you in making the right decision for you. 

Remember, whenever wading: Be safe, be happy, Fish On!
Tip: Get a Gear Keeper Retractable Wading Staff Tether or build your own for this product.


Article by: Mike Prine - The Newbie
Gorge Fly Shop - Webmaster

"Fly Fish the World with Us"