Category Archives: product

Perhaps the right mix of fashion and utility?

ubershades Sunglasses are one of those items I remember just after a gust of wind brings the weighted 2/0 Muddler on a collision course for my nose. I wear them, but at this late stage of my physical decline, the glasses that let me see the fly take precedence.

For the angling fashionista, sunglasses are a way to leave $500 on the roof of a car, and determines your place among the preening dilettantes at the parking area.

I’d call it an “angling pocket protector” as it’s liable to make you a source of envy and ensure you’re banned from any Apres-fishing social scene.

Hell no it’s not useful, and might ensure you float head down in your waders, but imagine the raw power that comes of knowing you could replace a timing chain or perform dental surgery while wading.

Heady stuff, you let me know how them “rose tinted glasses” make out..

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Just when we thought it was safe, he starts tying again

Overcome by tinker lust, never content to leave well enough alone, and creating one monstrosity after another…

Better than Scent of a thousand nitecrawlers It’s the result of more sparkly oddities than I know what to do with – with the picture at left showing one possible use for Angelina Film.

The film is what the births the fibers, I’m guessing they send it through a trimming machine to turn it into the bagged refractive fiber; it’s available in the same 20 colors as  Angelina, and has a tough opal finish that refracts light in the same fashion as a mayfly wing.

Angelina Film It arrives sheer and smooth, the trick is to crumple it up to add the appearance of wing veins. It’s delivered in sheets of 4″ wide – 10 feet long, and costs about $3.50 per bundle.

As long as the spinners are small it shouldn’t cause a “helicopter” issue, where it’s rigid enough to spin a fine leader, larger wings may be another story. It’s just one more thing I am tying up to test in some nice Blueline venue this season.

This could make the perfect “torment” fly – the one you know the other fellow lacks, and when asked what you’re using – it’s produced with a lackadaisical  yawn.

I only torment them for a minute or two, then I fork over six or seven, I’m all bluster and no bite.

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Will the real Powell please stand up

A Walton Powell bamboo rod I’ve been dabbling in background research into the eBay tackle phenomenon, noting that two or three rod companies were well represented, and others fit the traditional auction mode – someone finding some treasure while cleaning out Grandpa’s closet.

One of the companies that caught my eye was the Powell Rod Co, formerly of Chico, California. I owned a couple Powell graphite rods and had met both Walton and Press many years ago on Fall River.

It’s an old story, “old world” craftsman meets well-to-do “SugarDaddy” with a gleam in his eye, the demise of fine rod company follows.

Being neither lawyer nor investigator, I don’t know what the truth is – but an interesting story from the 2001 Chico News & Review outlines the chronology of events from the Powell perspective.

The rods on eBay explained, they’re not the Powell’s that share their lineage with E.C Powell, Walton Powell, and his son Press – they’re the new company, run by the folks that purchased the firm from Charles Schwab.

I’ve worked at a half dozen fly shops in my youth, and ownership by rich patrons always ended badly. They might share some of our passion for the sport, but the tax writeoff is equally compelling.

In Japan, skilled artisans of bygone arts are designated as national treasures, and receive a stipend so that they can teach others. Perhaps that practice would be appropriate in the US as well.

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Orvis took a page from Bill Belichick and filmed the Winston practice

The eBay delivery arrived this morning, and the 10′ Orvis T3 was unlimbered in an orgy of torn paper and impatient swearing. Per the prior post – I purchased a “cosmetic second” rod from Redwoodloft, who’s busy pumping Orvis clothing and tackle onto eBay.

Outside of the vendor selling the item, I’ve always assumed cosmetic seconds are minimal risk, as each rod is inspected before it’s wrapped and structural problems are rejected at the blank stage – not wrapped, finished, dried, and discarded once the rod is completed.

My cursory examination could not find any defect other than a visual blemish in the graphite near the ferrule. I slapped a Princess together with a WF7F Cortland line and retired to the back yard to try this beast.

This is a brawler rod, not like the older Orvis “noodle” rods they were famous for in the 80’s and 90’s, this is a “tip flex” Winston-style taper that you could trim a hedge with without endangering the tip.

It’s not a 7 weight at all, it’s an 8 weight, and that may be the defect. This model is no longer offered which may why it was sold to the jobber as a second.

Works fine for me as this was intended to replace my Bass rod, flinging hair bugs or waterlogged 6 inch minnows into the breeze, long enough and with enough backbone to keep them big hooks away from me and the thin skin of my float tube.

The reel isn't heavy enough, will step it up a notch

My personal preference is to have the balance point on the rod under my casting thumb, it minimizes fatigue as your hand doesn’t have to fight the weight of the rod to turn the tip over on the forward cast. You can see the balance point in the above photo – the rod outweighs the fully equipped Princess, so I’ll bump the line weight and reel model enough to get the pivot point moved toward the reel (by about 3 inches).

Loaded with WF8F and System 9 reel

I added a System 9 reel with a WF8F loaded and shifted the balance back to where I need it. The extra ounce or two will be offset by the ease of pivot on the forward cast, allowing me to fish all day without suffering.

This rod was labeled a “mid-flex 7.5” – it’ll bend to the centerline with 100 feet of 7 weight in the air, but acts better with the WF8 line – it can throw the entire 110 feet without undue effort, due to its length. I think them Orvis designers filmed the Winston practice  – as this is a “beat you to death” Western taper, not some gossamer small stream rod.

Nicely equipped and furnished – gold tinted stripping and snake guides, gold thread wraps, and a solid full metal reel seat – a positive uplocking style reminiscent of older Powell rods.

At $162.50 I’m feeling like I got a really nice deal, that’s because of my unwillingness to part with the $500 + dollars to land this year’s model. It’s required of old guys, we’ve got to be a curmudgeon at something..

It’s scheduled to rain again next weekend, but if it doesn’t I’ll be attempting to get blood on it…

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I just had to trod on some kids fingers to get my rod, but he’ll live

Incredibly worthless cultural dregs compliments of eBayOur earlier post on expensive fly rods led me to  eBay, it’s one of those places folks warn you about like CostCo;  impossible to stick to your budget, the sizes are huge, and you walk out with 6 weeks worth of Tootsie Rolls, only because that’s the only size they had…

The eBay phenomenon is legend, tales of sundered marriages, accumulation of worthless stuff in hidden corners of the garage, and the arrival of little cardboard boxes – punctuated by you being thrown off the computer because some auction is expiring.

It’s still home to the occasional bargain, and beats paying $750 for a rod – assuming you can find what you need. My mission was to replace a 7 weight with a stress crack without giving up the kid’s college fund or skipping a mortgage payment.

Everything I remembered still holds true, nothing matters but the last minute of the auction and the professionals (those with garages full of crap) outnumber us amateurs handily.

Using the simplest query “fly rod” yielded 2500 rods, and I perused all of them. Think marathon, not sprint – I saw old, new, bizarre, and busted, with retailers providing the bulk of the inventory, not individuals with treasure in the attic.

Leland Outfitters in San Francisco sells all their trade-in rods on eBay, as do a number of shops. It’s also a fertile field for the wholesalers that sell “cosmetic seconds” from vendors like Orvis, Sage, and the Powell Rod Co.

My first attempt was for an Orvis 9ft 7 weight, tip flex – 2 piece, no case. I knew better than to think I was going to get this beast, I just needed practice on how to throw elbows on that critical last minute of auction. That rod went for $127.50, with about 9 bids landing in the last 45 seconds.

The rod I was really after was an Orvis T3, 10 ft #7 line, 2 piece, no case, a discontinued model that will replace my float tube “bass rod.” The extra length is handy when you’re low to the water, and I can always make a tube with PVC pipe and some adhesive. It was $90 going into the final minute, I gave it a $160 maximum offer, and waited for the ensuing carnage.

Six other lads had the same idea, but I offered 50 cents more and am the proud owner – at $150 it’s fairly priced. ($162.50 after shipping)

EBay is the “elephant graveyard” of the 4 piece flyrod, it’s obvious that both owners and shops have trouble unloading these specialized travel rods – if you’re contemplating such a purchase, it won’t hurt to take a “look see” – I must have seen 50-75 of them, mostly new – and in every line size possible.

As always, caveat emptor, but don’t take prisoners. 

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Will the real McCoy simply show hisself

The label from the Following up on a comment from Phil Huewe on the “Cheaper Ice Dub” post I did about a week ago. I knew I had the right fiber, it was the right “flavor” of fiber that was my consternation.

I contacted the maker of Angelina, the Meadowbrook Inventions Inc. and asked them what I was looking for – I’d tried the straight, crimped, and hot melt, knew it was the right fiber, but asked if there was something they made I didn’t know about.

The manufacturer referred me to a new form called “Soft Crimp” Angelina, and was nice enough to provide a couple half ounce packages as samples…

Bingo.

Which is the Ice Dub?Angelina is available in 2″, 4″, 6″, and 8″ lengths, not only the texture can be different but the length will throw you off as well. Anything longer than the 2″ will look “orderly” compared to Ice Dub, as they’ve trimmed the Angelina to 1″ and then mixed it all up.

If you want Ice Dub, buy the 2″ flavor of “soft crimp” Angelina. The “soft” part of soft crimp is markedly different than the straight, regular crimp, or hot melt fiber. It’s identical to Ice Dub in texture (although the length will be a bit longer).

All flavors of Angelina have worthy uses, and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. What makes it doubly insidious is the other two styles they told me about that I haven’t seen… sometimes your cup runs over…

I have inquiries to vendors the manufacturer recommended, and I’ll post them as soon as I have found a reputable source. I need one with all 41 colors so I can decide what to buy.

I can toss a pinch of the straight and “soft crimp” fibers into an envelope if you want to inspect them for yourself, just email me your mailing address – mine is in the “About” section at the top of the page.

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I’m thinking ROCK is far from dead

Some poor fellow probably spent a decade or two on this – not knowing I was planning something nefarious. He’s looking to improve Mankind and all I see is a better way to torture fellow anglers.

Flight of the Valkyrie would be good, especially around hatch time In-stream substrate has always been my weakness, as abandoned cars and sectional sofa’s take on new meaning to a brownline devotee. This may be a “mainstream moment” as I can see hundreds of uses to put the “wireless rock speaker” to work increasing both habitat for critters, and amusement for us sinister types, crouched in the bushes with a microphone.

At $150 these suckers are cheap. Add a dozen to your favorite run crank the volume knob, and eliminate rock snot, mud snails, and all interlopers.

Some fellow intent on his fly with you hidden offering timely elementary school tips, “Hey Batter-Batter, Swing!”

If that doesn’t get him off his game, queue the Grizzly Bear growl…

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Meet the Brownliner Microwave

“Bait and Switch” describes most restaurant menus I’ve ever seen. Crisp green lettuce, ruby red tomatoes, white onions, crisp pickles – then the order lands with a leaden thump, and the sodden mass of “cow-like substance” winks back at you…

exhaust_burger I always assumed that’s why they took the menus away when they took your order, so you couldn’t point at the picture and protest.

The “Cheeseburger in a can” looked promising, it’s the only meal that advertises itself with no letdown, you don’t need to open it, you already know what it looks like.

For the Epi-Curious the “Tail Pipe Barbeque” has Brownliner written all over it. Slap some grease meat into the device and head for the creek. On arrival you can add bun and assorted condiments, and be the envy of all them tired heroes plodding back to the car.

For the Blueline fishermen we’ll add cutlery, as they don’t appreciate the natural floatation qualities inherent in cow fat.

What’s missing is a couple of large diameter hose clamps, and extra garlic – in case I encounter something tasty near the center divider…

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I never heard so much as a whisper, and now it’s much too late

The last of the Redditch hookmakers I don’t know why I expected anything different, I wrote enough articles on the decline in “genetic diversity” to know better. It’s part and parcel of the “WalMart” phenomenon, small Mom and Pop business’s forced out of existence by sinister and cavernous chain stores.

It began innocent enough, I’m low on the special hooks used for my steelhead flies. The slim chance that I will confront a steelhead forces me to attempt every advantage, and I was down to my last box of razor sharp Partridge hooks that I’d squirreled away for personal use. To my horror they’re unavailable, worse yet the company has been swallowed by the mighty minions of Mustad.

The bloody coup occurred a year ago, I don’t even get a chance to rush to their defense in an orgy of protective consumerism.

“Partridge of Redditch” is no more, and with their demise a lot of small custom hooks have vanished from the market. I’ve used quite a few of their hooks, and fiddled with many of the odd styles – their quality was unsurpassed and their responsiveness to the public was remarkable.

They still make fish hooks, but only the mainstream conventional stuff remains of what was once a vibrant catalog. Rest in Peace, beloved SEB Steelhead hook…

I like supporting the “little guy,” in the back of my mind I preserve the fantasy of chucking the real world and retiring to some fly shop close to where trout sleep at night. It’s an unrealistic dream, but I still find a way to dump fifty bucks at even the smallest of destination shops, these guys are living our retirement fantasy and deserve the support.

It reinforces my notion that you should always buy plenty when you find something nice, you can’t put off the inevitable – but at least you’ll get another year before you get the bad news.

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I had a hell of time getting hooks last year, I may have solved that problem nicely, compliments of Togen

All I need is more things to fiddle with and nothing stirring to eat my creations. They say that’s what Winter is for and it appears as if I’m going to give Old Daytripper a run for his money…

Natural Bend Togen fish hooks caught my eye recently, a Japanese hook marketed by the Togen fly shop in Canada, their appearance is akin to a Tiemco, light colored bronzing, sharp small points (chemically sharpened), well formed and graceful, and really cheap…

My shipment showed this morning – I’d ordered the “scud” style (#18528), dry fly (#26528), 1X Nymph (#18538), and Natural Bend (#16428), figuring that would give me a nice cross section of the trout styles for testing purposes.

Standard Dry Fly The “Natural Bend” is an elongated hook and #20’s are about the size of a traditional #16, I ordered #20 – #16’s to accommodate the normal sizes I use.

Really nice hooks, nicely formed eyes, and I managed to imbed a point in my finger just opening the plastic bag – so they’re plenty sharp.

Now the “Good News” – they’re $7.00 US per hundred hooks, so it may be time to think on what you’re currently using. Togen sells them in packs of 100, or packs of 1000 – you can mix and match sizes and styles to build the 1000 pack. The price drops to $6.80 US per 100 if ordered in the “mix and match” 1000 bundles.

1X Long Nymph My thoughts on the subject are well documented. 100 years ago almost every fish hook in the world came from Redditch, England. No matter what the label said, it was a Sealy, a Partridge, or an Allcock. I think the same holds true today – no matter what the label says, it’s likely a Tiemco, Gamakatsu, or an affiliated factory.

As nothing else is biting, I may have to try these in the seafood aisle of my supermarket, I think I saw a Catfish fillet that weighed enough to deform a #20 – that’s if the damn Mergansers don’t beat me to it…

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