Fly Fishing Gift Ideas

With Christmas under a month away most people are frantically searching for that perfect gift.  We have a few gift ideas for the fly fisherman as well as a few places to point you in the direction that will help.

Your hometown fly shop is one of the best places to look for those items on the Christmas list.  WV offers some great shops to check out Anglers Xstream in Parkersburg, Serenity Now Outfitters in Lewisburg, Elk Springs located near Monterville, Evergreen in Clarksburg, and McFly Outdoors with a few locations including Flatwoods.  There is also a few great shops that border us South River Fly Shop in Waynesboro - VA, Mossy Creek Fly Shop in Harrisonburg - VA, and Mad River Outfitters in Columbus - OH.  Fly shops provide great and personal service from people that truly understand these products.  They understand the local area as well as hatches and can suggest the flies or gear needed for area streams.  They all offer a great selection of rods, reels, waders, and tying gear.  If gear is not your answer you can always get a guide trip from one of them for anything from trout to bass to musky.  Another great guide is Harold Harsh from Spring Creek Outfitters that always shows a great time on the water.  

If you don't want to pick something out gift cards are always a favorite item for all.  You can get a gift card from one of the fly shops mentioned above or even manufactures offer one.  A few other places that offer a great idea would be Harman's Log Cabins offer great packages to stay on the South Branch as does Elk Springs on the Elk.  They both offer top notch accommodations with good fishing just out the front door.  Another place that offers gift cards to stay is one of the many WV State Parks a couple of the best Kumbrabow and Watoga.  For the fisherman looking to replicate that trophy Mount'n Critters Taxidermy would offer gift cards for a one of a kind reproduction!  

There are some great products available for the fly fisherman this Christmas and we will focus on a few.  

Vedavoo has the Little Bugger Kids Sling for the little fisherman in your family.  A kid sling pack with room for a fly box, tippet, tools, and snacks. 

http://www.vedavoo.com/shop/little-bugger-kid-sling/

Photo from Vedavoo.com

Vedavoo Mason Jar Coozie - Its a mug style Coozie that comes with with a Pint Mason Jar.  Insulated for hot or cold or those extra cold frosty beverages and made in the USA to last!

http://www.vedavoo.com/shop/mason-jar-coozie/

Photo from Vedavoo.com 

Chota STL Plus - Features enhanced styling, and durability while the comfort and stability is retained.  One of the most durable boots on the market. 

http://chotaoutdoorgear.com/shop/footwear/stl-plus-wading-boot/

Photo from chotaoutdoorgear.com

Goat Head Sole Spikes - Screw in cleats for sandals, shoes, and of course wading boots.  Traction control for those slippery streams!

http://www.solespikes.com/fishing/

Photo from www.solespikes.com/

Cheeky Fly Fishing Mojo 425 - extremely versatile reel that handles everything from e salt to the stream.  Super smooth drag that handles those big runs on steelhead, hybrids, and musky!

http://www.cheekyflyfishing.com/reels/mojo-425

Photo from www.cheekyflyfishing.com

Risen Fly Alpha Fly Line - perfect fly line for any level of angler.  Comes in line wts from 3-9.  One of the best valued fly lines on the market.

http://risen-fly.theshoppad.com/#/product/fly-lines

Photo from www.risenfly.com

Super Fly EP Game Changers - Pat Cohen ties up these awesome game changers by stacking EP fivers then coloring them up with markers.  The go to fly for me this year!

http://rusuperfly.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=171

Photo from rusuperfly.com

The Fly Stop - Great selection of flies for any type of fishing.  Not only tons of flies but some of the most affordable you will find.

http://www.theflystop.com/fly-fishing-flies-discount

Photo from www.theflystop.com

MFC Poly Boxes - Great for small flies to a big collection of patterns.  Awesome artwork on each box from artists like Currier and Pucket.

http://www.montanafly.com/Camo/Poly%20Boxes.html

Photos from www.montanafly.com

Rep Your Water Hats -  One of the newest edition to the Rep Your water collection is the WV.  Representing native trout they offer a stunning hat!

http://www.repyourwater.com/collections/west-virginia/products/west-virginia-hat

Photo from www.repyourwater.com

Redemption

Redemption when we look at Webster's definition it's the act of making something better.  The bible talks about redemption as paying a price for something.  In order to be redeemed a payment has to be received to gain possession of something.  Yesterday I was loaded with the Vedavoo Bugger Beast and the big flies, Sage One 7wt, Risen Fly Reel, Rio Smallmouth Line, and of course a game changer fly.  Action started slow as I waded down the creek hitting all the fishy spots that usually hold a good fish.  It's great being able to wet wade in nearly October you have to love this time of year and fall.  The cool morning seemed to have fish lethargic and slow going to start but once the air warmed up and the sun was on the water the fish were cruising the shallows.  I found a stud of a smallmouth and after a big cast wham fish on but as quick as the first run he was gone.  So I move up to the head of the pool and another solid fish is cruising around and in no time enhales the fly next strip set wham the drag is screaming but unfortunately the hook pops out.  Two solid fish hooked up in the 17-19 inch range and nothing to show.  I've lost way to many big fish this year including one 20 plus monster that still haunts me.  I was feeling degected and felt like my streamer skills were gone and wonderd if I had lost something.  So turn the page to today and I took another shot at some local water and like yesterday once the sun got going they we're cruising the shallows again.  My debut was paid yesterday and I was looking for redemption.  I strung up the setup again with my trusty game changer again and laid out a huge cast in the vicinity of where three smallies were cruising.  In no time like yesterday whack inhalation again and strip set and the drag was going and the rod bent.  Unlike yesterday the hook was buried and we were gaining ground. It looks like that debt paid to those bass was accepted because a stud smallie was laying at my feet.  I could have packed it in but you have to fight through those bad moments and those times that look bleak and look for redemption and keep working.  Thankfully this hookup ended good and the hook stayed buried until I had the chance to remove it! 

Risen Fly ITB Rod

Time for another product review!  Our friends at Risen Fly recently gave me the opportunity to test out their new prototype rod the ITB.  It is a 9ft 5wt rod that is listed as a mid flex rod.  I have a great deal of respect for Ryan and the company he has created so I was super excited to get this rod in my hands and see what it truly offered.  I was pleasantly surprised to find it packed away in a cool triangle rod to prevent it from rolling around when your in route to water.  I was also impressed with the price point of this rod priced at $140 including the rod tube and a lifetime warranty it puts it in very comparable to a lot of the Temple Fork rods that never offer the tube with the rod. 
The rod is a nice graphite in a bold burnt orange color with brown/orange wrappings that give it a very unique and cool look!  Well after finally getting it lined up with some Risen Fly Alpha line and pairing it up with the Risen Fly Ichthus fly reel it was ready to hit the water.  Colder temps being in the area I figured my best chance to get the rod into some fish was on the Elk River. 


Elk River Brown

I put it in some different situations to see how it would cast and handle flies and from nymphs, to streamers, and even dries it did great.  The browns even enjoyed the buggers we were swinging by them.  The rod casts very smoothly.  It truly feels like a nice midflex rod with good action with some good sensitivity I am a fan of rods with a lot of action and full flex I was impressed with the action of this rod it felt noodly enough to where I like it but yet gave enough back bone to lay out a good cast and handle some weight with streamers or nymphs.  Casts in the 30 range are a breeze and munch longer are not bad either the rod handles all situations!  Having had it out several times I am pleased with how the rod handles with all types of conditions and ready to put it to work on some bass and blue gill action.  For the price of this and the warranty as well as the type of people they are at Risen Fly you can no go wrong with the price tag and value of this rod!  Check them out online at RisenFly.com they also offer some awesome reels, fly line, and boxes all at great prices.

Photo from RisenFly.com

Photo from RisenFly.com



Check out our good friends at risenfly.com

Support Your Local Fly Shop & The Little Guy

With the Holiday season in full swing I thought it would be good to mention some of the local fly shops out there and the little guys out there that offer some great custom an American made products!  Local fly shops are great they give you that one on one service and will at times go the extra mile to help a person out an put them on fish or just get them started in the sport.  The little guy offer some very cool products they don't usually get a lot of the hype from some of the big fly fishing magazines but that aside some of there products are the best out there on the market.   

Located in Lewisburg is Serenity Now Outfitters.  Craig Miller runs the shop and is one of the top musky on a fly guys in WV.  Serenity Now offers a full service location for everything from fly fishing, outdoor techincial clothing, to kayaking gear.  You will find great brands such as Life Is Good, Old Town, Ross Reels, Scott, Patagonia, to Happy Chaco Feet.  If your around the Greenbrier stop in and see Craig!


Anglers Xstream located in South Parkersburg on Camden Avenue is run by Dave Carpenter.  Dave is very knowledgable about all things outdoors and always likes to talk fishing.  They offer fly tying classes that can be tailered to meet your demands as well as fly casting school.  From trout to musky they offer fly fishing equipment for all species of fish.

Elk Springs Fly Shop located right on the banks of the Elk River C&R on the Mill Pool.  Dave Breitmeier and Patrick Skeen can help you out and point you in the right direction no matter if you want to throw small Elk River 32s, big streamers, or chase some mountain brookies!  Elk Springs offers a fully stocked shop with brands like Orvis, Sage, Redington, Echo, Simms and Rio .  They have all the little gadgets and the right flies those trout are snacking on.  They also have a few of the best guides around to put you on those Elk River brown trout.

Yet another of fly shops located in Clarksburg is Evergreen Fly Fishing Company. They offer a large selection of fly tying supplies, thousands of flies, tons of books, and of course a good selection of rods and reels.  They carry brands such as Simms, Chota, Scientific Anglers, and Lamson.  Stop in and see Larry if your in the area.

Harman's Luxury Log Cabins located in Cabins, WV offer nice cabins for a family get away and a private stocked section of the North Fork of the South Branch to fish with trophy sized trout.











Woodlands World is just across the WV boarder in PA.  DJ Casto a WV native runs the store and they offer a 10,000 square foot store full of fishing, hunting, and camping gear.  They offer competitive pricing from many big name companies such as Carhart, Realtree, Remington, Yeti and Orvis.  If you need anything for any outdoor activity they are the place that can hook you up. 

Another fly shop located across the boarder in VA is South River Fly Shop in Waynesboro, VA.  The shop is ran by Tommy Lawhorne and Kevin Little a WV native.  They run a fly shop with a country store atmosphere and gear to support every need.  They offer gear from Dan Bailey, Chota, Mystic, Echo, TFO, and Galvan.




For those who catch that trophy fish or kill a trophy of a deer or another animal one the best taxidermists in the state is Chad See at Mount'n Critters Taxidermy.  Located in Valley Head, WV Chad brings art to full form in his Taxidermy work.  He is always willing to recreate that trophy catch and bring it back to life and make it a memory that will last a lifetime.  His work is award winning!




Some other great companies to check out this Holiday Season:

 

Vedavoo provides American built gear for the road less travelled.  Scott does some awesome custom work and has create some very cool products.  His new daypack works perfect for any task its faced with from doing a day trip to the stream or as a diaper bag taking the new child out on the town.  Some other cool things they offer is the Hip Pack and the Tight Lines Sling Pack.  They also offer some awesome T-Shirt and Hoody designs!






Risen Fly is a great new company on the rise from Beaver Falls, PA.  There goal is to create a very affordable product that will rival the name brand companies.  The Ichthus fly reel is there first entry into the fly reel market and its a great first step a great reel to check out, and also the Anakim there other reel also offers a great priced reel for those larger fish.  They offer some great affordable fly lines in there Alpha Fly Lines.  With a soon to be released rod series I am sure you will be hearing some great things from Risen next year.  Its great to see a company with such great moral values as well!

SmithFly is another company out there that provides some awesome made in the USA modular fly fishing gear in Troy, OH.  They build everything from bags, to vests, to waist packs.  One of the cool new products they offer is the Cooler Kilt that allows you to hook up all your pouches with gear directly on your cooler that way the gear is always right there!



 




Goat Head Sole Spikes a fairly new company out there offer a cool new product.  They offer a traction spike that screws directly into any outdoor shoe including fishing boots.  They provide great traction on the stream or any slippery situation your in outdoors. 

Fisknat Landing Nets offers a complete line of rubber bag landing nets.  Made completely in the US they offer several choices of woods for there handles and come in several sizes and styles from the San Juan hand net to the Clark Fork boat net.  Great products and awesome customer service.



Recycled Waders is a unique company that brings a cool way of recycling old non used waders into fishing gear.  They recycle old leaky waders and create durable, water resistant, lightweight products.  They offer a cool greenback wallet that is a  perfect addition to any fly fisherman's wardrobe as well as several different packs and bags.

Vermont Fly Guys tie up some awesome flies.  Ken Capsey and WV native Brian Price tie up some pretty wicked fish treats.  They will hook you up with everything from Predator flies for musky and pike to flies for all your steelhead needs.

Free Fly Apparel provides some cool apparel for the fisherman.  There bamboo clothing is designed with freedom and motion in mind.  The maker of our WVAngler sun masks and also some cool Ts!



Cliff Outdoors offer some cool built fly boxes that holds everything from those big musky predator flies in there bugger beast to articulated flies to a few flies for a day on the stream in there days worth box.  There simple design helps keep big flies organized!








If your looking for a guide this Holiday season there is several out there also from some of the fly shops we mentioned but also:
Spring Creek Outfitters and Harold Harsh will put you on those North Branch fish that you have always wanted to go after.

Matt Miles Fly Fishing and Matt Miles located in Lychburg, VA.  Matt will put you on everything from Musky, to Smallmouth, to huge Stripers!

Polishing the Chrome

I had some vacation time coming up so the week before I kept watching the weather patiently trying to figure out what direction to head: Elk River in WV, Elk Creek in PA or some musky on the fly.  Well the weather man cooperated and gave us some awesome rain which brought the streams up way high and off colored and that meant a good run of steelhead on the Lake Erie tributaries.  Ryan from Risen Fly kept me updated on the status of reports and conditions and I was getting pumped up for the trip up to Erie for some fun fishing.  My buddies were headed home from a great NY fishing trip and chimed in on the water conditions on the Mile streams as well saying they looked perfect.  It was leading up to be a great trip and a good start to vacation.  Sunday night comes and one buddy got stuck working but then my good friend Zach "McFishin" messages me and asks if anyone is going and if I care he comes along, keep in mind McFishin just got home from NY that evening never unpacked and was ready to head north again a real fishing machine and at least the trip wasn't going to be a solo one its always good sharing the water with a good friend!  After 2 hours of sleep the car is packed and I am off to Fairmont to meet up with Zach to make the trip North to steelhead country, who needs sleep when fishing is involved just open a bottle of mountain dew and your good to go!

After a few hours of interstate driving we had arrived and were  thrilleed to see conditions were great and the parking area wasn't even that crowded to start out.  We stepped out and was greeted with some cool air so we layered up strung up the rods tied on a couple flies and off to Elk Creek we were headed.  It was a new section I had never fished before we started out on but had some great runs and looked super fishey.  McFishin started off in a nice fast run while I got my rig just right and was into a fish in no time at all.  Things looked like they were going to be crazy all day but after some slow fishing I was afraid I was jinxed by the $6.66 total from Sheetz.  We fished our way downstream with not much action at all and by settled in on one big slick.  In no time I rared back and fish on we were into them again but after three lost steelhead later the skunk was still smelling strong.  We figured we would change some things up and change locations to a new access area and some good fish holding water.  After speaking to several people and no one seeming to have any luck but maybe landing one if they were lucky we heard a lot of "we didn't see any fish" comments.  So as we started off on this lower run we knew there had to be fish in there with these cold temps and great flow on top of these off colored water conditons it was perfect but fly after fly no fish seemed to be cooperating and we were starting to wonder. 

As we rounded the bend and found yet another run I looked up and Zach was into some chrome a sight that was soon to become all to famlier!  I missed several more and Zach landed a couple more.  The stream was starting to empty as people weren't getting into fish.  Zach wanted to get the skunk off me so he gave me some tips and set me up in a nice tailout in no time the rod was bent and I was finally landing my first steelhead of the day finally I was on the board and the fun was really starting.  As Zach went up to try the head of the run he looks back and I am into yet another fish its nice when you get into fish fast and the plan comes together sometimes you just have to sit back read the water find your seams and as Zach says trust your dift, you may not see the fish but they are there you just have to find them and get the setup just right at times.
 We fished a run for a good little bit and must have landed over 10 between us in that one run and lost way more than that there they are easy to hook sometimes but landing at times is a whole other thing.  By the time we were done the stream looked empty but the WVAngler duo had opened up a whole can of kick butt.  We landed around 15 between us and hooked up with over twice that amount so the action was good and it ended up being a great day on the stream with a good buddy.  Sometimes when the action gets slow step back work on the depth of your rig, change those flies, and make sure you are fishing the right seams but mainly keep after it with some faith and dedication it will happen for sure!  It took a while but I polished up a few things and the chrome was shining before the day was done.

Serving Fruit Cocktails

Eating the Fruit Cocktail

Fall is a awesome time of year.  Cooler mornings but the water temps are still great for some wading and flows aren't to bad so you can cover some good ground fast.  Today started with some overcast and was followed up with a nice long shower.  I figured it would be a good day to go searching for some smallies.  It was dad and Annie May day today and grandma had not seen her for a while so that gave me a good excuse to run off the hill and find some fish.  I love throwing poppers to smallies the aggressive take and explosion on top water is awesome then you get some great jumps to follow!  I broke out the fruit cocktail deer hair popper and started the day off where I had fished not long ago and did decent.  And before you knew it the popper had been inhaled and a good smallie was leaping from the depths.  The flows weren't great but the fish were still holding good in the weed beds and were aggressively taking top water.  Didn't take much longer and another good fish was on but after a few good jumps he was swimming back to the depths and the hook was thrown.  After another missed take the next two fish went much smoother good hook sets and good jumps and we had another two good smallies in hand.  Dry flies and streamers are fun but to me there is a big rush when you get something that blows up and absolutely handles a popper!  A quick trip on Fishing Creek and three solid smallies all on the popper not a bad way to spend a day!

Nice smallie on top water

A Good Labor Day

Well Labor Day started with my wife and Annie May heading to a friends to hang out with her and her kids for a little while.  I was told to drop her off and go fishing...hmm I haven't been a husband that long and dad way less but when the wife says go fishing I do  not blink at the chance I head to find some water as quick as I can.  This year has been a rough year on some local waters its been a wet year and when it rains well its usually chocolate milk and tough fishing for a while and this summer its been that way a lot.  Labor Day marked something else some fairly good conditions on the local creek so instead of heading to the ponds I pulled off in wide spot after a bridge where there is some good weed beds and strung up the 7wt with a nice sized popper.  Started off fairly slow, the water had a good flow but I seemed to be turning nothing then all a sudden right off a weed back whack first smallie fish on but not long enough after a few jumps away he went back into the depths.  I pressed onward and upstream still some better water was ahead and I had hopes of making this a good day when all a sudden a nice boil behind the popper and we have another solid hook up.  This fish was not like the others however he was solid the immediate bend in the 7wt was a good sign of things to follow.  The fish inhaled the popper so the hook set was good and after several water clearing jumps that was probably a good thing.  After a nice battle the smallie was at my feet and to my surprise a very good one! After a few pictures and a quick release we were back at it running the popper past weed beds.  Another decent smallie and it was a good day on the water, but then again any day on the water seems like a good day!

A Crappie Day Fishing

Sometimes a crappie day fishing can turn into a good day.  Today it was just dad and Annie May kinda day.  I had to run out to the store the Heinz Ketchup supply had gotten horror story low so I figured we'd take a walk around the local farm ponds on the way.  It seemed like a cool morning with the sun not to bright yet so I figured it was a good time to get some time outside with the kiddo.  I had the 7wt already strung up with a good sized popper so I figured we would see if any largemouth were looking ready to eat something if not I figured we could downsize and maybe get lucky and pick up a few bluegills.  I was not hoping for much just happy to be outside with my baby girl.  After a few casts had a big boil behind the popper set the hook and a good rod bend I figured we had another good sized largemouth on our hands at least that's what I was hoping for but I would soon be greatly surprised.  A few fish have alluded me for some reason and a crappie was one of those fish I have yet to catch especially on a fly.  Well today that all changed.  After a good fight and some nice rod bending I had at my feet a chunk of a crappie taped out at 13 1/2 inches not bad for a public farm pond fish!  Got to spend the day with a kid, get a good walk in, and land a fish that had alluded me until this point I will take that any day of the week!!  It was the only fish of the day but at least it was a good one! Keep casting you never know what you may hook into one day.

Support Your Local Fly Shop and the Little Guy

With Christmas fast approaching I thought it would be a good blog to mention some of the great local fly shops we have and some of the great little guys out there that have some awesome made in the USA products.  Local fly shops are our backbone, they protect our streams and give us so much valuable info for us to make it easier when we do get the chance to get out.  And the little guys are the ones that keep giving us these awesome new inovative products that makes time on the stream so much better!

Anglers Xstream located in Parkersburg is one of our nice fly shops in the state.  They offer a wide selection of gear for anything from trout to musky.  Dave Carpenter runs the shop and is very knowledgable about all things outdoors.  They even offer fly tying and casting clases for those trying to get a start in the sport.

Another shop located in Lewisburg is Serenity Now Outfitters.  Craig Miller runs the shop and is one of the musky on the fly gurus in WV.  Serenity Now offers a full service location for everything from fly fishing, outdoor techincial clothing, to kayaking gear.  You will find great brands such as Life Is Good, Old Town, Ross Reels, Scott, to Keen footwear.


Yet another of fly shops located in Clarksburg is Evergreen Fly Fishing Company. They offer a large selection of fly tying supplies, thousands of flies, tons of books, and of course a good selection of rods and reels.  They carry brands such as Simms, Chota, Scientific Anglers, and Lamson.


Our fourth shop located right on the banks of the Elk River Catch and Release section is Elk Springs Fly Shop.  With a brand new 2700 square feet fully stocked fly shop.  They offer some of the go to flies for the Elk from Dave Breitmeier's Elk River 32s to Sean Weir's mustard green.  Good selection of products from Orvis, Sage, Echo, Simms, and Fishpond.  They also have a few of the best guides around to put you on those Elk River brown trout.

A shop just across the boarder in PA Woodlands World not far from Morgantown in Uniontown, PA offer a 10,000 square foot store full of fishing, hunting, and camping gear.  They offer competitive pricing from many big name companies such as Carhart, Realtree, Remington, and Orvis.

For those who catch that trophy fish of a lifetime we have one of the best taxidermists in the state in Chad See at Mount'n Critters Taxidermy.  Fishing has always been a passion for Chad and the detail really shows through in his award winning work.  With a newly built showroom he is fully prepared to recreate any fishing memory that you need.  Give him a buzz for a quote or I am sure he could even work out some Christmas Gift cards!



Some other great businesses to check out is Vedavoo.  They offer nice minimalistic packs.  Gear for the road less travelled.  A very cool pack called the spinner day pack that would make an excellent pack to carry into any remote brookie stream.

Recycled Waders is a unique company that brings a cool way of recycling into fly fishing.  They recycle old leaky waders and create durable, water resistant, lightweight products.  They offer a cool greenback wallet that is a perfect addition to any fly fisherman's wardrobe.

A fairly new company Goat Head Sole Spikes offer a cool new product.  They offer a traction spike that screws directly into any outdoor shoe including fishing boots.  Great for traction on any slippery section of a stream.

A newly started up company Risen Fly is already offering some great reels and at an awesome price.  There goal is to create a very affordable product that will rival the name brand companies.  The Ichthus fly reel is there first entry into the fly reel market and its a great first step a great reel to check out. 

And lastly if you need some aweome predator flies or just some cool flies in general check out Vermont Fly Guys.  They tie up some wicked musky and pike flies.

And if you need a place for those big musky and predator flies then check out Cliff Outdoors.  There simple design keeps big flies organized!