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

Truly Thankful

During this time of Thanksgiving allows you to look back and reflect on life and the past year and how life truly blesses us each day!  This year has been a fishing year for the record books for me.  First off I've been blessed with a great family and an amazing wife and beautiful daughter that fully deals with my absolute obsession with fly fishing.  They put up with my need to be on the water and constantly trying to catch some type of fish with a fly.  This year it seems like I've logged more days on the water and it allowed me to get back to my roots and my love for big smallmouth bass, it never gets old hooking into one and have them burn drag and explode out of the water a truly special fish.  

Secondly I am truly thankful for the fly fishing goals I've been able to achieve this year.  This year I set a few goals to start the year and wasn't sure if I would ever reach them.  Not only did I reach these goals but I was truly blessed and was able to fly past them.  I love the whole diversity of fish on a fly rod, and can't help look up to people like Jeff Currier that has taken more species on a fly than probably anyone ever.  I started this year with a goal of 15 WV species on the fly and figured I may have a chance to come near that but thought it'd be a tough battle to achieve that number.  The cold water side of things got the first attention with lots of brookies, bows, and bowns caught.  The warm water which it seems I spent more time on this year was amazing catching everything from hybrids, to smallies, suckers, saugers and carp on the fly.  With the whole month of December left I've truly been humbled to be able to land 21 different species from WV waters.  I've caught fish that were citations, and personal best, and finally just got my first walleye.  We always look at the ones that got away as I will be haunted after a fish fish was lost and a few tough trips but can't help being beyond thankful to have been able to reach these goals.  

Thirdly I've been very fortunate to have been able to share the water with some great friends and family.  I've always said the experience is sometimes more rewarding then the fishing.  There were some awesome times on Brookie streams, floats in musky waters with crazy follows, farm pond bluegill, and small stream smallie fishing.  Thankful I was able to have one of my best fishing moments ever in taking my daughter out in Father's Day and chasing blue gills.  Times with friends on the water is always one of the best times!

Lastly I'm thankful to be able to use some great gear that makes a day on the water so much better.  Thanks to the amazing building skills of Phil Smith of Vandalia Rodworks I was able to chase some brookies with a beautiful cane rod.  My friend Scott Hunter always goes above and beyond in making some exceptional packs.  I was thankful to get a quick delivery of his TL bugger beast pack that holds everything I need for any type of fishing.  Goat head sole spikes that help keep a clumsy guy standing on two feet in some seriously slippery stram bottoms.  To go along with those spikes Chota wading boots which for a person that can be hard on gear have been more durable than anything I've ever tried.  Awesome companies like Cheeky that makes a seriously smooth reel in their Mojo 425 that I put to the test a few times.  Thankful for Risen Fly and their awesome reels and one of the best guys out there in Ryan Gouldsbarry to do business with.  I can't forget Cliff Boxes as they hold any fly I need and can put in a box!  

Truly am thankful to by our lord and savior to be given the health and life to enjoy these amazing things he has created.  And so many special places in WV to fish!  Faith, family, and fly fishing leaving you thankful indeed!

 

Vedavoo TL Beast Sling

When I found out in March Scott Hunter the creative mind behind Vedavoo packs was making a sling pack that would hold a Cliff Outdoors Bugger Beast Jr box I was excited like a kid at Christmas with anticipation of its release.  There is not a lot of packs that can be used for musky fishing and big flies minus a backpack.  Not only does it hold the bugger beast jr measuring 10" x 6.5" x 2.75" which fits in it perfectly it also has enough anchors and tab loops for all the tools you need, a built in tippet holder on front of the pouch, a secondary zipper compartment for things like keys or weight, and it also has an insulated bottle sleeve to hold your water below the pouch.  The TL Beast covers that nitch of packs as it holds all that you need to chase predators, big musky, stripers, or even trout.  It's one of those packs that hold all you need but remains comfortable and highly functional for every type of fishing condition you're faced with.  Scott spent two years perfecting the design of this pack to ensure that the load will stay on your back and that the pack would remain functional and out of the way when fishing.  The pack fits perfectly and snug on your back it has the comfort and feel of a backpack and holds a ton of gear like one.  The difference however is in the function the packs swings around putting your fly box tools, and water bottle all at your fingertips for super easy access.  Fishing for multiple species of fish on the fly the sling is perfect for all my fishing needs and with the change of a different bugger beast box it's ready for any type of fly fishing it's faced with.  If I had to choose one pack that I would have to fish day in and day out for any type of fish this would be the one I would go with it's truly a game changer.  Having put several days fishing for different fish with this pack it's been super comfortable and more than functional.  Throw in the fact it's made in America from American woven corduroy fabrics, hard wear, sraps, closures, and even thread how can you go wrong.  If you want a pack to chase Musky with or a sling that will hold it all check out Vedavoo and the TL Beast sling!