Field and Stream – Michigan is the Best

I grew up with this magazine, so many memories.  Here is a little blog post by Kirk Deeter, with a photo from Mangled Fly.

Why Michigan is the Best!

Scientific Anglers Mastery Coastal Express – Product Review

In Michigan we are blessed with an endless supply of fresh water lakes and streams which translates into endless fishing opportunities.  This however, is both a blessing and a curse as you may encounter multiple water types and consequent challenges during a fishing trip.  Finding one line that can tackle most of our fishing situations on any given day is
nearly impossible. Most of our streams and lakes are featured by steep drop offs which makes it tough to properly present a streamer in most situations.  For most of the streamer fishing I do here in Michigan I need a line that I can cast easily all day long and one that can cut through the water surface tension quickly and achieve sustainable depths in swift
currents in a timely fashion. The other issue I find in our region is cold weather and cold water. Now you can make the argument that this is a good thing for our trout populations but these conditions can wreak havoc on the running lines found standard on most sink tips available today.  I will admit I have been frustrated for some time now with most of the lines available today as they love to twist and tangle when you shoot them to
your target often causing your cast to fall short and in a tangled up mess while your fly is sinking to the river floor, NOT GOOD! I was recently handed an SA 250 Coastal Express and immediately I fell in love with thisline. Wow, what can’t I say!  1. Immediately I was hitting my targets 15 – 20 Ft further per cast with the same amount of effort.  The slightly textured line instantly improves its castability at distance.  It loads quickly and shoots accurately with great fly turnover.  2. This line is designed to get down quickly and it does!  The sink tip has a thin diameter which allows it to sink quicker and to achieve greater depths. With a 28 to 30′ sink tip it sinks fast and keeps your fly at your desired depth for much longer throughout your retrieve which is an important part to our fly presentation.  3. Not only was I able to cast this line further and get my flies down quicker and deeper, this line was designed for cold weather and cold water and guess what, the tangle issues I was having with the other lines, well they were reduced to nearly nothing, notta, ninja!! This line has now found a permanent place on my spools and will remain at the top of my list until SA can improve upon the existing line or come up with a new one, but I can’t imagine how they can make it that much better.

Nice work guys, I can’t wait to see whats next!

Contact your local fly shop and pick up a Coastal Express if your in need of a new sink tip fly line.

Jumping Smallmouth – Pic of the Day

New Mangled Fly Sun Shirts – Coming Soon

Will be adding a couple new Clothing options to the online shopping cart very soon.  New A4 Cooling Performance Long Sleeve T’s.  If you fish with me you know I wear this type of material almost everyday.  They are 30 SPF for hot summer days, and a great under layer on those cooler fall mornings as well.  Contact me for pre-order, via email.

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SA Pro Staff and No Bananas

Cheakamus River in BC

Erik Rambo with a great pic from his journey to BC.

 

Bull Trout return to the Clackamas River

Impressive video quality and a positive story about the return of the Clackamas River Bull Trout.

3-Tand Wins ICast Fly Reel

If you saw my post from a couple weeks ago about the 3-tand you know I was impressed by this Reel.  Video below goes into a little more depth.

 

Bugs, Bugs, and More Bugs

A thick, massive band of mayflies traveling along the Mississippi River created a swarm so intense it became visible on National Weather Service radars on July 20, 2014

Now that is a Hex Hatch!  More pics and info here

North Island Official Trailer

Back in 1999 I had a special opportunity to spend 3 weeks on the North and South Island of New Zealand, was an amazing opportunity one I will never forget.  I never made it this far into the back country.  But would love the chance, if and when I go back.

Backcountry – North Island Official Trailer from Gin Clear Media on Vimeo.

The backcountry of New Zealand holds a special place in the heart of all Kiwis. “Going bush” is a national past time, and Kiwi fly fishers like nothing better than the sun on their backpack, the cold touch of a mountain stream and the opportunity to sight fishing to giant trout in pristine settings.

The film follows six fly fishermen, from different places and different walks of life, as they each explore a treasured corner of the North Island. This land of active volcanoes, rugged gorges and dense forests provides an epic backdrop for some of the best trout fishing on the planet. As each story weaves into the fabric of the film it becomes evident that, despite their differences, the characters are all bound together by their passion for the backcountry.

Backcountry – North Island is Gin-Clear Media’s 7th fly fishing feature film.

Music:
Lungs, by J.Sigsworth // Album Atlas // jsigsworth.com

Produced by Gin-Clear Media, www.gin-clear.com
Directed / Edited / by Nick Reygaert
Second Camera / Jack McCowan
Cineflex Operator / Peter Thompson / Aeroptics

Starring / Mike Kirkpatrick / Cory Scott / Andrew Harding / Steve Sprague / Tony Hildesheim / Mike Davis / Rene Vaz

Special Thanks / Silvio Caldelari / Sylven Reygaert / Chris Sharland / Rene Vaz

Filmed in the North Island, NZ