Published by Jason du Pont May 31st, 2008
in gear and reviews.
I was able to test a pair out for a few weeks in the Fall on different rivers in the region. These shoes excel at climbing up and down slabs, or inclined rocks, which are common along many Maryland rivers. The shoe is lighter in weight than a shoe with a felt sole when hitting the trail for long hikes. Under the water’s surface the soft rubber grips the rocks, and without the studs, allow a totally quiet approach to the “fishy” spots.
I also tested the Cloudveil 8x Stealth Boot on the Salmon River in New York while steelhead fishing. The shoe worked great in the slimy bottomed river, and along slushy, snowy trails. The Cloudveil lacing system secures the achilles heel and ankle area better than any wading shoe I’ve tried. The synthetic fabric is lighter than leather and the toe of the boot features a large rubber toe bumper. I already owned a pair of Patagonia Sticky Rubber Riverwalkers, but the Cloudveils are the newest addition to my wading arsenal. The soles on both shoes are essentially the same concept, soft rubber with surface designs to aide in gripping rocks. The Cloudveil lacing system is a little different than Patagonia and provided a really snug fit. I plan to use one rubber soled pair exclusively on the Gunpowder river, along with an old set of waders, to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasives. Stop by the shop and try on a pair of these lightweight shoes.
Related Posts: Testing out the New Cloudveil 8x Stealth Wading Shoe
Published by Theaux Le Gardeur May 25th, 2008
in fishing report.
Unless you have a Fly-O, and are content casting indoors in front of the tube on such a glorious day, Tivo the Indy 500 and check out the Gunpowder. Flyfishing near DC has never been easier. Just point the car a bit North, drive about an hour and step in carefully among the 5, 030 fish wild fish per mile that inhabit the upper reaches of the Big Gunpowder Falls river and enjoy. The river is flowing at 110 Cfs, is gin clear, and water temps are 62-64 F throughout the catch and release section. Warmer water temps, created by spillover are making the insects and fish active. Higher flows earlier in the week did a good job of moving the Didymo out of some of our favorite nymphing runs. So nymph on! Try an unweighted pheasant tail nymph behind a Partridge and Green soft hackle and swing them through the riffle water if you dare.
Sulphurs and caddis have been peeling off throughout the 7.6 mile Catch and Release section sporadically the past few days. Expect heavier concentrations of Sulphurs massing along the river dropping eggs a little closer to dusk. Spinner fall fishing can be very demanding and typically calls for lots of 7x tippet. We have great little biot-bodied Sulphur Para-spinners from Mike Bachkosky in stock that are truly easy on the eyes. Extended bodied CDC Sulphurs and foam-backed Rusty spinners are also worth a shot in sizes #14-16.
The shop will be open Memorial Day from 10AM till 4PM
Published by Theaux Le Gardeur May 22nd, 2008
in news.
Thanks to Candus Thompson from the Baltimore Sun for her timely reporting on Didymo along the Gunpowder River.
Alex Demetrich, from WJZ13 stopped in last week and spent some time in shop talking about invasives like Whirling disease and Didymo with Backwater Angler Staff members Theaux Le Gardeur and Jason du Pont. Later that night the information was broadcast during “The Environment” segment.
Pat van dem Beemt, of the North County News also wrote a story on Didymo titled, “Rock Snot Reported Below PrettyBoy Dam.”
We’ve also heard about Didymo from a number of Gunpowder regulars:
Roman Kostrubiak, sent us this email in late April that was quite telling…
Theaux,
I was out on the Gunpowder yesterday just above the Masemore Bridge and was quite surprised to see that many rocks along the stream bottom were completely covered with a slimy brown algal growth. In many spots, this appeared to cover the entire stream bed. My concern is what effect is this going to have on the fishery and also on the entire stream ecosystem. Will this destroy the upcoming generation of waterborne insects that require a healthy stream bottom to reproduce? Is this somehow related to the low flow we have seen during this winter or is this perhaps didymo which has been wreaking havoc on other river systems and destroying trout habitat? Is the area involved increasing in size? Can something be done about to remedy or curtail the situation before it spreads to involve the entirety of the watershed?
Roman Kostrubiak
Roman brought up many questions that we’re still wrangling with…
Stay tuned and until then, fish on…and consider an Aquastealth shoe.
Published by Theaux Le Gardeur May 22nd, 2008
in gear and Shop Online.
They’re here! We’re celebrating the much anticipated arrival of the lightest and most versatile shoe Simms has offered in years.
This new Simms Headwaters boot has an Aquastealth bottom. The upper is made of a NanoSphere, a Scholler technology that promotes easy cleaning. The shoe is an important option for fisherman concerned about spreading Didymo, (an invasive algae) and Whirling Disease Spores with ordinary felts. Coupled with Simms Hard Bite Studs, it’s a go-anywhere fly fishing boot.
Buy a pair of Simms Headwater Aquastealth boots.
Published by Theaux Le Gardeur May 17th, 2008
in fishing report and video.
The latest video post from Jason du Pont shows water building behind the dam this past week. Spillover points to excellent dry fly fishing. The river has moved up slightly from 41 Cfs to 50 Cfs. A recent gate change from 55ft to 15ft has warmed up the water a bit, coupled with spillover today, stream temps have moved up from the mid 50’s to closer to 60 throughout the catch and release section and fish are snapping at Caddis and Sulphurs. Now would be a great time to call the kid down the block and have him cut the grass…
