Thanks to Gary for the Fishing report and gear review!
Hey Theaux,
Well as you know it took me about 4 months to get over leaving my beautiful 3/4 wt Scott in the Masemore parking lot and I still miss it very much! So if anyone reading this found the rod…please deliver it the Backwater Shop. But….life goes on and the new Loomis NRX 883-4 3wt accompanied by the Bauer CFX1 reel you sold me this past weekend kept me in the river for nearly 5 hours!. What a beautiful looking and high performing set up! It shoots the line through effortlessly and with hardly a sound and is both powerful for long casts and subtle for fishing the nearby seams. I was lucky enough to catch 7 nice browns all round the 8-9 inch range and lost as many. I suspect one was large as it stopped the emerger in mid swing and snapped my tippet below the knot to the leader. Fighting fish on the new rod was a treat and I am really glad I bought the appropriate reel because it created a perfectly balanced mechanism. It makes me want to start playing ‘hooky’ again.
See you soon,
Gary
P.S. Sunday I took it outside and set it up just to look at it!
How many of us wish we could step out of the car or truck and just go fishing without having to lose time rigging up in the parking lot? The answer is the Sumo Magnet Rod Mount which easily fits under the back seat of vehicle when not in use. The kit is priced at $149.95 and will hold up to 6 flyrods-perfect if you’re fishing with a bunch of friends or checking out a few access points throughout the day. At first I was hesitant of the design and unsure of how well it would hold up during harsh conditions. After using it this winter, I’ve found it to be a great tool that has helped me spend more time fishing.
New Speedster reels from Waterworks-Lamson have arrived at Backwater Angler. Weight to diameter on these is really impressive. They feature a durable maintenance free drag that is smooth and quiet. Pictured are the 1.5, (3.5″ and 3.9 oz for a 3 or 4wt) 2, (3.75″ and 4.2 oz for a 5 or 6wt) and 3 (4″ and 4.7 oz for a 6 or 7wt) models that are priced at $279, $289 and $329 respectively. Want us to put one aside for you? Call us at 410-357-9557 soon-these won’t last long…
The shop just received a shipment of fresh hats from Imperial Headwear. Choose a waxed cotton hat at $29 to get you through the chill of winter, a cotton twill digi-camo to become one with your surroundings or a solid color at $25 to stand out from the crowd. If you have not been in the shop to check out the BWA logo Fish Lady shirts! We have all Brook trout, Brown trout and Rainbow trout shirts available in black in long at $26 and short sleeves at $23.
We now have short and long sleeved, “Mary K the Fish Lady” Backwater Angler fish t-shirts available in both short, ($23.00) and long sleeved, ($26.00) versions. The shirts are screen printed with a beautiful fish on the back and the Backwater Angler logo on the front left chest. They are pre-shrunk 100% cotton and are a bit oversized. We have sizes Medium, Large, Extra Large and a few XXL shirts in stock.
If you have a Visa or Mastercard handy, give us a call at 410-357-9557 and we’ll have them shipped to your address in a jiffy. If you need a gift certificate for gear, fly fishing schools, tying lessons or guide trips, we are happy to email a gift certificate to you or a loved one during normal business hours: Weekdays (except Wednesdays) 10AM-6PM and Saturday and Sunday 8AM-4PM.
All Backwater Angler shirts, including Rainbow, Brook and Brown trout, in addition to the new Rockfish and Redfish, are also available in Black in both long and short sleeves!
Thanks to John for the Review of the Sci Angler VPT Fly Line.
Hey man it’s John,
Got in last night and figure I could write you up a quick note about the SA VPT line.
First off the tri-colored line is actually pretty smart, pale off-white tip with the orange belly turning back into a pale running line makes sense to me as the view from underwater is pretty stealthy. Secondly unlike Rio there is only one loop, at the tip. I kinda like Rio and Cortland’s plan of making loop to loop connections from backing to fly line as it does run through guides smoother and makes changing line easier. Finally casting performance; it is easy to see in the first fifteen minutes of fishing that the team designing this line was obviously a bunch of dry fly addicts. I spent a good portion of my time cating 12-18′ leaders ending in 6 and 7X tippets with flies ranging from size 16 to 26. Turnover and castability were easy to get dialed back in with this line. 60-70 foot casts were accomplished which is further than most people would ever cast for trout, still good to know it is easily done. The wind beating power was not spectacular I must admit, but adequate for a line designed for all around trout fishing. When nymphing the line did have some trouble turning over indicators but nothing that a little casting compensation couldn’t overcome. All in all this line does exactly what it set out to do, I would actually rate it higher than the Rio Gold line for now. A few seasons down the road should tell who the real winner is, but SA has one here. Two Thumbs up.
We recently received a large shipment of this year’s Best in Show at ICAST winning G Loomis Pro-4X rods here at the shop. I have had a chance to play with these rods in weights from 3-10 and I am very impressed. Retailing between $335-$365 , these latest offerings from the wizards at G. Loomis easily cast as well as rods that cost twice as much. I have yet to find anything priced anywhere near the PRO-4X that can do so many things so well. These rods are not as fast as other Loomis products we have had in the shop, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The NRX was a real boomer but was almost too powerful for most of the trout fishing we do here on the east coast. These new Loomis rods strike a happy medium and are a real joy to cast. The tips are soft but recover well and the butt section has enough reserve power to punch a lot of line out when you need it. The 3 and 4 weights are light and accurate and would shine for all around duty here on the Gunpowder, while the 5 and 6 weights would be right at home throwing large terrestrials and streamers out west. Where I believe these rods really come into their own, however, is in the heavier weights. I’ve found it very difficult to find a great fast action saltwater rod without spending upwards of $600-Look no further. Offered in 9 & 10 foot 7wt-10wts, these rods can comfortably throw a #4 Gotcha at distant tailing bonefish and just as easily heave a heavy sinking line at big fall rockfish here on the Chesapeake. We have a number of PRO-4X’s in the rack so feel free to come up and cast these rods with us. As with all G. Loomis rods, the PRO-4X’s are proudly made in the USA.
This Spring the shop received numerous shipments of Simms boots, and with the felt sole ban in effect in Maryland, boots moved quickly in the shop. Many anglers commented that they were both pleased, and a little surprised at how well the new rubber soles performed. The positive feedback on the traction of these boots, in all variety of terrain anglers encounter, has been a big selling point. Limiting the spread of aquatic invasive species has become the biggest driving force for anglers in PA, VA, DC, DE, who are converting from felt to rubber without bans in those states. Many of us in the shop have worn most styles of Simms boots, and can find anglers the perfect fit based on comfort or price. A large shipment of boots, in a variety of styles and price points, arrived at the shop this week. The selection of boots in the shop is easily one of the best in the region. The boot styles available (pictured above) from left to right are the Freestones, Headwaters, RiverTeks and Guide boots. All the boots feature the same Vibram StreamTread sole, which allow anglers the option of using screw in studs. The Freestones retail at $129.95, the Headwaters for $149.95 and the RiverTek at $169.95. The Guide boot with higher ankle support and leather construction retails for $199.95.
The latest press release from MDDNR alerts anglers to the felt sole ban effective March 21st, 2011. Many manufacturers of wading boots are answering the call to help curb the spread of invasives by switching from felt soles and designing better rubber compounds for traction. Simms is leading the industry by switching from felt to only Vibram soles in all boot styles. Simms also produced three different stud designs for anglers who feel they need more traction (many of us used the vibram soles without studs this past year). The Star Cleat features carbide chips welded to a triangular cleat that fits into the rubber sole tread pattern. The Alumibite Star Cleat features the same design, but in a lighter, softer metal. The Hardbite Boot Studs are a more traditional screw design with carbide shot welded onto the screw. One benefit of the Vibram soles is the studs can be removed, or configured differently depending on the desired traction. Maryland is now added to a list of states including Alaska and Vermont that have banned the use of felt effective 2011/2012. A number of states including Oregon, Montana and Missouri are currently debating a ban on felt soled boots.
