10 minute read
Salad Bar
LATEST RELEASES SALAD BAR
PATAGONIA - TECH WEB BELT
Not only does this strong and quick-drying polyester belt hold up your pants and open your beers (via the aluminium buckle), but it doubles as an emergency lash strap if you need to tie down your fishing SUP to the roof of your car or use it as tourniquet when you get mauled by a croc. Genius. patagonia.com, flyfishing.co.za
SIMMS – DRY CREEK DRY BAG
*Insert grandpa voice* – “You want LUXURY?! In my day a clean, dry pair of socks was LUXURY!” Gramps may have fought in WW1 and endured trenchfoot, but his point still resonates to this day. Fishing hard and being able to access important things from dry socks, to a towel, your phone, car keys or lunch – and find that they are still as dry as they should be - is a LUXURY. You will know this when things go wrong as they inevitably will one day. With Simms large Dry Creek® Dry Bag you can keep that dry stuff dry. A roll-top, seam-sealed design keeps everything inside safe from the inevitable splashes and spray that come with being in and around water. At 36 litres, it’s big enough to hold a set of waders and boots, and there’s a D-Ring for clipping to a boat or your other gear to keep it from bouncing around. frontierflyfishing.co.za, simmsfishing.com
HOWLER BROS – LOGGERHEAD HENLEY
Finally! Howler Bros have arrived in South Africa, not just as a part of guru guide Andre van Wyk’s wardrobe, but actually in store too at Upstream Flyfishing. One of the first products on offer is the Loggerhead Henley that with its 100% polyester composition and all day UPF 45 sun protection is designed to keep you cool, dry and protected from the sun. Features include a two-button henley collar, thumb holes at the cuffs and a rear stash pocket lined with sunglass cleaning microfiber. Bonus, in classic Howler Bros style, thanks to the Loggerhead’s relaxed and versatile look, you can wear this technical garment off the water too. howlerbros.com, upstreamflyfishing.co.za
REDINGTON – LANDING PAD
Take it from a couple of guys who stepped in hobo poop while fly fishing for urban carp and almost chundered out the window on the N1 from the fumes on the way home – it would have been great if we could have put all stinky wading gear away in a bag to be hosed down, cleaned or set on fire at a later stage. Redington’s Landing Pad is just the tonic for all your wading gear after a long day’s fishing. Constructed of high-density, abrasion-resistant nylon fabric, it will hold up as you dance in-and-out of your waders, as well as protect your booties from potential pinholes that can lead to soggy feet. The simple drawcord system encloses around your gear and the water-repellent finish keeps grime inside of the Landing Pad and out of your rig. Once you get home simply release the drawcords and hang your gear to dry so it’s ready for your next mission.
redington.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
SEMPERFLI – SEMPERFLASH
Whether you want to add a flicker of flash to the tiniest chironomid/buzzer pattern or work some fibres into the movement of massive baitfish flies, Semperfli’s Semperflash is a deadly addition to your material library. Approximately 25cm/10cm long with 300 strands.
semperfli.net, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
ORVIS – MEIHO FLY BOX
‘Meiho,’ (not to be confused with the overly familiar greeting, ‘my ho’) is an award-winning Japanese tackle box manufacturer and, in this collab with Orvis, they have developed unbreakable polycarbonate clear case fly boxes. Featuring movable compartment dividers to allow for a customizable set-up, you have a choice of the medium shallow (8”L x 5½”W x 1”D) or the medium deep: (8”L x 5½”W x 1½”D). orvis.com,
flyfishing.co.za SIGHTLINE PROVISIONS - BRONZE TROUT 2.0 HAMMERED FINISH
To be clear pisscats, the ‘Hammered Finish’ parts in the name are not an instruction to down the contents of this hipflask, but rather a description of what went into the making of it. A collaboration with Whiskey Leatherworks and Sightline Provisions, this flask features the former’s copper Clark Fork Flask with the latter’s signature leather binding and badge design. It will age gracefully, like you, you old soak. sightlineprovisions.com, upstreamflyfishing.co.za
LATEST RELEASES SALAD BAR
FISHPOND – TAILWATER FLY TYING KIT
Whether you are going on a trip and want to be able to tie up some flies at night for the conditions you encounter on the water, or if you are just heading to a buddy’s house to tie flies – having an easy to manage, portable fly tying system is a must. With Fishpond’s Tailwater Fly Tying Kit, four large see-through pouches and a padded storage compartment offer plenty of space for your arsenal of materials, including long, delicate capes. There are plenty of inserts and slots for spools or to keep tools like scissors, bobbins and other accessories as well as your heavyweight items (e.g. your vice’s base) secure. Perhaps the best bit is the removable tying station, complete with hook and bead compartments, so that you have a flat useful surface to tie on no matter where you are. Tools and supplies not included. frontierflyfishing.co.za, fishpondusa.com
THOMAS & THOMAS - 6-WEIGHT AVANT
You may be planning a trip for when the Orange river calms down to a panic. That means gearing up. Consider the Thomas & Thomas Avantt 10-foot 6-weight, which Upstream Flyfishing have in stock. Light and responsive thanks to T&T’s proprietary StratoTherm Resin, these rods are strong with ultra-low swing weights and lightning-fast recovery, giving you all the delicate control you might want, but can also bust out surprising power and line speed on longer casts and exhibit excellent line control. Sporting a Low Friction Finish (LFF) in stealth matte ‘T&T Blue’, the 6-weight Avantt has titanium-frame ceramic stripping guides and Snake brand ECOating guides, a black Ash burl up-locking reel seat, blue wraps with white accents, Flor-grade cork on the full-wells grip and a fighting butt. Whether you’re nymphing or swinging streamers, there’s not much this rod can’t do. thomasandthomas.com, upstreamflyfishing.co.za
RIO – SLICKCAST SALTWATER LINES
When Rio dropped their new Slickcast technology last year, the range was initially limited to their freshwater lines, but now, ‘Praise be unto Poseidon!’ for that tech has been extended to their Elite saltwater lines too. All that super slick, easy-casting, line-shooting goodness (which also translates to longer lasting, durable products), but in the Elite Flats Pro, Elite Bonefish, Elite Tarpon, Elite Permit and Elite GT lines. rioproducts.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
ORVIS - CLEARWATER FLY LINE
If you are on a budget or if you are a beginner fly angler, there’s no need to break the bank with your first line or two. Orvis’s USA-made Clearwater range, with its weightforward taper, front welded loop and a multifilament core for cool to moderate water conditions, this is an excellent, great-value allaround line to meet the demands of general fly fishing. Available from 3-9 weight. orvis.com, flyfishing.co.za
ORVIS – PRO SALTWATER TROPIC SMOOTH
Built with a stout head for wind-cutting power and distance casting ability, while at the same time sporting a carefully engineered advanced, convex compound front taper for presenting to spooky flats fish, Orvis’s PRO Saltwater Tropic line is designed to meet the needs of anglers chasing tropic game fish, whether by skiff or wading the flats. Built on a stiff monofilament core to retain optimum performance in hot weather and warmer water, it features AST Plus treatment for better shooting, improved floatation, and performance. Available from Mavungana Flyfishing from 6-12-weight. orvis.com, flyfishing.co.za
SCIENTIFIC ANGLERS - ABSOLUTE PREDATOR 7X7 KNOTTABLE WIRE
Targeting toothy fish like muskie or tigerfish? Scientific Anglers’ Absolute Predator wire is ideal for presenting flies to large predatory fish and to quickly tie knots when changing flies. Its 7×7 stainless steel construction limits stiffness for exceptional knot stability and natural fly movement while a nylon coating locks in knots and protects the wire from abrasion. The camo brown colour reduces flash and visibility under water. Available in 25lb and 40lb sizes in 25ft spools. frontierflyfishing.co.za,
scientificanglers.com ORVIS – MIRAGE TIPPET
Looking for power, abrasion resistance and turnover power from your tippet? How about a refraction index similar to water so fish can’t see it? Affirmative all round? Then check out Orvis’s Mirage premium fluoro now available in a “Big Game” version in 16lb and 20lb at Mavungana Flyfishing. orvis.com, flyfishing.co.za
LATEST RELEASES SALAD BAR
FISHPOND - THUNDERHEAD WATER BOTTLE HOLDER
Even on cool days, dehydration can nail you, so it is essential to drink water even when you’re not that thirsty. To do that without having to think too hard, it helps having an easy-to-reach bottle. With the Thunderhead Water Bottle Holder (made from heavy duty 1680D TPU coated Cyclepond fabric with an insulating liner with laminated stretch mesh fabric) access does not get simpler. Fishpond is a bit like Apple in that once you have entered their eco-system, it’s hard to find a reason to leave because all the products integrate with each other. As such, the Thunderhead Waterbottle Holder’s webbing strap attachment seamlessly integrates with a wide range of their packs and bags to give you plenty of options for stashing and reaching your bottle while you’re out there. frontierflyfishing.co.za, fishpondusa.com
XPLORER - COMPETITION KNEE GUARDS
Buggered knees. They have been responsible for many a lost fish, because either it’s too hard to get into position to go for a tricky fish in the first place, or it’s too hard to stay there once in position. These purpose-made neoprene knee and shin guards from Xplorer take the discomfort out of that stream-side equation by protecting your sensitive knee and shin sections. They’re handy for advanced bundu-bashing too. One size fits all. xplorerflyfishing.co.za
VAC RAC – STANDARD, COMBI, LOC
We can think of a lot of far-flung places (far from stickyfingered thieves), where being able to strap your rods to your car would make life infinitely easier. The kind of places where you prospect an area for a bit, then jump in the car and move further down or upstream. Your options are usually 1. Breaking your rods down or 2. Sticking them out a car window, both with obvious downsides. That’s where the Vac-Rac range of magnetic and vacuum car rod racks make perfect sense. Applied to any vehicle, Vac-Racs provide a secure raised platform to safely and securely attach a fully assembled fly rod and reel. That means less faff, more fish. Available in Standard, Combi or Loc Rac iterations. vac-rac.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
