11 minute read
Salad Bar
STANLEY - ORANGE BLAZE & MOSSY OAK
Oh hello! Stanley, the OG of OG flask and drinkware brands is instantly recognisable for leak-proof, dropproof, adventure-proof reliability and its own very specific shade of Hammertone green. Now they are mixing things up with some cracking new colourways. If you’re the kind of fly angler who likes to sit in a bush for three hours waiting for a very specific 20lb clannie to cruise past (you know who you are), then Stanley’s collab with renowned camo outfitter Mossy Oak is for you. For those that like things a little brighter (or people who hunt with Dick Cheney), then we recommend reaching for the Blaze Orange. Available across some of their most popular flasks from the Classic Wide Mouth Flask, the Trigger Action Mug, the Legendary Classic Bottle and the Master Vacuum Bottle 1.3L (which keeps bevvies iced for up to six days), whether it’s whisky on a frozen lake, slaking a thirst with ice-cold water on a scorching day or hot coffee for the road, you’re covered.
awesometools.co.za GRIP - CRAFT FUR
Love building a fluid, natural movement into your flies? We’re talking streamers that move like the real thing or shrimp and crab imitations that look alive. Grip’s Premium Craft Fur is a material that needs your attention. Available in eleven different colours – black, blonde, brown, chartreuse, grey, olive, purple, red, rusty brown, tan and white – this craft fur is much denser than usual and boasts longer fibres, making it excellent for making brushes. If you’re whipping up largemouth yellowfish flies, bass bugs, saltwater streamers and brush flies, you’ll want a solid stash at hand. scientificfly.com
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PATAGONIA - TAKE A STAND TRUCKER CAPS
You don’t have to be an angler to see first-hand the damage climate change is wreaking on our fisheries and the planet in general, but because of where our wading boots take us we probably see more than your average punter. Doing their bit to protect their homewaters and keep plastic out of marine environments, 87% of Patagonia’s range uses recycled materials. Their Take a Stand Trucker Hats are no different. Featuring a brim made of Bureo’s fully traceable NetPlus® 100% recycled fishing nets, this classic midcrown trucker features an organic cotton front, a recycled polyester-mesh back and an adjustable snap closure. As expected with Patagonia, it’s also Fair Trade Certified™ sewn. patagonia.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
LOOP - Z1 SINGLE HAND ROD
If you are already a fan of Loop’s Cross series, then hang onto your britches because these new, enhanced Z rods are their lighter, stronger spiritual successor. Loops says the Z series has the “smoothest, most powerful action of any circular shaped rod we’ve ever come across”. That ‘circular’ reference is an important distinction because of course they have the heptagonal 7X range. The Z1’s advancement is thanks to Loop’s state-of-the-art nano resin technology with each rod using 40-45 ton nano graphene carbon fibre of the highest specification available. The series also features the highest possible grade cork handle, specially designed lightweight reel seats, ceramic lined titanium stripping guides and titanium plated stainless steel snake guides. If you’re looking for a medium-fast rod that gives you distance, control and accuracy, check out the 5-weight and 7-weights available from Mavungana Flyfishing. looptackle.com, flyfishing.co.za
RIO ELITE SUB-SURFACE - CAMOLUX
The water is crystal clear and still as a millpond. It feels like you could spot (and hear) a mayfly fart at fifty feet. You’re sitting deep in an inlet fishing the weedy margins and while there are big fish around, they are more cagey than Edward Snowden’s browsing habits. You need a stealth weapon. Enter the Rio Elite Sub-Surface Camo-Lux, an intermediate sinking line built for camouflage and stealth with lowstretch, ultra-slick performance thanks to Rio’s SlickCast additive. Featuring a sink rate between 1.5 and 2 inches per second or hover option at less than 1 inch per second, this line is built with a unique camo coloration in the head that is extremely effective when targeting wary fish in clear water. It’s particularly efficient for fishing between 2ft and 6ft depth. The line also features a “hang marker” approximately 20ft from the front end for fishing the hang, or judging when to make the cast. Those sneaky lunkers don’t stand a chance. farbank.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
SAGE - BROWN TROUT NECK GAITER
Why wear bush camo if you can wear fish camo? This Sage brown trout gaiter collab with Montana-based artist and angler Casey Underwood, might as well come with gills. The soft, stretchable fabric is made from Reprieve post-consumer recycled polyester which helps keep bottles out of landfills and waterways. With laser cut anti-chafe edges and UPF 50+ sun protection, this neck gaiter will keeps the elements out and hopefully bring you a bit of big brown juju too. farbank.com ,frontierflyfishing.com
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C&F – UNIVERSAL SYSTEM FOAM & CHEST STORAGE
Sterkies one weekend for smallies (beetles and hoppers), Dullstroom the following weekend for stillwater trout (streamers and buzzers), a mission to the Tugela chasing scalies (nymphs of assorted sizes), followed by a few days pursuing skinny water trout (small dries) deep in the Drakensberg? If your fly fishing tastes are a little omnivorous, you’ll know the feeling of chaos that comes with constantly chopping and changing fly boxes and packs between trips. It really hits home when you get to a prime piece of water only to discover you packed all the wrong fly boxes. Japanese fly box specialist, C&F, have developed a clever solution to those problems with their Universal System Foam and Chest Storage. First up the foam. If you start with a basic C&F fly box, you can clip in or out C&F’s various foam inserts depending on where you want to take that box. They have specific inserts – e.g. dry dropper, streamer, attractor, saltwater etc – for all sorts of applications. The Chest Storage is perfect for wearing on your front if you like to wear a backpack, the main idea being that it covers almost everything you will need for the day’s fishing. It comes with two standardequipped foam changers - a large size standard system foam and a large size midge system foam that you can swop out as needed. There’s also a tippet holder that can store three tippet spools, a built in linecutter on the front, a hook case that stores small indicators and split shots and an oval magnetic fly patch on the front for drying off flies and keeping go-to patterns handy. c-and-f.co.jp,
frontierflyfishing.com
XPLORER - SA STRIKE INDICATOR TOOL KIT
If you’re struggling with your strike indicators either not being buoyant enough, no being visible enough or slipping down your leader, consider trying out Xplorer’s Strike Indicator Tool. Simply create a loop, slip it through one of the supplied ferrules (both large and small sizes available), stuff a wodge of New Zealand sheep’s wool (available in four colours) through the loop and secure the ferrule over the bottom of the wool. Trim off the excess and you’re good to go with an ultra buoyant strike indicator that will land gently so you don’t spook fish and won’t slip down the leader while casting. xplorerflyfishing.co.za
ORVIS – FLOW NIPPERS
Have you ever been in a situation where you are trying to re-rig, the fish are going crazy and you’re wasting time stuffing around with blunt, cheap nippers just as the fish you really want looms into view? We have. That’s the scenario that comes to mind when considering a nipper upgrade. These Orvis-designed nippers (powered by the tool gurus at Loon Outdoors) are a noticeable step up. More durable, with a long-lasting cutter edge, they are made from top quality stainless steel with machined grooves and finished edges for a better grip. And yes, they feature a hook-eye cleaner for those flies you were too lazy to clean up at the vice. orvis.com,
flyfishing.co.za
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PATAGONIA - STEALTH SLING
Rocketing straight up to the headwaters of our lust list is the new Stealth Sling from Patagonia. With a shell made of 100% recycled nylon ripstop with a polyurethane coating on one side and a TPU coating on the reverse, it’s designed to be lightweight, quiet and mold to the body for easy casting and comfortable, all-day use. Embedded magnets on the pack’s front and shoulder straps temporarily hold flies, nippers or hemos for quicker fly changes. Then there’s docking stations and gear sleeves for keeping equipment close at hand,a dual-entry hydration sleeve for quick access to drinks, multiple D-rings, integrated holsters allowing for secure, right or left-handed net carry, a removable pocket for storage inside or outside the pack and an internal waterproof pocket. With such a voluminous, well-thought out pack, it’s hard to believe it technically holds only 10l. patagonia.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
THULE - ROD VAULT
Think bike racks, running prams and bullet-proof laptop bags and the Thule brand probably comes to mind. Fortunately, they think about us too. If you spend a lot of time moving from spot to spot by car while fishing and don’t like risking your rigged rods’ tips inside the vehicle, then Thule’s Rod Vault was designed with you in mind. Available in either a 2-rod or 4-rod iteration, the Rod Vault holds rods up to 10’ long in aircraft-grade, anodized aluminum rod tubes (lined with Polypropylene to protect rod tips), while the reels are safe in heavy duty, glassreinforced, nylon cases. For security, the rod rack locks up for safekeeping and you can also lock the rack to your vehicle with a small padlock (not included). thule.com,
xplorerflyfishing.co.za
FUTUREFLY - SNOWRUNNER/NAYAT
According to Danish fly tying company FutureFly, Snowrunner is, ‘a goat with long and mobil (sic) hair.’ To be honest, they had us at ‘goat’, but considering this thing’s hairs are between 12-20cm, we’re more excited about its hairdo. From GT baitfish, to largie minnows, pike flies, longwinged salmon flies and even bass bugs, with materials like this your fly tying options are endless. futureflydenmark.com, frontierflyfishing.com
ORVIS - ULTRALIGHT FISHING VEST
Light, tough and feature-rich is the fly fishing gear holy trinity and Orvis nails it with their Ultralight Fishing Vest in that it is packed with features yet won’t weigh you down. Constructed with lightweight material that’s treated with DWR, it dries faster and breathes better. The slim, lowprofile design keeps the load closer to the body and reduces the “layered bulk” of conventional vests. It boasts eleven pockets, 6 exterior, 4 interior, and 1 rear. The four large vertical chest pockets are for fly boxes, two of which have internal stretch mesh organization pockets. Two exterior vertical chest pockets higher on the shoulder hold leaders, tippet and other accessories while two interior vertical chest pockets hold valuables and the right pocket has a key clip. At the back a large zipper pocket holds extra gear. Back on the front, two multi-function hook-and-loop fly patches hide a port for a zinger and the design allows nippers or forceps to nest under the patch for quick but out of the way access. Two elastic cords on the exterior of the chest pockets are for adding accessories and a tippet bar while a soft poly/spandex blend lined foam collar gives you maximum comfort around the neck. orvis.com, flyfishing.co.za
REDINGTON - FIELD KITS
Usually, combo rod, reel and line kits are aimed at outright beginners, the belief being that if you know what you’re doing you are going to want to be more particular about exactly which rod, reel and line you go for. The thing is, who actually knows best when it comes to putting a quality combo together? Joe Shmoe (you), or a brand like Redington who literally have dedicated R&D teams with way more access to tackle than you? Two of Redington’s Field Kits, the Trout and the Euro Nymph, are now available in South Africa from Xplorer Fly Fishing. Designed for trout in lakes or rivers, the former sports a medium-fast action rod perfect for both beginners and more experienced anglers. This is paired with a diecast aluminium Redington Run reel, a Rio Gold SlickCast fly line that connects via a loop to loop connection to a RIO 9’ 5x Powerflex Tapered Leader. Meanwhile the Euro Field Kit features a 10’ medium-action Euro rod paired with a large arbor diecast reel pre-spooled with a Rio FIPS Euro Nymph Line and Rio Euro Nymph leader. With both kits you get a Cordura carrying case, a lifetime warranty and the reassurance that someone else did the obsessing about mixing and matching for you. farbank.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
