11 minute read
Salad Bar
LATEST RELEASES SALAD BAR
FISHPOND – NOMAD NETS
Carry a net – that’s some of the best advice we can give you. Not only will a net help you successfully land more fish, but it will also help you take better care of the fish you do catch so you can return them to the water in good health. In the case of Fishpond’s Nomad range of brilliant carbon-fibre nets, they’re designed to work with Fishpond’s system of packs, belts, slings and bags, so they are seldom a bother when it comes to finding or stashing them. They just fit in and when you need them they are there. Now in stock at Frontier Fishing, you’ve got options from the Nomad Mid-Length Boat Net (44.75” length), the Nomad Emerger River Armor Edition nets (32” length), the Nomad Hand Net (26” length) and the Nomad Native Net (25.5” length). Made from a carbon fibre and fiberglass composite (except for the River Armor Edition which also has Kevlar in the mix), these nets sport rubber nets, are UV-protected/ weatherproof, float like a cork and have a matte finish for a stronger grip. Available in a range of colours from Original to Riverbed Camo, Tailwater, River Armour and Brown Trout.
fishpondusa.com, frontierflyfishing.co.za
REDINGTON - TILT EURO NYMPH FLY REEL
Of all the sub-tribes of fly fishing, few nerd out to the same degree as the Euro nymph and comp clans when it comes to balancing their rigs. Redington’s TILT Euro Nymph Fly Reel was designed to give Euro Nymphers the control they crave by incorporating three one-ounce (28gm) removable weights so you can balance any rod perfectly. Featuring a fully machined, full-frame narrow large arbor design (which prevents narrow comp lines from slipping in between the frame and the spool), the TILT’s carbon fibre drag system will quickly put the brakes on any fish and let you retrieve line quickly. redington.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
XPLORER - CLASSIC 3.0
In a crowd of fly anglers in South Africa, it’s inevitable that someone owns or has owned an Xplorer Classic, they’re such a mainstay of the rod canon here and a pillar of the Xplorer brand. Launched over 20 years ago in 1999, over the decades they have progressed with the technology and the times from a 2-piece, to 3-piece and 4-piece, until last year the range was discontinued. Now they’re back with the Classic 3.0, which is a totally revamped new rod, featuring the latest advances in rod technology but with some retro finishes in the way of a nature-inspired Matt Blue blank with silver tipped wraps. The four-piece blanks have been totally redesigned and are light in the hand with a moderate to fast action. Fitted with Pac Bay stripper and shard chrome snake guides, AA grade snub-nose cork grips, simplistic matt black double up-locking reel seats, they also feature a line weight indicator on the sliding hood, for easy recognition. A simple feature that we really like is the measured markings at 30cm, 40cm and 50cm along the butt section of the rod, so as to facilitate a quick indication of fish length, allowing you to focus on a quick and stress-free fish release. Available in a ‘Small fry’ 7’0” 5-weight, an 8’0” 4-weight and 9’0” 5-9-weight rods, with a protective Cordura-covered rod tube. xplorerflyfishing.co.za
CLIFF OUTDOORS - BUGGER BEAST JR. FLY BOX
One of the OG fly box brands, Cliff Outdoors have a reputation for building large, hardy fly boxes that can handle pretty much any flies and any abuse. The Bugger Beast Jr. Fly Box is built with two pads of slotted foam for carrying a solid selection of big streamers. At 16.5cm x 26cm x 7cm, it’s perfect for saltwater flies or for those foam dungeons you have been tying for a float down the Orange river. cliffoutdoors.com, upstreamflyfishing.co.za
UMPQUA - UPG HD MEDIUM DAYTRIPPER
You get fly boxes and then you get FLY BOXES, boxes that do not break, that do not fail or leak or crack or get replaced after a couple of seasons. Umpqua’s range of bomb-proof and water-proof boxes belong to the latter category. Take the UPG HD Medium Daytripper for example. Highly durable and functional it has see-through lids to allow maximum visibility of contents while HD inserts provide strong fly-grip storage. From micro midges to terrestrials, this box is a great all-rounder on rivers and stillwaters. umpqua.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
LATEST RELEASES SALAD BAR
UMPQUA - ZS2 STEAMBOAT 1200 SLING PACK
A sling that packs about as much as a backpack, yet gives you that easy swing-around access to all your stuff when you need it - what’s not to like about Umpqua’s Steamboat ZS2 sling? A thumb-loop allows for easy “slinging” from back to front for quick access to essentials. While a large main compartment easily holds a light rain jacket, lunch and a big fly box, the secondary face pocket is great for accessory organization and storage of smaller fly boxes. “Feature-rich” is a favoured description of tech writers when describing the latest, new phone to market, but it’s the perfect description for this sling, because it has or does just about everything you could think of. 1 x ZS Retractor Stations – with hypalon attachment band - check. 2 x ambidextrous ZS Hemostat Grab Tabs – check. 2 x ZS Foam Fly Patch Station – on shoulder and body, including one foam fly patch – check. 1 x Net Slot which runs full length of back panel – check. 1 x “stowable” ZS Cord Tippet Holder, 2 x Stretch Mesh Pockets, 1 x Vented Back Panel, 2 x Molle Modular Attachment Station and closed-foot zipper sliders (to minimize line-snag) – check, check check, check and check. Then, if you stay within the Umpqua ecosystem, there’s a bunch of compatible products from extra fly patches to floatant, tippet and water bottle holders that will slot in too.
umpqua.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za
SIMMS - FLYWEIGHT WET WADING SHOE
Big, toe and ankle-protecting boots are great, essential even, but for certain applications – like charging up a mountain in search of skinny streams or getting in and out of boats on a float trip - they can be cumbersome, heavy and overkill. Sometimes you want to be able to keep things light. That’s where the Simms Flyweight® Wet Wading Shoe comes in. A lightweight, hiking-inspired, wet wading shoe for moving fast on warm days, these hardy trudgers shave excess ounces in exchange for pacesetting comfort and hard-charging traction in pushy water and across slick, unforgiving terrain. Designed to be worn next to skin or with a thin knit sock, they have a low-profile, lightweight, synthetic, highly abrasion-resistant mesh boot upper, a welded TPU film in high abrasion zones for added durability, a web lacing system for lightweight comfort, a comfortable, high-cushion midsole and a Vibram® outsole for outstanding grip. simmsfishing.com,
upstreamflyfishing.co.za RIO - PREMIER OUTBOUND SHORT
THERMO-NUCLEAR MISSILES INCOMING! For those that love casting colossal flies long distances to big fish (a satisfying pastime even if no fish were involved) – Rio’s Outbound Short with its short, aggressive taper and powerful head design is a go-to line. It loads deeply and quickly and serves up incredible distance with each cast. Now, this favourite is available with SlickCast, Rio’s new ultra-slick and durable coating, so you can expect even more performance. Available in Floating, Intermediate, Float/Hover/Intermediate, Int/S3/S5, Int/ S5/S7 and an extra fast sink Dredger S7. rioproducts.com,
xplorerflyfishing.co.za
LATEST RELEASES SALAD BAR
THE MISSION - SKULL ISLAND CAPTAIN’S CAPS
Behold! We give you the loose, unstructured goodness of our new range of 100% cotton twill Captain’s caps featuring our Skull Island logo and peak rope. 100% made in South Africa, they come in the orange and blue or grey and orange iterations. Artwork by Conrad Botes.
themissionflymag.com
ORVIS - VINTAGE WAXED COTTON BALL CAP
If you’re a ball cap guy, you’re a ball cap guy. No wide-brimmed or floppy will change your mind. But, in cooler temps or when rain is forecast, it helps to have a cap that can take a bit of weather. Orvis’s Vintage Waxed Cotton Ball Caps both shed the rain and shield your face all day from the sun. And, as is the way of waxed cotton, the more you wear it, the better it will look. orvis.com,
flyfishing.co.za SIMMS - EVERYDAY BEANIE
When your significant other says that your choice of camo clothing kills their libido faster than a full album of Cannibal Corpse in the boudoir, they don’t mean it. After all, who would not want to wear a camo beanie as shweeet as this? Made from knit polyester, with a stretch fit for everyday comfort no matter how massive your melon is, it can also back-up as a reel case when needed. Available in Dark Moon too at Frontier Fly Fishing if you do believe your significant other. simmsfishing.com,
frontierflyfishing.co.za
SIMMS - GORE-TEX INFINIUM HALF FINGER
When it’s colder than a snow leopard’s scrote on a frozen stillwater, give frostbite the middle (half) finger with these Simms half-finger fleece glove from Simms. Designed to keep your digits warm enough to keep functioning, but to allow your fingers to still tie knots, grip line and pick your nose, these gloves are made with GORE-TEX Infinium™ stretch fleece with TPU palm overlays and feature webbing pull tabs for quick and easy removal, a stretch gasket cuff for DryCuff™ outerwear integration and pairing snaps. simmsfishing.com, frontierflyfishing.co.za
SIMMS - GORE-TEX INFINIUM NECK GAITER
You’re used to wearing a buff or gaiter for warm weather (or to the supermarket under Covid-times), but it’s definitely worth getting on the cold weather gaiter train if you haven’t already. The GORE-TEX Infinium™ stretch neck gaiter from Simms is a windproof, breathable fleece with DWR coating, a polyester/spandex backpanel for a comfortable, stretch fit and TPU coated laser cut breathing holes so you can wrap up, continue to breathe AND not fog up your shades. simmsfishing.com, frontierflyfishing.co.za
ORVIS - HORSESHOE HILLS QUARTER-ZIP FLEECE
A heavy fleece or puffy jacket can leave you sweating like Marcus Jooste after 1000 stick fights in Hades, which is why in-between layers are such an essential part of your fly fishing wardrobe. This polyester/spandex quarter-zip fleece from Orvis hits the Goldilocks Zone perfectly. The fleeced back’s air pockets trap heat and wick moisture to keep you warm and dry. Raglan sleeves ensure a comfortable range of motion, while the smooth exterior (with no side seams) helps reduce chafing when you’re busting out full-range casts. A shaped back hem provides full coverage, while the quarter-zip neck allows you to control the temperature as you please. A large zippered vertical pocket lets you secure valuables. orvis.com, flyfishing.co.za
HOWLER BROTHERS - MATAGORDA FISHING SHIRT
.With a simple pocket configuration to keep essentials close at hand, a button-down collar, roll-up sleeve tabs, and a vented rear yoke for air flow – Howler’s Matagorda shirt is a technical garment but the cut and under-stated style means you could wear it when you’re not fishing too. Constructed of light, quick drying nylon-poly blend with engineered stretch, it also features UPF 35 sun protection and sunglass cleaning microfiber sewn in at the hem. It’s a shirt to fish in, travel in or hit the bar in. howlerbros.com, upstreamflyfishing.co.za
ORVIS - MEN’S ULTRALIGHT STORM JACKET
This ultralight waterproof storm jacket packs into your daypack or carry-on for anything from a sudden downpour to a constant drizzle. It features a stretch 2.5 layer waterproof breathable nylon shell with raised dry-touch coating interior that increases comfort and air flow. Then to keep the water out, there’s a YKK AquaGuard® water-resistant zipper, zippered pockets, an adjustable storm hood with laminated brim, cuffs with hook-and-loop closures, and a hem with dual cinches. Best of all, it rolls and packs into its own hood so it’s there when you need it, but stows away when you don’t. orvis.com, flyfishing.co.za
SKOUT - SUN HOODIES
We love seeing the rise of local South African fly fishing apparel. The side hustle of chef Kyle Knight, Skout is a new, homegrown fly fishing gear brand who make great sun hoodies with a twist. Made from recycled materials, the fabric is UPF 50 (blocking 98% of the sun’s UV rays), breathable, lightweight, quick drying and locally produced. Available in camo, charcoal blue and sky blue in ladies’ and men’s’ sizes and cuts, they’re suitable for most conditions from fresh to salt, warm or cold. streamandsea.com
