Clickety Clack

I love click-pawl reels. There's some primal connection of man to fish about them. I love the sound as you strip off line or a fish runs. They just have this immediate and tactile quality that's hard to truly describe. From talking to other fly anglers, clickers seem to be a love or don't proposition. The Hatch guys mostly look at me like I've lost my low-tech mind.

Currently, I own a bunch of clickers for a variety of sizes and applications. From larger models on full spey rods, down to a small reel for my 4-weight trout rod. Each has unique and distinctive features that set it apart from the others. The common thread? I love them all. I think I picked up this mantra from my guns - I don't own any guns I don't love. I've had a couple, and when I sold them, I felt better. Same goes for my clicker reels.

I own clickers from Abel, Bozeman Reel, Kingpin, and The Spey Company (Speyco, to most). Speyco occupies a special place for me. But it's hard to put my finger on exactly what it is that I love about Tim Pantzlaff's reels. If I was pressed, I suppose it would be simply Soul. Tim's reels have soul that is unlike anything else on the market. It's in the feel in your had. The purr of the clicker. The wide range of customization options he offers to make it "your" reel. Some of my other reels have smoother machining/polishing (I'd have to give that to Kingpin, with Abel a close second). Or are more "classic" - the Bozeman SC probably gets that honor. Speyco combines soul with bombproof construction. These things are just built. You talk to Tim for just a few minutes and it's clear that this guy knows how machinery is supposed to work. And his reels reflect that knowledge in every aspect. Top-notch bearings. Everything fits together exactly as it should - rather like a finely crafted firearm.

If this sound like a commercial for Speyco, well, I suppose it is. Recently I received my second Speyco - a 3-3/4" Switch model in all black with the Snake Roll handle. This one's for my smallmouth swing set-up on a 6-weight TFO Deer Creek 11' switch rod. As soon as I got it in the reel seat, I knew this was the right call. Swinging for smallies on the previous Ross Evolution LT (a great reel -- my go-to for stripping streamers or fishing topwater smallies) just didn't seem right. Can't wait to hear it howl!

-Sean-

NY Steelhead Alley - Fun Firsts

Mighty fine first trip to New York's Steelhead Alley region last week with Cattaraugus Creek Outfitters. Really an awesome program -- rustic, but clean cabin with over 80 acres of river access in the beautiful Zoar Valley. Owner Vince Tobia, and guides Mike and Tom couldn't have been cooler guys to fish with. For me, bigger trips like this are opportunities to hit milestones. And on this one I scored a trifecta!

Number One: Biggest Steelhead on the Swing
Buddy Andrew and I spent Monday with Vince on the Catt swinging. Though the conditions looked tough, with a lot of stain from melt-off after recent deep snows, we stuck at the swing game. Mid-day we wandered up into an amazingly scenic canyon. Within 15 minutes, Andrew's reel is singing and shortly after we're on the board with a swung fish. Right after that, he sticks another, but loses it. Then things go quiet for a little bit. Suddenly, I'm upriver from Vince and Andrew when I feel the familiar tug that I so love. Fish ON! A quick lift after I feel the weight of the steelhead and the fight is on. This is my first fish on the new Speyco River Switch reel, so I'm curious how much palming I'll be doing. For a clicker, this reel has a pretty solid bit of drag. I put the boots to this fish, get some bend in my rod and after some jumping and antics, Vince performs some nice net work and I'm on the board, too! But it gets better -- the fish tapes out at a touch over 30"!!! This is easily my biggest steelhead on the swing; and probably among my top five ever. SWEET!

Sadly, the only photo I have is of this fish in the net. As soon as I lifted her for a photo, she found some more "go" and worked her way out of my grasp. Before we could get a net under her, she's gone. Ah well, I saw her, as did the guide and my fishing buddy.

Number Two: First Steelhead Double

Day two finds us headed to the creeks. Warm weather the day before has the Catt too colored to fish effectively. After finding crowds on the first creek, we head to the Chatauqua. I do love these creek settings of Steelhead Alley. You can step out of a neighborhood and into a little canyon that feels like a thousand miles away. The water is skinny and clear - you're sight-fishing to most of the steelhead. One my second drift, I hook up but lose the fish to a weak hookset. Note to self - this is indy fishing, not swinging. Set it like you mean it.

Fishing partner Ralph scores a couple from upstream, so our guide Tom moves me up just below a small waterfall. A few drifts later is bobber DOWN! Most of the fish we've hit today had moved into the slow-motion Winter fight. But not this one - she is pissed and fired up! So, down the river I go trying to keep her from getting an advantage in the current. Of course as I'm nearly down to Ralph, he hooks up!. Fortunately his fish is smaller and has less go, so Tom is able to net it quickly. As this is happening, I realize this is my first steelhead double - SWEET! But with Ralph's fish landed, now the pressure to close the deal is on me. By now, I've covered 50-75 yards and I'm finally getting this fish under control. A quick solid net job by Tom and I've got my first steelhead double.

Number Three: First Swung Fly Steelhead on a Fly I Tied
I've landed a number of steelhead on the swing. All have been on other people's flies. I've hooked up on a few on one of mine, but no landings. Today we're going to change that. Partner Karl and I decided we're going to man up and spend our last day swinging - to earn those tugs.

Guide Vince puts us in one of his favorite spots. And today he comments, "Let's run some of your big Michigan uglies!" So onto my line goes one of the Senyo's Artificial Intelligence flies I tied up just for this trip. I love this fly's motion in the water. Fat, shimmery, and just plain fishy.

Not fifteen minutes in, Karl's been bumped twice. Then he proceeds to hook up, but lose the fish. Shortly after that, I get a solid hit. This isn't a tug. More like a yank, followed by a solid run. The Speyco is howling and we're off to the races. I had to palm this one a little, but not much. Vince gives me a solid scoop with the net and I'm on the board with my first steelhead on the swing on one of my flies. A damn fine ending to an excellent trip.

-Sean-

Product Review: Speyco River Switch Reel

Two word summary?  Buy. One.

Bonus word? Now.

The Circle Spey taking a break after a battle with Cattaraugus chrome.

I first stumbled on The Spey Company and reel builder Tim Pantzlaff a couple of years back on the Spey Pages web site forum. From the get-go, these reels appealed to me. 100% American-made (in Green Bay, WI), uber rugged, and with an incredible-looking clicker drag. Add to that the amazing range of customization options, and you've got a slam dunk.

With a trip planned to the Cattaraugus Creek region of NY's section of Steelhead Alley last week, it seemed like it was time. I selected a River Switch model, in black/silver, with the Snake Roll handle option. This reel was selected to match my Scott L2h 1157/4 switch rod as the Abel Spey I had on it seemed a bit on the large side.

Before I talk about the reel, I should mention the guy. Tim is about the coolest, most accommodating guy around. This is just someone I feel good about doing business with. In this era of global conglomerate fly fishing gear, that's rare.

Now the reel.

In my day job, one of my favorite industries is manufacturing, in particular metalworking. There's just something about the craftsmanship, precision, and the whole down-and-dirty nature of it that appeals to me. And the smells and sounds of the shop floor have always intrigued me. I knew the Speyco was for me the instant I opened the box. It just SMELLED like a handcrafted reel -- this one has SOUL right out of the box.

Part of the appeal of click-pawl reels is their simplicity. While Tim's Hexad clicker design is a bit more complex than some, it more than makes up for it in performance. This clicker is nearly the best of all worlds with much of the holding power of a disc drag, matched to the sexy sound of a screaming clicker. My first fish on it turned out to be a 30" hen steelhead. This fish was plenty strong, and even for a Winter fish, she had some go. I had expected to be palming the reel more, but I almost never needed to! Cool!

And that sound...

Guitarists praise the Fender Stratocaster for its distinctive sound. Pianists do the same for Steinway. Violinists for a Stradivarius. Yes, the Speyco is in this category. It has a unique, nearly undescribable tone and pitch. Over the course of three days in New York, I scored three fish on the swing and every time that beautiful sound cut through the air. Not a high-pitched scream, but more like a throaty growl.

Every so often I encounter a piece of gear that is truly exceptional. A favorite that I know I will enjoy and cherish for years to come. My new Speyco River Switch is hands-down my new favorite reel. Thanks, Tim for an exceptional product.

-Sean-

Random Intriguing Outdoor Gear

As the Summer begins its wrap-up, and Fall steelhead and Winter skiing and fishing make there way onto the horizon, lots of assorted (and largely random) gear is on my mind.

Speyco Reels
I've developed a passion for click-pawl reels. I think it grew out of fishing a centerpin in Winter. I love that almost mythical connection from me to that surging fish. No fancy-ass sealed, carbon-ceramic-nanotube drag system. Man vs. Fish, with a little clicker help. I've already got both the Abel Spey and the Kingpin Spey. Tim Pantzlaff's beautifully machined brutish reels really have my attention. No, I don't have a stick that needs one, though maybe the Scott L2H might benefit from a smaller reel. Yeah, that's it...

Scott Radian Fly Rod
Damn you, Scott. I was done buying rods! But I have a deep lust for a super fast 7 weight for all-around streamer fishing.

Rockered Powder Skis
After only a single day on my Volkl RTM 84's, I quickly realized the impact of rocker on ski design and performance. Now my traditionally cambered Line Prophet 100's look sadly outmoded. All the great reviews of the Line Prophet 98 rockered ski are NOT helping.

Next Generation Helmet
It is quickly coming to light that current SNELL/ANSI helmet standards do little to protect your melon from much other than blunt force trauma. Reality is that concussions and rotational damage are being recognized - from the NFL to snow sports - as more serious threats to your health. I haven't done a ton of research on who has them out, etc. but look for more on this blog on the topic soon. I'm thinking it start with my ski helmet, but may later move to the cycling brain bucket.

Bozeman Reels
My name is Sean and I'm a Reel Junkie. There I said it. And as regular readers will know, I'm in love with well-made click-pawl style reels. Over the Summer I ran across this relatively new company. While all of the products look sweet (and 100% made in the U.S.A.), I'm really captivated by the SC Series. Do I need it? Nope. I may just need to admit that I collect reels and call that a hobby.

-Sean-