Initial Impressions: Kast Steelhead Gloves

These past few years I've been finding that keeping warm hands has become a challenge. Cold hands while skiing are no issue other than discomfort. Cold hands while Winter steelhead fishing are a problem. Can't tie knots properly. You drop stuff. And God forbid you actually hook something...

As a result, I've been paying more attention to gloves. In the past year or so, I've heard a lot of buzz about Kast's Steelhead Gloves. Most give them very high marks. I'd been looking at them, but they were pretty spendy for an experiment. Plus, I've been pretty happy with my Simms Windstoppers (I have both the fingerless and full-finger models). But when I stumbled upon a good deal on a pair of Kasts, I picked them up.

One quick caution - many reviewers I read made comments that they ran large and to size down. I have to vehemently disagree. I wear an XL in nearly every glove I've ever bought (except, curiously the aforementioned Simms Windstoppers...). And the Kast Steelhead was a perfect fit in size XL. So, try 'em before you buy 'em.

Last weekend I spent both days floating the Pere Marquette river chasing chrome. Not very successful, but saw some new water, and got to try out my new gloves.

My conclusions were a bit surprising to me. Almost immediately, I noticed that my Simms gloves felt warmer. Maybe it's just the fleecy interior, or some other factor, but they feel a good bit warmer. I've got three days in NY on the Cattaraugus Creek swinging flies so I'll have some more solid experiences coming. But my first impression is that they're not as warm.

But...

They're waterproof. Like as in submersible. That's really never been an issue for me previously as I've not found much need for this quality. Until the drift boat. So - where does the anchor go? That's right - in the water. And what attaches the anchor to the boat? Correct again - the anchor rope. So the anchor rope gets - anyone? Anyone? Bueller? That's right - soaking friggin' wet. When you're hauling the anchor up after every stop, your hands end up soaked. This is where the Kast's shine. Of course, it took me until the second day to figure that out (after I soaked my Simms on the first).

First impression? Great glove -- extremely well made. Excellent fit. Roomy but not bulky. Surprisingly good tactile qualities. But not quite as warm.

More to come as I get in some additional time on the water with these. But for now, I think these will be my rowing gloves and my fingerless Simms Windstoppers will be my fishing glove. Perfect combo!

-Sean-

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-

Goal Setting

I love the idea of a New Year. An opportunity to capitalize on opportunities missed in the old year, to try new things, and to set goals that remind you that you're alive. I don't think outdoor pursuits require "resolutions" (though some of my personal resolutions overlap with these goals). Here are a solid dozen I'm shooting for in 2014:

1. Land a musky on the fly. I had three on last Fall, but nothing in the net.
2. Swing more for steelhead. I learned a lot more on the December trip to NY on how to actually fish a swing rig. My tying skills are solid, so now I just need to put in the hours.
3. Complete a full Century ride. I met last year's Metric Century goal quite easily (in fact, I did 3 of them). I'm pretty certain that with an earlier start this season, I can do hit this one. Overcoming my dislike of riding while cold has certainly helped me in this regard.
4. Shoot more sporting clays. Last year, I'd made exactly zero outings prior to duck season. And my results showed it on my first hunt. I've already made two outings since that hunt (including yesterday) and my performance is already up. So much of shotgunning is muscle memory.
5. Learn to shoot a shotgun with both eyes open. Crack shots that I know swear by this. In my mind it makes sense. And yesterday when I did it, the results were solid. Now just to work this into #4 above.
6. Ride my bike over 2,500 miles. Last year, even with a weak start, I hit 1,738.5. With an earlier, stronger start, I know I can crack 2,500 and maybe even get over 3,000.
7. Ski more days in Michigan. Last year's total? One. Yup, you read that right. And that's only due to getting some lucky late season snow. My love of Winter steelheading, my day job, and having a household to maintain don't help. Having my first day on snow be in Colorado last year was NOT a solid plan. By day three, I was pretty solid again, but getting there was painful. Hoping to hit Utah, or head back to Colorado this season. This time I'll be ready.
8. Touch my toes. Yeah, OK, this one sounds stupid. But I've always lacked flexibility. One nice surprise from last year was that cycling actually improved this considerably. I think with some more miles, I can do this. I literally halved the distance last year.
9. Build my rowing skills. I learned to row a drift boat last year at age 47. And I friggin' love it. It's forced me to learn about currents and their effects. I got very comfortable on bigger water, especially when it was slow. Now I want to learn to be comfortable in tighter spaces and faster water.
10. Use my gear more. I have a gear addiction. I've always loved gear-intensive outdoor pursuits. In recent years, I've been fortunate enough to acquire PLENTY of gear to cover nearly anything. Now I need to stop buying it and start USING it more.
11. Improve my fly casting skills. My overhand cast, especially with a floating line, SUUUUUCCCCKKKKSSS. But I took a lesson last year and learned some good base skills. Now I'm committed to doing the one and only thing that will improve my skills - practice.
12. Try something completely new. I've added a lot of activities in recent years. I've tried some things that really weren't for me, and others I loved. The key to finding things you love is trying new ones. Last year it was turkey hunting (pretty fun - but not sure it will become a core passion). Who knows what it might be? Is this finally the year of deer hunting? Or, maybe it's golf. No, it's probably not golf...

Hope the Holiday Season found you playing outside a little bit and that you're looking forward to the coming year as much as I am!

-Sean-

Swing a Big Stick

Great video featuring some of Michigan's top (and coolest) guides fishing the new Scott T3h two-hand rod. Check out Jon Ray, Brad Petzke, and Kevin Feenstra fishing this cool new stick. Great work capturing it on film comes from Erik Rambo of Snap-T Productions.

Use Both Hands

Sunday was the inaugural outing for the new switch swing steelhead rig. Regular readers will know that I decided last year to convert my Scott A-3 11' 8-weight over to an indicator rig. This way I don't have to bust down and re-rig just to swing a hole. That, plus I'm really getting into the idea of swinging for steel and a dedicated rig was really appealing.

One key element was scoring an Abel Spey reel. The idea of a classic click-pawl reel (as opposed to a high-tech sealed drag tech monster) was really appealing. I want to hear that screaming reel as a pissed-off Fall chromer tries to make his way back to Lake Michigan. The fit and finish of this thing is awesome. Of course mine had to be the retro black, non-ported model so it had that classic look.

Next, a rig needs a rod. This was an easy choice. After having the chance to cast the new Scott L2h 1158/4 over the Summer I knew my choice right off the bat. Switch rods are a funny little enigma. In my experience, I've never cast a "true" switch rod that could change between indy fishing and swinging with a spey line. My Scott A3 is definitely better as a bobber rod. While the L2h is much more like a "baby spey".

I've evolved all of my two-hand rigs over to running line/shooting head combos from Scientific Anglers. This means a floating running line with Dragon Tail, coupled with a Skagit Extreme Intermediate shooting head in 480 grain. I've also got a Steelhead Scandi head that I'll be playing with later. The new intermediate heads are ideal for Great Lakes steelheading where keeping the fly down and in the zone is critical.

Finally, the crowning grace of this set-up are the new Rio MOW Tips. I've always used homemade T-11 and T-14 tips. But they varying lengths, coupled with my beginner casting skills just caused chaos - blown anchor points, 4" flies whistling at my head, etc. Greg Senyo turned me on to the MOWs. With the MOWs you have a constant tip length -- pretty much always 10'. What changes are the ratio of floating line to sink tip. So you have a 2.5' sink/7.5' float, a 5' sink/5' float, a 7.5' sink/2.5' float, and a 10' sink. These families are offered in Light (T7), Medium (T11), and Heavy (T14) weights.

OK, OK, enough gearsturbation -- what's it fish like?

Fan-f*ckin-tastic!!!! I started at a new spot in the middle PM that a guide friend was kind enough to turn me on to. Great swing water -- oh, and BONUS no one there!!! Once I found my timing, everything flows smoothly.  Contrived cast to re-position. Sweep to form the D-loop. Climb the mountain and BAM line whistles to it's intended destination. As always, the issue for me is slowing down. Slowing down means no blown anchor points, and thus no chaos.

I enjoyed fishing this stick so much that I decided to just swing all day. I encountered nary a fish, but that's OK. This was a learning trip, not a catching trip. By the end of the day I was pretty solid at casting where I wanted, as well as controlling the drift and speed with mends. So now I'm fishing, not just watching.

So, all in all, I really couldn't be happier with any aspect of this set-up. Casts great. Drifts perfectly. And looks ever so retro-cool. The Olde Schoole look of the Abel Spey fits perfectly with the sedate grey of the Scott L2h.

Go on, you know you want one -- get some!!!!

Tweaker

Over dinner with friends recently, we were talking about some gear or other and one of my friends says, "Well, you're a tweaker, like me, so I'd totally expect that...". I recognized that one word sums up a lot of my approach. No matter whether it's a rifle, boat trailer, or a ski boot, seldom is anything from the factory "just right". And one of the things I enjoy is making my gear better, or better adapted to my needs and preferences. A few examples:

Mountain Bike
Could have just hit the local shop and picked up a nice 86-speed with dual suspension. But no, I had to start with a stock SE 29er and build the ultimate hardtail single-speed. Disc brakes, indestructible Profile cranks, custom-built wheels. The result is bomb-proof and a blast to ride.

CZ 452 Rifle
CZ builds a nice little .22LR rifle. Well crafted, exceptionally accurate, nice trigger. Could I leave mine alone? Oh, no. It started with a Montana sling strap and some Uncle Mike's swivel mounts (both super-nice, btw). And then a trigger job to lower to a 2# pull and a more even, consistent pull. Then a new more rigid firing pin and spring. Topped it off with a Bushnell scope and Warne mounting rings. Most recently found a beautiful machined trigger guard from PID Products to get rid of the roughly finished crappy looking stock one. A beautiful rimfire that's a wonderful to shoot - and really not much money in it. Of course, my Ruger 10/22 had to have a trigger job and a few other mods, too.

Steelhead Swinging Rigs
No, just owning a single switch rod with floating line on one spool and spey line on another wouldn't do. First it was a full-size Scott ARC-1287-3 rod. Then an Abel Spey reel. Then another switch rod, the excellent Scott L2H, so one rod could be rigged for indy fishing and the other for swinging. And, naturally, I decided to switch from full lines to shooting heads and running line, for more flexibility. But, I'd say I now have every possible Great Lakes steelhead scenario covered.

Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker
Didn't think the lowly smoker could get upgraded? Wrong! After haunting a few online groups, I upgraded the stock door to a Cajun Bandit stainless steel one. Looks great, seals better. And I found that the stock water pan made it nearly impossible to manage the fire. So that gets replaced with a Brinkman charcoal pan that's lower and has a flat bottom. Presto! Easy access during long smoking sessions to add charcoal, redistribute, etc. I'm sure more is coming on this one.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. My ability to leave well enough alone seems to be non-existent. But I think these sorts of mods are half the fun.

-Sean-

First Impressions - Abel Spey Fly Reel

I've been lucky enough to add a sweet reel to the collection for the upcoming Fall steelhead season. For a while I'd been thinking about a traditional click-and-pawl reel. I love the old school look and feel, plus the idea of a screaming reel with a bit of hot chrome on the other end of the line is pretty appealing!

I was first looking at reels from the Spey Company, in Wisconsin. Fully machined, made in the USA, and readily customized to be cool and unique. But, I hadn't found $450 lying around to dedicate to a "nice to have" reel that I didn't truly NEED (but seriously, is any of this about need anyway?).

Out of nowhere, along comes a deal on an Abel Spey reel. If you're unfamiliar with Abel, these folks make top-notch products. But they're not cheap. My Abel nippers are about the sweetest fly fishing accessory you'll ever find.

Though I have done little other than practice cast with it on my Scott ARC 1287-3, I've been mighty impressed. One area that really stands out is the fit of the spool to the frame. This is an area where exceptional workmanship really shines. My mass-produced Ross and Orvis reels are just fine, but the can't hold a candle to the tight-as-a-drum Abel. It sounds like closing the door on a really high-end European performance car.

My reel is the retro non-ported design, in classic black. I'm not really sure I could even own any color combination other than this. The finish on this reel is perfect - not too matte, not too shiny.

Once inside you realize the simplicity of this sort of reel. All you find is a spring and two clickers. By simply rotating them you can select from right-hand or left-hand retrieve. Simple as that! By engaging both clickers, you get the maximum drag setting (which is where I've set mine). One cool feature is the externally adjustable drag. A nice surprise on this sort of reel. At minimum, this will be a nice way to take the tension off the spring when I'm not fishing.

Can't wait to get this one on the swing this Fall! Only a few weeks away!

-Sean-

SchwIIIIING!

Regular readers will know that the swinging flies bug has bitten me good and hard! This year I discovered the potential of swinging flies for smallmouth. Now swinging isn't limited to the Fall steelhead run or some brief windows in the Spring. Now I can add the early and late smallmouth seasons! This is exciting as I get a few more outings throwing a two-handed rod, plus there's some solid smallmouth fishing in my back yard.

This all started with a deal on a very lightly used TFO Deer Creek Series 6-weight switch rod. Add a Ross Evolution 3 reel, and a Scientific Anglers running line/skagit head with a Rio VersiLeader and you have my rig.

So far, my only fish had been hooking, and losing, a rather nice carp. Until yesterday.

On a vacation to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, I had the opportunity to wet a line in the Manistique river. After no success in the upper section where I usually fish (which was productive in steelhead season), I moved to a lower, smaller, and faster stretch. I also switched over to a pattern in my box that looked just like some minnows I'd seen on my way down river.

Third drift - I get a soft ticking that feels like I'm hanging up on the rocks on the bottom. Then that ticking gives way to the stubborn pull of a smallmouth bass! If I was generous he might have been ten inches, but that's really not the point. One thing I've found in fly fishing is that a huge step is targeting, hooking, and landing one on your own. For me, getting that first one solo is often a turning point. Looking forward to much more swinging as the Fall approaches.

-Sean-

Schwingin'

Mad props to Mike Schultz for introducing me to swinging flies for smallmouth bass! I love swinging with a two-handed rod and this really extends my season. I find spey casting really relaxing and it's a pleasant way to enjoy time on the river when they're not biting. I've now had a chance to get out a few times - even hooked my first carp on the fly!

So for you gear geeks, here's the final rig:

• TFO Deer Creek 11' 6-wt. switch rod
• Ross Evolution LT 4 reel
• Scientific Anglers Skagit Extreme Intermediate head (400 gr.)
• Scientific Anglers Shooting Line (floating with dragon tail)
• Rio Freshwater VersiLeader (3.6 ips sink rate)

The 400 grain Skagit head may be a little heavy for a 6 weight, but it casts like a ROCKET! Point and shoot! Only problem is that it goes where you cast it; so get it right. I've got Skagit cheaters on order. As with my other Skagit-lined rods that little bit extra helps me not blow my anchor point as often.

For now, I've been swinging with a sink tip. But with the increased flexibility of a running line/head system, I'll also be adding a Scandi head. My plan is to use this to skate dries as the season progresses.

Too much fun! If you've never swung for smallies, give it a try! Lots of fun.

-Sean-

First Time + Lesson Learned

Latest addition to the fishing arsenal is a 6 weight swing rig. I've learned more lately about swinging for smallmouth bass from Mike Schultz - and this coincided with finding a great deal on a TFO Deer Creek 11' switch rod in 6 weight. I really enjoy swinging, so learning that I could extend my swing season on smallies was a very pleasant surprise! And, right in my backyard!

Added a Ross Evolution LT 4 (the Evo is quickly becoming my go-to reel) and lined it up with Scientific Anglers Skagit Extreme Intermediate head and a Floating Shooting Line with Dragon Tail. The guys at Schultz are big on the new Intermediate Skagit Extreme's. Although they only start at 400 grain weight, Mike threw one of the shop's on my Deer Creek, cast it briefly and proclaimed it a rocket ship.

Friday evening I had some time on my hands and beautiful weather, so it was off to the river. Sorry, can't divulge my spot. It's nearly in walking distance to my home and not very heavily fished just now. I'd like to keep it that way. Rumor was its been holding a lot of smallies this time of year.

After a few warm-up casts downstream to get my timing back and get a feel for the new rig, its time to move up into the prime slot. The 400 grain head is a little heavy, but this gives me a huge advantage as it's less impacted by wind, and forces me to slow down my timing. When you hit it even halfway right, KABOOM -- huge distance, little effort. A simple egg-sucking leech is the perfect fly option, I think.

Shortly, my line stops and thumps at the hang down. Hey -- the fish are where they're supposed to be! But something's not right. Smallmouth thump and headshake like my dog when you're playing tug-o-war. This is just THERE and big. It's peeling off line like crazy. I up the drag, get my wits about me and start to put the boots to this fish. Got a NICE bend in the rod and starting gaining inches, and then fee. As the fish comes into sight I realize -- that's no smallie, it's a CARP! And a big one at that. Just as I realize this, WOOSH! Off he goes across the river. I've lost 40 feet in the blink of an eye. Eventually, he tires and I start to gain some advantage.Shortly I have him back in close, when once again he finds another gear and races away from me.

By now, I'm thinking "Dude, you can't have much left, I got you...". Suddenly, Icarus plummeted back to earth - as trumpeted by the sound of "ping"and a suddenly slack line hurtling toward my head. Twenty minutes in and I've already hooked, fought, and lost my first even carp on the fly. On the swing no less!

But, before I tell you the rest of the story, let's digress for a moment...

Back when I first started fly fishing, I wasn't tying. Anything I fished, I bought. And with an affinity for trees, I lost alot of flies. That starts getting expensive. So online I find ReelFlies out of Canada. Cheap flies and they look nicely tied. It's only later that I learn about the importance of quality hooks. Every guide I know has said, "buy good hooks; a few pennies extra is worth it when you have that awesome fish on...".

Turns out they were right. Guess what came flying back my way? Yup, the eye and shank of the hook, with tied fly still intact, and the hook bend and barb GONE. I'll be chucking these leeches and buggers and re-tying my own on Daiichi hooks.

From Hero to Zero; in one quick ping.

Ah well, on the upside, Mike tells me I'm only the second guy he knows who's gotten a carp on the swung presentation this year. Pretty cool!

-Sean-

Why We Swing

This sweet new vid from Jonny Ray's Mangled Fly Media pretty much says it all. The tug is the drug, baby!


Steelhead versus streamer from Mangled Fly Media on Vimeo.