Product Reviews from a Gearhead …….

I love gear. I am a gear head. Once, before my heart surgery, I would actually maintain my fly fishing gear in a neat, clean, organized manner. Not nearly so these days. I routinely ignore fly reels that would have been washed each night, fail to wipe down my rods, almost never un-spool and re-spool fly lines, rinse salty flies in freshwater and dry them with a hair dryer, wipe my waders clean, re-organize my fly boxes, and so on. Nope, not these days.

I still love my gear though, and have found a few items particularly useful. Here, in the spirit of blatant commercialism, are a few of my favorites. Is this an advertisement? A product endorsement? Do I receive compensation from these manufacturers? Common, folks, this is America. We are in an economic downturn. The only way the future will be bright is if we spend our dwindling retirement funds on fishing tackle. Seriously. These dollars provide each of us with cool fishing tackle and in turn are spent on fly shop employees, owners, children and pets of afore mentioned persons, internet consultants, wages for UPS drivers, monthly cell phone fees and service charges (read the fine print), free coffee and pastries for walk in customers, annual parties, charitable contributions to Trout Unlimited, roof repairs, electricity, water, paper towels in the restroom, garbage service, a new Koffler boat for Chris, lunch for employees, and vacuum bags. And that’s the short list.

Here are a few of the gearish items that I really really love and have come to depend on when I go fishing at Diamond lake.

Simms Bootfoot Waders. That’s right. Much of the fishing I do is from a boat rather than on the treacherous waters of the North Umpqua, where studs or cleats or felts + studs or some such thing are really nice to have on the bottom of one’s wading boots. When fishing like a gentle-person from a boat, say on a lake or at the coast fishing for shiner perch or starry flounder or what not, it is nice to be able to slide in and out of a great wader, enter and exit the boat, and pose for photos in the mud —- all without the problem of tracking crud back in the boat from felts or cutting up fly lines by stepping on them with cleats. Simms boot foot waders are a custom order, well worth the price and the Muck Boots are a comfort to wear all day long, day after day.

Simms Headwater Reel Briefcase. We got our fly reels, we gotta have a good way to lug them around. Here it is.

Patagonia Great Divider This Patagonia bag is the little cousin to the Patagonia Great Divider. I choose the big bro’ or the little one based on the number of hours i plan to be out in the boat and the distance from the boat ramp. These bags really do keep the water out and the spare gear handy. I love mine, all of ’em.

Cliff’s bugger Beasts, Crab Shaks, Bugger Barns, and such. Must have flies. Must organize flies. These fly boxes come in many sizes and do the job nicely.

Yeti Roadie cooler. This is for my road trip burritos, ginger ale, and left-overs. This cooler is a fantastic to carry and cool my snacks for days, and real food sure beats energy bars.

Simms G3 Guide Jacket. Pockets, hood, wrist closures, slim and deep pockets, great fit, really does keep the water out, and i even sleep in mine if it is dry and I am cold. I have slept in my Simms Fleece Pants too. For a week. Two pair of underwear, as JH would counsel me, the Lucky pair and the Unlucky pair. All week long.

Battery Jump Starter. For the truck, the boat, or my heart, whichever needs it most on a given day. Auto Zone has these in stock – get the 99 buck model if you want to get your heart started.

Sleeping pad, as thick and cushy as possible. This comes in handy when sleeping in the Fred Meyer Parking Lot in Tillamook.

Ok, enough for now. Go buy some fly fishing gear, please. You know you need it. Your significant other will understand and support this decision. More gear posts will follow, unbiased and objective as always. Now, may I have a cup of that free coffee?

JN