Mother's Day!

Don't know what you're getting your Mom......but you might want these for your favorite Brown Trout!

CDC Elk Hair Caddis

Got More Permit Munchies In!

Black Fly Lodge Report

We just returned from our inaugural trip to Black Fly Lodge, Abaco, Bahamas on April 13. Some of you may have seen our review/report from our scouting trip last year in which we spoke very highly of Black Fly. However, it's always a better test when we have clients along to judge a lodge and fishery.

Black Fly Lodge

Vaughn and Jean Cochran, Clint Kemp, and Dave Byler (the owners of Black Fly Lodge) set out to do something different and special at Black Fly and have, without question, succeeded. The foundation of their operation lies in a very special fishery. A truly world class bonefishery exists here with Bonefish as big as you'll find anywhere. In addition, they have a very viable Permit fishery that not a lot of people talk much about, with some very large Permit. Add to this some Tarpon, a good bunch of tailing Mutton Snapper, and a massive amount of available real estate that they fish and you have something pretty unique.

Clint Kemp...he who keeps everything running smoothly.

Last year I stayed in their temporary lodge, which was great, but this year we stayed in the newly opened lodge. WOW! This place is truly amazing. Indicative of the classic sporting lodges of days gone by, you can almost picture Hemingway wandering the halls. A wonderful staff, managed by Clint Kemp, finishes everything off with a level of service you don't find just anywhere. The meals (even the skiff lunches) are simply amazing. Head Chef, Devon, is very talented with the rest of the staff (Samantha and Elizabeth) make sure your stay is as close to perfect as possible.
All ten in the group raved every night about the wonderful dinners and it's one of the only trips I have been on where I gained a few pounds.

The view from your room.

Full stocked pro shop. 

Dinner time.

An impressively stocked bar.

The specially designed East Cape skiffs turned out very well. Not only are they the most comfortable and dry skiff I have ever run in, they are awesome to fish from. They run very skinny, meaning we can fish pretty much anything we want, and they can pull away from a dead stop in very little water. The deck is a dream. Very clean with nothing to catch fly lines and BIG! Anglers also have the option of a clear deck, a combination brace/folding seat, or a raised standing platform. Fly line tamer buckets are one every skiff (which, as it turns out, I quite like, unlike the brace thingy). Clients do like the brace/seat option. Skiffs are kept in immaculate condition with a maintenance regime and cleaning performed every night.

Black Fly East Cape Skiffs

The guides, Paul, Derreck, Nick, Kirk are top-notch. These guys are as good as it gets! They are very dialed in, personable, professional, the whole package. Every single angler in our group loved them. They aren't just Bonefish guides either. They know their Permit fishery, the Tarpon, Mutton Snapper, etc. I would fish with any of these four, any day, any time...period. They rock!

Heading out in the morning.

We had non-anglers in our party and Black Fly was perfect for them. They had stuff to do every day, touring all over the place, and had a great time. This is one of the very few fishing lodges where you can safely take a non-fishing companion.

Clint is quickly developing a working knowledge of the bluewater fishery as well, so non-anglers can go give that a try on conventional tackle and those who are anglers can give Dorado, Tuna, Sailfish, etc. a try on the fly. The have a 32 foot Yellowfin for this application which is a very nice setup.

Just in case you want to go bluewater.

32 foot Yellowfin.

Well, we could go on and on, but to sum things up....Black Fly is a top notch operation! And will we go back? Without question!

Hope You'll Join Us!

A full day of playing with fly rods, door prizes, in-store specials,

and great food! This Saturday, starts at 9 AM.

Howler Brothers

Some more new stuff just in from Howler!

(The pants and shorts very nice. We have been wearing them on trips this winter and they are the fasted drying, most comfortable we've found.)

Horizon Hybrid Shorts
If you are like us, your go-to shorts must be amphibious. They need enough structure to pull off parties and runs to the grocery store but have to always be ready for an unplanned swim, boat ride or even a fumbled beverage. Our Horizon Hybrid Shorts fit the bill. Constructed of lightweight and quick drying nylon ripstop, the Horizon's are equally at home both above and below sea level. We designed them with a streamlined, yet useful, pocket configuration to make sure you can pack your pliers, phone, fin key or whatever else you need. Just make sure to leave those things on the dock before you jump in.  Several colors available.

Horizon Hybrid Pants
Like the Horizon Hybrid Shorts, the H2 Pants - as we all have come to call them here in Howler HQ - are prepared to take on the elements of both land and sea. The pants feature the same simple pocket configuration, belt loops and ripstop nylon construction as the shorts but add in the bonus of below-the-knee protection to ward off wind, cool mornings and unexpected airport delays.

More new colors in Loggerheads!

Saturday Seminar- April 20

Saturday Morning Seminar

April 20, 2013  10 AM

Ragheads to Riches

Learn how to tie a small selection of proven Permit patterns.

Mike Gifford will tie his favorite patterns for Permit, including the DC Crab.

All seminars start at 10:00 am and will end between 11:00 and noon.  There is no charge and no pre-registration required.  Simply drop by the shop and enjoy the seminar.

Customer Appreciation Day-Orvis Demo Day

New FF in Salt Water and Drake now in!

New Rod Manufacturer?

Product Review-Howler Loggerhead Shirts

The Howler Technical clothing has been getting more and more popular over the last year. Most of us around the shop wear it, and like it. A recent trip to Ascension Bay gave me opportunity to try an idea. I wanted to to try the Howler Loggerhead L/S Shirt, Simms Ultralight Shirt, and Patagonia Sunshirt all in the same day and conditions.

So, you may think this is goofy, but it is in the name of science, I took one of each of these shirts out on the flats on the same day. I wore each one for an hour in the afternoon when it was hottest and the sun was highest. Here's what I found:

The Patagonia comes in dead last! It allows the least airflow, meaning it's the hottest, has the lowest wicking properties, and at the end of an hour already held some odor. It does wash reasonably well in the shower (all cleaning tests done in the shower) but it is very difficult to get rid of the odor. It also has no pockets or button collar.

The Simms Ultralight has long been my favorite shirts for fishing in the tropics. You can tell how light these shirts are just by picking them up. The air flow on this shirt is pretty darn good. It stays pretty cool even on the hottest days. it is a little tougher to clean in the shower if you have sunscreen stains, etc. in the collar and cuffs but they aren't too bad. They are different from the Patagonia and Howler in that they are a full opening, snap close shirt. One issue with design is the welded fron pockets can fail if you carry a heavy object (like a heavier point and shoot camera) for extended periods.
The Ultralight is pretty good as far as odor retention and with shower cleaning don't seem to retain odors.

The Howler Loggerhead is similar in appearance and design to the Patagonia with some important differences. The collar is a tandem button so you can leave it open to stay cooler or buttoned up for sun protection. The rear pocket is something I didn't think I would use. Turns out its perfect for thing like lip balm, tissue, etc. Stuff that goes in the front pocket of the Simms and nowhere on the Patagonia. This shirt gets very good from here. It is noticeably cooler, allowing more air flow than even the Simms. It is amazing, I never felt hot (did with the others). It held no odors and was the easiest to clean. I actually continued to wear this shirt for the next few days (washing it every night). It cleans up like new in the shower, you can't tell you wore it the previous day. They also dry in about the same amount of time as the Simms (quicker than the Patagonia). And at 60% of the cost of the Simms it's kind of a "no-brainer". Try one!

Overview:
Patagonia-Leave it on the rack!
Simms- Pretty decent, but expensive against Howler, more traditinal, collared appearance.
Howler- Hands down, best performance. Not the best for those who want more traditional, collared look.

I was kind of shocked that the Loggerhead impressed me more than the Ultralight.

Got Helios 2 in the shop again!

After being pretty empty for a few days, we now have a full rack of Orvis H2s in again! Everything from 3 to 12 weights.

Saturday Seminar-April 6

Saturday Morning Seminar

April 9, 2013  10 AM

Spring Fishing Around Southern Alberta

Kevin Peterson runs through flies, techniques, and locations for some great fishing during the pre-runoff season.

All seminars start at 10:00 am and will end between 11:00 and noon.  There is no charge and no pre-registration required.  Simply drop by the shop and enjoy the seminar.

GRAND SLAM SALE!

Just in time for peak season Tarpon and Permit fishing!

Our Grand Slam Sale is now on!

Patagonia Sol Patrol Shirts  reg $89  NOW $65

Simms Ultralight Shirts  reg $104  NOW $75

Simms Flyte Pants reg $84 NOW $59

Simms Flyte Shorts  reg $74  NOW $50

Simms Surf Shorts (Cloud Camo)  reg $54  NOW $39



Simms Solarflex Hoodies  reg $59  NOW $40



Patagonia Tropical Flats Pant  reg $89  NOW $65

Simms Sun Tech Shirts  reg $69  NOW $49

While supplies last! Sale prices on inventory items only. No special orders.