All new for 2023, the Fishpond Elkhorn Lumbar Pack seems to be a great size for those looking for an all day pack that won't weigh them down. Made of Fishpond's recycled "Cyclepond" material, these lumbar packs are highly durable and are dialed in for your next adventure.
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You really can teach an old dog new tricks....Local angler Alex Hernandez takes us through his recent journey into the world of Euro nymping.
The past year has been one of discovery for me, as I’ve dove headfirst down the rabbit hole of a broad spectrum of techniques broadly known as ‘Euro Nymphing’. In the process, I’ve not only found greater success on the river, but deepened my understanding of fish behavior, and gained confidence in the quality and consistency of my presentations.
While the tactics, rigging, leader styles, and flies used can vary greatly, ‘Euro’ or ‘Tight Line’ nymphing maintains a singular goal: to attain a highly realistic, drag free drift with superior strike detection. In broad strokes, the equipment differs from suspension or ‘indicator’ nymphing in a few key ways:
In pursuit of the most natural, drag free drift possible, split shot is omitted altogether, in favor of variably weighted, often tungsten headed, fly patterns. The use of flies tied on jig hooks, while not necessary for success, can greatly decrease the amount of time spent hooked up to the bottom, and allow for greater confidence while exploring bottom contours.
While fishing a multi-fly indicator nymphing rig, classical wisdom often states to attach the heaviest, or ‘anchor’ fly first, with smaller or lighter flies further down the rig. In tightline technique, where any slack in your rig can mean the difference between a missed strike and a successful hook set, this is inverted. Use your heaviest fly in the ‘point’ position, to keep even tension on your line. Having the heaviest weight at the end of your rig will also aid in the unique casting technique necessary to present these weighted flies.
The success of the technique relies upon keeping your line off of the water surface, and in direct tension with the point fly on your rig. While precise leader materials, lengths, and formulas are highly personal and the subject of much debate, a successful tight line rig generally consists of a generous length (20-30’) of thin level line, monofilament, or braid, attached to the terminus of your fly line, or backing. These unconventional lines are used to reduce the amount of sag in the rig. To aid in strike detection and line visibility, most folks then include a length of highly visible monofilament, or specialized ‘indicator mono’, in their rig, followed by 4-7’ of fluorocarbon tippet before attaching flies.
The long, unconventional leaders used in this technique all but exclude the possibility of using a traditional fly cast for presentations. Instead of relying upon the weight of the fly line to carry the flies, casting must be modified to allow the weight of your fly rig to carry line forward, or utilize an oval cast, to build momentum in your rig under tension and propel it outward.
While it is possible to practice this technique with a conventional 9’ 5wt rod, having the right tool for the job will make your time on the river much more enjoyable and successful. Tight line rods generally share a few key characteristics.
Length: Generally starting at 10’, longer rods allow for enhanced line management, longer drifts, and, of course, longer reach. You can’t always wade further, but you can always back up!
Action: These specialized rods have extremely sensitive tip sections, which both aid in casting, and provide excellent tippet protection. On the best rods, the taper transitions into a much beefier mid and butt section, allowing for the ability to confidently fight larger fish.
Weight: With presentation techniques that often necessitate having an arm fully outstretched for long periods of time, rod weight and balance can mean the difference between tapping out early, or catching ‘one last fish’. Matching your reel choice to properly balance the rod in hand is also key for reducing arm fatigue.
Once flies are in the water, it is critical to maintain line control and tension throughout the rig. This generally involves ‘leading’ your rig downstream. Proper, consistent tension allows for near immediate detection of even the most subtle strikes, as ‘jumps’ in your line or sighter are telegraphed directly from the subsurface flies.
Check out the T&T Contact HERE
Having the right tool for the job can be a revelation, and while despite measuring in a whopping 11’ 3”, probably the most immediately striking feature of this rod is its light weight and incredible balance in hand. T&T’s proprietary new StratoTherm resin, coupled with unique single footed titanium guides, allow for an extremely sensitive and svelte rod, with a surprisingly beefy butt section for fighting even the largest trout. The unpainted finish further helps to reduce swing weight. Don’t be fooled by it’s ‘3wt’ designation and ability to launch tiny nymphs 40+ feet with pinpoint accuracy. This rod has no trouble controlling and landing even 20”+ salmon in fast current.
Thomas and Thomas is known for exceptional build quality, and this rod is no exception. From the best cork, to highest quality guides available, every inch of this rod is as good as it gets. Epoxy work and thread wraps are flawless, and the understated gray and olive finish lends to a overall ‘stealth’ look and feel. Exceedingly comfortable and balanced when paired with a properly weighted large arbor reel, like a Hatch Gen 2 Finatic 4+, or a reddington Rise 2 7/8W.
That extra 15” of length definitely comes in handy on the river. I’ve found myself able to successfully fish a multitude of previously out of reach drifts on my favorite rivers. Even in relatively tight quarters, I’ve found the advantages of the extra length far outweigh any drawbacks.
I can’t think of another situation I’ve encountered in my fly fishing journey where having the right equipment for the job has made such an immediate and quantifiable impact in my success and enjoyment on the river.
If you’ve been toeing the waters of this exciting technique, and are ready to up your game in the best way possible, this is the rod for you.
Words By: Alex Hernandez
Photos By: Alex Hernandez + Zach St. Armand
Fishpond recently released a new lineup of products. Coming off the success of their Thunderhead Submersible series, they have not only all new products but also added new colors to existing items. Quality fishing packs/bags are tough to come by. The amount of abuse a well used fishing pack gets is high and added to that the meticulous demand of an avid angler, most fishing products can't stand up. Fishpond's quality is well known and now they've taken a step into some clever new products. While more of a preview than a "tested gear review," this should help give you a good idea what Fishpond has cooked up recently...
Continuing the Thunderhead series was a smart move. These packs have proven to be some of the best waterproof fishing packs available. (Check out my review of the Thunderhead Submersible Backpack while in Costa Rica HERE). The newest member of the family is the chest pack. Made of the same material as their other Thunderheads, this is the smallest of the group and meant for the minimalist. There is a large padded strap at the back with an attachment point and sleeve for a net. Capacity for the interior pocket is 5L (305 cu/in). It also boats the same bombproof TiZip waterproof zippers. A great feature about this chest pack is that it can attach to the Thunderhead Backpack as well. This allows you to wear both packs at the same time and easily unattached when needed.
Click HERE for the Thunderhead Chest Pack
This has been one of the most asked about new products from Fishpond. Combining the ideas of a stripped down wading belt (with attachment points) and a small and moveable/adjustable hip pack, is one of the more unique fishing packs I've seen. There is a padded belt with shoulder strap which comfortably holds various tools such as a net, nippers, etc. Then adding in a small hip pack which can be moved to either side (along a "rail"), can then hold the rest of your gear with a 5L pack. The shoulder strap can be configured for left or right side, or completely removed entirely.
Click HERE for the Switchback Wading Belt System
Think of this as the Switchback Wading Belt without the added shoulder strap or pack. For those that are looking for simply a way of holding their net plus hold up their waders and give back support, this is your piece! Plus, if you want to add on/upgrade later, you can easily attach a pack, water bottle, wading staff, and other tools as it has the same attachment "rail" as the Switchback.
Click HERE for the West Bank Wading Belt
Not a new product, but a new color: Shale. Some of the other Thunderhead packs have also been getting a new color treatment. The Thunderhead sling, lumbar, and chest pack are all available now in Shale. Think of it as a little more "earth" mixed in to their Yucca (green) color.
Click HERE for the Thunderhead Sling in Shale
Words + Photos By: Josh Thelin
"This drag is really, really great." I have said this to myself on multiple occasions. Whether dialed back while applying lighter pressure on trout with 5x or 6x tippet, or higher pressure on saltwater species, this Torque Drag system is top notch. All of Galvan's reels share this system from the Rush LT to the Grip. It's a carbon fiber disc drag design that not only provides a lot of drag, but it's incredibly smooth with almost infinite settings. The low coefficient friction of the drag (low startup inertia) is evident.
From Galvan:
"Although based on the compression disc drags of our original reels, the new smooth and reliable, state-of-the-art thermoplastic and carbon fiber disc drag requires minimal lubrication and virtually no maintenance. There are no ball bearings. Instead, a maintenance free, self-lubricating, HPV (high pressure velocity), hi-tech plastic bushing allows the spool near-frictionless rotation. Humidity will not affect its performance, nor will rain, salt spray or dunking while wading."
This, I believe, is Galvan's best asset. The Torque Drag system continues to attract attention from anglers. Whether they are trout anglers using lighter tippets, or big game fishermen who need that stopping power, little is left to be desired. What makes it unique is that it really suites both sides of the coin. Some reels have tons of drag (poundage) but the startup inertia is horrendous....others have smooth drags but cannot be adjusted accurately/are not hardy enough to deal with saltwater fishing/or have sacrificed somewhere else in the construction to save on cost.
Fully made in the U.S.A. in Sonora, California, Galvan reels are machined from T6 bar stock (6061) aluminum and are completely anodized. Functionally, the biggest difference between the designs of the Rush LT vs the Torque is amount of porting. The spools on the Torque have more "cut-outs" which not only cuts down on weight but also provides for ventilation for the line and backing. This in turn can help cut down on saltwater "wear 'n tear" on the reels itself but also on the condition of your line and backing. In fact I did notice on my recent trip that the backing on my Rush LT after a long day of fishing was indeed wetter than that of the two Torques I had rigged up.
This is where I like to take testing to another level. There is really no other (better) way to get the full idea of a product's worthiness than to bring it into the field. Additionally, bringing gear to places where I know its going to get a unique and extreme degree of testing is what can also offer some of the best feedback!
On a trip to Labrador, Canada I fished the Atikonak River (see trip report HERE). I exclusively fished Galvan reels. I specifically had the Torque rigged on a 6wt and 7wt for streamer fishing. These were the setups that got fished the most and also had the best action. After a full day of fishing, the reels would be set alongside the cabin, and would preform without a hiccup the next day.
Every fish seemed to need different drag settings. Various sized fish in addition to slower and faster moving water situations presented a number of slight adjustments to the drag. The way the drag knob and settings are manipulated on the Torque allow the angler a wide rage of options. I could make small turns of the drag knob which really helped me dial in exactly the appropriate drag for the given scenario. Some other reel companies either have smaller "adjustment windows," which provides less fine tuning, or a click-based number system (with no "in between numbers" option). This infinite-options deal I really enjoyed.
From Galvan:
"Galvan microTune drag adjustment enables quick, precise adjustments to your drag when playing a hot fish. A large and easy-to-grip drag knob can prove essential in trying to manage drag resistance during a fight. Our large drag knobs are regarded as the top of their class, not just for their size and comfort but also for providing the most precise, super-fine drag adjustment on the market."
Both of these reels are light in their respective classes. With the continuing effort of rod manufacturers making lighter and lighter graphite rods, these reels balance well on almost every rod I put them on (within the corresponding wts/sizes). The biggest difference you will first notice between Galvan's Rush Light and the Torque is the weight. This simply boils down to the added amount of machining that is done to the torque to remove material (weight) and yet still continue manufacturing a durable product.
There is very little to be unhappy about with this reel. But, a couple of things did stick out after much thinking. One was the drag knob - it can be fairly loose when at lower settings. This generally is a non-issue, but I did find two things that happened with this:
Overall this is clearly one of the best reels available on the market today. Not only is it machine/made to extremely high standards, but it is also priced well within it's class. A lot of reels that offer a similar degree of quality are hundreds of dollars more. This makes Galvan reels even more enticing!
On a recent trip to the Atikonak River in Labrador, Canada, I brought with me two of TFO's newest rods. The Axiom II is the top end of TFO's offerings and boasts "the most efficient energy delivery tool that our legendary Advisory Staff designers have tested to date." The new A2s range from a 5wt to a 12wt, all in 9' lengths. Listed as "medium-fast" action, their freshwater and saltwater models advertise a "three-dimensional approach to casting a fly, hooking a fish and landing it." Essentially what this means is that the design is incorporating as much thought into the casting elements of the rod as they are with the fighting of fish. Here is what I found while fishing the 5wt and 7wt on a recent trip to Labrador...
This was my dry fly rod which is what I did for 90% of my time the 5wt. I also had it set up with a "hopper-dropper" rig and a full nymphing rig (with indicator) at times as to get the full flavor of this rod. I was not able to cast these rods before I left, so seeing the "medium-fast" action listed by TFO, and generally agreeing with this after the wiggle-test, I decided to rig up the 5wt with InTouch Rio Perception. With a 30' head weight of 150gr and an 8ft front taper, this is a really great all around 5wt trout line on most modern graphite rods and works well for dry flies.
The biggest difference between the original Axiom and this 2nd generation is that this new Axiom II is not as fast. Additionally it is lighter. All in all I think they went in the correct direction, especially to include a wider range of casters. While fishing, I felt it took about 20-25ft of the line to get an indication of feel. I could throw these shorter casts off the tip of the rod but feedback didn't start until more line came out. After that 30/35ft mark is when the rod really came to life and I found the sweet spot. Casting dries at rising fish 30-50ft away proved to be comfortable, required little effort, and gave decent feedback to help guide my accuracy and distance. Personally, I think this is what this specific 5wt was designed for...to give a slightly softer rod (compared to old model) still capable of getting to that 50ft mark with accuracy. This "mid range" is what felt the best to me. If I extended further I could feel the Axiom II start to run out of steam. For a trout rod, the necessity of casting further then 65-70ft is rare for most. But, this is something to keep in mind.
When I got home I was curious how this rod would match up with the Scientific Anglers GPX line (now replaced with the similar MPX). This line is another "standard" for me, especially when testing rods. I fish this and the newer S.A. MPX on a lot of rods as it is slightly heavier, but also has a far amount of this weight pushed forward towards the front taper as to help rods load at shorter distances, especially faster rods. I also brought the Rio InTouch StreamerTip WF5F/S6 as this is one of my favorite sinking-tip lines.
I measured off a 50ft mark and rotated through the three lines. My suspicions while at Labrador proved to be accurate on the grass in terms of casting distance. The 50ft mark was about the point where the Axiom II 5wt started to max-out. It was enjoyable within 50/55ft and matched up well in the "field test" again with Rio Perception. The Scientific Anglers GPX was noticeably different and the same issues were exacerbated. Further the Rio Perception was a better "presenting" line and would work better for dries. The sink-tip test also followed suit with the Rio InTouch StreamerTip becoming a little too heavy for this rod beyond 50ft. The softer tip of this rod started to show itself even more here.
This was one of my streamer rods for the trip. I had this rod lined with Rio InTouch StreamerTip WF6F/S6. Using two different streamer rods allowed me to not only fish two different patterns with just a simple change of rod, but also heavier streamers with the 7wt (the other was a 6wt TFO BVK). This allowed me to have a wider range of flies and quickly at-the-ready. So, for the most part I found weighted streamers on the end of this setup.
I felt the same characteristics that the 5wt exhibit apparent in the 7wt as well. At shorter and mid-range casts, it felt good. I was able to negotiate most of the water with relative ease. I did find that I had to work pretty hard to get longer casts to shoot. I could do it, but had to start hauling fairly well. Granted I had a tougher setup with the line/flies, but it did seem a little more tiring than I expected. This could be due to a slightly heavier swing weight. The rod mended well however, and it had ample fighting power for when I hooked into larger Lake Trout, Landlocked Salmon, and Pike. In fact, the "fighting section" of this rod (butt section) was a standout factor. As mentioned at the beginning of this review, the fighting ability of the rod was something they considered while making this "three dimensional."
I also tested this rod with some Scientific Anglers Bonefish WF7F. This was a good match. I was curious how this rod would do on tropical flat for bonefish anglers. Pleasantly surprised with the rods accuracy, I could cast confidently at 50-65ft targets. It did not have the horsepower to reach long distances with ease but was enjoyable with everything else in between.
Words + Photos by: Josh Thelin
