2009 Hot New Products
By Doug Mcknight
In the fly fishing industry, successful companies have always relied on new products to drive sales. Each year the local reps bring by their latest and greatest, allowing fly shops to get a hands on feel for what these products are really like. 2009 has been one of
the strongest years in terms of revolutionary product development. Here's a few of my top choices...
Simms Vibram Soles
Simms has teamed up with Vibram to engineer a rubber sole that is as good as felt for gripping wet and slimy algae covered rocks. So is it really as good as felt soles for gripping wet and slimy rocks? After trying these out recently, we think they are just about as good as felt in most situations and offer better features over a traditional felt sole. Although these soles are very new, we think it is safe to say that they will outlast felt in the wear department. If you fish in the winter, you know that felt soles and snow will rapidly turn your wading shoes into high heels, making it even tougher to fish in the winter. Snow and ice will not stick to rubber, which is another great feature of the new Vibram sole. On the really slippery surfaces you can add Simms Hard Bite studs to this sole for maximum grip for the most challenging wading scenarios. Overall we think that the new Vibram sole is really good and destined to replace felt in the near future.
In case you didn’t know, many trout waters here in the west and around the world for that matter, are under siege from exotic species like whirling disease, mud snails, and Didymo among others. Felt soles on waders are an ideal surface for these critters to latch on and survive traveling from one body of water to another. Rubber soles are not porous and make it much more difficult for these organisms to take a ride with you. Believe it or not, anglers are the most to blame for spreading these organisms from one body of water to another. New Zealand has flat out banned felt soles in 2009, and other countries may not be far behind including the US. Simms along with other wader manufacturers are discussing phasing out felt entirely in the next few years, to help protect our rivers and streams from these nasty little critters.
G4 Guide Boot...............$219.95
Guide Boot....................$199.95
Rivershed Boot..............$179.95
W's Headwaters Boot......$159.95
M's Headwaters Boot......$149.95
Freestone Boot................$129.95
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100
Simms Windstopper Softshell Hoody
This is one great multi use jacket from Simms! The Windstopper Softshell Hoody is rapidly becoming a shop favorite among the staff and customers. It is lightweight and very warm, windproof, very breathable and will keep you dry unless it is a total downpour. The 4-way stretch nylon shell doesn’t impede your movement while casting, rowing, or reaching into a cooler in the back of the boat. Since most of heat is lost from your head, the adjustable storm hood on this jacket is a great feature that will keep you warmer and most importantly keep you fishing on a cold windy day. The jacket has 2 generously sized fleece lined wand warmer pockets and one large chest pocket. With it’s clean lines and design this jacket is a great choice not only as a piece of fishing gear, but as an everyday jacket as well.
Simms Windstopper Softshell Hoody
Color Coal: sizes S-XXL ..........$219.95
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100
Thingamabobber Strike Indicators
This new indicator has taken the west by storm! These are one of the lightest and most sensitive strike indicators around. Thingamabobbers are made out of a soft plastic that have trapped air on the inside of their perfectly round shape. With all that air, they are super light and have the power to hold up the heaviest flies and split-shot. They attach simply to anywhere on your leader by simply doubling over your leader, threading this loop through the eye and then pulling the bobber through the loop. We’ve found that they hold up pretty well to all kinds of abuse. Available in 4 sizes and a variety of good visible colors. The best sizes are the small ½” size and the ¾” medium size. These cover most of the bases, from spring creek fishing with tiny flies to the biggest and heaviest nymph rigs. A 1” size is available also but these are overkill. If you want a high riding indicator that is easy to see, and one you can use over and over, these are one of the best. You can order these on our on-line catalog. Packs of five go for $5.50.
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100
Maui Jim HT lenses
We have been after sunglass companies for years to make a really light tinted polarized lens for fishing in extremely low light situations. Think about the magic half hour before dawn and after sunset, where being able to see through tough glare could be the difference in seeing and being able to catch fish. Most lens tints that are far too dark for situations like this, but Maui Jim’s new HT (High Transition) lens tint is perfect for the toughest glare in extremely low light situations. Whether you are fishing dawn Tarpon in Coupon bight, or streamer fishing the Yellowstone during that magic hour in the evening, this new yellow/grey tint cuts the glare and allows you to see well right up to dark. This lens is available in some of new MJ Sport Series like the Hanalei shown, the Banyans and the Hapuna. The price is $179.00.
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100
Maui Jim “Mauireaders”
These good looking glasses in the MJ Sport line incorporate magnification that is ground into the back side of the glass at the bottom of the lens. Unlike larger bi-focal lenses, these smaller magnifiers are just right and situated perfectly so that the only time you notice them is when you need them to tie on a fly or do anything where you need better close up vision. By incorporating the magnification into the sunglasses, now there is no need to fumble around with reading glasses or other cumbersome magnifiers. We felt that this was one of the very best fishing products for 2008! For older anglers that need a little extra help tying on small flies with 6X tippet, these are a godsend. These come in both gray and HCL bronze but for fishing the HCL bronze lens is by far the best fishing lens in both fresh and saltwater. You can opt for three different powers of magnification – 1.5, 2.00, and 2.50. These glasses are wonderfully light but hold tight to your head and don’t slip around, even when you are running fast in a flats skiff. These are also part of the MJ Sport line and utilize polycarbonate lenses with their durable Clearshell Scratch coating. Styles offered are the Makaha and the style pictured, the Ho’okipa, which has been the favorite.
These Maui “readers” are $199.95
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100
Patagonia Shelled Insulator Pants
 Patagonia has designed one of the best cold weather fishing pants of all time. The insulator pants feature R1 grid fleece, a shop favorite for many years, that is lighter and warmer than standard fleece. It is incredibly efficient at transporting excess heat and perspiration, for when long walks in waders. The shell is made of 3 ply supplex nylon that is soft to the touch, easily slip into your waders and is very tough. The nylon shell has a DWR finish allowing any water to bead up and not soak in. These leg cuffs have nice Velcro cuffs that you can ratchet down around your ankles so you pants don’t ride up as you putting your waders on. Best of all, you don’t look like you are going to yoga class, if you go into a gas station or a restaurant!
Marl Tan/Alpha Green: Sizes M, L, XL, XXL.......$125
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100
St. Croix Imperial Rods
The new St Croix Imperial rod is a great rod at a very low price, perfect for someone who wants a good rod on a budget or someone who is looking to get started in the sport. After test casting these rods this fall, we were very impressed at how these rods and their price. The action on these rods is medium-fast and they lend themselves well to any situation you might find yourself in. Soft enough to cast well at short ranges and stiff enough to cast well at longer ranges or in a stiff breeze, the Imperial rods get the job done. Another impressive feature about the Imperial rods are that they are one of the few or the only rods at their price point that are made in the USA. The hardware and guides are well-made and fit well with the price of this series of rods. The rich burgundy color these rods are nice looking, and they come with a good cordura covered hard case included in the purchase price. At $150-$200, we don’t think that these rods can be beat for value and performance in their price category. We can set you up with a good reel, like the Lamson Konic, with a good fly line and still be around $300 for the whole setup.
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100
Sage TCX Fly Rods
 These new rods from Sage are designed to push the boundaries of power and performance for the
angler who likes the fast rod. After testing and fishing these rods, we are impressed at the power, the overall fast action and the lightness in weight of these new TXC rods. Many of the rods on the market that are designed for distance and power are TOO stiff at normal fishing distances and consequently do not make a very pleasant fishing rod unless you go up one line size. The predecessor to the TCX were the TCR rods, and we felt they were less than ideal as an everyday use rod. The new TCX was also designed to be a powerful rod, right at the top of the line spectrum but they definitely cast better than the older TCR’s. The new TCX has all of the power that you could possibly want, yet amazingly has the feel and touch that a lot of fast action rods are missing, resulting in a rod that casts better up close and has a much improved feel throughout the casting stroke. One of the factors was the new generation 5 graphite technology that Sage used on these TCX rods. We think this is going to be a great choice as an all around big water rod for trout fishing. We’ve used the 8-weight on bonefish and were pleased with the line control and tight loops it gave us, especially at long range.
Some anglers will find that they like this rod even better if they go up one line size, particularly for shorter distance fishing, when you need to load the rod quickly.
490-4pc TCX......................$780
590-4pc TCX......................$795
690-4pc TCX......................$795
790-4pc TCX......................$810
796-4pc TCX......................$815
7100-4pc TCX....................$820
890-4pc TCX......................$815
990-4pc TCX......................$815
1090-4pc TCX....................$815
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100
Ross Vexis Reel
The New Ross Vexis reel is a delightful new design from Ross Reels. Based on the Momentum reel’s carbon fiber drag system, the drag system on the Vexis utilizes ceramic in addition to the carbon fiber, resulting in a smooth, powerful and fatigue proof drag. This reel has a far better drag that what we’ve seen in the past on the Evolution series. Typical of a lot of Ross’ designs, they have more drag than you’ll ever need, which is never a bad thing. The spool release also features a new system using 4 rare earth magnets that secure the spool to the frame, there are no springs to wear out or fail. Ross has also has made a significant improvement to the drag knob utilizing a multi-ball thrust bearing that results in a perfectly linear drag response. In other words, as you tighten the drag, the tension on the drag knob stays the same no matter how tight you crank down the knob. This is a great looking reel, and substantially built reel as well. Not quite as expensive as the Ross Evolution, this is a truly affordable but very well made high-end reel. We expect that many Evolution owners will want to switch over, especially when the find out how well the new drag performs. The Vexis is available in 5 sizes from 2 weight to nine weight, and are anodized in three great colors, black, slate, and copper. Priced from $245 to $305, they are a great new reel loaded with new engineering and technology at a very reasonable price.
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100
Lamson Guru
The Lamson Guru is an all machined, made in the USA reel in the $179-$249 price range, covering from 2-10 weight rods. They share the same drag system of Lamson’s more expensive reels making these reels a tremendous value. The Guru is very light in comparison to many reels in it’s price range. Anodized in a type 2 clear finish, the Guru is a great looking reel that is sure to impress and perform at a high level. Anglers who are not looking for a machined reel, but still want the same drag system can buy the Lamson Konic ($119-149).
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100
Check out our sample clips
Our hot new products for 2009 would be incomplete without mention of George’s new DVD on tying the best fishing knots along with all the useful rigging techniques we’ve used here in our shop.
You can pop this in your DVD at home and follow George’s step by step instructions. Tying good knots is easy, but as you'll see, there are a lot of little tricks George uses to allow him to tie the knots quickly and make them as strong as possible. This DVD uses both wide angles and close up shots with great video photography that capture exactly how to tie each knot. You will be amazed at how much easier it is to follow along rather than looking at a know book. Most knot diagrams are confusing at best, but with this video you'll see exactly what's going on. You can pause and rewind anytime you like! It won't be a few days before you'll be tying better knots with our DVD. Not to put anyone else's candle out, but we think you will agree that this is the best knot tying DVD on the market today.
You'll appreciate learning the best fly fishing knots, but the real value of this DVD is the more sophisticated rigging techniques that George has developed over the years. We have included not only the best freshwater knots to know, but also the best in saltwater fly fishing knots we’ve used, including every step in how to tie quick change tarpon leaders, taking you from the loop to loop connection to the butt section to the Homer Rhode loop knot we use to tie on the fly. When you have to deal with powerful fish that have the ability to peel a whole fly line and a lot of backing in a matter of seconds, learning to tie perfect knots will greatly enhance your chances for success.
Call us to order 406-222-7130, Free shipping on orders over $100 |
