Plywood Boat Plans Australia | Learning a little about a lot

Plywood Boat Plans Australia

ONE OF THE MOST fascinating things about cruising under sail is the vast extent of knowledge required. By that, I mean you have to know at least a little about a very wide range of subjects. Enough, anyway, to keep you out of trouble.

Maurice Griffiths, a sailor and yacht designer who was editor of Yachting Monthly for 40 years, once described it this way:

“Cruising in small craft embraces a very large field of knowledge, and those older men who have devoted the greater part of their lives to its study have acquired a knowledge that embraces weather lore and sky and clouds, a knowledge of deep water and shallow seas, of tides and winds and currents, of astronomy and geometry in navigation, of ropes and ropework, of canvas, sails, rigging, paints and varnishes, of timber and its infinite variations, of wood preservatives and decay, of theory in the designs of boats, and their construction . . . in short, many subjects that competent seamen can discuss for hours without touching on . . . the actual sailing.”

To that list we can now make additions, of course, including the field of electronics, from GPS and chart plotters to wind, and speed instruments, depth sounders and fish finders, radar, AIS, radios of all kinds and, in the field of chemistry, the various uses of urethanes, polythanes, epoxies, polyesters.  And then there are the fields of diesel mechanics, steering hydraulics, electrolysis, and the fancy synthetic cloths and lines that are now the backbones of modern sails and rigging. In short, there is a lifetime of learning here if you are so inclined, including such subjects as cooking, first aid, anchoring, and much more.

Another famous yachting editor, Thomas Fleming Day, of The Rudder, got everything in perspective, though. He knew very well that no-one can be an absolute expert in every phase of cruising under sail.

“Know this,” he said, “that three-quarters of what you read  in trade papers and technical magazines is written by people who don’t know any more about the subject they write about than you or I do.”

Today’s Thought

The true secrets of the sea cannot be learned upon the shore.

— Captain F. G. D. Bedford, The Sailor’s Pocket Book, 1898

Tailpiece

From the Associated Press:

LONDON — A former meerkat expert at London Zoo has been ordered to pay compensation to a monkey handler she attacked with a wine glass in a love spat over a llama-keeper.

Do you find information about Plywood Boat Plans Australia are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Plywood Boat Plans Australia. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Blind Plans | Great Christmas Gift Idea! SAGE OUTFITS

Boat Blind Plans

Sage Grace Outfit

SAGE GRACE OUTFIT

If youre anything like me, and could complete your Christmas shopping for your wife, daughter or dare I say yourself in one stop, you would take severe advantage of that opportunity! Well, we are here to help you out. No need to schedule an appointment with your psychiatrist just take a deep breath and sit down at your computer and log on to our website: gorgeflyshop.com (Grace Outfit) or give us a call @ 541.386.6977 and order yourself (or that special someone) a sweet little Sage Grace Outfit. DONE!

Not only is this rod all dressed up and pretty in pink, its also powerful in pink! The Sage Grace Outfit is ready to fish and it comes with a Pink Sage Ballistic Rod/Reel case, a Pink Sage 3200 Series Reel...But Wait, theres more...it also comes with backing and a Pink Rio Gold Fly Line!

Maybe you have a daughter who is interested in fly fishing, maybe youre gone fly fishing so much that youre wife all of a sudden has a desire to fly fish too, or maybe youre just man enough to fish pink! Whatever your scenario may be...dont freak! The Sage Grace Fly Rod is an answer to your conundrum. One stop shopping that will keep on giving...

Another sweet thing about this is that Sage will donate $50 from the sale of each Grace Outfit to Casting for Recovery which is a non-profit organization dedicated to giving women vital tools to overcome the challenges of breast cancer.

Whats not to love about this whole scenario?!

Grace Specs:

• Graphite IIIe
• Fast action with a soft feel
• Iridescent Pink blank color
• Pink primary thread wraps with Black and Silver trim wraps
• Chameleon coated zirconium stripper guides
• Hard chrome snake guides and tip-top
• Pink Anodized aluminum up-locking reel seat
• 5 weight: Reverse half-wells cork handle
• 8 weight: Full-wells cork handle with fighting butt
• Pink Sage 3200 series fully machined reel
• Pink Rio Gold line, backing and tapered leader
• Pink ballistic nylon rod tube with reel case
• $50 donation to Casting for Recovery

Available Sizes:

• 586-4
• 890-4

BUY NOW

Sage ONE Outfit

Sage One 590-4 Fly Rod Outfit

The Sage One outfit is a serious fly fishermans outfit.
You would pay about $1200 to buy everything included in this outfit. There is one difference I want to point out compared to if you ala carte the entire package. When purchasing the rod alone it comes with an aluminum rod tube and not the Ballistic Rod/Reel Case when purchase as an outfit. While aluminum rod cases are a nice feature I find the Ballistic rod/reel case more practical for transport. The reel stays with the rod and the case doesnt roll around in your truck.

Sage ONE Specs - 

• Konnetic Technology® 
• Fast action 
• Black Ice blank color 
• Black thread wraps with Bronze trim wraps 
• Fuji ceramic stripper guides 
• Hard chromed snake guides and tip-top 
• Walnut wood insert and Golden Bronze anodized aluminum up-locking reel seat 
• Super Plus snub-nose, half-wells cork handle 
• Sage 4250 Bronze reel 
• WF5F RIO Perception line with ConnectCore technology 
• 100 yards of 20# backing 
• 9 4X RIO Powerflex tapered leader 
• Custom ballistic cloth rod & reel case

Available Sizes:

• 590-4

BUY NOW

Sage Approach Fly Rod Outfits

Made in U.S.A.

Calling our Approach series rods "entry level" just doesnt do them justice.Utilizing a higher modulus graphite than any of our previous entry-level rods, the Approach has a medium-fast action that provides excellent line feel and control. Beginning casters can easily grow with this rod without ever feeling theyve outgrown it. And like all Sage rods, the Approach is made right here on Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA.

Sage Approach Specs -

• Medium-fast action
• Oyster shell shaft color
• Black primary thread wraps with silver trim wraps
• Ceramic stripper guide
• Hard chrome snake guides and tip-top
• Reverse half-wells grip on freshwater 3,4 and 5 weights
• All aluminum reel seat with full-wells grip and cork fighting butt on all 8 and 9 weight saltwater models
• Silver gray rod/reel tube with divided liner
• Outfits come with a Sage 2200 reel, RIO Gold Fly line, and a CORDURA® rod/reel case

Available Sizes:

• 490-4
• 590-4
• 690-4
• 890-4
• 990-4

BUY NOW

Take it easy and take advantage of the one stop shopping @
the Gorge Fly Shop gorgeflyshop.com | 541.386.6977

From all of us here at the Gorge Fly Shop

Happy Holidays and Fish On!

Do you find information about Boat Blind Plans are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Blind Plans. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans And Patterns | Spey Day 2015 My Experience Your Benefit Bend Oregon

Boat Plans And Patterns

Got the email from Erik of Anglers Rendezvous (our Sage, Redington and Rio reps) that our annual Farbank Mini Spey day was going down on March 22nd, 2015 in Bend, Oregon, a short three hours drive from my hometown of Hood River. I thought, what a great excuse to get away and spend six hours casting Spey and Switch rods until my hands had to be pried from the cork handles...Like a warrior whos held a sword for hours during battle and his hands wont let go.

Spey Day - Bend Oregon

Sage and Redington Spey & Switch rods
patiently wait their turn to perform.

If this years Spey day is anything like last years, I am going to thoroughly enjoy it. Its not too often that a guy has the chance to cast multiple Spey and switch rods side by side, for an instantaneous direct comparison. To really get a feel for the difference, casting different models, lengths and tapers side by side is by far the best method of telling the differences. Honestly, not only is it fun for me to spend the 6 hours casting all the rods but it translates into the confident conversations that I have on a daily basis with customers who call the shop or drop in looking for guidance in making their first spey rod purchase or their tenth.

From a customers standpoint, there is nothing like talking to someone on the phone that has actually cast or fished with the rod that they are interested in. From a shops standpoint there is nothing like having an employee who has actually cast or fished with the rod that the customer is interested in. First hand knowledge of equipment reeks through your conversation over the phone. I hate talking to someone that seems to be reading right out of the catalog trying to sell me something. It doesnt take too long to realize when this is happening.

Google or YouTube anything today and in a matter of milliseconds you have years of information and opinions at your fingertips. This is a good thing and it can be a bad thing. Good because you can do research without the pressure of a used car salesman breathing down your neck paid by commission. Bad because you can do your research...too much research...research overload, so much to the point you cant make a decision one way or another. Youre now more confused than when you first started. If youre reading this and are thinking of making a Spey or Switch rod purchase, with all due respect, do some research, and pick just a couple of fly shops that actually fish with spey rods and youre confident with, give them a call and get dialed in. I have had numerous conversations with customers who have over researched and finally, out of desperation reach out to us. I once had a customer (if this is you, I didnt mention any names) straight up, within the first few seconds of our conversation confessed that he had been researching the equipment he was interested in for months and that he had literally called nearly every fly shop in the United States and now was so frustrated because he kept getting conflicting intel. I totally understood what he was saying and I respectfully said to him...that he had become so saturated with information he couldnt make a decision because most of the folks he talked to contradicted the previous guy he called. I politely said to him that he needed to take a breath and pick a couple of shops, who actually use spey rods, and start to trust somebody. He agreed with my statement and confessed that he was exhausted from all the research and he thanked me for being so honest with him. I could actually feel the tension in his voice subside as I told him this.


In short hed become so overloaded with different personal preferences from so many shops that he couldnt choose. Shop employees where giving him advise on their casting preferences but neglecting to ask him about his. He was transitioning into the two handed world from single hand rod experience. So I was able to gather enough info from him and his background with a single hand rod that I could recommend a rod suitable to the casting style he was already used to, which made for a smoother transition for him. The equipment he was interested in was expensive and he wanted the confidence that he was making the right choice for his investment. He didnt have a local shop that he could test drive the equipment or talk to anyone who even used a spey rod.

Spey Rods and Reels stacked like chord wood!
OK, where do I start!

There are many reasons why you need to take a deep breath, sit back, relax a bit, and approach the spey/switch scene with a bit of trust. I say that assuming from this point on you will take my advice and use a shop that actually lives and breaths to spey fish and knows the equipment.

There are a number of variables that will help us get you dialed in. For instance, your casting style, are you on the aggressive side or are you a bit more laid back and patient, what size of a river you fish, what style or technique will you want to use and much more. I cannot give you a true diagnosis of the correct rod you should choose, by just considering my casting style. That would be like going to the doctor because youre ill and the Doctor diagnoses you with his symptoms. Doesnt make sense, does it? I need to gather as much information from you to help you make the right choice.






For example, I once set up a petite woman with a Sage One 7116-4 (116" 7 weight) Switch rod and a Rio Skagit Max Short head due to the fact that she was small, the shorter switch rod and head fit her perfectly. The standard, go to, introduction to Spey rods, Sage One 7136-4 (136" 7 weight) was too big for her. Once she took the Switch rod outfit to the river, it didnt take her long to fall in love with it. I try my best to get as much information from the customer and their casting style before recommending which rods would suit them. If they have no experience at all, either with a single hand rod or a two hander, my default recommendation is typically a fast action rod such as the Sage One. Theres a reason for this. Typically a fast action rod is much more forgiving than an ultra-fast action rod, were your timing is somewhat critical, or a slow action rod because most people, honestly dont have the patience to wait for a deep flexing rod to load up before they start their forward stroke. When casting an ultra fast rod, such as the Sage Method, if your stroke is on its "A" game the rod will let you know how awesome you are by producing blistering line speed with little effort. BUT if youre having a "B" day, youre gonna struggle and you may not like the Method so much. The Sage One is the perfect go to rod for most folks. Its easy going for a somewhat laid back caster, super smooth and yet still has the power if you give it a little more umph on your bottom hand when you need to. Now there are other rods that have a fast action that would suit the needs of most folks, Im just using the Sage One as an example, because in the Sage lineup of rods, it is my go to "comfort food" rod. Its an amazing tool. I wouldnt know these intimate details of the Sage One if I didnt have a personal relationship with the rod. The Method is an awesome rod, no joke, its awesome...for the guy who loves an ultra fast rod...not so awesome for the guy who likes a more traditional full flex rod.


In the six hours I spent casting, I cast 4 weight switch rods to 15 10 weight spey rods and everything in between. Spending considerable amounts of time on each. If you want to test your casting skills grab a 4 wt switch rod and immediately after casting that for 20 minutes grab the 15 10 weight Sage Method, then go straight for the Sage Accel 7126-4 aka "Mr. Wiggles" and just see if it doesnt take some adjusting before you get your stroke back. This is why I go to these "Spey Days". To be able to grab rods and cast them side by side for an accurate instant comparison is priceless for the customer who doesnt have that opportunity or have a local shop that they can do so themselves. My experience equals your benefit. You, the consumer benefits from my personal time spent with each of these rods. Now, if you call the shop and ask me about a rod that I have never cast, I will tell you that I have never cast that one...yet. I will be honest with you and tell you that I havent lined that rod up yet. I can still describe the action of the rod, maybe even talk to you about the taper, give you a great line recommendation but this conversation wont have the passion in it compared to the rod I have actually went out and spent time on the water with or even personally owned. You can tell when someone has a bit of passion about something.


Ill end with this. The "Spey Day" was on one of my days off...just sayin...

Low and Clear

This beautiful Steelhead was caught on a Sage One 6126-4 in low clear water conditions. When water is low and clear, lighter rods, lighter sink tips or no sink tips, and natural colored flies are a good choice to improve your odds in landing the prize...

Remember, if you can’t find it at the Gorge Fly Shop, you don’t need it!

Gorge Fly Shop
John Garrett | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Do you find information about Boat Plans And Patterns are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans And Patterns. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans Australia | Columbia Gorge Fishing Report November 16th

Boat Plans Australia

Jeff caught a nice little hen. 

Fishing Report

This last week was good for most of the area anglers that ventured out.  Our favorite summer steelhead rivers were kicking out fish and in great shape for most of the week.  While this weekend’s rains are not doing much to help the clarity, levels are going up and there could be some good fishing this week.  The weather looks unsteady and possibly torrential, but there should be some good periods of fishing this week. 

Chinook Salmon are mostly dead now.  There are a few stragglers holding on, but the rivers are full of dead salmon everywhere.  It is very much like Alaska in the Gorge right now. 

Summer Steelhead have been on the bite this past week.  While nothing was red hot, there was steady and consistent fishing for many anglers last week.  Jeff and Sam are visiting from Montana and they managed to pull a few out of the Klickitatduring their visit.  The Klick went out of shape on Saturday night, but could easily come back early in the week before the predicted big rains come in around Wednesday or Thursday. 

The Deschutes gave up a fish or two a day to most of the anglers that went out.  The lower river is definitely colored up as of Sunday from the White River pouring mud, but the river above the confluence with the White is in great shape and should likely stay in great shape as the week unfolds. 

The Hood Riverwas actually looking pretty good on Sunday morning.  We had a spike of water and the river is dropping and looks great as of Sunday. While the other local rivers were rising, the Hood was dropping.  No reports of any winter fish caught in the gorge yet, but there are a few summers hanging around. 

Trout fishing is closed on several local lakes and streams now.  Please consult the regulations before fishing. 

Areas closed for trout include: East Fork Hood, Hood River (for trout), Eagle Creek, and the Deschutes upstream of the northern boundary of the Warm Springs Reservation.  The White Salmon above the county road bridge below the powerhouse (old dam).  LaurenceLake is also closed, as well as the Metolius Riverabove Allingham Bridge. 

Areas open for trout include:  Deschutes downstream of the Warm Springs Reservation (Maupin area and downstream are open), Lost Lake, Goose Lake(WA), The White Salmon from the mouth upstream 2 or so miles to the old county bridge and Yakima River.  November trout fishing can be really good, especially big fish eating big meaty streamers.  Get out your favorite streamer patterns and go!

Travis took out his Winston Micro Spey 10’ 6” 4wt out to the Deschutes and had a good couple of hours pulling streamers for Rainbow Trout on Thursday.  He caught a couple of nice fish with minimal effort.  This is going to be a great fishery during the winter, especially during the drier periods when steelhead are hard to come by.  Instead of a down and across swing as you would do for steelhead, cast more across or slightly upstream and let your line develop a downstream belly. Then you are ready to start stripping the fly.  Anything between a little twitch and a fast pull will work, but they will generally be more receptive to one type of retrieval.  It is just up to you to find out what type of retrieve they are looking for. 

Smallmouth Bass are getting no attention right now, but with water temps dropping in the big river, the bite should be pretty good.  You just have to find some current out there, and there isn’t much to find right now.  It should be easy to find the fish once you locate some moving water.      

As always, we are happy to talk fishing any time.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.  

Andrew Perrault
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Do you find information about Boat Plans Australia are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Australia. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Pontoon Boat Plans Aluminum | Another strange boat dream

Pontoon Boat Plans Aluminum

QUITE A LOT OF MY DREAMS involve boats, almost as many as involve beer and/or dancing girls. And so it was the other night when I dreamed I was an interested spectator at a small boatyard.

They had a marine railway for hauling boats out of the water for bottom-painting and repairs, and they were just re-launching a full-keel sailboat of about 25 feet.

She slid slowly down the rails, held upright by a wooden cradle, until she reached the water.  Two workmen were aboard to release her from the cradle when she floated free, one in the cockpit and one on the foredeck. But she didn’t float free.  Still tied to the cradle, she started to disappear as the railway extended into deeper water.

The workmen on board started shouting to the man at the head of the slipway, who sat in a small shed with his hands on levers.  But it seemed he couldn’t hear them, or didn’t want to obey their requests to haul the boat back up the inclined railway.

The men on board jumped into the water and swam ashore as the boat finally disappeared under water, blowing huge bubbles of air from the closed companionway hatch and the Dorade box up forward.

Next thing, two scuba divers appeared and swam out to the mast, which was the only thing still sticking out of the water. They dived and obviously cut the boat free from the launching cradle to which she had been tied.

She suddenly popped up to the surface at high speed and flew into the air some 20 or 30 feet, or so it seemed in my dream, and came down stern first. The cockpit filled with water, which rushed below and filled the cabin. This time, she sank like a brick.

The man in the shed said: “Sorry about that. I was texting. Let’s start over and try again.” But he got down and started to run when the scuba divers came out of the water with their knives drawn.

My dream ended there, so I don’t know what happened to the men or the boat, but I can’t help wondering if there is a message here, or possibly a warning.  My wife says I’d better have my tea leaves read, just in case. But I’m not keen on that. I’ll see if I can find someone who reads beer suds. That might make more sense.

Today’s Thought

Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives.

— Dr. William C. Dement, Newsweek, 30 Nov 59

Tailpiece

After years of toil and research, Eli Whitney emerged from his workshop one night with great news.

“I’ve just invented a cotton gin,” he declared proudly.

“Big deal,” snorted his wife. “So who needs a fluffy martini?”  

Do you find information about Pontoon Boat Plans Aluminum are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Pontoon Boat Plans Aluminum. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans Stitch And Glue | Christmas Island Ikari House

Boat Plans Stitch And Glue

Update 3/11/2015...
Gorge Fly Shop Christmas Island Dates DATES ARE SET!!!

Christmas Island trips dates are January 12th-19th 2016. Jerry Swanson has secured us some prime dates at the Ikari House.  This is a Tuesday to Tuesday trip, as many of you know the only day flights go to and from Christmas Island. 

Jerry is still waiting for 2016 prices, but for deposits he is figuring on 2015 prices of $2650.00 per angler based on double occupancy, deposits in the amount of $1325.00 will be needed to hold your spot. Once the 2016 prices are available we will let you all know. 

So as you know the demand for dates at the Ikari House have became very high, I am sure it will book fast. For those interested please give me a call or email. I look forward to fishing with everyone.

Thank You,
Travis Duddles
Gorge Fly Shop
info@gorgeflyshop.com
541-386-6977

Here is a direct link to Jerry Swanson’s Fish Head Expeditons website for Ikari House
http://www.fishheadexpeditions.com/content/ikari-house

All bookings will need to be done with Jerry Swanson at Fish Head Expedition His contact information is below:
Fish Head Expeditions
jerry@fishheadexpeditions.com503-539-1451

Zen Master Simon Corrie casting the Sage SALT 12wt, Nautilus Silver King and RIO GT 475gr Line

Christmas Island January 2015

Christmas Island may have introduced more anglers to fly fishing for bonefish and other saltwater species than any other destination. In January I hosted a group of nine anglers from the Northwest, ranging in age from 26 to 82. Seven of the nine were new to bonefishing and saltwater. Everyone had a great time and caught lots of bonefish. Anglers had action with Queenfish, Trigger Fish, Bluefin, Striped and Giant Trevally, Wahoo and Yellow Fin Tuna. What a great week on the flats! We saw more large bonefish than I have seen in 10 years. And they would eat a fly!

Jerry Brown - Christmas Island Bonefish

The food at Ikari House is way better than anywhere else on the island. We had sashimi with drinks every day after fishing. Wow! There are six rooms that are new in the last two years. All have A/C on a thermostat, on-demand hot water and are spotless everyday. This may not sound like much, but on Christmas Island this is the Ritz.

GT action with Mitch Callas

What makes Christmas unique is that it has the most extensive wade-able flats of any atoll in the world. The more you fish other locations you realize this is special. All bonefishing is done by wading. In addition the equatorial location has no seasonality, making it is a go-to saltwater destination.

My first trip to Christmas Island was 29 years ago. Quick drying tropical clothing and flats boots had not been invented yet. We were tying up new flies, drinking Australian beer and getting sun burned through the cotton sport shirts. This time I was fortunate to fish with Simon Corrie, who was one of my guides on that first trip. Moana Kofe is now the head guide at Ikari House. He fished with different anglers during the week as a special guide and that time was memorable. These two guides are Zen masters. You learn fly fishing by doing, and they have done it a lot. Both can cast a whole fly line in the wind, know the habits of fish, the tides and “know the language of fish.” I fished with 5 newer guides and would fish with any of them again or recommend them to clients. The fishery is in very good hands.

Jerry Swanson with Mustache Trigger Fish

The Gorge Fly Shop is planning a hosted trip to Christmas Island in 2016. Please let Travis Duddles, the Gorge owner, or me know if you are interested.

Call Travis

Info@gorgeflyshop.com

541.386.6977

Jerry Swanson
Fish Head Expeditions, LLC
jerry@fishheadexpeditions.com
503-539-1451

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Do you find information about Boat Plans Stitch And Glue are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Stitch And Glue. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans Bolger | Echo Glass 7129 4 Rod Review

Boat Plans Bolger

"Giving you the feedback missing from stiff graphite actions."

Echo Glass 7129-4

ECHO GLASS - Two-Hand rods are the smooth easy casting rods.

Recently, I was lucky enough to be able to demo the new Echo Glass 12’9” 7wt spey rod for a few days.  I was pretty eager to get my hands on one, and having heard some rumors about it’s potential, I really wanted to put it to the test.

Dark olive guide and accent wraps

I quickly realized that my prejudice towards glass rods was stronger than I had thought.  My first impression of the rod was based completely on years of bias against glass rods.  I was expecting this rod to be heavy, awkward, lackluster in power, and too slow in action.  This soon developed into a lesson in putting prejudice aside and just going into it with an open mind.

While the rod is a bit heavier than my graphite 7126-4 rod, (8.4 oz vs 6.4 oz) it still balances out a Lamson Speedster 4 just fine, and that is not a heavy reel.  8.4 oz is still not very heavy.  A Sage One 8136-4 weighs the same as this glass rod.  The biggest factor that makes up for the weight of the rod is that it is incredibly powerful.  There is very little effort required to cast a country mile.  You are expending less energy to get more distance.  A heavy rod is a burden if it requires a lot of energy to generate the line speed necessary to get it moving, but I quickly forgot all about rod weight and was more interested in dialing in the big slow cast that catapults my fly and line across the river.

I fished both the Hood and the Deschutes with this rod.  A few hours on each river and I had fallen in love.  I certainly enjoyed casting Scandi and Rage Compact lines on the Deschutes.  The slow, gentle casting stoke was a breeze and came very naturally.  I had honed in my spey casting skills on a G. Loomis Skagit Dredger years ago, but have never found a rod that was slow and deliberate, yet powerful like that rod was, until now.  The glass rod is even more powerful than the Dredger, but has a similar action.

While the small fly and Scandi line set-up was a ton of fun, the rod really excels at casting Skagit lines and big flies.  I tried a couple of lines and decided that I like the Airflo Skagit Compact 480 or 510 grain head the best on this rod.  While the 510 was my favorite, it was on the heavier side of the grain window, which is not a terrible thing to do with a slower action rod.  Speaking of which, I have cast quite a few single had glass rods and almost all of them have been a very slow action.  This glass spey is quite moderate.  I mean it is slower than most of the graphite rods on the market, but I was certainly expecting it to be much, much slower.

ECHO Spey

I threw on a 12.5’ T-8 tip and a big weighted intruder onto the Skagit head.  That combination was absolutely perfect.  After a few minutes of slllloooowwwwiiinggg it down, my casting stroke had relaxed enough that the fly was effortlessly hitting the other side of the river.  I wish the Hood was bigger because every cast screamed for thirty or more feet to work with.  It was actually hard to stop cast from hitting the end of the line at full speed, nearly yanking the rod and reel from my hands.

This rod is the absolute opposite of the 12’6” 7wt graphite spey rod I picked up last year.  The action, the classic feel, the casting stroke, the action of playing a fish and the price tag are all about as far off as you can get from each other, yet still provide the same high-quality experience.

Echo Glass - Smooth easy casting rods

As our awesome Rajeff Sports rep Eric Neufeld said, a lot of guys will buy this rod as a backup or a toy to play with, but will quickly move it into the go-to slot in the arsenal…  This is a rod that can be fished regularly with ease and is such a joy to cast that my Winston and my Sage might see a little more time in the closet this winter.

Thanks again to Eric Neufeld of Raging River Sales for letting me demo this rod for the weekend.  I can’t wait to see the full line-up coming this winter.

ECHO GLASS Rod features:

• Alignment dots for easy assembly
• Traditional down lock cork barrel reel seat
• Classy Golden Carmel blank
• Dark olive guide and accent wraps
• Chrome snake guides
• Ceramic ringed stripper guides
• Premium grade cork handle
• Cordura covered rod case and cloth rod sock
• ECHO lifetime warranty

Andrew Perrault
Gorge Fly Shop
541.386.6977

Echo Glass Rod | Glass Spey | Glass Switch 

ECHO Glass Single Hand

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Do you find information about Boat Plans Bolger are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Bolger. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans Nz | Columbia Gorge Fishing Report July 13th

Boat Plans Nz

Weekly Fishing Report 

In search of a fishing kayak - Article coming soon

Some relief finally came our way last week, and there was much rejoicing!  The Deschutes spent two full days under 70 degrees for the first time in a month or more and the Klickitat is slowly clearing up and coming into shape.  The lakes are cooling off and the fish are coming up closer to the surface, and generally, everyone has a much more positive outlook on the fishing situation.

It looks like temps might actually stay reasonable this week and steelheaders will return to their normal frenzied obsession until further notice.

Carp fishing is still great and a nice change of pace for the local steelheader.  Every time I go out, I tend to find another great place that holds carp in good numbers.  There are endless possibilities in the area for a carp fisherman.  The great thing is that you will rarely, if ever, see another angler out there.

Smallmouth Bass have been hitting topwater poppers on the Columbia River and John Day River. There are lots of fish to be caught, but moving around is key.  Earlier in the summer, the fish are congregated in spawning areas, but now they are spread around quite a bit.  A fish here, a fish there, but pay attention to the type of structure that you find them on as they will all prefer the same structure types.  Bass don’t really like sand or weeds, but everything else is fair game.

Rainbow Trout fishing on the Deschutes River has been “stupid good” according to several anglers that I have talked to this week, especially in the last hour or two of daylight.  The caddis hatch has been epic.  You can throw some small mayfly nymphs during the day, but the bulk of the action is in the evenings on the caddis.  The closer to the dam that you are, the better… The fish in the lower river have had a really rough last month or two and I would imagine that there was a hefty trout die-off down low, so the upper river is the better option.

Chinook Salmon are still moving through in good numbers, although they are reaching that point in the summer where there is a lull in movement before the fall fish start piling in the river in late August.  This is one of the better years we have seen for Chinook, despite the terrible conditions we have had this summer.   The regulations are complicated to interpret, but my understanding is that the Columbia above Bonneville is open for Jack Chinook and Summer Steelhead, but not adult Chinook right now, although I do not have the master’s degree required for correctly interpreting the regulations.

The Sockeye Salmon run is still coming through in great numbers, although it is looking like it will fall short of last years record run.  I somehow managed to hook one while messing around with the new OPST Commando Spey Head at the mouth of the Hood the other day.  I would imagine that I flossed him, because in three seasons guiding a sockeye river in Alaska, I had seen hundreds of thousands of fish swim by me and have seen exactly three sockeye actually move to eat a fly.  I never felt a take, it came tight when I lifted the rod to make another cast.  Either way, he popped off after a couple of jumps, but I never saw where he was hooked…

New Product Alert: Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics

Summer steelhead should finally be an option now.  I would imagine that there was a pile of fish sitting off the mouth of the Deschutes waiting for the river to cool off.  Well, the river cooled off and I bet there is a pile of fish in the lower Deschutes now.  As long as the river stays under 70 degrees, the fishing should only get better.  Traditionally, we don’t get many fish until mid to late August, but there are always some fish around this time of year and anglers have been chomping at the bit to get on them.  The Cowlitz is another great option for anglers and traditionally is the best steelhead river in the west for the month of July.  There are not a lot of other rivers with enough water to fish right now.  The Kalama and Clackamas are typically good July rivers for steelhead, but both are far too low to fish this year.  The Klickitat is clearing up slowly and steadily, but has a ways to go before it will look good.  I would look for it to get into shape later in the week as temps look to stay cool for the next week.  The Hood is clearing up too, but it is really, really low.  I am sure there are steelhead in the river, especially down low, but it is not much of a destination for summer steelhead, and few of the fish that mill about near the mouth actually run up the river.  What few summer steelhead that the Hood gets tend to be a late run, after the rains come in October and the river level bumps up.

The East Fork Hood River is open for trout fishing, as well as the main branch of the river.  The West Fork Hood River is always closed to fishing, except for the 100 yards or so between the confluence of the East Fork and Punchbowl Falls.  The East Fork is where the majority of the color comes from in the river, so it can be even more colored up than the main river.

Rainbow, Cutthroat, Brown and Brook Trout fishing should be good this week as water temps cool off and fish move up in the water column.  Bigger, deeper lakes should have some good fishing opportunities.  Lost Lake and Laurence Lake are always a good bet as they are cold, deep lakes.  Troll a leech pattern really, really slowly, and get it down.  You can never go too slowly, but you can go too quickly.

Eagle Creek near Bonneville Dam is a great place to spend the day fishing for cutthroat trout.  Much like the Hood River, the fish are small and hungry, but the scenery is beautiful, and the water is cold.  It is a little bit easier to wade than the Hood, but you are in a canyon and there are not many spots to get on or off the trail down to the river.  Once you are on the creek, it is fairly easy to get around.

As always, we are happy to talk fishing any time.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Do you find information about Boat Plans Nz are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Nz. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boden Boat Plans Australia | Wheres the promised paradise

Boden Boat Plans Australia

GLOBAL WARMING can’t be all that bad, can it? Can you imagine what Puget Sound, the San Juans, and the Canadian Gulf Islands would be like if we suddenly inherited the climate now enjoyed by Southern California? Sunshine, warm winds, and warm seas are the only ingredients missing from this paradise for cruising boaters.

A little global warming around here would transform our lives. Boating people from all over the world would flock to our palm-fringed shores, white beaches, and warm turquoise water.

Women would be dressing in skimpy sun dresses and displaying those long tanned legs so beloved in California,  and I’d be able to trade in my fur-lined underpants for snazzy new Hawaiian bathing drawers.

The yacht charter business would boom beyond belief, creating jobs and prosperity that would surge right through our economy. Western Washington’s families would flourish in a brand-new American dream. The color would return to children’s faces. Their little bellies would be full, and their happy laughter would become a hallmark of the new, beloved global warming. Tourist dollars would overflow our coffers, and no longer would our poor State Governor have to sob his eyes out over drastic cuts in essential services.

So c’mon you guys, pony up. You promised us global warming. All we’ve got so far is gale-force winds and buckets of freezing rain. Where the hell is global warming?

Today’s Thought

Global warming — at least the modern nightmare vision — is a myth. I am sure of it and so are a growing number of scientists. But what is really worrying is that the worlds politicians and policy makers are not.

— Professor David Bellamy, environmentalist

Tailpiece

Don’t worry if your job is small

And your successes few . . .                                        

Remember that the mighty oak

Was once a nut like you.

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, for a new Mainly about Boats column.)

Do you find information about Boden Boat Plans Australia are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boden Boat Plans Australia. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans Nz | GEOBASS Season 2 Video Trailer Red Bass in Christmas Island

Boat Plans Nz

Do you find information about Boat Plans Nz are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Nz. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Plywood Boat Plans | Christmas Island Trip January 2016 OPEN SPOTS!

Plywood Boat Plans

The Gorge Fly Shop appreciates the use of all photos, thank you photographers!

BOOK YOUR TRIP TODAY - Before its too late!

We have had a few spots open up on our Christmas Island trip January 12 to 19 2016. Here is your chance to join us on this great trip! Spots are very limited. 

LEARN MORE

Christmas Island, Ikari House

Morrison Files - Great Christmas Island Trip

Christmas on Christmas Island - Jimmy Buffet Style

Contact Travis at info@gorgeflyshop.com or 541-386-6977

Do you find information about Plywood Boat Plans are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Plywood Boat Plans. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans Canada | Morrison Files Great Christmas Island trip

Boat Plans Canada

"We caught lots of doubles"

A Great Christmas Island trip

Hi Travis,

We came home last Tuesday but turned around and one day later we were camping, whew. It about wears a guy out.

OK, on to the cool stuff, the fishing was actually really good this time. The best day Jeanette and I had was the last, I caught 31 she caught 21. She just happened to catch the biggest fish out of four of us for the trip, they figured it was 9 lbs, I caught one just minutes later that was 8 lbs. When they get that big they really are fun, huge long runs, almost get them in and they take off again. One of the pictures is Jeanette with her big fish just as it decides to leave and go straight in the air, the guide got the picture.

One of the things I learned this time was never look at weather.com before you go on a trip. I was looking for weeks leading up to the trip and all I saw was thunder storms, wind and pretty much terrible weather. When we got there it was heavy overcast and we figured the forecast was pretty much spot on, even the first day of fishing I don’t think we saw much sun but from that point on it was beautiful. Tom one of my really close friends keeps a tally of everything we catch and at the end of six days of fishing we caught 350 plus bone fish between four of us. We didn’t keep track of the small trevally, goat fish, yellow snapper, blue trevally, small grouper, trigger fish, puffer fish and whatever else might take a small fly. We had one guide between us and if he was with Jeanette I would just blind cast to anywhere it looked like there might be a fish, she did better than that one day she caught 17 and spotted every one, the guides got a kick of it.

Michael - Our Guide

Michael, the guide we had on the last day, a really good guy. Jeanette was getting tired of casting into the wind and handed him her rod, on the second cast he got a really nice bonefish, 8wt Sage Method, Nautilus reel, with the Bonefish Quick shooter line, great combo. That’s it for now. Thanks again for getting me the line on short notice.

Morrison

Do you find information about Boat Plans Canada are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Canada. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Kayak Boat Plans | Search and Rescue An Adventure like No other

Kayak Boat Plans

Pacific City, Oregon

Over the course of the last two years, I’ve taken quite a liking to different types of water crafts. One being an inflatable pontoon boat (Stealth Pro) and second fishing kayaks. The ladder being my primary focus this year, but what’s important isn’t so much about boats but the focus for this story is the adventure. Where one thing leads to another and how important the little things tend to be.

One Sunday morning in July, my day began setting up my fishing kayak for a planned Ocean trip to Haystack rock the following weekend. This would be my first Ocean trip in a kayak and I was in a hurry to setup my trolling motor. With my kayak and gear laid out in the yard under a shaded tree the sun began to rise and the sweat began to pore, nearly 90 degrees and only 11am I was in need of refreshments, a cold one as I may say.

A few hours after lunch I was ready for a long neck, the heat and frustration drove me back inside to the sound of the air conditioner and screaming kids. My phone had been inside all day so I decided to check it. To my surprise my wife stated I should call my friend back (Let’s call him Jhun). I was concerned. Turns out he was kayak fishing near Haystack Rock in Pacific City and flipped his boat, in need of help. I called immediately, I could hear the distress in his voice as he explained… A sneaker wave surprised him and flipped him over. He was unable to flip it back over. He presumed the marine battery in the rear hit the hatch and provided a large enough gap for water to enter hull. He was safe, on the beach with no kayak. Kayak in need of a rescue I thought… You see, I have a tandem sit-on top kayak so it seemed like a good idea. I told him I was on my way, I quickly ran a list of items I might need in my head and shortly after gathering everything I was gone. For legal purposes, let’s say I drove the speed limit…

Screenshot: Pacific City Sun

Photo to the left shows his rescue. Why they werent able to bring the boat in from this point, im not sure, I wasnt there... However im sure Jhun was happy to be on board. 

Upon arriving at the beach he explained where it was nearly 2hrs ago when he called, now pointing to where it was, almost a half mile away. Now, the first items I grabbed before leaving the house was keys, wallet and… my Smith Optics. However even with my Smiths on I was squinting trying to find this kayak… Where is it, what are you looking at? Oh right, yeah… I think I see it. We decided to talk to a few paddle boarders that had tried to help earlier in the day. We contemplated heading out at that point, but decided to climb the point to get a better visual. Note: Remember to stretch.

Upon climbing the hill, I did finally spot the kayak. A Jackson Big Rig nearly 14ft in length, 36” wide, marine battery, trolling motor, rod, gear, phone and wallet all on board. When the sun hit just right, I could see its now vertical nose bobbing a foot or two just North East of Haystack rock. Shoot, it’s going out to sea. At just past 7pm we could see a calm spot about a quarter mile wide, maybe a mile or so from the break of the rock just around the kayak, but after contemplating how long it would take us to suite up and get out there, we knew we wouldn’t have much light. The other thought in the back of our minds (due to the time), we had never kayaked a tandem together. Now I have kayaked my 5 year old son and mother around but I’m doing all the work (on a lake no less). So after staring into the sunset and contemplating all the options, we decided to call it a night just after 8pm. He mentioned he would come back in the morning to see if it washed to shore –or if he could get the help from any Dory boaters, I mentioned let me know if you need any help, said our good byes and that was the end. Over 3k in gear off to never never land.

That night, after telling the story in detail to my wife and discussing why you don’t paddle alone in the ocean at least without taking the proper precautions. We decided it was best I went along to “Search” for this kayak the following morning. We both knew, if it was my boat in the water – I would want to keep looking. At that point, our gut was saying, hey it floated all the way out to the rock, it’s going to keep floating somewhere. It’s not just going to sink. Assuming it hadn’t found a few more rocks to play on. Shortly after 11pm we decided to get up bright and early to start combing the beaches and chatting it up with the locals.

The following morning required coffee and away we went. First upon arriving we notified a few kayakers getting ready to make the voyage out, they said they would help if needed and keep an eye out. Jhun and another kayak friend hiked the point to take a better look. No luck. I spoke to the fire marshal and he just laughed in disbelief that we would find it. It’s sunk they said, it’s long gone they all said.

Sheila and Jhun: In search

A few locals said the current was headed south the night before. Mentioning Nestucca Bay and some of the surrounding road ways. We explored every access point and beach half way to Lincoln City. On one beach South of Pacific City a local said he was watching the current all afternoon, the current was heading north and recommended checking Sand Lake. Sounded plausible, north we went. After arriving at Sand Lake an employee their said he overheard on the radio of a boat being found, but was unable to provide any other information, as if it was a treasure hunt and we had to find each clue. Back to Pacific City we went, feeling a little ridiculous but hopeful, we had no luck getting in touch with Police or Fire on the non-emergency lines. We arrived back in Pacific City (PC) but once more we were disappointed to find no new leads. Our thoughts of a kayak laying along the shores were cut short with the view of Dory boats coming and going.

Devils Lake - Tandem

I think we were all disappointed at that point, but we kept truckin’ along and eventually made our way South to Lincoln City. No sign of any kayak, but damn we were hungry. Off to the buffet, Chinook Winds it is! At this point the mood was pretty grim. We spoke of alternatives for next week’s kayak trip. Jhun had another kayak (not as cool as the one he lost) so we planned for Nestucca Bay. After lunch we hit up the outlet’s and drove over to Devils Lake, Jhun and I went tandem in my kayak thinking we mind as well make the best of it.

Now a bit later in the day, we decided to go home the long-about way and head back north to PC for one last look-see. No real hope in mind but it would make a nice drive and we could end the day eating sea food with a few drinks looking out over the “Rock”. As we pulled down onto the beach this is where I would like to say we found Jhun’s kayak, but we didn’t. It was bitter sweet, no kayak in hand but the day was finally coming to a close. Jhun wanted to make one last climb up the point so I joined him so I could say my good byes to his boat. We made it to the furthest, highest point where we could get a better view of the Rock and southern shoreline, but to no surprise - no dice. Made our way around to check the north face, with view of the bluff as Jhun walked in front of me he stopped, paused… I stopped, paused… He pointed, “Mike I think I see it…”. Now hold up, stop the press, we’ve been out all day, Let me wipe the sweat off my face and put my Smith Optics back on. I thought I could hear the crack in Jhun’s voice. Was he to cry in joy, scream in excitement… I wondered. “Hold up, let’s get a closer look Jhun.” We walked, no we leaped closer. Confirmed! Still bobbing out of the water by a foot or two we had visual confirmation. Houston we are go, I repeat we are go for rescue. We hurried around the hill side towards our rigs, I called my wife… breathing heavily, load up! Start the truck! We found it! Was that a crack in my voice? Was I tearing up? No just sand, it’s cool as we skipped down the sandy hillside. We high tailed it out of their as my wife is telling me to slow down, watch for people walking. They’ll move. 10 and 2, on a mission!

Rescue in Progress?

On our way to the cliff

We thought the best course of action would be to drive around to the north side of the sand dune to access the bluff side of the rock, at least to get a better look. With hardly anyone on the beach on the north side, I’m not sure I’ve ever driven as fast on a beach in a full side pickup. Don’t tell my father, it was his truck.

The kayak was still there. Bobbing in the water almost taunting us. Feeling a little giddy but mostly things got real, really quickly. This was now a full on rescue mission. We were no longer aimlessly stumbling up and down the coast line, we had found it. However the kayak was not found lying in the sand like some beached whale in a dream, it was 40-50ft from the cliff side with a boarder of “danger zone” rocks in our way. We believed the tide was beginning to turn and start coming back in, but how would that effect the kayak in its current location. Would the kayak just repeatedly slam into the rock, or keep circling in the danger zone. We climbed around the rocks and discussed our options. With the waves much greater on the North side we thought it would be safer to launch and go around from the South, thinking the kayak might be circling and would kick back out to the south. We decided to suite up and head back around. Although in the back of my mind I wasn’t certain what way it was going to go. So we suited up. Jhun was longer going to screw around with the ocean, he hadn’t tightened his wading belt enough when he was knocked off his boat and had water in his waders upon returning to the shore

He brought a wet suit.

I had an incident in the Hood a year before so I tightened my belt along with everything else extra tight.  

Armed with:

• A pair of Korkers White Horse boots
• Redington waders
• Simms ChromaPOPs
• DryTop and a life jacket of course

No its not a shark, thats the nose of the kayak

Jhun aired up his raft and I gathered all the rope I had and using carabineers to attach them to the raft. Now why aren’t we taking the tandem out? Well, the water was a little rough for our liking and thought the raft would be a little more stable. We continued to watch and wait and calculate the water. At this point it was moving north, not south and calculated it was moving about 5ft every 20 minutes. At that rate, we could almost go eat dinner before it got out of the danger zone.

I believe Jhun could tell I was a little distressed or concerned. Wife and kids where in the truck waiting, crying and had already eaten all the snacks and ticktacks one could find. He offered we go eat and come back thinking the boat would be much closer and easier to rescue. I reluctantly agreed considered it took me a bit to get suited up and I the kayak was moving our way. After a quick discussion about dinner I stayed suited up while Jhun started to load up. I made one last check and noticed the kayak was moving even quicker than before, I waved to Jhun, we realized we needed to stay. We decided to daisy chain the ropes and if lucky enough either row out to the kayak and hook on, or swim. We watched and waited some more. We began to lose light, finally it made it’s way away from the rocks, it was still moving North. At some point since we originally found the kayak, the top hatch had broken off. No longer visible but foam from the inside began to float ashore. I began to unravel the rope as Jhun and I inched closer and closer. At some point, as I’m still unraveling the rope Jhun makes the call to head towards his kayak. You could see the determination on his face. The ropes began to knot up, he grabs the nose of his kayak, and he’s yelling something, pull? Oh crap, pull!! He’s still yelling, is he yelling stop I questioned? It was hard to decipher. I continued pulling as I’m unraveling the rope in attempt to throw the other end to Sheila our other kayak friend dressed in sneakers. She eventually grabs the rope, we pull, Jhun still yelling. Is he yelling pull or stop? I ask. No clue, we continue pulling the boat to shore. It must have weighed close to a thousand pounds being full of water with 300lb’s in gear and kayak. Finally it was ashore. Upside down, dang it Jhun! The three of us attempted to lift the kayak from one end. It wouldn’t even budge. No surprise, we tried again but this time with the help of a wave. It budged. That was our ticket. We needed the power of the waves to help flip this monster over. After a few tries we did it. Paddle, Rod, Cell phone, Marine battery and some odds and ends all there. What was left of the trolling motor or hardware I should say wasn’t worth anything. However both hatches had been ripped off but all in all. We did it, kayak Searched and Rescued!    

Houston we have landing

With a high five, our job was nearly complete. My day, as long as it was, was beginning to come to a close. I was glad to be a part of this day. As tired as I was I was exhilarated of the fact we actually found this Big Rig! Over 24 hrs later. I was grateful for having gear I felt confident in, from the Korkers boots to the shades on my face. It made my day, a rescue worth remembering. If I hadn’t been confident in my gear, I wouldn’t have felt confident in how I could perform, thus hindering my ability to help.

So for all of you, stay safe, and remember the little things. Purchase the right gear for the right job and enjoy the journey.

Author: Mike Prine 

Gorge Fly Shop Webmaster

Gorge Fly Shop Team

Do you find information about Kayak Boat Plans are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Kayak Boat Plans. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..