Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year!

All of us at Country Pleasures wish you a Happy New Year!

The shop will be open from 10 AM until 2 PM on New Year's Eve,
closed on New year's Day and January 2.

On Friday, January 3, we will be open from 10 AM until 6 PM.

On Saturday, January 4, we will be open from 9 AM until 5 PM
with a "retro" staff as Caity is helping out that day.

The shop is closed from Sunday, January 5 through Friday, January 10.
We will re-open with normal hours on Saturday, January 11.

Thanks for all your support in our 32nd year of operation!

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas from Country Pleasures Flyfishing

Merry Christmas from all of us CP!
Holiday Hours:
CHRISTMAS EVE: 10 AM - 2 PM


CHRISTMAS DAY: CLOSED

BOXING DAY: CLOSED

DECEMBER 27: 10 AM - 6 PM

DECEMBER 28: 9 AM - 5 PM

DECEMBER 30: 10 AM - 6 PM

NEW YEARS EVE: 10 AM - 2 PM

NEW YEARS DAY: CLOSED

JANUARY 2: CLOSED

JANUARY 3: 10 AM - 6 PM

JANUARY 4: 9 AM - 5 PM

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Country Pleasures Flyfishing Saturday Seminars 2014

Country Pleasures Flyfishing
Saturday Seminars 2014

Country Pleasures is pleased to announce the initial line-up for Saturday Seminars for 2014. Each Saturday at 10:00 a.m. we host a free seminar on a fly fishing topic. We hope you can come and participate.

Seminars are scheduled as follows:

January 18 - New Fly Tying Products for 2014
Mike Gifford will tie with new stuff that came out for fly tying in
the last while.

January 25 - Flies and Tactics for Alberta’s Prairie Lakes
Brent Schlenker, owner of Cypress Fly Fishing, is one of Alberta’s
pre-eminent lake fishermen and guides. He will show us flies, tricks, and
tactics for fishing stillwaters.

February 1 - Emergers: Patterns and Techniques
Peter Crowe-Swords has been guiding the Bow off and on for over
twenty years. He is a true master of the rising fish, especially those
trickier targets. Come and see Pete’s favorite “techie” bugs.

February 8 - Minnow Mimics
Adam Rich ties some of the best baitfish patterns we know of. From
Roosterfish to Trout, his patterns are very effective. Adam will ties his
flatwing style streamer as well….very cool!

February 15 - Family Day Weekend- No Seminar

February 22 - Unlocking the Mysteries of Chironomids
Terry Antoniuk has a wealth of experience with chironomid fishing. This
seminar will unlock the secrets of flies and techniques.

March 1 - To be announced

March 8 - Increasing Efficiency In Your Tying
Jeff Thompson teaches us how to increase productivity and speed while
tying. This seminar has been hugely popular in the past!

March 15 - Top Choices For Permit Flies
Mike Gifford will tie, step by step, his three favorite patterns for Permit.

March 22 - Steelhead Flies
Brent Piche’ ties steelhead flies of all types as well as anyone we have
ever seen. Brent will tie Intruders, as well as traditionals. This seminar
has been one of our best in the past!

March 29 - Pike Flies, Techniques, and Destinations
Kevin Peterson shows us everything we need to know about Pike
fishing around these parts.

April 5 - To be announced

April 12 - Tube Flies For Steelhead
Adam Rich shows us tube flies for chrome. Some cool tube dry
flies as well.

April 19 - Easter Weekend - No Seminar

April 26 - Customer Appreciation Day/ Demo Day
Join us for this all day event.Industry reps on hand to answer
questions, demo rods, and visit. The barbecue is getting fired up!
Sales and special events throughout the day.

You can also check out Seminar topics at our web site – www.countrypleasures.com – by following the links to Seminars.
All seminars start at 10:00 am and will end between 11:00 and noon. There is no charge and no pre-registration required. Simply drop by the shop and enjoy the seminar. Although we will make every attempt to present the seminars as outlined above, topics are subject to change without notice. If you have a topic you would wish covered in a seminar, please advise the staff.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Back To Civilization!


So I'm now back from six weeks spent in the little town of Punta Allen, located at the opening of Ascension Bay, Mexico. I had the opportunity to help/assist/freeload with the Palometa Club's fall season, running from November 1 until December 6.

I headed down on October 27, arriving in Punta Allen on the 28th. Most who I have talked to don't believe me but I hadn't planned on, nor did I, do a whole bunch of fishing. I did get a few days fishing in and it cemented my opinion of fall Permit fishing, the fish are as user friendly as you will ever find.

The day after I arrived, two of the PC guides and I headed out for some fun fishing. In about two hours we had landed four nice Permit with a couple other eats that got "pilot errored".
After that it was getting ready for first clients, a group from Patagonia River Guides from Northern Argentina. The owners are both Montana guys who now live a large portion of the year in Argentina. They spent a bunch of time showing me stuff about their operation and it looks pretty amazing.

Indicative of the entire fall, September through November, unstable weather was our cross to bear. Ascension Bay has seen rain amounts that most residents have never seen before. Bad weather days still offered some pretty amazing Baby Tarpon and Snook fishing. And when the weather settled down, clients caught a pretty amazing number of Permit.

I didn't get out fishing again until later in November (other than a couple of days going out with single clients and doing some watching). One of the guides and I went and fished some stuff that hadn't been fishe dfor a bit prior to picking up incoming clients with the Panga. I turned out to be a pretty epic day, with six Permit landed. This kicked off a three day period where a group of clients from North and South Carolina (some of the nicest people I've ever met, by the way) landed sixteen Permit.

The tail end of their week saw the first cold front this fall. Three days of cooler weather and north wind kicked the focus over from Permit to Snook and Tarpon.

Our final week of the fall season slowly started to get better in the weather department. Piotr, from Poland, caught his first and second ever Permit, with others caught as well. Got a chance to fish with Maureen for the last four days of my stay as she had come down for the last week. The first couple of days we messed around with Snook and tarpon, there is Snook everywhere right now. the last couple of days we started to see more Permit up on the flats again with some shots here and there. Got to watch Maureen throw at a "massive" fish that went absolutely goofy on the fly, doing circles around it, and then actually hitting the leader with it's tail. Turns out they don't like that.

As usual, the weather was getting perfect just as we left.

A super big thanks to Dick and Kaye Cameron, Fina, Rosie, Maribel, Gloria, Carlos, Charlie, Nino, Korreano, Toni, Aaron, Toluco, Gerardo, Jonathan, Jorge, David, Fabian, Alonso, and Julio!

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Country Pleasures 12 Days of Christmas!

On the first day of Christmas my true love (sub in girlfriend, wife, kids, dog etc) gave to me...

The gift of  Holwer!


The Quepos Quilted Jacket cuts wind, resists water and keeps your core toasty when the Fall and Winter come to your neighborhood. The Quepos’ insulated diamond quilted nylon shell includes additional attributes like drop in hand warmer pockets, stand up collar and sunglass cleaning inside chest pocket. The Howler badge patch at the left chest, orange liner and custom BROS zipper let the cold air know you’re coming. Available in Calvary Green and Miner Black.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Lamson Litespeed  Hard Alox Series IV Fly Fishing Reel







2014 is Litespeed re-loaded.  For years an iconic ultra-large arbor reel, Litespeed has now been refined for even higher retrieve rate, improved ergonomics, easier line management and less mass. Everything that was achieved in Gen 3 LS has been pushed farther. Narrower drag geometry has translated into a flatter spool surface for less knuckle dragging. A more aggressive drag knob has been made . . . well, more aggressive. Structural refinements such as the curved arbor have made a light reel even lighter, and this curved arbor (which we introduced in 1998) stores backing into a “diameter well” and keeps “working line” at a maximum radius to optimize everything we love about large arbor reels.

Most notably, the spool/stripping arm geometry that was introduced on the very earliest Litespeeds has been changed to make it consistent with our newer reels, which do a better job of preventing snags and line damage. Still a close second to a Force SL in trout sizes, the Litespeed is the reliable thoroughbred of the Lamson line.
**Series IV spools are not compatible with previous model Litespeeds.
**Actual color may vary from image above

Format: Large Arbor
Materials: Machined Aluminum,stainless steel
Finish: Hard Alox






















































Saturday, October 26, 2013

Remembering Don Cahoon

All of us here at Country Pleasures wish to extend our thoughts to the family of Don Cahoon, who passed away this past week.

Don was a major instrument in the popularity of fly fishing in Southern Alberta and a mentor to many fly fishers over the years. He was a partner/owner for a number of years.

I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with Don during my teens fishing here, there, and everywhere. Memories of him getting me completely lost on the way to "Frenchman's", lawn chairs and cane rods at Old Farts with he and Jack Lambert, and way too early spring trips to go fish for midging Whitefish on the Missouri.

Donald taught me a whole bunch about fishing, rod building, and life in general.

We'll miss you, you old fart, hope you're fishing dry flies on your very own Frenchman's right now.

Friday, October 25, 2013

In the "It's About Time" Category...


Cpt. Clint Kemp, from Blackfly Lodge, Abaco, Bahamas finally took some time off the poling platform to catch a beautiful Permit. Congrats from all of us here, it was high time you caught one....and a nice one at that!

Monday, October 21, 2013

2014 Saturday Morning Seminars

We are in the process of working on our lineup of free seminars for 2014.
If you have any topics you would like to see covered, or a specific presenter, send us a note at info@countrypleasures.com
We'll do our best to bring you the seminars you have requested.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Sage Method 7126-4 Review

A completely objective review of the new Method 7126-4
Sage METHOD 7126-4 Spey Rod Review

In the fly fishing world, we are constantly being told by media about “the next best thing”, the latest revolutionary clothing, tackle, flies or accessories that are going to make us more comfortable, increase our effectiveness, instantly improve our casting or just make us cool. Many of us in the spey game have become jaded with the media-driven you-gotta-have-this syndrome, greeting each new product announcement with a varied mix of interest and scepticism. In the end, the only way to really determine the value any of these products have for us is to try them yourself. That is not always easy or practical, as we often don’t have access to these new items or if we do, it is at our own personal cost so the process becomes a self-financed gamble.

As a long time spey fisherman, I have arrived at a point where my spey rod/switch rod needs are pretty much covered off by my current arsenal of preferred equipment. Having said that, I am not immune to curiosity and the recent introduction of the Sage METHOD spey and switch lineup did catch my attention. Other than a couple of blog reviews, there doesn’t yet appear to be much feedback available for this rod family. When it comes to evaluating spey rods, or fly rods in general, there is no substitute to actually casting them, and I was fortunate enough to have the recent opportunity to spend a day on the water with two Airflo spey line demo kits and a demo Sage METHOD 7126-4. Currently, the closest equivalent rod to this model that I own is the Sage TCX 7126-4, and that comparison is the one me and most of the spey anglers I know are interested in, so I took both to the river and following is a summary of what I found…

Rod Specifications:

Sage TCX 7126-4
Length: 12’6”
4 piece
Weight: 7 5/8 ounces
Line rating: 7 weight
Action rating: ultra fast
Color: green blank, olive primary thread wraps with red trim wraps
Fuji ceramic stripping guides, oversize chrome snake guides and tip guide
Smoke grey aluminium reel seat, two screw rings – up locking
High grade cork fore grip and butt grip, composite cork butt knob

Sage METHOD 7126-4
Length: 12’6”
4 piece
Line rating: 7 weight
Weight: 6 1/2 ounces
Action rating: ultra fast
Color: “magma” red blank, rust primary thread wraps with pewter trim wraps
Fuji ceramic stripping guides, oversize chrome snake guides and tip guide
Black aluminium reel seat, two crew rings – down locking
High grade cork fore grip and butt grip, composite cork butt knob

Test Tackle:

Airflo Compact Skagit heads
Tip: RIO T-14 tip, 10 feet
Leader: Maxima Ultragreen, 15lb, 3 feet
Fly: 4” intruder style weighted w/ 3/8” dumbbell eyes

Airflo Compact Scandi heads
Leader: RIO salmon/steelhead mono, 12 foot
Flies: #6 low water style, #4 Bullwinkle dry fly

Airflo Compact Rage heads
Leader: RIO salmon/steelhead mono, 12 foot
Flies: #6 low water style, #4 Bullwinkle dry fly

Nautilus CCF #12 reel
Airflo Ridge running line 30lb

Line Matches:

Sage TCX 7126-4 - My personal line match choices over the past couple of years for the Sage TCX 7126-4 have been the following, and I used these benchmarks as the starting point the METHOD 7126-4 trial:
Airflo Compact Skagit head 540 grain
Airflo Compact Scandi head 510 grain
Airflo Compact Rage head 510 grain

Sage METHOD 7126-4 – Skagit Heads
Started with the Airflo Compact Skagit 540 grain head using the sink tip-leader-fly combo above. The 540 grain head loaded the METHOD really well and cast nicely with an even feel and a smooth power transfer over short, medium and long (35’-65’-85’) casts. Using an easy spey stroke with equal top and bottom hand, the rod handled targeted casts naturally without any need to force the rod on the longer casts. This setup loaded well at short range using a lighter touch for close-in work, and as distance was gradually increased there was no need to tighten grip or change any part of the casting stroke other than increasing the D loop slightly and stopping the rod a little higher for more trajectory. Experimenting with grips and casting styles revealed that the METHOD liked a stroke with a more pronounced lower hand pull (although with a light touch) which reveals the “hidden” power this rod possesses, quite unexpected for a rod so light in hand. Then tried the same range of casts with an Airflo Compact Skagit 510 grain head and was amazed how that head lit up the METHOD on the first throw, sailing well beyond the intended mid-range cast and snapping the running line hard to the reel even though I still had enough stripped out on the water for much longer casts to come. The METHOD rod really liked the 510 grain Compact Skagit head, I found again that the same moderate stroke loaded the rod easily allowing very natural-feeling power transition that released smoothly at the rod stop and shot the line effortlessly and on target. I will categorize the 540 grain head as the blue collar “power” line choice featuring a heavier rod load “feel”, this head able to easily handle and manage longer, heavier sink tips (I cast a 13 foot T-14 tip with no problem) and T-14/T-17 MOW tips as bigger payloads for more demanding conditions. The 510 grain head is the white collar “crisp” choice with a lighter feel for more general purpose use with moderate sink tips and lighter MOW tip packages covering most conditions. It will really come down to the applications and feel each angler is most comfortable with suited to water/flow conditions requiring sink tips. I was temped to rig up the Airflo Compact Skagit 570 grain head for a few casts, but the two Skagit head choices tested felt so dialed in that I asked myself “Why would you?” That question may be answered in another test by someone else.

Sage METHOD 7126-4 – Scandi/Rage Heads
I’ll say at the outset, the Scandi/Rage head tests went much like the Skagit head tests did. Started with the Airflo Compact Scandi 540 grain head using the long leader-small wet fly/dry fly setups noted above. As with the Skagit line test, the 540 grain head loaded the METHOD comfortably and produced easy and accurate casts with good rod load feel over short, medium and long casts. There was little noticeable difference between casting either the small wet fly or the more bulky, wind-resistant dry fly, the 540 grain Scandi head presented both with accuracy and as much delicacy as intended based on how much power and trajectory adjustment was applied. The METHOD’s limber power allowed the caster to manage the long floating taper very effectively and the rod further proved it’s versatility when a modest upstream breeze came up and I powered several casts directly into it with the dry fly, still able to kick over the fine-tipped line, leader and fly with authority. The next choice was the Airflo Compact Scandi 510 grain setup with the same leader and flies. As with the lighter Skagit head test, the thirty grain reduction added briskness to the cast and delivery, providing the ability for a moderated presentation that would likely suit smaller fly sizes than the ones I used. The METHOD - Scandi 510 combination allowed a lighter touch during D loop formation, cast and delivery but didn’t give up anything on the power side, especially when combined with a slightly more emphasized lower-hand pull. The angler’s choice will again depend on individual preference. A move up to the 570 grain Scandi head resulted in a combination that was just okay and delivered the flies with power, but it was tougher to create narrow outbound casting loops and the rod felt overloaded and the action boggy. Conversely, dropping down in size to a 490 grain Scandi head may suit casters that prefer a very light load. This line under-loaded the rod for my taste, considerably reducing flexion during D loop and delivery and taking away some of the best attributes of the rod‘s unique action. I have no doubt a skilled spey caster could make this head work on the METHOD if they desired although I believe the 490 grain line weight would limit fly size options and reduce fishing versatility over a range of conditions. As most of you know, the Airflo Compact Rage heads are a hybrid line combining the short head/condensed weight attributes of the Skagit line design with a modified version of the long, gradual taper common to the Scandi style heads. These “in-between” heads are often useful when fishing consistently shorter casts in tight conditions where back cast room is very restricted or for floating line presentations in consistent wind. These hybrid lines accommodate most full floating line tactics, Polyleader/Versileader options and light-medium sink tips. I’ll summarize the Rage tests by saying that my findings and preferences were identical to the Scandi head trial in terms of line weights vs. rod responses. I recommend Rage 540 grain head for average casters/load “feel” enthusiasts and the Rage 510 grain head for more advanced casters/bottom hand “touch” casters. I used a long mono leader for this test, those anglers preferring more line stick for the anchor during the middle part of the cast to assist rod load would be able to achieve that through the use of Airflo Polyleaders or RIO VersiLeaders.

Rod Performance:

For context, let’s take a subjective look at the Sage TCX vs. the Sage METHOD rods

Sage TCX 7126-4: The TCX 7126-4 spey rod comes from a family of TCX rods that are among the fastest designs ever made by Sage. It’s attributes include a strong butt and mid-section, a fast, responsive tip and the capability to create super fast line speeds. As well, it offers a wide grain weight window and is tolerant of being over-lined by those who prefer a heavier casting load feel. The rod’s ability to handle long, heavy tips like 15 ‘ of RIO Type 6 and Type 8 as well as 13+ feet of T-14 along with the capability to deliver all these with tight loops at distance is remarkable. The TCX 7126-4 is a light, fast, responsive rod that rewards good casters with it’s unique action and fishes much bigger than it’s 12’6” length would indicate. The flex pattern under load is pretty much from just ahead of the butt section stripping guide forward to the tip, flexion coming mostly from the top two thirds of the rod’s length. The commanding butt comes into power best with 525 grain or better Skagit lines in combination with longer sink tips in the #8 plus weight range. This big boy butt also provides good lifting power to help control larger anadromous species. It is well finished, light in hand, the handle is a good length and is slimmer and more comfortable than the late 90’s-2000’s Sage “fat boy” cork handles many anglers felt compelled to turn down for improved feel. This Sage rod does sacrifice some feel for power, is definitely not for those that enjoy a fuller flexing action and more relaxed fishing pace and I find it is quite demanding in terms of angler skill to make sure all parts of the cast are near perfect in order to get the most out of the rod’s action.

Sage METHOD 7126-4: I’ll be honest, the METHOD 7126-4 spey rod surprised me. The fact it is rated by the manufacturer as “ultra fast” colored my expectations before I even strung it up. When I finally did line it and waded into the river preparing to cast, I wasn’t prepared for the lightness and limber feel in hand. The first few casts with a Skagit line and sink tip were impressive. As the casts became longer, the smooth load, “natural” feeling transfer of power along the rod and the effortless release of energy into the line and leader to finish the cast really got my attention. The first half hour was spent learning how to reconcile the inherent power of the rod with the lively performance it delivered. The METHOD has a feeling of life that I have seldom experienced in a spey rod. It is progressive without being wimpy, loading equally well on short, medium and long casts. Rod flex under load begins around a foot ahead of the cork handle and it always feels like there is more power to draw from while at the same time an inherent forgiveness. Mending line effectively on the swing or while high stick fishing a short slot is another benefit this rod possesses. When you mend with the METHOD, the line and rod are in it together and it is an organic action that you can execute with both accuracy and feel as if both components are one. Fittings, reel seat, finish and cork handles are all first rate, I am kind of fussy about having slender grips on spey rods and the METHOD’s was comfortable right from the get go. Here’s the thing, I have no idea what “Konnetic energy” is, but this rod is supposed to have it and offer us the benefits of what the new Sage technology brings. I don’t know if it is Konnetic energy or what, but the METHOD rod does two things that no other rod I have cast does: First, it recovers from the delivery at the end of each cast faster than any rod I have cast that wasn’t a pool cue. Delivery – Stop – Fishing. Secondly, I am no scientist but this rod is “directionally stable”. That is the only way I can describe how uncannily straight it casts. The fly goes exactly where you intend it to go. Short, long, in between… I may never know why, but that is how it works and I really appreciate that fact. The only fault I can find with the Sage METHOD 7126-4 is that with the down locking reel seat, the bottom grip seems short and those of us with big hands may feel the lower hand is a little crowded below the reel. On the other hand, I found this setup made me more conscious of using a lighter grip with my lower hand which seemed to actually help my casting, so perhaps something to get used to.

Overall, the Sage METHOD 7126-4 has a lot to offer. It is light, lively, powerful and accurate. I recommend that if you are planning to test any new tackle that you give this spey rod a try, because it has a lot to offer and just might live up to the hype after all.


Scott Runciman – October 14, 2013

Thanks Scott!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Hottest Deal in Town!

While Supplies Last!
All remianing Simms Windstopper Hoodies and Jackets
70% OFF

Friday, October 11, 2013

Thanksgiving Shop Hours

It's hard to believe we're already into the middle of October!

The shop will be open on Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, and then closed
Sunday and Monday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

We'll be open again for regular hours on Tuesday at 10 AM.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the shop!

Friday, October 4, 2013

New Fly Tying Products for Fall & Winter

Whole bunch of new fly tying items has now arrived!
In addition to restocking old standbys, we have received
some cool new stuff.
- Living Eyes from Fish Skull-super realistic
- Fish Masks from Fish Skull - Skull heads with out the weight
- Copic Markers-highest quality markers for all types of flies
-Copic Airbrush Sets-Turn your markers into airbrushes
for baitfish, crabs, etc.
- Pattern sets for airbrushing baitfish patterns, poppers, etc.
- Barred Ostrich Plumes-for your intruders, etc.
-Finn Raccoon Zonkers
-Senyo's Predator Wrap-amazing accent for Intruders and trout flies.
- And a whole bunch of other stuff!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Notes From The Maid

What's the world coming to when you get a letter like this during Steelhead season. Next time try the Fireweed!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Monday, September 30, 2013

That Time Of Year Again


It's snuck up on us again! Starting Tuesday, October 1, we switch over to winter hours.
Monday-Friday: 10AM to 6 PM
Saturday: 9 AM to 5 PM
Sundays and Holidays: Closed


Friday, September 27, 2013

O Tarpon Perdido (The Lost Tarpon)


O Tarpon Perdido (The Lost Tarpon) from BlueTail Films on Vimeo.

This is the trailer of the documentary "The Lost Tarpon", with José Rodrigues, Luís Mira and Leonel Henriques.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Bow River Report-September 24

Bow River Report –September 24, 2013


Maybe the hardest thing to do right now is a fishing report on the Bow. One day the river fishes really quite well, with rising fish, hopper eats, and regular hookups on bead head droppers, the next day it fishes terrible. No rhyme nor reason to it, nothing changes except the fishing success.

When it is happening, the Trico fishing has been pretty decent as well as fish rising to the Pseudos. Hardly any Baetis yet, even on the rainy days. Not sure what’s going on there, likely just late.

Streamer fishing on the cloudy days has been better!

More and more Boatmen around, especially below the Highwood.

Boat launches currently in operation: Glenmore, Fish Creek, Policeman’s, McKinnon’s, Legacy Island

Hatches: Tricos, Hoppers, BWO’s, Water Boatman

Streamers: Clouser-Black, Marabou Clouser, ¼ Lb. Bugger

Nymphs: Tung Dart, TB Soft Hackle Hares Ear, Torin’s Soft hackle, TB Green Rock Worm, Peacock Water Boatman

Dry Flies: Panty Dropper Hopper, CFO Chernobyl, Fat Albert-Tan, CUF Hopper, Snowshoe Caddis, Bloom’s CDC Caddis.

Palometa Club Off Season Newsletter





Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Heavy On The Bonefish...Light On The Wallet


"Your game just got saltier"

The new Sage MOTIVE saltwater rods are ideal for seasoned saltwater fans looking to complement their rod arsenal, and fly fishers new to the salt who want to experience the many hard-fighting species without breaking the bank. Constructed of time-proven materials and embodying Sage’s immense saltwater experience, the MOTIVE features a powerful but smooth fast action that loads quickly to deliver heavy saltwater flies with the accuracy the sport demands. Light and responsive, you feel connected to your line for ultimate control over a full day of enjoyable casting. Yep, it’s safe to say the salt has attracted another convert.

Big Game Saltwater Rods, for $425!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Coming Soon To A Theatre Near You

Litespeed Hard Alox Series IV
2014 is Litespeed re-loaded. For years an iconic ultra-large arbor reel, Litespeed has now been refined for even higher retrieve rate, improved ergonomics, easier line management and less mass. Everything that was achieved in Gen 3 has been pushed farther. Narrower drag geometry has translated into a flatter spool surface for less knuckle dragging. A more aggressive drag knob has been made . . . well, more aggressive. Structural refinements such as the curved arbor have made a light reel even lighter, and this curved arbor (which we introduced in 1998) stores backing into a “diameter well” and keeps “working line” at a maximum radius to optimize everything we love about large arbor reels. The spool/stripping arm geometry has been made consistent with reels we developed since the first Litespeed, which does a better job of preventing snags and line damage. Still a close second to a Force SL in trout sizes, the Litespeed is the reliable thoroughbred of the Lamson line.


Available at Country Pleasures October 2014

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Bow River-Post Flood 2013


The summer has presented us with a never ending supply of angler and non-angler opinions as to fishing quality since June 22 & 22, 2013, when the Bow River and Highwood grew to levels not seen by anyone alive today.

It all started with "experts" indicating the fishery would be decimated, news media showing a single fish left on Memorial Drive but leaving the impression that populations were decimated. A few weeks later some media did interviews with individuals who make their living from the river who basically said things would be "business as usual". And most recently there were television reports with Bow River guides who, on television, said that fish populations were the same as previous years, somewhere around 2500 fish per mile.

Well, as we get to the end of a summer's guiding season it's pretty clear that we are faced with some changes to the river. Obviously, the appearance has changed. Never have we seen the significant changes to the Bow River channel that were left after this past June. Having said that, this flood didn't play by the rules. Normally, a large flood event will tend to widen and shallow a river channel. This one did that in some places but for the most part the increase in depths along banks is amazing. We lost some great old standbys (holes, runs, back channels, etc.) but we gained a bunch of really neat new stuff. Some of the new bar structures between Calgary and Carseland are pretty cool.



When it comes to bugs, they're all still there (don't know about the fall Baetis, we'll see). Without question, pretty much every species is affected this year. Certainly more sporadic, often appearing later, and arguably less in numbers, the bugs are impacted by a flood event of this severity. We are seeing bugs in enough numbers to bring fish up though, particularly in the last few weeks. Trico and Pseudo fishing has been pretty darn good of late. We saw the same type of thing in 2005 but things got back to normal in 2006. The Hopper fishing has been inconsistent, sometime great, other times hateful. But if someone told you that we were going to get almost non-stop rain from Mid-June until Mid-July, approaching record levels would you predict a banner hopper year.





Lots of this size around. Lots of rainbows, some browns.




 
And then there's the fish! The recent "expert" opinion on television, stating we still have 2500 fish/mile is very questionable. Ultimately we will see, there is annual electro shocking under way right now. The data will follow. Hard data aside, it's pretty obvious the population dynamics of fish in the Bow River are changed. We lost some fish. But before everyone freaks out, address all of the factors:

- A ton of people have made mention of the loss of this years Rainbow spawn. Without question it would have been entirely, or near to it, lost. This is not uncommon. High water events (and just as commonly, low water) result in loss of rainbow recruitment. This does not have a huge impact! Only when spawning efforts are lost in consecutive years will we see much effect.

- The adult Rainbows certainly fared better the the Browns in the flood. We are seeing good numbers of different size classes. From what our guides are seeing, we did take a hit on our over 22" Rainbows. But we are still seeing the odd one in the "very big" class. And there seems to be a good supply of 14"-16" specimens. Those will be our trusty 18+ fish next year.

- The Browns, certainly those over 18", took a whalloping! There are less around. The number of decent anglers who have told me they haven't caught a Brown this year is troubling. This is confusing, flood events don't diminish populations like this. But, if you take into consideration the number of 18+ Browns that were affected
by the "Sapro" fungus, combined with a record flood event it might explain things.
(Stressed fish + flood=mortality) Given what we were seeing last season, peaking last fall, and present again this spring in Browns, Rainbows, and Whitefish, maybe this was the best thing that could happen.


And before we get on the doom and gloom bandwagon, there are still a bunch of truly big Brown Trout out there!
We have been spoiled on this river, especially in the last decade, by the number of big Browns as well as the relative ease in which we could do it. If we (anglers, public, government) are careful, our Brown Trout will come back just fine!As an example, last fall when Sapro was getting out of hand, we contacted SRD about enacting emergency closure regulations on the river in and near the city. This would have negated the handling of these fish, which is recognized as being a major factor in the spread of Sapro. Were told that, in the opinion of the other flyshops, and SRD, there wasn't a problem. Well, in retrospect, that green, fuzzy stuff killed more fish than any flood!
Maybe it's time we put the long term health of a fishery over pissing people off, selling flies, etc.

Anyways, to wrap things up, the status of the Bow River.....things are going to be just fine. To put it in context, I know a bunch of people who spend a lot of money to go to Patagonia (both Argentina and Chile) for a week and see a whole bunch of 16-18" Rainbows, a decent number of 14-18" Browns, and maybe catch a two foot
Brown Trout (without lying) during that week. Sounds a lot like what we have today, on the Bow River!


Friday, September 6, 2013

Fishing Reports-September 6

Bow River Report –September 6, 2013
For the most part the river has been fishing pretty good over the last week. Hopper fishing has been very good at times, at worst fair. Droppers of smaller bead head nymphs under the hopper have been working well.

More and more rising fish on Tricos and Pseudo over the last few days. On certain days a person can spend most of the day playing with rising fish.

A lot more Boatmen showing up along the banks!

Boat launches currently in operation: Glenmore, Fish Creek, Policeman’s, McKinnon’s, Legacy Island

Hatches: Tricos, Hoppers, BWO’s, Water Boatman

Streamers: Clouser-Black, Marabou Clouser, ¼ Lb. Bugger

Nymphs: Tung Dart, TB Soft Hackle Hares Ear, Torin’s Soft hackle, TB Green Rock Worm, Peacock Water Boatman

Dry Flies: Panty Dropper Hopper, CFO Chernobyl, Fat Albert-Tan, CUF Hopper, Snowshoe Caddis, Bloom’s CDC Caddis.

Crowsnest River Report – September 6, 2013
For those who like to sight fish, fish little bugs, and play with picky fish, the Crow is in prime shape. Little bead head nymphs and small Blue Wing Olive dries for the fish you can sight.

If that’s not your bag, a Hopper, beetle, or Ant will work as well.

Hatches: Hoppers, Beetles, Ants

Streamers: Bead Crystal Bugger, Jawbreaker

Nymphs: Tung Stud, TB Pheasant Tail, TB Green Rock Worm

Dries: Slice Above Hopper, CUF Hopper, CFO Ant, Low Rider

High Country River Report – September 6, 2013
Starting from the North, the Sheep has been fishing pretty well, best below Turner Valley. The Highwood has been a little inconsistent. At times it has fished great, but some reports have been a little mediocre.

Dutch, Racehorse, Livingstone, Oldman have all been pretty good and getting better all of the time.

Castle continues to fish pretty well.

Hatches: Green Drakes, Hoppers, BWO’s

Streamers: Gartside Leech, Sleech, Clouser
Nymphs: Torin’s Soft Hackle, Prince Nymph, TB Green Rock Worm
Dries: CFO Ant, Morrish Hopper, CFO Chernobyl, Emerging Green Drake.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Figuring Out Todays Spey Lines

Two recent videos from Rio explaining the
new Spey Lines and Running Lines.
As usual, Mr. Gawesworth explains things so us dummies can figure it out.



Friday, August 30, 2013

Try out the Method!



SERIOUSLY SMOOTH, ULTRA-FAST ACTION PERFORMANCE

You didn’t become an expert caster just to say you did. And you didn’t do it overnight, either. You practiced, fished hard, and got better because you wanted to catch more fish, more often. You paid your dues, and you met the fish on their own terms, which meant getting the fly out to places they felt the safest: out of the range of merely average casts. Fast action rods have always been a part of your success, and the new METHOD gives you more of what you love most. Like our fastest line speeds to punch through the wind and to carry the biggest, bulkiest, heaviest flies in your box out to where they can strut their stuff.

METHOD Rods Now In Store

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Intersting Thoughts On Rod Warranties

By David Leinweber, owner of Angler’s Covey, Colorado Springs, Colorado
When will the fly fishing industry mature and stop this absurd practice of giving away free rods for the lifetime of the consumer? Even if a model is discontinued, many consumers are offered replacements with new models for free. I believe this practice is heavily damaging the profitability of our industry, and I think it is time to consider real change.

As so many discussions within this industry go, rod warranties have always seemed to be a “hot” topic. I know few (retailers) who love them, and most hate them. Yet the industry seems to be stuck in place with little to no interest in addressing or resolving this issue. As a specialty retailer myself, I believe warranties are the number-one cause of premium rod sales decline.

Fly-fishing retailers are tired of this mess created by rod manufacturers. It is past time for manufacturers to address this issue, change their practices and develop warranties like those in other outdoor industries. This is an ongoing discussion between retailers throughout the world. We need manufacturers to step out, take a risk, and change this destructive business practice.

Warranty rod repairs are adding more and more rods to the secondhand market, most of which will be honored with the original manufacturer warranty. The website eBay is full of rods that carry lifetime repairs free to second, third, fourth, etc., users. Generational, unlimited rod repair, for free (or at minimal cost) is a senseless approach to business. As retailers, we will benefit when it becomes widely known among our customers that used rods—including eBay purchases—do not carry a warranty. If the angler breaks it, the rod should either go in the trash, or it is going to be costly to get it repaired. At that point, a new rod purchase will begin to look pretty appealing again. At one time, many of us believed that warranties helped garner high-end rod sales. But this argument has changed.

“Lifetime Warranty/Guarantee” has also hurt the fly rod industry by decimating individual rod building and all but eliminating blank and component sales. For a consumer, there is too much to lose in comparison to a lifetime of unlimited rod repairs. Unfortunately, the major rod builders won’t reverse their policies. The end result is a mess that lingers.

There’s no simple route to a solution, but one avenue strongly supported by retailers would be to charge two different prices—one for the rod itself, the second for the guarantee. This is the same model through which we can insure our cars, appliances, and many other major purchases. The rod sale would be at a margin and the “insurance” sale could be paid directly to the rod manufacturer. Most manufacturers could take advantage of the Internet and develop an online registration process where the consumer could purchase a one-, five-, or 10-year warranty directly from the manufacturer. This would have a direct effect on pricing, reducing domestic rod costs, making it easier to compete with imported rods.

Other than fly rods, there are few things we can buy that carry lifetime warranties against anything beyond basic defects. This business practice has driven the price up on premium domestic rods resulting in our customers purchasing less expensive imports, big box alternatives, or even quitting the sport altogether. The lifetime warranty subtly encourages rod owners to stick with what they have. It rewards second-hand buyers and takes away from new rod purchases. For our industry to thrive, we must restore incentives and foster policies that encourage new retail purchases.

Over the past decade, fly shops across the country have seen premium rod purchases decline. There are several factors pointing to the decline of premium rod sales compared to the “pre-warranty” era. It may be competition, the economy, it may be the advent of the Web, it may be the increasing cost of repairs; it may be a lot of things. My opinion is that there is little incentive for someone with a “lifetime warranty” to buy a new rod. For the record, 25 years is more than double any standard warranty that I am aware of. Why would anyone with this kind of warranty go out and buy a new rod? Our customers aren’t dumb. There have, arguably, been no truly great leaps in contemporary fly rod performance in a decade. Would you buy a new car if the old one was performing adequately and was guaranteed for life? Maybe. More likely, you’d hold onto it a lot longer. Stick the tip in a fan and bust it all to hell, and wait for UPS to ship a new one. Why spend more money?

As specialty retailers, we should let the major rod makers know how we feel. More than that, we should ask for a reversal of the lifetime warranty practice. Several of us are looking for manufacturers who will take the lead. We realize the risk and we will, in turn, support those manufacturers who have listened to us, and we will get behind those brands.

We believe selling the warranty independently from the sale would have a positive effect on our industry. It would reduce the price of the initial sale and afford the customer the option of purchasing the insurance independently, even giving the consumer more options. The extended warranty would have an expiration date; just the way it is with so many other retail products. As it stands now, there is no realistic reason for someone to replace their old rod with a current model. Beyond the hype, the differences between rods are minimal in the hands of all but the expert. It’s the Indian, not the arrow, that most often makes the difference, and most anglers know that.

Many of us were hoping that AFFTA would have placed this as a discussion item at IFTD, and that didn’t happen. We cannot wait another year to push this idea forward and change the retail suicide strategy our industry has adopted.

As a specialty fly shop retailer, I want to make the following recommendation to rod manufacturers:

1. Discontinue the lifetime warranty on fly rods and approach the warranty issue the same way every other industry handles it.

2. If consumers want a warranty beyond guaranteeing against defects, sell it separately, and for a limited, specified time. Just like washing machines, computers, and every other warrantied product.

3. Figure out how much the current system is costing you and reduce the price of the rod models by that amount.

4. Sell the optional warranty for the difference, through dealers, for a modest commission (since we have no investment in inventory).

5. Make the warranty available only at the time of purchase and only to the original buyer.

6. Develop a policy, work out the procedures, communicate with your dealers, and make the change in the next buying season.

It is time to make big changes and support the health of our industry. If you agree please post your support here. If you have a better or different idea, or would like to modify the above recommendation, let’s hear it.

This letter is based on comments from retailers from throughout the world. Over the past decade, more than half of all specialty fly shops have gone out of business. You could point to a number of factors such as the Internet, distribution issues, or just bad business practices, but the practice of providing lifetime rod warranties must be included as the chief bad business decision our industry has made. It has hurt our ability to thrive for too long and it is time for change.

Rod Manufacturers, please step up, take the risk, we will take notice, and we will support you. Angler’s Covey will give preference to any rod manufacturer that will take on this issue

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

New from Hatch!


Brand new from Hatch Reels....

Endless Season L/S T-shirts

Available at Country Pleasures

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

New Stuff In Stock!




Skagit Max
New for 2014. The easiest casting, most powerful Skagit head ever made.
The Skagit Max is an exceptionally easy casting Skagit style shooting head that will cast big flies, and the heaviest sinking tips with the utmost of ease. A unique taper design not only casts all the nasty stuff associated with Skagit fishing, but also forms beautiful loops and is extremely pleasant to cast. The head is built on RIO’s ultra-low stretch ConnectCore for the utmost in casting control and sensitivity, and has a highly visible orange section loop for easy recognition. It is available in a multitude of lengths and weights to cover all rod and angling situations.

Ultra-low stretch core for the best in casting and fishing sensitivity

Easy loading design

Printed ID system on the rear of the head for quick recognition

High viz rear loop.
 

Skagit Max VersiTip
New for 2014. A complete, ready-to-go package for the Skagit angler.

The RIO Skagit Max VersiTip is a ready-to-go Skagit style shooting head system that includes a Skagit Max shooting head with a balanced set of three MOW tips and an appropriately sized ConnectCore shooting line.

Ultra-low stretch core for the best in casting and fishing sensitivity

Easy loading design

High viz rear loop

Complete with shooting line and a selection of tips.

ConnectCore Shooting Line
New for 2014. An incredibly sensitive shooting line with fantastic no-tangle performance - the best shooting line ever made

RIO’s new ConnectCore, shooting line is the very best coated shooting line on the market with tremendous assets for the Spey fly fisher. Built on RIO’s ConnectCore the shooting line has virtually no stretch, allowing anglers to stay perfectly in touch with their fly throughout the swing and feel every slight touch. A thicker diameter handling section prolongs the life of the line and ensures it is very easy to grip the line in cold conditions, while the highly visible front section makes it very easy to see when to stop stripping and make the cast. The unique core also ensures the most perfect coils of line when stripping in – resulting in far few tangles and snarls. A neat 8” welded loop at the front end allows for fast and efficient head changes, while the super slick XS Technology coating floats high and shoots far.

Ultra-low stretch ConnectCore allows anglers to feel every single touch

Thick, highly visible handling section for durability and visibility

Unbelievable no-tangle casting performance



Redfish Photos


Our buddy Darren took some time off from counting beans to do a little Texas Redfishing!

Monday, August 26, 2013

Special Edition Loggerheads



Arriving This Week!
Special Edition Jolly Roger Loggerheads
Same great quality, same great price!

Get yours while they last.