Field and Stream - Fishing RSS

The Five Best 5-Weight Large-Arbor Fly Reels from 2010 That Cost Between $250 and $550

JayCassell — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:11:15 -0500

If you think a fly reel is only for storing line, you can find many options. But for my money, smooth rules. The best reels have drag systems that absorb the initial acceleration of a fish after it grabs the fly. That’s especially important in trout fishing, where an ultrathin tippet connects you to your quarry. Our tests of 15 5-weights showed the best performers to be in the $250 to $550 range. They have the latest disc-drag technologies, are corrosion resistant, and won’t gag in extreme heat or cold. -- Kirk Deeter

Gear Review: Ross Vexsis fly reel

JayCassell — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:56:03 -0500

The Lowdown With heat-diffusing ceramic, carbon, and Rulon materials in the drag system, the Vexsis sung at takeoff. Of all the reels tested with the motorcycle, it exhibited the smoothest line acceleration. Its magnetic-based system binds the spool to the frame.

Hits You hear every pull made on the line through the rod.

Misses The only concern would regard how the drag’s dual-radial pawl system will hold up over time.

Who Should Buy An angler who needs a sensitive, light-frame reel that’s easy to adjust.

Gear Review: Hatch Outdoors 3-Plus Monsoon fly reel

JayCassell — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:54:16 -0500

The Lowdown Many guides use this reel because it’s bombproof. Machined from high-grade aluminum, it has ultratight tolerances (no wobble on the spool-to-frame connection) and a stacked-disc drag made with self-lubricating Rulon and stainless steel. When you crank it down, it’s strong, yet gentle.

Hits If you like to tinker with gear, find something else. If you just want to fish and set the drag on cruise control, few reels can match a Hatch.

Misses Advertised as a 3- to 5-weight reel, at 5 ounces it’s heavy for a 3.

Gear Review: Sage 3850CF fly reel

JayCassell — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:48:17 -0500

The Lowdown Sage’s 3850CF takes advantage of a carbon fiber (CF) spool to make a light reel that suits most trout fishing setups. We thought we might smoke its drag with the bike, but the floating tripod design that houses the graphite drag proved resilient and smooth.

Hits This light reel balances any rod nicely.

Misses I wouldn’t want the carbon spool to experience any blunt-force impacts.

Gear Review: Nautilus NV 5/6 fly reel

JayCassell — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:44:10 -0500

The Lowdown Nautilus is known for reels with sophisticated drag systems. By using smaller components, Nautilus increases the drag surface—improving sensitivity and power—without adding weight. The NV 5/6 is like a Ferrari, engineered for performance.

Hits The NV 5/6 is as impressive on the retrieve as it is at resisting the pull: fluid, silent, fast on the windup.

Misses You pay for this type of excellence.

Who Should Buy The technology-driven angler who wants optimum performance and can afford it.

Gear Review: Galvan Spoke fly reel

JayCassell — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:41:33 -0500

The Lowdown The Spoke is a light, no-frills aluminum model that possesses a butter-smooth drag system. The spool is easy to pop, and the drag settings adjust without fuss.

Hits Ported vents on the frame and spool make the Spoke feel featherlight on the rod.

Misses The max drag setting is softer than that of the other reels, and we had to crank it down to reach stopping power.

Who Should Buy The angler who wants solid handling, a lifetime warranty, and slick aesthetics to accentuate any rod he carries

FIeld & Stream Picks the Best New Fishing Gear of 2010

Online Editors — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:21:53 -0500

A trolling motor system that practically runs the boat. A fly box that's better than its advertising. A soft topwater lure that's truly weedless. Improvements large and small highlighted the year's fishing tackle introductions, and test crews headed by John Merwin, Ted Leeson, and Joe Cermele fished with scores of products to ferret out the finest. What stood out are these 14 items -- truly this year's Best of the Best.

Best New Lure of 2010: Yum Money Hound

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:48:41 -0500

Spook-style hard baits are incredibly versatile surface lures, but they’re not easy to fish in heavy cover with all those exposed treble hooks. Enter Yum’s Money Hound: a soft-plastic spin on the Spook that can be rigged totally weedless. The material is tougher than your average soft bait, thanks to a secondary paint job and clear-coat dip, and designed to float high and withstand multiple strikes. In two sizes and six colors, the Money Hound lets you walk the dog in the nastiest bass cover you can find.

Best Fishing Multitool of 2010: Leatherman Freestyle CX multitool

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:44:11 -0500

What makes Leatherman’s Freestyle CX stand out is not what’s been added to this multitool but what’s been taken away. Featuring only pliers with wire-cutters and a locking 154CM stainless-steel straight blade, the Freestyle isn’t going to weigh your trout-vest pocket down with tools you’ll rarely use on the water. Easy to open with one hand and light enough (41⁄2 ounces) to wear on a lanyard, the Freestyle is a rugged little workhorse that puts bare-essential fishing tools in one neat package.

Best New Baitcasting Reel of 2010: U.S. Reel Supercaster 1000 Pro

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:39:02 -0500

This is no conventional levelwind reel. Instead of going through a moving eyelet, incoming line travels over a crossbar that rocks back and forth as you crank to evenly distribute the line across the spool. No eyelet means there is less friction on outgoing line, resulting in longer casts.

Best New Baitcasting Rod of 2010: G. Loomis Deep-Flex Crankbait Rods

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:30:41 -0500

Lighter is better when it comes to baitcasting rods, so long as that comes with no sacrifice in strength. Sensitivity is enhanced, which usually puts more fish in the boat. This principle may have found its ultimate expression in the new Deep-Flex baitcasting rods.

Best New Wading Product of 2010: Simms Streamtread Wading Boot Soles

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:17:24 -0500

Aiming to reduce the transmission of waterborne invasive species, Simms teamed up with Vibram to produce the sticky-rubber StreamTread sole now used on all its wading boots. Like the five other sticky-rubber soles tested, these didn’t give the grip of felt on exceptionally greasy boulders or slick ledge rock, but they held their own on less demanding streambeds and gave significantly better traction on bare rock. The StreamTread sole, however, earned top marks when fitted with the optional HardBite Star Cleat Studs ($40), shown at left.

Best New Fishing Jacket of 2010: Cloudveil Hellroaring Jacket

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:09:05 -0500

Here’s a novel idea—insulated outerwear designed by people who actually fish. The stretchy softshell fabric and articulated fit, especially at the elbows, promote mobility for casting or rowing. Oversize, vertical-access chest, hand-warmer, and cargo pockets hold plenty of gear but leave a trim, uncluttered front. The back and cuff tops are extra-long to shield you from the weather, and elasticized internal cuffs and drawstrings at neck and hem seal out the chill

Best New Fishing Pants of 2010: Rail Riders Extreme Adventure Pant

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:03:35 -0500

When it comes to durable fishing pants, Railriders are the real deal. This light, packable, 3-ounce nylon shell is reinforced with Cordura facing on the knees, seat, and ankles. Quick-drying fabric and Velcro cuff closures that cinch down over boot tops make the pants ideal for wet wading. An elastic waistband and gusseted crotch enhance mobility. Details include zippered pockets, reinforced pocket openings, and UPF 30+ sun protection.

Most Important Fishing Product of 2010: Minn Kota I-Pilot

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:28:47 -0500

This is the most important product we’ve seen for 2010. Minn Kota has figured out how to add a GPS unit to some of its bow-mount trolling motors so that boat positioning can be done automatically.

The i-Pilot comes in two parts: an upper motor head that contains the GPS unit—which can be retrofitted to four Minn Kota models—and a handheld remote that controls GPS and motor functions.

Best New Fly Rod of 2010: Orvis Hydros Fly Rods

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:21:48 -0500

Orvis pirated the technology from its top-of-the-line Helios rods to produce the new Hydros series. The Hydros is a sensitive, responsive rod that puts a fly where you want it and is a pleasure to use all day. We cast it head-to-head with its Helios counterpart, and the testers agreed that performance characteristics were very similar. The difference lies in the more modest, but still fully acceptable, hardware that makes this rod about $250 cheaper than its predecessor. Twenty-one models are available, from 3- to 12-weight, in both Mid Flex and Tip Flex actions.

Best New Flybox of 2010: Umpqua Feather Merchants Professional Guide Flybox

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:13:00 -0500

The terms professional and guide get thrown around a lot when it comes to tackle, but the UPG Flybox lived up to its name. The double-sided box showed an impressive impact resistance; a 21⁄2-pound weight, dropped from a height of 6 feet, just bounced off. Though labeled water resistant, it has a full gasket that delivered a good deal more. We submerged a box for 30 minutes without a hint of seepage.

Best New Boat Bag of 2010: Fishpond Storm Mountain Gear Bag

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:01:41 -0500

A good boat bag protects gear in two ways: It keeps the dry stuff dry and the breakable stuff in one piece. The Storm Mountain Gear Bag does both. A hard, bathtub-style bottom keeps the body of the bag above the bilge and slosh. The nylon exterior sheds drizzle, and when the sky opens up, a waterproof cover, stored in a zippered pocket, can be pulled over the bag and snugged around the base for protection. Semirigid foam sides and padded interior dividers cushion contents against kicks and knocks.

Best New Fly Reel of 2010: Waterworks-Lamson Guru Reel

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:54:40 -0500

Intelligent and performance-minded design, precise operation, and value earned the Guru a unanimous thumbs-up. Machined from bar-stock aluminum, the reel employs an innovative spoke pattern on the spool and backplate that shaves weight without compromising strength. The midsize model tested, for No. 5 and 6 lines, tips in at just 4.9 ounces. A practical coordination of spool width, depth, and diameter—along with the lightweight chassis—maximizes the large-arbor advantages of quick line pickup and drag-pressure consistency.

Best New Spinning Rod of 2010: TFO/Gary Loomis Spinning Rods

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:22:51 -0500

Temple Fork Outfitters and rod designer Gary Loomis have teamed up to make this line of 11 one-piece spinning models for freshwater and 14 for inshore salt. They range from a 6-foot ultralight to a 7-foot 6-inch model taking lures up to 11⁄2 ounce. Our samples were nicely finished with cork split grips, single-foot guides, and smooth, fast actions.

Best New Spinning Reel of 2010: Shimano Stradic C14

JayCassell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:14:54 -0500

These might be the leanest and meanest spinning reels ever. Shimano took composites used by its bicycle division and adapted them into a reel body that is light in weight without sacrificing performance.

Lightness is better when it comes to sensitivity. The 2500-size CI4, for instance, weighs a paltry 7 ounces, 40 percent lighter than common aluminum-bodied reels of similar size. In fishing, the difference is very apparent. You’ll have a substantially better feel for any lure or bait.

Brunton RL6

Online Editors — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:46:47 -0500

brunton.com

***1/2

The Lowdown The RL6, which also comes in camo, includes five outer white LEDs with one red in the center. Dual battery packs are mounted on the strap, and the lamp's head can swivel. The burn time is 150 hours in the power-save mode.

Energizer Ultimate Lithium Headlight

Online Editors — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:38:29 -0500

energizerlightingproducts.com

****

The Lowdown Energizer's most powerful lamp comes with a boost feature for a stronger beam. It includes interchangeable battery packs that you can swap out as needed. Battery life, at 11 hours on high with lithium AAs, was shorter than those of the others tested. It was the only one in the group to have a focus adjustment (useful for hiking).

Princeton Tec Remix

Online Editors — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:32:57 -0500

princetontec.com

****

The Lowdown At low power, the Remix's three 5mm LEDs, available in red, green, or white, are said to run for 200 hours. A larger, long-range LED serves as the main beam. On high, it has a stated run time of 28 hours. This and the Petzl were the most compact, featuring adjustable heads and similar strap design.

Petzl Tikka Plus2

Online Editors — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:18:27 -0500

petzl.com

****1/2

The Lowdown Petzl upgraded its Tikka line with a single, high-output LED with increased brightness and burn time (140 hours on low), and a larger, no-hassle power switch. Its operation is intuitive, and the independent red light has a strobe function. This lamp also has a low-battery indicator.