The Ginger Quill dry fly has been around for years and has been attributed to Alfred Ronalds of England in 1836. Traditionally a fly for warmer months and typically tied in sizes 12 -16. This recipe is from the book Flies for Trout by Stewart and Allen.
Finding affordable gear can be challenging for those getting started in big-game saltwater fly fishing.
What are you to do if you want to pursue big game, but your budget isn’t as big as the species you’d like to tame? Call it quits? Not yet, thanks to brands like Redington, which are dedicated to bringing quality, affordable gear to the masses. This is where the Grande comes into play: A reel Redington designed with massive drag in mind at the most affordable price possible. What does Redington get right, and what doesn’t work? Read on to get our honest, unbiased take on what Redington claims is “the heavyweight champion of big game fly reels.”
This fly put together by Ernie Borcher of Michigan in the 1940’s or very early 1950’s is called Boucher’s Special. I’ve also seen it referred to Borcher’s Drake. It can imitate a number of the darker mayflies. The body was originally tied with Condor Quill but today Turkey is used. Tied in sizes 14-18 for the early season mayflies like the Hendrickson and sizes 10-12 for the big later season mayflies.
This fly originated in the early 1950s by Bud Wilcox who was a Maine Game Warden and guide in the Rangeley lakes area. Originally the wing was tied with black saddle hackle feathers, but this variation uses black marabou. This is a very popular fly for landlocked Salmon in the early spring when the smelt are starting to run and is usually tied in sizes 2-8.
The Evolution R Salt performed well in our 2018 8-Weight Reel Shootout, but this is a shootout to weed out the pretenders from the contenders and find the baddest reels on the planet built to subdue the gnarliest gamefish like tarpon and GT. Has Ross delivered a true powerhouse in a lightweight package? Read on because you will not want to miss this review- the final result is surprising!
The Silver King is Nautilus’ big game version of the CCF-X2, which won our 2018 8wt Shootout, and it’s a reel we still think highly of. At this point, it’s a bonafide classic among saltwater anglers who love its ergonomics, drag adjustability and stopping power. The CCFX-X2 has proven to make quick work of light tackle gamefish like snook, redfish, and bonefish. However, with a name like Silver King, this rendition is designed for an entirely different leviathan. How does it stack up against the competition? Read on to find out!
An easy to tie hopper pattern designed by Charlie Craven and named after his son. Charlie came up with this fly about 20 years ago and it is one of my favorite hopper patterns. Floats extremely well and a great fly to run a dropper fly. With all the colors of foam available you can let your imagination run wild. Today I have chosen black to imitate the many crickets seen in the summer.
If you enjoy tying and fishing old-school patterns, you’re in for a treat. And by “old school,” we actually mean it – The Montreal Wet Fly’s history dates back to the 19th century. Scotsman Peter Cowen initially tied the pattern shortly after immigrating to eastern Canada in the 1830s, and by mid-century, was one of the hottest commercially tied flies. This recipe is from Ray Bergman’s classic Trout, first published in 1938. These work well in sizes ranging from #6 to #12, so be sure to have a variety tied up.
The Wing is Greys’ premium, fast-action offering designed to offer anglers the performance of a high-end model at a fraction of the cost. The Wing’s predecessor, the GR80, received praise from nearly everyone who cast it, which, unfortunately, wasn’t many. Will the Wing take off and help re-establish the Greys’ name to American anglers? Read on to get our take!
The Lance is Greys’ price point model, coming in at a cool $219.99. If you are skeptical about how much performance a rod can provide at this value, remember the GR60 was priced similarly, and we were routinely blown away by its performance. To find out how the Lance stacks up against other rods in the bargain-bin category, you will want to read on.
