My Favorite Fly Reels from IFTD and ICAST 2015

Evenin' Folks,
  This is my second time writing this post, after I accidentally deleted it the first time!  It's taken me a little while to get back to it, and I apologize for that, but here are some of the reels that stood out to me at the 2015 IFTD show this year.  It's fun to look at reels in catalogs or on websites, but you just can't beat getting them in hand, spinning the spool a few times and listen to the beautiful clicking they make.  There are a couple of companies that I enjoyed seeing their reels, but I either wasn't able to get pictures or just plain forgot.  If you have a moment check out Tibor Reels and Douglas Outdoors for more reels that I would love the chance to use! 
  I've got one more post I'll be doing on my favorites from IFTD 2015, that'll be the rods post so make sure you check back soon to see it and check out the other posts from the Favorites series to see more products from IFTD and ICAST 2015.
  I hope you're all doing well.
    Tight Lines!
       -Nick

Taylor Reels

The Taylor Reels Type 1 is definitely an attention grabber in the green anodized finish.  Available in 3 through 6 weights, it has a carbon drag system and a large arbor design for quick retrieval.

The new 4-12 weight Revolution from Taylor Reels features a water tight sealed drag, ultra large arbor and four beautiful anodized colors.  I especially appreciate the large, easy to grip drag knob and affordable price for a big game reel.

On the right you can see the Array, a 3-8 weight reel available in black, gray and matte silver that would be great for chasing skittish brookies. 

Hatch Outdoors

The Finatic series from Hatch runs from the 0-2 weight 1 Plus (shown here) through the 12-16 weight 12 Plus.  The reels are available in multiple color anodizing options.The 1 Plus weighs in at only 2.8 ounces and features a mid-arbor design for quick line retrieval.

 

The 2 Plus shares features with the 1 Plus, but features a large-arbor that will handle 2-4 weight lines.  And, like all Hatch reels, made in the U.S.A.

Galvan Fly Reels

I was so glad I got to see the Galvan family at IFTD again this year.  They had the full line of the made in U.S.A. Galvan Fly Reels on display, including the new Grip series of big game reels

 

The soon to be released Grip reels will be available in 8-, 10- and 12-weight.  These beautiful reels are just screaming to be taken on a bonefish hunt in the Bahamas!

Aspen Reels

Aspen Reels say that theirs are premium reels at reasonable prices.  Made in a state of the art contract machine shop in California that decided to try making fly reels.  Looks like they succeeded!  The tactical look of the matte finish would be great when a shiny reel could spook wary fish.

Aspen has reels in several models ranging from 3 through 12 weights and three different finishes.  No tool spool removal, large drag knob and hollow main shaft (for heat dissipation) are just some of the well considered features that go into this great looking reel.

Cheeky Fishing

The hybrid die-cast and machined Tyro series reels are available from 2-8 weights.  With the carbon drag system, quick change spool, silent retrieve and low price make these a fantastic entry level reel choice.

Hardy Fly Fishing

I was invited by the folks at Hardy to visit their booth and try casting one of their rods and reels on the casting pond.  It was my first time using the equipment of one of the legends of fly fishing and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

 

The 2 3/4" Duchess was the first new "classic reel" from Hardy in over a decade.  An elegant looking, English made reel featuring a "Split Cage" frame design, twin line guides, hollow stainless steel spindle and a wooden handle.

What fly fisher wouldn't love to have a table that looked like this somewhere in their house?

 

The Hardy Lightweight Series of reels feature the 2-3 weight Flyweight, the 4-5 weight Featherweight, the 5-6 weight Lightweight and the 6-7 weight Princess.

The Ultralite DD is the reel that I got to cast at the show.  Available in 3-12 weights the Ultralite DD series feature 360 degree color coded drag, captive spool release and an ultra large arbor.

  

Another shot of the "Heritage Series" Duchess reel.  Classic good looks.

First Cast #001 Galvan Brookie

My Favorite Accessories from IFTD and ICAST 2015

Mornin' Folks,

  Here's the third installment of my favorite products from IFTD and ICAST this year.  This post contains, what I consider, some of the best new accessory products and companies in fly fishing for the coming season.  Keep in mind that these are in no particular order whatsoever and I've included links to each company's website. 

  Tight lines,

       Nick

WetFly

WetFly are purveyors of rods, reels, lines, tenkara and fishing accessories.

This is WetFly's Voyager insulated bottle.  On the first day of the show the guys loaded this bottle up with ice.  On Friday, there was still ice in the bottle!  My current water bottle doesn't do that, and it would sure be nice to have cold water while spending the day fishing.

Release Ruler

The folks at Release Ruler have taken decades worth of fish size data, threw some math at it and came up with a ruler that, based on that statistical analysis, will give an approximate weight of your catch based on it's length.  The rulers are species specific, but they have them available for seemingly everything from largemouth bass up to mako shark!

The Release Ruler also won Best FishSmart Product in the ICAST New Product Showcase, which proves that I'm not the only one that thinks this is a great idea!

Hatch Outdoors

The Hatch Outdoors folks had a few cool tools on display, including their IFTD Best of Show Accessory, The Hatch Nipper.  The size and heft of these nippers really felt good and secure in the hand.  The Fish Tail bottle opener looks like a waterside necessity, too!

 

 Here's a beautifully machined knot tightener.  Used to tighten the knots on heavy

saltwater line, it's a tool I didn't even know existed!

Weego

 I'm a big fan of the "get your ass home" products.  After a day of bluelining a dead battery in the truck is one of my worst fears.

The folks in the Weego booth told me that the larger battery could jump start my truck 6-8 times on a single charge, charge my cell phone or laptop and do all that after sitting in the glove box for a year! 

Rising

 Determined to make your fly fishing life easier, with a strong made in America showing, Rising has everything from the aluminum Lunker and Brookie nets to multiple pliers and nippers to the Flask and Shot minimalist packs.  Since fly fishing tends to be more of a lifestyle than a hobby, they even make a grilling multi-tool called the PopsQTool!

 

Cigars in a Pouch

I would consider a good cigar a fly fishing accessory, especially one packed in a pouch that maintains freshness for up to three years! 

Brook Fishing Equipment

 I got to hang out for a little while with a couple of really nice guys from Brook Fishing Equipment.

 American made, silicon insert fly boxes. They even float!

Brook Fishing Equipment already has a pretty good range of sizes and styles for their fly boxes.  The Outta The Box patch would be great for the tying bench or drift boat, too!

Western Rise

 I've already mentioned Western Rise in the My Favorite Softgoods post, but they really have some great accessories as well.  Like this hatchet that's a collaboration with Victor Axe and Tool.

 If a full axe is more your thing, they've got you covered there, too!

 Enameled cups, water bottles, koozies and an ever expanding line.  Western Rise has your fishing camp needs pretty well covered.

TyWheel

Here's a cool item that was introduced at IFTD, the TyWheel is a magnetic, modular fly tying station that attaches to your fly vise. 

 The pieces hold on securely with magnets (with the side benefit of keeping your hooks in check) and can easily be swapped based on the configuration needed for the fly you're tying.

RIO Products

RIO had their new Cranky Kit on display.  Basically it's an empty line spool with a removable crank handle so you can strip line off your reel and back onto a spool for storage or to swap line on the same reel.  This would definitely be easier than trying to do it by hand!

 

RIO also introduced the new LightLine series of fly lines.  Designed to get the best performance out of fiberglass, bamboo and vintage action fly rods.  Available in Weight Forward and Double Taper from 2-6 weight.

 Tacky Fly Fishing

This was a long awaited item for me, the Tacky Big Bug Box!  I like to think I had a hand in this one when I asked the guys to make a box tall enough to house my bluegill poppers.  They delivered here, room for 72 large flies with a taller profile than the original box and a sculpted silicon mat to ease fly insertion.  Look for a review on TheSuburbanAngler.com soon and, in the mean time, check out my review of the original Tacky Fly Box.

 

Huge congrats to the Tackiest guys in fly fishing for their Best of Show Fly Box/Storage System win at IFTD 2015!

 

PostFly

I don't know about you, but I love getting fly fishing gear in the mail.  A subscription to PostFly Monthly Fly Box will ensure that you get a selection of quality, trout, bass or saltwater flies delivered to your door every month.  If that's not enough for you, you can add leader, tippet, fly line, fly dressing, t-shirts, a Tacky Fly Box, or even a Taylor reel!  And, the longer the period you sign up for, the bigger the discount you'll get!  I need to see if I can talk them into a Bluegill box...

 

Orion Coolers

Orion Coolers are probably the most thoughtful coolers I have ever seen.  It's awesome enough that this high end cooler is made by the same folks that make Jackson Kayaks and that they're made right in Sparta, Tennessee, but the standard accessories on this one really made it stand out to me.  The first thing that caught my eye was the removable Princeton Tec flashlight that's molded into the removable tray.  Looking closer, the standing pad on the lid is included as well as the YakAttak/RAM Mounts accessory tracks, tie down points, bottle openers and, one of the best parts in my opinion, Orion Coolers are certified bear proof by the IGBC!  

 

ARC Fishing

The ARC Fishing guys were on hand to introduce their New for 2016 ARC Dry Fly and ARC 99 Salt Coldwater lines.  Both lines feature the low-stretch Response Core, permanent PTFE coating for slickness and float, welded front and back loops and line ID system, as well as features specific to the lines intended conditions.  A big congratulations goes to them as well for winning a 2015 Fly Fish America Editor's Choice Award for the ARC Flourocoat Tippet!

 

My Favorite Boats from IFTD and ICAST 2015

Evenin' Folks,

  Here's the second installment of my IFTD Favorites Series.  For this post I'm covering the boats from the show that I really enjoyed and would love the chance to paddle and fish from any one of them.  I've lumped all of the "boats" together into one post, so this includes sit-in and sit-on kayaks, paddle boards and hybrids.  There was only one canoe at the show, so I included it here.  I wish there had been more, but kayaks and SUPs have really taken over.  I like them all, and didn't even get to see all the presenters at the show, but here are my favorites from those I did see at the 2015 IFTD and ICAST Show!

  Enjoy,

    Nick

Diablo Paddlesports

The founders of Diablo Paddlesports out of Texas wanted to create a boat that was perfectly tailored to the kind of water they fish.  That meant having the stability to stand and fish while maintaining the security of sitting to paddle if the weather turns.  

What you're looking at here is a new project from Diablo it's actually two of their boats connected together with an electric motor between them!  Very cool, but I'd rather have that camo number on the top of the rack.  Awesome boats, big and comfortable with plenty of room for accessories and customizations.

Pelican

The kind folks at Pelican invited me to tour their booth and take a closer look at the new Catch 120 fishing kayak.

After 2 years of design the Catch 120 is Pelican's newest and highest performing fishing kayak.  With tons of storage, accessory mounting points and made from tough Ram-X material, this kayak was designed specifically for fisherman, not adapted from another kayak.

Available in both Olive and Lava color schemes, it looks like a great boat to spend a comfortable day on the water.

Bote

Definitely a capable vehicle to get you to and from your launch location.  Bote was probably the first paddleboard company I'd ever heard of.

This Bote Paddleboard is seriously rigged for a day on the water!  I like the woodgrain pattern they put on some of their models.

How about a Realtree Camo skin on your paddleboard?

Old Town Canoe

Old Town Canoe had their new Loon Angler kayak in the New Product Showcase this year.

Lots of storage options like a removable workdeck with a USB charge port, adjustable ACS2 seat, built in thigh pads and flush mount rod holders make this a very capable sit-in fishing kayak.

Available in 10'6" and 12'6" models, this would make a fantastic cooler weather fishing kayak.  Perfect for when you want to stay a little dryer than you can with a sit on top.

Eddyline Kayaks

The Eddyline C-135 Stratofisher won Best Boat in the ICAST New Product Showcase.  Available in two lengths and three colors the C-135 can be purchased as a bare platform ready to be customized to the angler's content, as the YakAttak version with select products from the kayak accessories company or even all the way up to including a casting bar, stakeout poles or electric trolling motors.  A very cool and capable fishing kayak to be sure!

Tidal Roots

It's probably pretty obvious that I didn't take these pictures at ICAST.  I didn't even take these pictures!  I saw a Tidal Roots paddle board at the Ram Mounts booth being used to demonstrate some of Ram's mounting brackets and I was so in awe that I forgot to take pictures!  I had to get permission from the guys at Tidal Roots to borrow some of the pics off of their website.

I mentioned earlier how much I like the woodgrain look on a paddle board.  Well, these kick that up a notch, they are made entirely and sustainably of wood by craftsmen and artisans in Maine.  

These two pictures of the standing boards are the same as the model on display at the show, the 11'6" Shoal.  Tidal Roots offers three standard models plus a custom option to tailor your board to your intentions.  There's also a list of optional accessories and you can even specify the pattern used in laying out the individual boards.  You can even purchase a kit, if you've got the nerve to try building one yourself!

I copied this photo over just because it speaks to me (I also pinned it on my Pinterest board!).  I've been wanting to try an SUP for a while and the warm tone of the wood, the sustainability of natural materials and the general feel of a wooden board really make Tidal Roots' boards stand out to me.  I'm so glad I noticed it at the show!

Sea Eagle Boats

This was the only canoe I saw at the show.  It's Sea Eagle Boats TC16 inflatable canoe.  Shown here outfitted with a full compliment of Scotty accessories.  How cool would it be to throw a canoe in your car's trunk?

The following are the power boats the were on display in front of the Orange County Convention Center where the ICAST and IFTD Show was held.  I just thought you'd like to see them.