Maggie Valley Fly Fishing Festival 2026 - First Shot

 My first trip to the Maggie Valley Fly Fishing Festival! Couldn't ask for a much better spot for an event like this! Cool with some cloud cover, so should make for a great day!!

NEBO Unveils LEO FLEX Series -- Press Release 15 April 2026

 

NEBO Unveils LEO FLEX Series: The Perfect Blend of Power and Portability in Flashlights Fort Worth, Texas (Apr. 15, 2026) – When selecting a flashlight, two key factors must be considered. It must be versatile enough to use in nearly any situation without sacrificing features or functionality, and large enough to get the job done while remaining small enough to be easily carried. These requirements call for a flashlight that is not bulky and can deliver far more utility than traditional options ever dreamed of. The team at NEBO excels with its latest offerings in the LEO FLEX line of flashlights: the LEO 3200 FLEX, LEO 5000 FLEX, and LEO 7500 FLEX. Depending on the model, each delivers between 3,200 and 7,500 lumens of illumination, designed for professionals and adventurers. Each LEO FLEX flashlight employs Flex-Power, allowing them to be powered by an included rechargeable battery or standard alkaline batteries for quick and convenient backup. These flashlights combine cutting-edge technology with unbeatable versatility and durability. Each model features five lighting modes ranging from Turbo to Strobe. The LEO FLEX 3200 delivers impressive performance with Flex-Power™ technology, providing versatility for any situation. It comes equipped with 3x adjustable zoom, Smart Temperature Control™ (STC), and a powerful magnetic base for easy attachment to metal surfaces. The LEO 5000 FLEX delivers up to 5,000 lumens and provides up to 24 hours of rechargeable battery life, while the LEO 7500 FLEX offers up to 7,500 lumens with up to 12 hours of rechargeable battery life. Both models are IPX7 waterproof, impact-resistant, and include an integrated power bank to charge any USB-powered devices on the go. Constructed from anodized aircraft-grade aluminum, the LEO 5000 FLEX, LEO 7500 FLEX, and LEO FLEX 3200 all feature 3x adjustable zoom, Smart Temperature Control, Direct-to-Low, Smart Power Control, and PowerSave lockout mode. They are USB-C rechargeable and can alternatively be powered by six AAA batteries. When looking for a dependable, easy-to-carry, and versatile flashlight for use on the job or while on the go, choose NEBO’s LEO 3200 FLEX, LEO 5000 FLEX, or LEO 7500 FLEX rechargeable flashlight. Explore the full line of NEBO products by visiting nebolights.com. NEBO – LEO 3200 FLEX FEATURES: • Five Light Settings • Flex-Power™ technology • 3x adjustable zoom • Smart Temperature Control™ (STC) • Power Bank • Powerful magnetic base • Anodized aircraft-grade aluminum • Waterproof (IPX7) and impact-resistant (1-meter) • USB-C Rechargeable PRICE AND SKU: • MSRP $64.99 • SKU NEB-FLT-0062 NEBO – LEO 5000 FLEX FEATURES: • Five Light Settings • Flex-Power™ technology • 3x adjustable zoom • Smart Temperature Control™ (STC) • Smart Power Control™ (SPC) • Power Bank • PowerSave™ lockout mode • Anodized aircraft-grade aluminum • Waterproof (IPX7) and impact-resistant (1-meter) • USB-C Rechargeable PRICE AND SKU: • MSRP $79.99 • SKU NEB-FLT-0063 NEBO – LEO 7500 FLEX FEATURES: • Five Light Settings • Flex-Power™ technology • 3x adjustable zoom • Smart Temperature Control™ (STC) • Smart Power Control™ (SPC) • Power Bank • PowerSave™ lockout mode • Anodized aircraft-grade aluminum • Waterproof (IPX7) and impact-resistant (1-meter) • USB-C Rechargeable PRICE AND SKU: • MSRP $89.99 • SKU NEB-FLT-0064 ABOUT NEBO: At NEBO, we believe that breakthroughs and big ideas always require unconventional thinking. Having sold over 30 million of the world’s best-selling lines of innovative, consumer-friendly flashlights and tools, we never stop creating. We expand the possibilities for our consumers by offering more than just the brightest lights on the market. At NEBO, we continually innovate to offer the highest quality LED lighting products at the best price so that you can keep making and doing. We exist to bring light to what you do. Visit us at WWW.NEBOLIGHTS.COM For more information, please visit  WWW.NEBOLIGHTS.COM

Plano Expands Organization Lineup With New StowAll Storage Solutions -- Press Release 8 April 2026

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Plano Expands Organization Lineup With New StowAll Storage Solutions Versatile, pack-ready storage built to keep gear dialed across every pursuit.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 8, 2026) – From the boat to the backcountry, keeping gear organized isn’t always easy. Whether it’s extra layers or essential accessories, having a system that keeps everything in its place can make all the difference. Plano answers that need with the all-new StowAll family, a versatile lineup of pack-ready storage solutions designed to keep gear protected, accessible, and organized no matter the adventure. The new StowAll family includes Zip Pouches, Waterproof Zip Pouches, and Packing Cubes, working together as a complete, all-in-one pack out solution. Built to adapt to a wide range of uses, the StowAll lineup combines lightweight materials, durable construction, and smart design features to efficiently pack, store, and access gear. StowAll Zip Pouches provide water-resistant storage for everyday essentials, while the StowAll Waterproof Zip Pouches step up to fully sealed IPX7 protection with welded construction and waterproof zippers. Rounding out the lineup, StowAll Packing Cubes deliver lightweight, packable organization for both travel and field use. "We’re seeing more and more outdoor enthusiasts looking for better ways to stay organized, no matter where they’re headed," said Daniel Vega, Product Manager at Plano. "The StowAll lineup was built to be a flexible system, something that works just as well in a boat as it does in a truck bed, backpack or camp setup, helping keep gear protected, accessible and ready to go when it matters most." Plano StowAll Zip Pouches Key Features: Tear and water-resistant mesh body Translucent design for quick identification Carabiner attachment loops Durable wide-loop zipper pull Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and Tube Color: Clear MSRP: Small: $8.99 | Medium: $9.99 | Large: $11.99 | Tube: $9.99 Plano StowAll Waterproof Zip Pouches Key Features: Rugged waterproof body and zipper (IPX7 rated) Translucent window for quick contents identification Durable wide-loop zipper pull Gusseted bottom for added capacity and upright storage Multiple carabiner and tie-down points Large EZ label for content identification Sizes: Small, Medium, and Large  Color: Black/Clear MSRP: Small: $24.99 | Medium: $29.99 | Large: $34.99 Plano StowAll Packing Cubes Key Features: Ultralight ripstop fabric for durability without the weight Mesh front panels for visibility and airflow Expands to a height of 7.5” for extra storage  Durable wide-loop zipper pulls Webbing haul handle Fits seamlessly into Plano GoNow and Sportsman’s Trunks Washer and dryer safe Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and 3-Pack Set Color: Black MSRP: Small: $19.99 | Medium: $21.99 | Large: $24.99 | 3-Pack Set: $49.99 For more information on the new Plano StowAll and other Plano products, click here. ### About Pure Fishing Pure Fishing is a collection of the world’s favorite fishing brands. Every day, all around the world, someone experiences the joy of catching a fish with one of our products. From gear for epic battles at sea to a relaxing day with family at the lake, our portfolio includes the most recognized and admired brands in fishing tackle, lures, rods, reels and storage. Abu Garcia, Berkley, DAM, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Frabill, Greys, Hardy, Hodgman, Johnson, JRC, Madcat, Mitchell, Penn, Pflueger, Plano, Prologic, Savage Gear, Shakespeare, SpiderWire, Stren, Ugly Stik and Van Staal.

GSSF

 

A beautiful day to kick off my 2026 GSSF season! It was a smooth running match, thanks to all the awesome volunteers and the folks at Talon Range! I'm pretty satisfied with my performance, in spite of a couple ammo/magazine related snafus. But, that makes me better prepared for New Smyrna next weekend!

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#GSSF #Glock #ShootingMatch #FLOutdoors #TheSuburbanAngler

Patience was the name of the game at GSSF New Smyrna Beach on Saturday, and shade was at a premium! Beautiful day, though, and lots of competitors going through the stages. Many thanks to all the folks from GSSF & Glock, Volusia County Gun & Hunt Club and the many volunteers that keep these matches running!

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#GSSF #Glock #ShootingMatch #FLOutdoors #shootingsports

MCFF Tying Night -- 16 Feb 2026

 Great to be back with the club tonight and we've got a great turnout for our Tying Meeting! Member Walt Sheppard offered to share two of his favorite shad flies, as the time is near to go after them in the St. Johns. 

Fly Tying is the third Monday of every month and we'd be glad to have you join us! As always, all are welcome, and I'll be happy to save you a seat!

Mid-Coast Flyfishers Annual Banquet 2026

 Kicking off the 25th Anniversary of the Mid-Coast Flyfishers by bringing back our annual member banquet! Thanks to the banquet committee crew for pulling off a fantastic event and all the members for coming, contributing to an amazing spread and sharing in the fellowship of flyfishing on Florida's Mid-Coast! 

Photos from ICAST 2025!

Made it to ICAST 2025! Through with registration and heading out to the On The Water Demos!!

The rain is holding off so far for the On The Water demos and, to be perfectly honest, the cloudcover is a nice break from the Central Florida sun we usually have at these events!

Fly Time Fishing is debuting their new rigged leader organization and quick-rig system! The organizers currently available can hold 24 or 48 pre-rigged fly leaders ready for a quick swap on the stream!

You know I had to check out a table full of radios! Cool to see the folks from Cobra here at On The Water showing their lineup of handheld and fixed mount marine vhf radios! The handhelds are waterproof, floating and feature NOAA, GPS, and DCS capabilities.

Took a look at the Hobie Hull Float polarized sunglasses that are new for this year. The frames of these glasses are made from the upcycled plastic waste leftover from the Hobie kayak manufacturing process! Naturally, they float due to the type of plastic used in the kayak hulls, plus they are lightweight and incredibly smooth!

The folks from Garmin gave me a great run through of the new, feature packed, Force Current kayak trolling motor! 55lb thrust class, power steer pedals, wireless throttle & steering, chartplotter integration, anchor lock tech and a wireless man overboard tag are just the highlights!

The EZ Dock floating docks are a fixture at ICAST On The Water! This is where everyone lines up for their turn in the kayaks and proves the ease and durability of this floating dock system! 

Rugged Road coolers debuted at ICAST last year and they're back again with more improvements and innovation! Removable and reversible lids, high floating foam construction and casting platform-level durability. If you're looking for a new cooler, these are worth checking out!

The rod test-casting area is very popular, even as the rain sets in! No fair-weather fishers here!

Benchmade Knives are highlighting their Water collection again this year, but also have included some new variations and special editions. Like this trout pattern folder with beautiful damascus blade. I'll get more info once we hit the show floor.

Cling Mag Grab is an anodized aluminum, magnetic fly patch that can be worn on clothing, placed on metal surfaces or incorporated into a tying set up to help manage loose flies and hooks. Available in an array of sizes, colors, configurations and custom etching options!

Here's just the thing for those challenging beach launches and unimproved boat ramps!! Fattruck.com

Atollas Gear is expanding their fly box line with the new Micro Box! Taking inspiration from a suggestion for a Fly Caddy cover and mixing the variety of fly storage options of old school fly boxes, the Micro Box hits way above it's weight class! Smooth edges, docking station and clip or velcro attachment options allow it to be carried in whichever way suits your style.

Hailing from New Zealand and weighing in at under 60 pounds, the Viking Reload kayak could be the fastest looking fishing kayak I've ever seen! Lots of thoughtful features, a list of available accessories and the stability and capacity for even a larger than average paddler to take an overnight river trip!

This bright red reel from Epic caught my eye in passing! It's called the Trutta Hubless, available in 4 anodized colors and covers 3, 4, and 5-weight lines.

Best place to start the day is at the ICAST Fly Shop! Fly exhibitors at the show put some of their newest products in a fly shop setting to help attendees visualize counter and store displays.

I spoke with a father-son team who are tackling the monumental task of returning the St. Johns River back to it's former glory! Check them out, they're looking for folks to join them in their cause.

I've long been a proponent have having multiple, easily accessible first aid kits around, so I'm really liking this TracPak First Aid kit from YakAttack! The classic red on white makes it stand out clearly as to what it is and having a purposely made kit (instead of a random container) will make it so much faster to find and access when time is of the essence! Good Job, YakAttack! I like it!

Caught up with the guys from Rambler Angler & Blade Co. They've got all 5 new color variations of the Nomad Vise on display! Naturally, I'm partial to the green and might need to pick one up very soon, but that navy blue is really tugging at me, too!

This candy store display is from the folks at Schuman Feathers. A commercial feather supplier, Schuman Feathers has been around for over 100 years, starting out with handmade feather dusters sold on the streets of Philadelphia! Beautiful, high quality tying feathers with an amazing richness of color!

YakAttack is releasing 55 new sku's this year! New products, new colors, new variations, all new gear!

When it comes to safety and preparedness, quality flashlights should be pretty high on everyone's list. I was given a quick rundown of the features and specs of some new flashlight variations from the Fenix brand, a name that has come up a lot as I learn more about the subject. EDC a flashlight.

I received a brief, high level education on lithium battery charging and customer service in the LBP booth! Every component is rigorously tested before being sold to the consumer and their 10 year warranty includes troubleshooting and education, actual help and not just anonymous replacement! Certainly a business to look at if you're shopping for new batteries.

Checking out the new utility boxes from Decked! Waterproof, locking lid, carry handle, storage divider options and designed to integrate into the Decked drawer systems.

Beautiful East Cape 25 Open on display! I think I could enjoy a boat like that! And, I really appreciate the wood accents like the seat backs!

Nothing really new in the G. Loomis booth for flyrods, but I still like taking pictures of them!

Took a quick look at the Turtlebox Ranger. It has remained half submerged in that water tank every time I've walked by! This is the smallest and most portable of the Turtlebox line, but still delivers amazing sound and incredible functionality.

Congratulations to Garmin for their New Product Showcase Best Motorized Boating Accessory win for the new Force Current trolling motor!

Might be hard to get excited about a trailer jack, but they are an often forgotten, but necessary piece of equipment on trailers. The folks at Starbrite are bucking some conventions with their new Hex Jack! The modular system lets you choose (and greatly adjust) the length of travel, mounting system, foot and anodization color! I'll be looking closer at these as I start to rebuild my boat trailer!

To be released next week! The Benchmade Dacian is a great looking small, fixed blade knife perfect for daily utility around the house, the farm or in camp! Multiple colors for the micarta grips and blade, generous jimping and a good heft make it a very comfortable blade in hand! The hybrid nylon and leather sheath looks good, protects the knife and gives multiple carry options!

RestorLine is a new line repair product using heat and chemical bonding to repair cuts, scrapes, and broken welded loops to extend the life of expensive flylines! Simple to use and fast repairs to get you back casting sooner!

I took lots of pictures in the Railblaza booth because they have loads of new products getting ready to come to market! The biggest one (unintentional pun!) is The Mule, Railblaza's first entry into the world of stand up paddleboards! Due out in 6-8 months, this hybrid SUP has many thoughtful features including a defined cockpit space (so things can't slide overboard), a substantial weight capacity and lots of Railblaza accessory mounting points!

Check out this beautiful chef's knife in the Mercer Knives booth! It might make dicing onions a bit more enjoyable!

Decked also had their drawer and slide systems on display in another area of the show floor.  The storage boxes shown earlier are designed to nest into the drawers.  I really like the secure and weather resistant bed storage that these drawers provide!

I took a closer look at the new Trxstle conventional rodholder this morning and was assured it works equally well for the two-handed fly rods that didn't fit in their standard rodholder! Rubber coated stainless roof rack clamps and aluminum and polymer construction ensure protection when tranporting rods!

Some beautiful boats in the Vibe Kayaks booth!  I never was able to catch up with any of the reps in the booth, so I'm not sure what's new for this year and what's not.  Cool stuff, nonetheless!

Congratulations to Columbia Sportswear for winning the New Product Showcase Best Fly Fishing Backpack, Bag & Luggage!

Checked out another player (and generated another unintentional pun!) in the wireless speaker space! The EcoXGear Defender is fully waterproof, dustproof, sub-10 pounds and will serve your tunes with a side of customizable, addressable leds!

I discovered a new-to-me fly rod and real company in Renegade Tackle Co. Their Black, Gray and White series rods encompass lengths from 7'-6" to 9' and weights from 3 to 11, with reels to match. White for saltwater, Black for fresh, and Gray for anglers, like me, who bounce back and forth!

Clearly a popular booth during happy hour, particularly with the fairer fishers amongst us, and serving drinks in coconuts with umbrellas, is Boujee Marlin! A technical fishing apparel company that focuses on designs for women that work on the water. I'll try to get over there tomorrow, before the coconuts come out, to learn more!

Started ICAST Day 3 checking out the knives, tools and leather accessories from Florida panhandle company Sord! I was interested to hear they use quality, high-carbon steel for their blades, then apply a titanium coating as a corrosion inhibitor!

Remora Zero Slip fish cleaning mats are a great, and safe, addition to a fish cleaning or bait station. Made in the USA with a large percentage of recycled materials, they can be custom printed for retailers, charter boats, clubs or what have you.

A new product from the folks at Oros! They've taken their patented, locking, floating indicator design, changed materials, made them sink and turned them into pin-less fish egg attractors! Imagine the time this would save changing egg color or size when chasing steelhead!

Hog Island Boat Works had a very cool looking skiff on display.  

I met with Ana Jacobs, founder and creative behind the Boujee Marlin brand. Through a lifelong passion for fishing and a new found love of tournament angling, she spotted a gap in the market and set out to fill it in the most stylish way possible! True technical fishing clothing for women, that doesn't look like it came from the back of their father/brother/husband's closet!

Had another great conversation with the guys in the Cobra booth booth today and learned that earlier this year Cobra entered the GMRS market! Three levels of feature packed radios built with the outdoorsman and overlanders in mind. Things like water and dust protection, removeable antennas and an emergency mode with VOX capability! It's great to see a legacy American brand keeping up and now I want to try out all the radios they have here at ICAST!

Many congratulations to Fly Time Fishing for winning the New Product Showcase Best Fly Line, Leader, Tippet & Line Accessory category!

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