Head on over and check out my latest guest article on Filson. Anyone who knows me, knows I love tying flies. This article gives a little insight into where to begin.
“There is no substitute for standing in the middle of the creek, watching a bushy dry fly float through the current, but tying flies comes pretty close. The next best thing to actually getting to fish is spending time at the vise preparing and thinking about all those fish that are going to be fooled by a hand tied fly.
I bought my vise after about 6 months of fly fishing, and I tied some of the ugliest flies imaginable…”
A couple months ago, my wife informed me that we were going to be heading up to Colorado to visit one of her friends from highschool. Being the supportive husband that I am, I smiled, told her that sounded fine. Once our conversation was over, my excitement could not be contained, and I instantly starting doing some research on how I could get onto some water while I was there. After a few emails and phone calls, Juan Ramirez, of The Hopper Juan, agreed to meet with me for a day of fishing on the Arkansas River to see if we could tempt some of the browns and bows that live in its waters.
Fish came on a variety of bugs. Morning saw us drifting stone flies and caddis, and around lunchtime, everything aligned for a nice little BWO hatch. Even though the wind blew steadily for the rest of the day, blue wings were the name of the game, and Juan even pulled a couple on a dry. It was a surreal day, and the fishing was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. A BIG thank you to Juan for meeting up with me and after looking through his fly boxes, I am inspired to sit down at the vise even more than I already do. He has a true talent and passion for tying flies. Thanks again Juan, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
The Arkansas RiverBrown TroutJuan Hooked UpArkansas River Brown Trout falls to Juan's Mercury RS2A perfect Blue Wing Olive dayA healthy Arkansas Brown Trout (photo credit - Juan Ramirez)Colorado Brown TroutColorado Fly FishingAnother beauty brought to hand (photo credit - Juan Ramirez)
Brown Trout, Blue Wing Olives, and fly fishing with the Hopper Juan. I have been very lucky to spend the past few weekends fishing some beautiful country. More pictures and dialogue to come.
I had the amazing opportunity to review this ECS Gun Case through the Outdoor Blogger Network after learning about sig sauer gun safety.. After being selected, a member of the ECS team contacted me and discussed the dimensions of the case and what I would be using it for. Within a couple of weeks I had a custom-made, next-to-industructable gun case sitting on my doorstep. With a month left of quail season and some of the bumpiest roads in Arizona ahead of me, I put the ECS Gun Case through the paces and here is what I found.
ECS Gun Case
First impressions:
The Dimensions – When the ECS Gun Case showed up on my doorstep I was amazed at the size of it. The exterior dimmensions of the case are:
52.0”L x 13.0”W x 11.0”H
It weighs roughly 28 lbs.
The Interior – The inside of the ECS Gun Case is lined with a thick foam that allows a firearm to be fitted snuggly into place. There is room for two long guns with a maximum length of 44 inches. Additionally there are three other 13 inch slots for accessories.
ECS Gun Case Buckles
Field Use:
The first thing that I really appreciated about the ECS Rifle Case is the overall construction and durability of this case. The case itself is made out of what ECS calls “Low Linear Density Polyethylene” or LLDP. Coupled with four solid latches, heavy duty hinges, and a watertight gasket makes this case almost indestructible.
I loaded up the ECS Gun Case with a 12 guage shotgun, a Ruger 30-06 mounted with a scope, a 9mm Glock in it’s factory case, a wooden gun cleaning kit, and shells/bullets for all the different guns. I was amazed that I had been able to fit all that gear into the case and I was slightly nervous about trusting several of my guns in the back of my truck over some extremely bumpy roads. Regardless, I wheeled the case through the house, hoisted it into the back of the truck, and took a rattling ride through some of the back washes of the Arizona desert. Even after bouncing around in the back of my truck, I pulled the 30-06 out of the case and put a couple of rounds through, just to make sure the scope was still dialed in. Needless to say, everything was spot on, and I confidently put the gun back into the case for the return trip.
At the end of the day, I would have no qualms about entrusting my firearms to the baggage handlers at the airport as long as the gun was in an ECS Gun Case. The ECS Case would also do well for an extended trip where a gun would have to be safely stowed for a long period of time.
If you’re still not convinced, check out the video below, put together by the folks over at ECS. Pretty cool to see.
Pros:
Solid Construction
High Quality Components
Watertight and Floats
Maximum Protection
Room for Acceseries
Cons:
Price
Heavy
ECS Rifle Case
Prognosis: If you are looking for a high quality, virtually indestructible travel gun case that the boys at baggage claim can’t hurt, the ECS Gun Case is the ticket for you.
* Disclaimer:
The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. The ECS Gun Case was provided by ECS Case in conjunction with the Outdoor Blogger Network for the purpose of this review. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review. My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.
There are times when I find it difficult to take an experience and put into words. I guess that’s what is nice about a camera.
Cliff Dwellers LodgeLees Ferry Anglers Fly Shop (I love looking through fly shops)Kyle and Patrick working some riffle waterLees Ferry RainbowKevin making some very long drifts look easyMidge BoxTrout on LeechesKyle hooked upRods and ReelsPork Chili for Dinner
A month or two ago, my buddy Kyle, of Sleep When You’re Dead, invited me to head up to the famous Colorado River and fish Lees Ferry with him and a couple of other guys. Having always wanted to fish this unique and beautiful river, I jumped at the chance and started tying a whole passel of bugs. With the car packed to the gills and thermos full of coffee, we headed north to Flagstaff and then through the reservation to the river. The first day we met up with Kevin Krai, a well known Arizona fly fisherman, and sped up the river on his boat. We found an empty bar with some prime riffle water and spent the rest of the day hooking fish on midge patterns, red hots, and eggs.
Lees Ferry Rainbow falls for the Red HotColorado River
Most of the fish that we brought to the net were between 12 and 14 inches with a few pushing 15, possibly 16. For their size, these fish fought hard, knowing how to use the ice cold current to their advantage.
Lees Ferry RainbowFriends on the River
Kevin, Kyle, and I met up with some standup guys from the local fly fishing forum. It was a real pleasure getting to fish with Scott and Chad and finally put a face with the name.
Marble CanyonNetting a Lees Ferry Rainbow (photo credit - Kyle Graf)Lees Ferry Rainbow Trout (photo credit - Kyle Graf)The Colorado River (photo credit - Kyle Graf)Fishing the Riffles (photo credit - Kevin Krai)
After fishing the evening, we left the river as things were getting dark. Kyle had arranged for us to stay in the Cliff Dwellers house that Lees Ferry Anglers rent out. Very nice to have a warm place to dry out our waders and boots and get some grub in our stomachs. I had cooked up a batch of venison stew and luckily everyone was starving so they gulped it down. The rest of the evening was spent tying flies and telling some lies about big fish we caught.
I spent the weekend in northern Arizona fly fishing the Colorado River for the famous Lees Ferry rainbow trout. The weather was beautiful, the fishing was fantastic, and the company was superb. I could not have asked for a better weekend with a great group of guys. I have a whole passel of pictures to sort through, but should have a report up in a day or two.
