Arizona Wanderings

Fly boxes: A journey, a couple reviews, and a simple how-to

March 9th, 2011

10 Comments

When I first happened upon the fly fishing scene, I read every book, watched every YouTube, and listened to every podcast. I wanted to know everything and have exactly the right gear for what I was going to do. An intricate part of the fly fishing get-up is the fly box. The fly box can tell a lot about the person holding it. Is it expensive or is it cheap? Is it battered or does it still have the sales sticker on it? Is it full of mangled flies or is it neatly laid out according to color and genus?

My journey started the same as many others. It began with an extremely nice Scientific Anglers waterproof fly box. This box is almost indestructible and it is airtight, which is a good thing considering the countless times I have dunked it in the creek and watched it float and keep all my flies dry. I really like this box, but as I tied more and more flies, logic led me to believe that I needed more and more boxes. The Scientific Anglers box is perfect and continues to be my standard small stream box, but it carries a hefty price tag.

Scientific Anglers Waterproof Box — Scientific Anglers Fly Box

So, in search of that inexpensive fly box I bought a generic Cabela’s box that has served me well. It has a unique studded bottom in which the angler wedges fly hooks. After buying it, I definitely went through some buyer’s remorse as I saw the box sit on my shelf at home, but ultimately I have filled it full of streamers and leeches and have been happy with its performance. It is a decent box that won’t break the bank, but certainly not of the highest quality material.

Over time, I really scaled back my fly selection to my favorites, some standards, and a few new creations to throw on the small streams where I normally wander. In anticipation for some upcoming trips to the larger tail-waters in the Southwest, I found myself searching for a new box in which to put my midges. I looked and surveyed the walls of the stores and finally decided that 25 dollars is not worth it. Frankly, 10 dollars is not worth it. I decided to keep things simple and landed on a tried and battle tested classic…an Altoids tin. I added a little foam and some magnetic tape and ended up with fresh breath and a nice little fly box. Enjoy.

The new line of fly boxes — Altoids - A classic fly box

Ingredients for your fly box:

1. magnetic tape (craft store /easily cut by scissors)

2. 2mm foam in whatever color you want (again, very cheap at the local craft store and you can use the rest for some foam mini-hoppers)

3. Altoids box – The bigger ones are very roomy, but the small ones will fit everything you need for a warm summer’s day.

San Juan Fly Tying: Chocolate Foam Emerger

March 8th, 2011

4 Comments

Continuing on a tour through my Altoid box of San Juan flies is another classic that everyone I talked to made sure would be in my box. I tied up these Chocolate Foam Emergers in size #20-24, and I am crossing my fingers that these will do the trick.

San Juan Fly Tying: Annelids

March 7th, 2011

8 Comments

Gearing up for an upcoming trip to the San Juan, I’ve been tying a lot of different bugs that take me out of my comfort zone. The small #22s and #24s really test my patience and eyesight, but have taught me quite a bit. Looking forward to getting out on the water and getting into some fish. Hopefully, these will do the trick…

Fly Fishing Arizona & Greenfish…

March 5th, 2011

2 Comments

After writing a piece on fly fishing Arizona and the sustainability of wild trout populations, I was surprised by the great response that the article received. “Kudos” and “right ons” filled my email and comment box and I was glad to put into words how many people feel about wild fisheries. I appreciate the support and hope that with more people writing and talking about sustainability, we can continue to see these unique streams and creeks protected for years to come.

The original catalyst for writing this article was a prompt through the Outdoor Blogger Network by Greenfish. Greenfish is a

“lifestyle brand established with the sole purpose of spreading the message of sustainable fishing. We are a group of avid anglers dedicated to promoting “catch and release” fishing.”

The writing prompt was the perfect jumpstart to get me writing about something that was near and dear to my heart here in the desert. I submitted my article/post and amazingly my blog was chosen (at random, not due to writing quality…) and Greenfish sent me some of their product line to sport around Arizona.

If you get the chance to check out Greenfish’s website, you’ll be doing yourself a favor. In a time in our country when money is tight and resources like our streams are in danger, I believe more discussion and awareness is imperative if we hope to keep our valued fisheries. Thanks again to Greenfish and definitely stop over and check them out.

On a side note: As soon as I pulled the sweatshirt out of the box, my wife’s eyes grew big and I could already see her positioning herself to steal this comfy sweatshirt, like so many others that she already has. Snuggling up to watch a movie last night in the new Greenfish hoodie, my wife gives it her approval. I am plotting to steal back my sweatshirt, so I can go fish up north soon.

Arizona Flies: Montana Fly Company

March 3rd, 2011

6 Comments

I have tied up some of my AZWanderings’ bugs to send in for a tying contest held by Montana Fly Company and the Outdoor Blogger Network. I know it is a long shot, but my two creations/variants are going into the mail today in the hopes that someone likes them.

The first fly is the illustrious mini-hopper. The mini-hopper has seen some upgrades with a few different colors added to the line-up along with a bit of flash under the wing. It’s been productive on just about every stretch of water I have fished and it is the first pattern I turn to when fishing something new. It is a great terrestrial/attractor pattern but works well in a caddis hatch if the occasion arises. It floats all day and is indestructible. I originally started tying and fishing this fly for the small streams of Arizona as a substitute for the big foam hoppers that hit the surface a little too hard. The delicate presentation of a mini hopper is just the ticket for those spooky small stream trout. Also check out mini hoppers for sale and fill your fly box for this next season.

The second pattern that I am submitting is the Arizona Crayfish. As cool as it looks, it fishes even better. I finagled up this pattern to tempt those big brown trout in the deep runs of northern Arizona’s streams. It seems to do the trick and has a special place in the fly box as big brown trout candy.

If you have not had the chance yet, make sure you stop on by Arizona Wanderings and Montana Fly Co. Facebook accounts and add them to your likes. I appreciate your support. Fingers crossed…

Brookie and Hopper — Brook trout love the mini hopper...

Rambling Review – REI Half Dome 2 HC

March 2nd, 2011

26 Comments

Rambling Review – REI Half Dome 2 HC

NOTE: This is the original REI Half Dome 2 HC tent. It has since been redesigned by REI (and for what reason, I have no idea.)

Why:

It started as simple drive across country and the need for an additional tent. There are so many options for tents and shelters. What I was looking for was a two person tent that was rugged and easy to set up. The tent would mostly be used for car camping but would hopefully be light enough to have for an overnight into the backcountry.

I have always admired REI equipment but had not had a whole lot of experience with their products. Having scouted out several “value” tents from some different manufacturers, I was sold this fantastic REI Half Dome 2 HC tent on the recommendation of the REI salesman. His exact words were “I have had this exact tent for 3 years and bought another one just in case something goes wrong.” I decided he was telling the truth and laid out the extra money for this quality tent. I could not have been happier. I have had this tent for over 3 years and love it as much as the day I bought it.

First impressions:

Simplicity – I am that guy. When buying a new piece of equipment, I am not satisfied with the floor model. Instead I want to take it out of the box and put it together myself. On the first try, I had this tent up in a matter of a few minutes without any directions. If you know me, that is simplicity at its finest.

Size – This tent fits me and my wife, shoulder to shoulder quite comfortably. I am a fairly good size boy and she is little petite beauty. I recommend getting yourself situated in a floor model and making sure you fit. Most of the time, it is just me camping in some remote part of Arizona and therefore I have ample room for my gear inside the tent.

Utility – There are several very handy mesh pockets on the inside corners of the tent which are great to store gear in. One overhead mesh pocket is perfect for a flashlight and other odds and ends you may need in the night. The vestibule outside each door are large enough to fit a full backpack and boots if need be and stay dry even through heavy rain.

Field Use:

The REI Half Dome 2 HC has seen countless nights across the United States. From the warm desert of Arizona to the cold spring snow of Yellowstone, this tent has performed flawlessly through it all. It is a great 3 season tent and with two people sleeping, it can stay quite toasty in the colder months. I have occasionally opted not to put on the rain fly when the temperature climbs higher and the tent is extremely comfortable even during Arizona’s hotter months. The REI Half Dome has stood up to countless hunting and fishing trips. On many of these trips, I am solo and the tent is fairly simple to set up even with one person.

The one negative aspect of this tent was the tent stakes. The stakes that came with this tent from REI were your standard cheap metal. After a few weeks on the road, most of the stakes were bent beyond use. I spent a few extra dollars and bought some quality MSR Needle stakes. These are much nicer to use on the hard rocky ground and can take a bit more abuse than your standard tent stakes.

I substituted these MSR Tent Stakes for the originals

Pros:

Durable Construction

Excellent performance in over 3 years worth of use.

Simplicity of setup

Cons:

Footprint must be bought separately (I would recommend buying the footprint as it will extend the life of your tent.)

Low quality tent stakes sold with this tent

PROGNOSIS: This version of the tent was rock solid. I do not know why they changed the design and would encourage someone looking to buy the new model to ask lots of questions and take a look at the tent in person. I have always been very happy with the service at REI and the people there are honest and will not steer you wrong.

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. 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.

Arizona Fly Fishing: The Salt River

February 28th, 2011

11 Comments

My mom is in town visiting from the icy Northeast. As we toured around city, we swung by the Salt River below Saguaro Lake. I have always had a love/hate relationship with this stretch of water (actually more just hate), but it’s close proximity made for a quick hour on the water getting my rusty cast back into practice. I threw a few different bugs at the fish there below the bridge and had a few takes on a parachute adams and an orange mini-hopper. Two fish on but both “long-released” for me so I did not have to get my hands fishy.

What is really disheartening about fishing this stretch of river is the seemingly missed opportunities to turn this valuable piece of water into a quality fishery. The flows from the Stewart Dam are irregular at best which has a significant impact on the sustainability of quality trout fishing. SRP controls those flows and uses the power generated from the dam to help feed the bottomless energy appetite of the Valley. From the different articles that I have read, there has been talk of maintaining consistent flows and turning the portion of the Salt right below the dam into a blue ribbon trout fishery. The future of that project is unclear as the cost is extremely steep.

Scientific Angler — Searching for the right fly for the Salt River

Here is the way that I see it. (I could be wrong, but for what it’s worth…)

Reasons for making a portion of the Salt River below Stewart Dam a blue ribbon catch and release section for trout…

1. Close proximity of the Salt River to Metro-Phoenix – A quality stretch of water in a reasonable driving distance from town would be utilized by local fly fishermen.

2. Money – If there was a blue ribbon trout fishery at the Salt River, local fly fishermen would pay just about any reasonable fee to fish it. More money is added to the pot as snowbirds or other out-of-towners come to the Valley looking to experience all that the Arizona outdoors has to offer.

3. Conservation and environmental responsibility – If you head to the Salt River below Stewart Dam right now, although the beauty of the canyon is great, you will be assaulted by the large amount of trash and debris left by tubers, day users, and non-caring fishermen. I believe that if you place special use restrictions on parts of the Salt, one would clearly notice the difference in the amount of trash being left around this beautiful stretch of water.

Reasons that it probably won’t happen…

1. SRP – The Salt River Project currently controls the water released from the dam. Generally the flows decrease in the winter and increase in the summer to generate more power to feed the increasing electricity use by the Valley of the Sun. With drought-like conditions the last five or ten years, the flows have been tightly regulated to utilize every drop of water. Convincing SRP to let their “cash flow” (pun intended) go would definitely be a hard and expensive sell.

2. Tubers – During the summer hordes of college kids stampede to take a comatose tube ride down the river while bringing a good chunk of money to the economy. Alcohol is consumed while trash, clothing and beer cans litter the banks of this river. Inevitably, every year the booze and water combination takes its toll and claims lives of multiple tubers. In my opinion, having a quality trout fishery is a more appropriate use of natural resources, but I know I am a little partial to the fly fishermen side of the argument.

3. Native fish – Along with the many different species of fish swimming in the Salt, apparently there are some native suckers or chubs. I imagine, some would argue that making a portion of the Salt a designated trout fishery could impact native fish populations.

4. Water Temp – No one will contest the fact that the summer months are brutal here in Arizona and I have heard some say that the Salt gets too warm for trout to survive. On the other hand, I know of other fishermen who have caught holdovers from years before. If consistent flows are kept, it seems that the water temps could maintain cold enough temperatures to sustain trout life. I would like to see what the impact of stocking native trout would be. Gila trout have a higher tolerance for warm waters than other salmonoids and could provide a unique opportunity for fishermen to chase these native fish.

– At the end of the day, I am a fly fisherman and not a biology expert. These are simply my thoughts, and I am sure not all of them are plausible, but it is nice to dream of a dynamic fishery that is within easy driving distance. I guess I am just tired of showing up to fish the Salt River and being disgusted and disappointed every time I fish it. I look forward to a day when the Salt River can be utilized to it’s full potential as a blue ribbon trout fishery.

Feel free to let me know what you think.

Ben

Rambling Review – Dyna-King Kingfisher Vise

February 23rd, 2011

12 Comments

Rambling Review – Dyna-King Kingfisher Vice

Why:

If you have fly fished for any length of time, you can understand why I wanted to buy a vise. After catching the fly fishing bug it was only a short while before I started seeing all of the possibilities and fun everyone else was having tying their own flies. The search began and I spent the better part of two months hemming and hawing over different vises trying to find the best one for me. As always, money is tight and I was looking for something economical. On the other hand, I was smart enough to realize if I did not buy something quality, then I would be back at a later time to upgrade. Ultimately after looking at about 20 different models, I decided to pay a little more money and by the Dyna-King Kingfisher. I have not been disappointed.

First impressions:

Design – The first thing that jumped out at me about this vise was the simplicity of the design. I am a pretty simple guy and I am not into extremely high tech gadgets. The Kingfisher vice is a no nonsense, simple vise to use.

Stainless Steel – The Dyna-King Kingfisher vise is made of stainless steel and its jaws are also steel. Most other vises in my price range had plastic components that looked somewhat weak. The durability of steel was a real selling point for me and showed that Dyna-King cared enough about their product to put quality materials into it.

Lifetime warranty – If you have read any of my reviews, you will know that a lifetime warranty is real eye catcher for me. The Kingfisher comes with a lifetime warranty on the vise itself and a two year warranty on the jaws. Strong selling point for me.

Pedestal – The Kingfisher that I ended up purchasing came with a pedestal. The pedestal is a wide base that is fairly heavy and keeps the vise extremely stable. I normally tie at the kitchen table so I can hang with my wife, but when she gets sick of me I can go and tie in my hunting room. The pedestal is much quicker than a clamp and makes setup a breeze. There is a clamp that you can buy for it, but as you can tell, I am a cheapskate and will make do with the pedestal.

Price –Originally, I was looking to spend only 50-100 dollars on a vice and looked at several of the popular models in the fly shop. In the end I was not sold on the quality of those vises and caught a great special at a local store and scored the Kingfisher for 120 dollars. That may seem like a tough pill to swallow but after a year of regular use and hopefully a lifetime more, I am very happy with the deal I made.

Kingfisher Jaws: #20 Hook securely in place

Field Use:

I have tied hundreds of flies in this vise from size 24 to 1/0. The jaws on this vise perform flawlessly on everything except the #24s. Tying flies this small is not normal for me, but I was putting together a small midge box for the San Juan River and needed tie on these extremely small hooks. I eventually found that if I rotated the jaws upside down, the bottom would hold the #24 hook steady. Every other size hook fits firmly in place. Maybe I am doing something wrong, but trying to get that small hook in there was difficult.

Overall, I have never had a problem with the adjustments. The jaws are powerful and keep the hook stable for tying. It truly is simplicity at its finest.

I have found that this vise is very easy to travel with. On a couple different occasions, if I am going to a “fly tying night” or am packing my vise to take on an extended trip, the vise has been extremely simple to break down and pack. The vise itself separates from the pedestal and can be easily packed away. This keeps it relatively safe and saves on space.

Hopper Juan Varient — Kingfisher Jaws: #8 Hook

Pros:

Arguably the best low end vise on the market

Durable Construction

Powerful, stable jaws

Price

Lifetime Warranty

Cons:

Only comes with pedestal (c-clamp sold separately)

Difficult to tie #24s or smaller hooks

Prognosis: High quality vise for a reasonable price. I look forward to tying with this vise for years to come.

* Disclaimer: