This year I was the proud recipient of a few new sticks that are worth writing about. The first one I purchased I believe I mentioned earlier this year with the promise of a review. Naturally, since that one was purchased first, I will go chronologically and start there.

Early this spring I decided I needed a 7wt. for throwing the bigger streamers. I have been fishing a TFO TiCR 6wt. for a few years and the bigger stuff was getting a bit cumbersome to throw with it. The 6 is a custom built stick that a friend put together for me and I think I mentioned in an earlier post how I feel about it. It still love it and I will still use it but I think it has to be re-purposed based on the performance of the new rod I picked up this spring. Being that I’m not a millionaire I decided that my highest price point was going to be around $250-300. After doing the shopping/research thing I settled on a new company, Rise, based on the simple fact that they seemed to have their sights set on the big picture (conservation) rather than their bottom line. That, coupled with the extra tip the rod came with, and some good pre-purchase communication (Amanda, one of the owners, is a VERY patient person… I can get a bit long in the tooth…) was the ultimate selling factor.

As for the rod, I love the damn thing. I started the season throwing a 200g SA Streamer Express which it loved but begged for a bit more. Its not that this rod is too stiff (like most of the others in this price point) and wouldn’t load at short distances because it does that very well but it just felt like I could easily plus up in line weight by 50-100 grains and still have no issue throwing the big stuff. Quite frankly, I have been wanting to bump up to a 250 grain sink tip and with the new rod I was able to do that with no problem. I switched to a Rio Streamer Tip 250 at the end of the season and the rod performs even better with that line. I did however fish the rod for the better part of the season with the 200 and was very happy with it but I will say the 250 is better. My first trip out with it scored me the biggest wild brown I have caught to date. While I realize that the rod probably didn’t make the fish happen, the fact that I was able to throw big flies all day without effort most likely did play a part in the catching of said fish. With the new rod I was able to spend a day chucking 6″+ streamers with ease at considerable distances with accuracy. For that it scores high in my book.

As I mentioned before (or maybe I didn’t), the Rise Level Series 7 wt. that I purchased came with an extra tip. This fall I broke a tip on this rod. Don’t stop reading here and shit can the rod thinking that its weak or something. The breakage was no fault of the rod. The tip broke because I either slammed it with some big honkin’ lead eyed streamer on a shitty cast, AND/OR… it was mishandled in a fly rescue mission from some low hanging, big trout harboring, fly eating tree, or it was a combination of both. Anyway, after the tip broke, I made a quick switch to the extra tip and kept fishing as if nothing had happened AND finished out the week throwing the same heavy ass flies with the spare tip on what has become my new favorite streamer stick.  From what I hear, Rise has been getting some push back from anglers on the strength of their tips based on the fact that they are giving you a spare. Seriously? There are so many things that I could say about that to those that are making that claim. None of those things are pointed in the direction of the rod maker. I will respectfully restrain myself and say quite simply this; I LOVED the fact that all I had to do is reach behind me in the boat and grab that extra tip and make the exchange. I did not and could not blame the rod for the fact that I was changing the tip. All I could think to do was praise the fact that I had the tip to change to. If not, I would have been pretty bummed for 4 more days of intense streamer chucking. Again, the tip replacement will be a breeze when I send it back and I can still fish out the year without having to wait for the new tip. When I contacted Rise about the broken tip I was told that they would happily replace it when I was ready to put the rod down for the year.

Bottom line, I will totally back this rod. Buy one. You won’t be let down.

1. North Peak Brewing – Diabolical
2. Bell’s – Two Hearted Ale
3. New Belgium – Ranger
4. New Holland – Mad Hatter
5. Dogfish – Head 60 Minute IPA
6. Dark Horse – Crooked Tree IPA
7. Sierra Nevada – Torpedo
8. Great Lakes – Lake Erie Monster
9. 21st Amendment – Back in Black IPA
10. Sierra Nevada – Pale Ale
11. Rogue – Dead Guy Ale
12. Bell’s – Oberon
13. New Holland – Ichabod
14. Stone – Arrogant Bastard
15. Yuengling – Traditional Lager
16. Great Lakes – Commodore Perry
17. North Peak Brewing – Wanderer
18. High fucking Life – duh…
19. Brooklyn – Lager
20. Victory Brewing – Prima Pils
21. Bell’s – Third Coast Ale
22. Genesee – Bock
23. North Peak Brewing – Vicious
23. Arcadia – Witsun
24. New Belgium – Fat Tire (but only on tap, in cans this shit sucks)
25. BrewDog – Punk IPA
26. Avery – White Rascal
27. The Brew kettle – Red Eye
28. Maumee Bay – MB IPA
29. Red Hook – Long Hammer
30. Great Divide – Yeti
31. Southern Tier – Unearthly
32. Bell’s Hopslam
33…..Sparks?

ok ok as you can see we could not make it to 100….big deal. But you get the point. We like good fucking beer and if it ain’t good we like it cheap.

Hey have a happy 4th of July! Tight lines and all that good shit.

I just placed my order for a Rise Level 7 wt. If it doesn’t get to my house before April 1 that is just fine by me. I won’t fish it until after then anyway because I bought it for chucking big streamers at browns on the Au Sable. That season opens on the 1st of April this year on the Au Sable’s Big Water thanks to new regs. Hopefully I will be there the week after the opener and I will wait to string it up until then because there is just something about buying a rod for a purpose that says “no, just wait for the right time”. If I get to string it before then for a good reason I will surely post a review. In the mean time you can stop buy the Roughfisher and read this. Either way, I’m pretty excited to be adding this  7wt to the arsenal as I don’t own a rod of that weight and I like what Rise is doing. Visit the Rise site and read all about it. 

I have been pretty satisfied with the TFO TiCR 6wt that I have been using as a streamer rod. As the flies grow bigger the need for a heavier stick to throw them with has grown too hence the purchase. My 6wt. is a build from a friend and it is a slick rod. The black blank, black guides and anodized silver real seat make for a pretty stealthy looking rod. Its not anything super fancy or high dollar but it was built for me with the components that I chose so it will stay with me for a long time. The guy that built my rod is Doug Enslen. He is an old school streamer guru. He was my streamer fishing mentor (though I seem to need some more mentoring sessions!), he builds some of the sweetest rods you’ll ever see under the name of Au Sable Rod Co., and he wades like a goddamn heron on speed. I’m not exagerating, the guy moves down a river unlike anyone I have ever seen. There are times that I would’ve sworn that his wading boots were actually more like running shoes. His boots seem to never touch the bottom, he never splashes, and there is barely a wake behind him. He slides down the river quickly and gracefully only stopping when he sees a spot that looks like it’ll hold a big fish. Fishing with him is a solid lesson on how to cover a lot of water in a sort time and somehow avoid drowning in the process. I look forward to the day I get to row for him and watch him work a streamer from the boat. It’ll be a good lesson for sure. Doug doesn’t build rods commercially but he should because he does amazing work. Its sort of a friends only gig and I am lucky to have had the benefit. As I said before, I love that rod that he built for me and it will still see its fair share of time on the water but sometimes the 6 just isn’t cutting it for the really big stuff so it was time step up.  I’ve been shopping for a bit and I stumbled on Rise via Moldy Chum and took a look.

I think what Rise is doing as a start up is right on target with the kind of company that I would like to support. They are a guide based co. with a healthy portion of the profits going to conservation and they seem to be pretty grass roots and I like that sort of thing. Yeah, the rods are built overseas. So are a lot of them that are affordable these days. I guess that’s what we’ll have to get used to in a global economy. I work for a US auto maker and not buying an American made rod probably makes me a hypocrite but so be it. If I had the $600-700 to throw at one of those sticks I would surely do it but I don’t so I am happy to be supporting a new company that is doing the right thing.

The picture above is Hannah Belford, a Rise team member, via the Rise Blog. I added the red fish pic because a few of us are headed to FL in May to chase reds, baby tarpon, and snook in canoes and I can’t wait. Should be good fun!

In other news… its snowing again here in NW Ohio but I guess that’s to be expected for Feb. We’re on the up-swing for spring though and the second part of  steelhead season is coming fast!

For your reading pleasure.

I am usually the first one to bash  ‘big box store brand’ products.  Just too many bad experiences in the past.  But I also have to give praise where praise is due.  I went into just such a ‘big box’ outdoor store in search of a new pair of wading boots.  Where we live in northwest ohio there are no local fly/gear shops to support (at least not any that would have waders/boots) so options are limited.

My intentions going in was to buy a pair of Chota STL’s ($135), but when I tried to get them on and off…. I wasn’t very impressed.  They had gotten good reviews from a lot of publications, but for me, getting those damn things on in below freezing temps, with frozen waders, in December, in Ohio or Michigan, wasn’t going to work.  I’ve had Chota’s before, and like them, but I couldnt get over this issue.  So on with the search….

After some conversation with the salesman, and the Hatchless Admin, I decided to roll the dice and try the store brand.  Cabela’s Guidewear Pro Boots. On the surface, they look VERY simialr to the Chotas.  Closer inspection of the soles, and stud system, really makes me think they may be made by the same manufacturer (but I’ve been wrong before).  The large opening makes them, by far, the easiest ‘on-off’ boots I’ve ever worn.  After 5 or 6 events, they are comfortable, provide good traction (these are felt soles—I know, shame on me), and seem to be defect free.  Did I mention they really go on easy???  Looking forward to trying out the removable studs for steelhead season, but I haven’t done it yet as the floor of the Hyde wouldn’t like it. 

Overall…. good boots, good price.  The real test for me?  How will they hold up to the abuse.  I’ll do a follow-up……..

New issue of This is Fly dropped. This mag has come a long way in a short time. I love that they are not wasting paper and that they have great content. This issue features the art and an interview of Jeff Soto…one of my favs.

Check out This is Fly