Articles

Review: Patagonia Sweet Pack Vest

by Paul Snyder - Monday, Aug 19th, 2013

A look at the very serious water-resistant zippers and heavy duty nylon offered by the Sweet Pack Vest.

The company line: "We built our new Sweet Pack Vest for anglers willing to go the extra mile (or ten) in search of the sweet spot. This daypack/fishing vest combo is engineered to comfortably carry and organize everything you need on the trail and on the water. Made from tough, highly water resistant 840-denier coated ballistics nylon with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish, the Sweet Pack Vest’s main compartment features multiple fishing-specific interior organizing pockets, exterior lash points on pack and shoulder straps, dual side water bottle pockets and an internal hydration bladder pocket. Up front, the vest maximizes comfort and convenience with lightweight, breathable mesh construction and easy-access vertical pockets. When fishing fast and light—or closer to the car—the vest easily detaches from the pack to be worn alone."

Overview

Fly fishing packs and vests are, in my opinion, highly personal and often mission-specific items. This is so much the case that I have yet to own one that I absolutely love. Ultimately, almost all of them do things well, but make sacrifices or have flaws that prevent them from being an effective all-around solution.

Video Spotlight: Falling in Love in Shenandoah, Trout Country and Dam Removal

by Colin K. Breck - Sunday, Aug 18th, 2013

If pressed to come up with a list of things that girls do to impress boys, most people wouldn't jot down fly fishing. Not so, for Kami Swingle, who embarked on her own personal fly fishing adventure in order to grab a guy's attention. As Kami describes it in the film, she "fell for both". In The Way it Began, she documents her passion for the sport and the places it has taken her. The beautifully filmed short features some stunning footage of Shenandoah National Park and its wild brook trout.

In Trout Country, Western Fly Media brings you plenty of action and scenery from Montana, as well as some thoughts and shots of a guy that needs to buy smaller waders. If you're in the mood to feel bad about the undersized rainbows and browns found in your local streams, be sure not to miss it.

DamNation Documentary Nears Completion

by Ben Kryzinski - Saturday, Aug 17th, 2013

Co-producer Matt Stoecker positions a camera the day before removal began on the Condit Dam in Washington.

Felt Soul Media, the production company behind some of fly fishing's most well made and entertaining documentaries, hopes to have their latest film, DamNation, completed by early fall. Led by Telluride, Colorado duo Ben Knight and Travis Rummel, the team behind the film spent over a year and a half and 9,000 miles traveling from California to Maine documenting the issues that surround the over 80,000 dams currently in place in the United States.

The documentary is being created in partnership with producers Patagonia and Stoecker Ecological, who first proposed the movie to Felt Soul Media in late 2010. Despite initially being reluctant to take on the project, Knight noted that after exploring the issue, it was "transformative for [them] as filmmakers to understand how much our environment has been impacted by dams."

Photo Caption Contest: MFC Aluminum Fly Box

by Colin K. Breck - Wednesday, Aug 14th, 2013

Lamprey

Montana Fly Company produces some of the most beautiful flies in the industry, but doesn't limit their product catalog to flies and fly tying products. MFC is also known for all manner of other fly fishing shwag such as fly reels, strike indicators, nippers and scissors, awesome boat boxes, traditional fly boxes and a great deal more.

One of MFC's most popular line of products is their artist series of products. Spanning everything from fly reels to fly boxes to iPad cases, MFC has enlisted artists such as Bern Sundell, Bob White and Jeff Currier to produce fishy artwork that graces those products.

Quick Review: Patagonia Sun Stretch Shirt

by Paul Snyder - Monday, Aug 12th, 2013

Patagonia Sun Stretch Shirt

The company line: "When you're reaching way back to launch the 12 weight or polling across a hard, slick flat you need a shirt that moves with you. You also need cool, lightweight fabric and serious sun protection. This ultra-light (7.2 oz.) long sleeved shirt is made from quick-drying 2.25 oz. nylon polyester blend with mechanical stretch and 30 UPF sun protection. The vented upper torso catches the lightest breeze and vertical-zip chest pockets hold anything you need to access quickly."

What Works

Fit among manufacturers seems to be as unique as every body type. I'm a slim 5'11" and around 160 pounds, so I'm always annoyed when I order a shirt in a mens size M, put it on and find I could fit two of me in it (looking at you Columbia).