It’s that time of year again when we go over our most used gear from the previous year.
First up will be the wading boots…
We both used the Simms Flyweight Access Boot. It was the second season for my pair and they are showing some wear but otherwise are holding up fine. Lightweight with plenty of grip.
Our choice of jigheads changed this year. We found the Daiwa Gekkabijin’s to work very well. Runner up was the Duo Tetra Works Sniphead Large.
Our favorite snap this year ended up being the IMA Tariki snap in Size #0 and #1.
For the second year in a row…we still prefer the EuroTackle 2-inch and 3-inch B-vibes in Green Pumpkin or Black.
New for 2023 was adding a Yeti GoBox 15 to the loadout. We were looking for something that could hold all of our extra jigheads, snaps, plastic baits and spools of line. It lived in the vehicle for most of the season. It was nice to reach the car after an outing and reload what we needed.
For me, my most used reel was the Daiwa Airity. I absolutely loved using it and can’t recommend it enough. My wife used her Stella almost exclusively and loved it. She has recently received an Airity so we will see what 2024 brings.
My most used spinning rod ended up being the Tenryu Rayz Spectra RZS51LL again. Great rod for our type of fishing and target species.
Her two favorite setups. The Stella C2000S with her Tenryu Rayz Spectra RZS61LL and her Shimano Soare XR S58UL-S rod with a Soare XR 2000 reel.
I did spend quite a bit of time in 2023 fishing with baitcasters and really enjoyed throwing hard baits with them.
Daiwa Silver Creek Stream Custom 8.5 on a Tenryu Rayz Spectra RZS51LL-BC followed by a Shimano Scorpion BFS on a MajorCraft Finetail FSG-B462UL glass rod.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t throw in a pic of some nets we used for 2023. We purchased these off of Etsy from a Ukrainian master craftsman who goes by ZenNets. Excellent nets!
I am sure that there are things I’m leaving out, but these were the main items that stuck out in 2023. We explored several new areas, enjoyed beautiful scenery, had a lot of laughs and a few disappointments. But all-in-all, we had a great year of fishing and continued to learn a lot. Here’s to 2024 being a great year as well…CHEERS!
On the fishing side of things, the only new thing has been the purchase of two nets from ZenNets out of Ukraine. The gentleman is a master craftsman working under austere war-torn conditions. We didn’t need more nets but he was having a half-off sale so we snagged two more.
As far as actual fishing goes, the answer is NO. I am still working tons of overtime which means 16 hour days. Also, the heat as been atrocious these past few weeks. For those who don’t know…we tend not to fish for our beloved native smallmouth (Velox) in these conditions due to increased mortality rates due to extreme stress. And I will also add that come Saturday, I’m pretty exhausted and tend to sleep a lot. I am not sure how accurate my Samsung Smart Watch is in regards to its sleep tracking software…but it showed I managed to get 4 hours and 57 minutes of DEEP/REM sleep from Monday thru to Friday. Im not gonna lie…I am tired.
On the weather front…the heat indexes have been well over 100F and approaching 120F day after day. It IS August in Oklahoma after all. The hard part for us is that we usually don’t have to contend with a lot of humidity from July to September. This year has been different in the fact that is has rained/stormed just enough to keep the humidity high enough to be miserable (60%+)
Our youngest leaves for college next week and we’ve been buying everything required to furnish a dorm room. Seems odd to me that the University provides a long list of necessary items knowing full well that they are cramming two young adults into a 12ft x 15ft dorm room. I feel horrible for my wife because she has been the one running around and purchasing everything. I’m at work from 0500-2300 and can provide ZERO help unless it’s via a phone call. Parents are truly the unsung heroes in the world! The things we do for our children that go unnoticed is astounding.
Cheers! to all of the parents out there
I will close here as there hasn’t really been anything exciting going on and I haven’t had a chance to really go fishing…anything further would sound like whining, lol. Thanks for reading!
I am constantly trying to streamline my gear to become more efficient. I prefer to carry what I think I need for a day on the river and not much else.
For reference: I do own a Patagonia Convertible Fly Fishing vest already. And for honesty’s sake, I’m too lazy to pull all of the stuff out to reconfigure it for a different purpose. Once I get something dialed in the way I like it then I tend to leave it alone. So for that reason, I bought something different.
The LittlePresents Strap Vest Neo V-23. This is a Japanese company that designs various items that are fishing related. I’m not into the tactical look but this had what I was looking for without being over the top.
I will still continue to use the Yeti Panga 28 backpack, but I wanted something a little more “user” friendly. Having my essentials up front and accessible will increase efficiency which will allow me to fish more. I will no longer have to stop and take off my backpack and dig into it to find what I need.
Both front pockets are spacious and hold plenty of lure boxes and terminal tackle boxes.There is a single large zippered pocket on the back to hold raingear, licenses and various other things. Even my coffee brewing kit.With net attached.Relatively low-profile.
My criteria was for a “thin” vest as opposed to one with a gazillion pockets everywhere that stick out too far forward. I didn’t want my casting to be impeded so I got a vest that could hold only the essentials. I also wanted it be lighter and cooler than a regular fly fishing vest (I know they make mesh vests) because summer is here and temperatures are climbing. I also wanted a vest that still had the potential to be modified by me if I deem it necessary.
Two things I still need to sort out are: a spare rod holder and a water bottle holder. I can always toss a water bottle in the back pocket but I’d like something easier to get to.
I love fishing…but I also love tinkering with fishing gear and tackle! Hopefully this will work out and I plan to test it soon so stay tuned for that. Thanks for reading.
I turned 52 today and was presented this gift by my wife. It is a handcrafted lure box from Japan. It is a Tetsujirushi box and is absolutely gorgeous!
I am stunned and don’t know what to say, except “THANK YOU.” I keep looking at it and all I can say is “WOW!”
The weather has been against us for most of March. It has rained every week,and usually on a Thursday/Friday, so the river levels have been high every weekend. That’s Spring in Oklahoma for you!
Yes, the river level drops fast, but the water is heavily stained and the fishing is atrocious so we are forced to wait it out. When things stabilize a bit, we will be ready to go and are looking forward to it. We hope to be posting on here more often in the near future.
I just received another set of Mr. Nelsons flies! My photography skills cannot do these justice and I apologize in advance.
This series is his 2021 Branson Award-Winning Fly Collection and I am gobsmacked again. These are GORGEOUS and very well tied. The Classic Wet Flies From Ray Bergmans 1938 book “Trout” are incredible and have vibrant colors that pop out and really capture your attention. The Wet Flies From Mary Orvis Marburys 1892 book “Favorite Flies and Their Histories” are very realistic and life-like. Impressive work to say the least.
As an angler, I am not as proficient in fly fishing as I would like to be, nor am I well versed in the patterns and histories of flies and fly tying…but I can darn sure appreciate a well tied and beautiful fly!
As anglers, we should support and encourage one another, so if interested, then show some love to Mr. Nelson over at classicflytying.biz. You won’t be disappointed.
I can’t get enough of these lures! They swim well and are easy to fish. After my first couple of purchases, my wife decided to get some for herself. Can’t say as I blame her. So we will start with the 4 she ordered!
Personally, I REALLY like the lure that is second from the left. Stunning.
I ordered 2 more myself just to increase the variety in my arsenal.
I think now, we have a good range of colors and shapes. These lures handle and track very well in the water.
We were pretty excited to get these lures. After a week of ice and cold temperatures followed by several days of rain…it was nice to receive fishing related items in the mailbox, but it will be awhile before the rivers and lakes settle a bit. Hopefully we will be able to wet a line sometime this weekend. Catch you on the next one!
I was over on Instagram scrolling through my feed which pertains to all sorts of fishing. I follow mainly Japanese anglers but there a several from all over the world that I follow as well. There are also several lure makers who show their wares and I was impressed by one in particular…Veles Handcrafted Lures based in Serbia. I sent a message asking if he sold on Etsy since I’d seen his site but there was nothing for sale. He replied that he indeed did sell on that platform and would be uploading items very soon. Fast forward a few days and I bought two lures as soon as they were available. To keep this short and stop rambling, I will just post the pics.
I am very impressed with the quality of these lures. Attention to detail is amazing. His prices are reasonble with lures running from $20-$25 apiece. From the amount of work that goes into each one, I would say that is more than fair. If interested, his store can be found on Etsy under “veleshandcraftedlure” and on Instagram at #veles_handcrafted_lures. Catch you all on the next one.
2022 was a fun year for us in regards to fishing. We visited some new places and were able to try some new gear. Ever since we delved into the Japanese fishing gear market, it has been an interesting ride. So without taking up any more time, lets get into it.
2022 Daiwa Exist LT 2000S-H
The Daiwa Exist turned out to be a great reel for me. ZERO issues with it ever since I bought it. Pricey, but it performs. I reached for this reel more often than any of the others when fishing rivers and streams.
Daiwa Presso LT 1000S-P
The Daiwa Presso LT is another great reel. No longer made in Japan but offshored to China, this reel came out swinging. It is smoother and has less startup inertia than my Presso 1025 LTD. I seriously enjoyed fishing with this reel. I would pick this over the Shimano Stradic 1000, the Vanford 1000 and the Abu MGX Theta 1000. There are better reels out there, these were just some of what I have.
TenRyu Rayz Integral RZI50L-4
My favorite Pack Rod was the TenRyu Rayz Integral RZI50L-4. Very well built, extremely compact and easy to carry. It fished very well and the action was great. This rod lived in my Yeti Panga for most of 2022. It was always with me everytime I went out and saw a lot of use.
TenRyu Rayz Spectra RZS51LL
Another excellent choice for stream fishing. I really started to develop an appreciation for TenRyu rods this year. Fit and finish is impeccable and they are a joy to fish with. I absolutely love these rods. Accuracy was spot on, plenty of backbone for fish in current and sensitivity was stellar. 9 times out of 10, I’d reach for this rod.
Apia Grandage Lite 61
Runner up for most used rod this year. Unbelievably light and sensitive. Paired with the Daiwa Presso LT 1000 reel, this outfit felt like a magic wand. It is delicate and needs to be babied, but it is worth it. Reasonably priced at around $135, but it delivers the goods. Casting distance is outstanding. Definitely not designed for smallmouth or trout but it did an excellent job and handled everything I threw at it.
Yeti Panga 28L backpack
You are probably sick of seeing this backpack in all of our photos. On its third year and it still keeps going strong. Waterproof and submersible, as well as being built like a tank (much thicker material than Simms or Patagonias offerings). Yes it is expensive at $300 but it is worth every penny. I would instantly buy another one if something happened to this one. It is a workhouse and holds all of our gear and then some. We haven’t found anything better that suits our style of fishing. If I’m wet wading and need to get across a deep pool, I swing this around to my front and lay on it. Then I just swim across and keep going without any worries. Cameras and cell phone as well as everything else inside has stayed 100% dry EVERY TIME.
Simms Flyweight Access boots
Alhough I got off to a rough start with these boots, I ended up working around or through the issues and these boots worked out well. Traction was very good and they have held up pretty well. Not as comfortable as a heavier built boot for all day wading, but they get the job done better in certain situations due to being lighter and grippier. Coupled with the Simms Guide Socks, they just work. As stated before, I’d buy another pair.
I ended up using this Varivas line for most of 2022 on various reels. We are still trying out lines from different manufacturers so this will probably change in the future.
We tend to gravitate towards throwing jigs when fishing rivers and streams. These were the 5 different jig heads we threw most often. We tend to experiment quite a bit with the different shapes and weights and it is nice to have a selection of different weights.
For 2022 we opted to stay with the EuroTackle Finesse B-vibes in black and green pumpkin in both 2 inch and 3 inch versions. There may be something better out there but these have produced well and more consistently than anything we have tried. I would estimate that we used these about 90% of the time this year.
Miscellaneous gear for 2022.
That wraps up the “Most Used Gear in 2022” segment. I look back fondly on 2022 since we both managed some “Personal Bests” and we are both looking forward to what 2023 brings. Stay tuned for more!
The wife and I had been looking for a more compact stove. We didn’t want a backpacking stove per se, just something smaller than what we had been using. We came across a YouTube video about this type of stove so we decided to try it.
Standard Butane canister next to stove case.
We like the concept as well as the size. It puts out 8000 BTU’s which is sufficient for our needs. This stove is designed to run on butane but we have an adapter that lets us use propane if necessary. Why butane? Because it’s much cheaper…I purchased 8 cans for $8.99! And butane works just fine during the warmer months. With the appropriate adapters, we can run any of our stoves off of propane, butane or isobutane. It’s nice to have options.
This should work well for us. Space is at a premium in our Subarus so every little effort to downsize without losing functionality is helpful. Hopefully we will be able to put it to use soon when the weather cools down a bit.
I have about 25 full days using these boots and have grown to like them more and more. In the beginning I had issues with sand, micro-gravel and pebbles entering the boots, but I have remedied that problem.
By running the gravel guard as far down onto the boot as I possibly can, I have managed to keep all of the detritus out of my boots. As the name suggests, they are very lightweight and allow me to wade-fish all day without worry or discomfort.
The traction provided by the Vibram sole is pretty good. It definitely boosts your confidence when crossing sketchy barriers and these have been better than any other wading boot I have used except for felt soled versions. If you are fishing around Didymo covered rocks then felt soles and studs would be the way to go. But for walking trails, going up and down hills and over downed trees, wading small rivers and what not, these boots are great.
However, the increased traction from the softer Vibram sole does come at the cost of durability and longevity. I knew that going into the purchase so I accept the wear and tear.
Beginnings of wear.Lugs worn off.
I used these boots as my portaging footwear up in the Boundary Waters. Wet landings, sand, mud, bogs, beaver dams, rocks etc and they performed flawlessly. For me, I can honestly say these were the best option I have ever used up there to date.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I would gladly buy another pair of these for the type of fishing I do. If durability and longevity were your primary concern, then there are better options out there. Thanks for reading.
I thought I would share a few of the stoves that we use.
First up is the cook system I carry with me when I am fishing. Everything fits inside a TOAKS Titanium 750ml Mug. The kit includes a 100 gram isobutane canister, a Jet Boil canister stand, a Fire Maple 300T stove, a mini-Bic lighter, some coffee singles and a Snow Peak silicone “Hot Lips” guard. Anytime I feel like having coffee or tea, I pull this out and fix a cup on the stream bank.
The stove we carried on our Boundary Waters trip was the Kovea Spider KB-1109 which is a remote canister stove with a pre-heat tube which allows you to invert the canister for use in cold temperatures. It has a relatively small burner head which we noticed was a negative when using a 2L GSI kettle. It took a long time to boil water for meals or coffee and used more fuel than anticpated during the trip.
Upon my return from the trip I began trying to come up with a solution to our issue. Eventually I decided on a multi-prong approach which incorporated a Bulin 1.6L kettle with a built-in heat exchanger, a stove with a larger burner head, a windscreen and an adapter.
I do not like using windscreens with stoves that mount directly on top of a fuel canister…I’ve seen the results firsthand when a canister overheats and detonates. We have several stoves of this type so I began looking at options and adapters.
What I discovered on Amazon was an adapter system made by Camping Moon that did exactly what I had in mind. It basically converts your upright canister stove into a remote canister stove.
We have a few different upright canister stoves from when we used to backpack. I plan on playing around with them to see which one will work best for us. So far I have been impressed with the Z23 adapter. It is CNC machined and very well made. Being able to run two stoves or a stove and a lantern is a neat feature. It adds some weight to the system but I think it is worth it. We are also looking at reducing the size of our camp kitchen gear as well. Size and weight will be our main focus so stay tuned for that blog post coming in the near future.
We have been using Gomexus reel stands for about 2 years now. It is a cheap and effective way to protect your spinning reels. Since we fish rivers and streams a lot, and there are rocks everywhere, these tend to keep the reels off of the rocks when we set our rods down.
We generally use the Gomexus R1 42mm fixed stand but when they released the Gomexus R6 48mm foldable stand, we wanted to try those.
R6 Foldable on LEFT, R1 Fixed on RIGHT.
Since we store our reels in padded cases or neoprene covers, the foldable design has been really nice.
R6 Foldable standR6 Foldable Stand screwed down and locked
At first I was hesitant about using any reel stand. I thought it was a gimmick and that they would be unwieldy of even unbalance the rod and reel. But the more I used them the more I liked them.
To me, it’s a cheap way to keep your reels from being scratched and beat up on rocks or gravel. The Gomexus R1 costs $10 USD. If I’m using a $150 reel, then $10 isn’t much to add a level of protection. The Gomexus R6 costs $12 USD and it’s worth it for the foldable feature.
Gomexus R1 fixed on a 2019 Shimano Stradic FL 1000S. No more worries about scratched reels or damaged bails.
I have no affiliation with Gomexus, or anybody else for that matter. I’m just showing a few of their products that we use. They also make knobs and reel handles for both baitcast and spinning reels. Most of their items are produced in a range of colors as well. If you’re interested, check them out.
Velox Seeker 