DoubleD

Boys and Girls, When you say "hype", you're basically telling someone they're full of crap. Hype is your opinion. Your "hype" is hype..haha. Everyone is entitled to my.....whoops, your own opinion. Take "one" out. Don't say hype until you fish with one. Even then it's your opinion (as this is mine). Big companies pay lots of money for hype, but sometimes (z-axis) they have a really good "one" that comes out. Remember, too, that some of you guides, shop employees, and experienced casters can make any POS rod cast better than most of us. A talented musician can make a $99 guitar sound good. I need all the help I can get. Ha ha. I know sometimes people have to justify not wanting to spend $700 or not being able to afford $700 for a rod. It's a lot of money no doubt. Doesn't mean it's hype. Call a spade a spade. Anyway, main point, I took a 690 out and don't find it as outstanding as my 486. I don't see a huge difference between it and a 690 Z-Axis (tiny bit lighter). That's just my view. It's the same with the Hardy Zenith, I have a 590 which is saweet, but the 890 didn't get very good reviews ( I haven't cast one). The BVK 890 got better reviews in a couple places and I can cast some huge divers and big strips with it well. It's going to Tobin Lake SK end of the month with me for Pike. Nice rod and nicer at $250!! There seem to be some sweeter sticks in any lineup.

Hey, good to have the heads up of a new podcast. New one to listen to on the train to work! BTW, the Orvis app for iPhones and iPod touches is sweet! Almost 200 podcasts, videos, knots, flies, link to Orvis news, fishing reports, and even license and reg information for all the States. Handy if you're going to Montana for a trip. Best App ever! Hands down.

Absolutely. The number is on my speed dial. I actually enjoy getting these douchebags caught and reading these posts. I let it go once. A guy had his family with him (little kids) and was from the area (red deer). They were all fishing with bait near the Glennifer Lake Dam. I told him out of earshot of his kids that I'd call him in if they didn't at least switch to lures. At least they were letting them go. I gave him a chance to man up. No young kid needs to see his Dad get in trouble with people with guns and badges. I would like to see a sign posted at all the usual places that say "The Anglers fishing here will turn you in. Poaching is a Crime." It will inspire the Angers to unite against poaching and serve as a warning to the poachers. If someone is ignorant of the regulations they got when they bought their license (if they have one), it may make them check. I also find that there is a fair bit of garbage left behind by those most likely to poach. That really gets me p*ssed off. I pick up every single bit of garbage that is fishing related, like packaging or discarded line, and coffee cups. I don't want people thinking negatively about anglers. Littering is a $500 or more fine. That would be a good one to tag onto fishing with bait, barbed hooks, poaching, and no license. More COs for sure! How do we help it happen?

I read a lot of blog posts on the "one". They mostly seem to copy the advertising shpeel Sage puts out. Blah blah game changer, blah blah, extention of your arm. Well folks, I own one now and it will have brothers and sisters within the year. It's pretty sweet. It's my favorite rod already. I may sell all my rods and just own Ones. I actually like using the 4 weight now as it does what most of my other 5 weights do and is lighter! I put the muscle on a large rainbow last night without trouble at all. Kept forgetting it was a 4 weight. I was thingamabobbin it with two tungsten nymphs and it roll cast nicely and it was nice to cast 30ft with elkhair caddis too. Don't just beleive me. Take one out fishing. I hope they won't be harder to get your hands on as time goes by and word gets out. Though, some fly shops couldn't sell a Z-Axis if they tried after they first came out. That said, it's not infinately better than the Z and some people will still argue that it's not better at all. It may not be for you. Just the handle alone makes it better for me. Much more fomfortable. I used a Rio Grand on it and test cast it at the shop with a 5. I had to line it up a bit. It's definately more on the Z-Axis/Hardy Zenith/St Croix Legend Elite/ GLoomis Streamdance side of action for sure. Wait a second....no, they suck, don't buy one, yeah, that's it. Horrible they are. Crap on them all you want. That's the ticket.

Though I haven't seen any one lately, I have called report a poacher many times. They have a reward program. Pretty sweet. As soon as I see a bobber (red and white, not thingama...)on a line or a rod propped up on a stick I haul out the phone. The most ridiculous display of poaching I've seen was a video taken by a fly shop employee of poachers with almost a dozen large rainbows flopping on the bank and they were using live stonefly nymphs. Not sure where they got them. I have to hand it to him for staying calm and pretending he was from out of town. He asked them lot of questions where they kind of hung themselves with the answers, and, he tried valiently to keep them there until the COs showed up. Unfortunately, the CO passed them on their way out of the lot and couldn't catch up to them after. The nice thing is that he kept filming them when they were getting into their vehicles, license plates in full view. I haven't asked him what the outcome was, but that would be a pretty nice poachstopper cheque. $$$$$ To further the petitioning for more COs, I'm good with having a conservation levy that would be added to our licenses. I'd be fine with an extra $5 a year if it meant another couple of COs. Way too many poachers. I've never seen so many anywhere else in my life. I'd also like to see someone with authority to crack down on rafters. Most don't have life jackets, most are drinking, etc etc etc. All the flotsam in the water that is obviously tuber related (the afore mentioned oars and beer cans). I think it should be manditory for ANY watercraft to require an operators license. That would cut the tuber hatch in half easily. They'd have an easy job. Just sit on the bank and tell people to come ashore. An easy cash cow as photo radar. Done! :derby racer:

Love the tuber hatch. I actually saw a blown up bouncy castle with people on it floating past Bankside last week. Seriously. Lots of tuber shucks in the water. Filled a garbage bag.

Hi Folks, I thought that "island" was a nature preserve for birds. The signs are new so I don't think it's just something carried over from years gone by. I would imagine the city wouldn't allow the private ownership of land like that on the river in town. They'd buy it up for sure and make it some kind of nature land akin to Fish Creek Park. Not 100% sure. I would think you'd be allowed to wade the waters next to it. If you can float it you can wade it.

If you haven't bought a rod yet, the Z-Axis is on sale now. You may want to try a Sage One as well. I have a 4 weight (wicked good) and heard the 8 weight is the deal for bones. The 9 should be equally impressive. Also, check out the 8 weight shootout by the good folks at Yellowstone Angler. I'm sure the 9 weights are similar. The BVK did really well. Something to think about. That said, I know a few guys who like the TCX and chuck some mean steamers with it. They all work for fly shops or used to be guides. I don't know many who have the Loomis rods other than the spey stuff. I have a couple but they don't inspire awe in me like the Z-Axis or the new One (the Hardy Zenith is a pretty sweet chucker too). But that's just me. I like that feel. I have to say though, all my go to spinning rods are ALL GLoomis. The last few I've bought were all Loomis. You can feel them looking at your lure. Whenever anyone says that you should check them out yourself, they are 100% right. A lot of really great fly fishermen and ladies use rods I can't stand the feel of. They don't work with my casting style. I see Fly fishing as a multi level experience. Nature, solitude, man against beast and all that. Casting a rod should feel like it's just part of you. Just like that perfect drive when you're golfing. You're short changing yourself if you settle for less. You have to cast a few rods to find the right ones. Further than that, if a shop will let you take them fishing, take them up on it. It's a better indication of how you'll like it than waggling or casting in the parking lot for 5 mins. All my opinion of course.

I voted Galvan. The drag is amazing and they are nicely machined. Tight specs. They'll fix/replace for you if you run it over accidentally. Followed closely by Bauer and Hatch. I do like my Islander and Abel reels, but I don't have as much faith in the cork. Nice drags but I like things to be rugged. Rugged wise, it would be Hatch then Bauer.

Had a chance to fish my new Sage One rod last night. You need to take one out fishing. Casting it is sweet. Fishing with it is a whole other thing. The 4 weights have the cahunas of a 5 weight, but can cast small dries nicely. They are pricey, so conversely, the Z-Axis rods are one sale now. Its a win win. Most of the blog posts about it sound like promo material. All I can say is take one out if you can. You have to feel it to beleive it. I may sell all my rods and get ones.

I agree with the Simms. Gore tex is great, and the warranty makes it a no brainer. Don't skimp. As for the pontoon, If you want to stand up, the fishcat 10IR is great. I tried one. Kind of neat to stand up and cast. I used to own a Fishcat 9IR. I had all the bells, whistles, and the roller wheel. I noticed two things. One is that most pontoons with steel frames are HEAVY! Unless you only have a short way to haul it, think about this point. If you need to carry it ANY distance, get the lightest pontoon you can!!! The second thing is blowing it up. Get an electric inflator or keep it blown up and put it in the back of your truck or on a trailer. I ended up taking a loss selling mine as I had to haul it a ways to my favorite fishing spots, and I couldn't keep it blown up. Taking the whole thing down to put in the trunk or hatch is a big pain in 30 degree wheather!!! These are just my thoughts. I'm sure there are many people who would rave. I ended up with a Fatcat float tube as it is much much lighter. Obviously not for river use though. Pontoons you can. LIGHT, not the bird, is the word.

I highly recommend Nautilus 7/8 FWX. . Very light, well made, bullet proof drag, really good warranty. I have a couple. Galvan Torque or it's less fancy brother the Rush or Rush Light are both great reels but more expensive. If you have the money, get the Nautilus NV!!!!

The TFO BVK has had great reviews. Supposedly not the best for anything in close unless you over line it, but great for lanuching. Fish Tales told me they liked it as well for Bones. The St.Croix Legend Elite also has the 3m Nano silica stuff and has always had excellent reviews in all it's incarnations. I have the 6# and is a great caster for larger flies. It is also only $450. The BVK is around $300 in Canada (includes a case in Canada, States don't)