Ross Evolution LT reel going mean green. Photo – Texas Fly Caster

As part of a new push to go green in our last year of existence, I thought I would go green with some reels that fell into the box of gear that will be tried and tested this spring.

We all know what a fly reel does in fly fishing. It holds line and brings drag to bear on fighting fish. Drag. If you’ve fished with me, you’ve probably heard me preaching at you, “GO TO THE REEL!” Why not use your reel for its intended purpose, and practice going to the reel for the time you have that big one on. It makes me cringe to watch these guys on TV, stripping in big fish, only to get them close to landing and have them run through their floating line, while the personality keeps finger pressure on the line between his finger and the cork. (Insert primal scream here.)

As I have started looking toward catching larger fish, I also find the large arbor reels very efficient at picking up slack line – the easier they spin, the less effort devoted to that as well. What really did generate some small upgrades for me was drag, or the loss of functioning drag in my Orvis BBS reels. I don’t make a habit of cranking down drag, or leaving it cranked down when I put my reels away. I back off all my reel’s drags – no matter what kind they are. That habit was ineffective on the two Orvis reels I have in key sizes that I use very often. So often in fact, that I knew I would need something to replace them should I ship them off for repairs. And the silver finish on the BBS reels has to be a carp deterrent – it’s so bright and reflective. Before these reels came along, I was even considering getting into the anodizing business – just so I could get the shiny off stock store bought reels!

Ross Evolution LT4 Reel – Photo Texas Fly Caster.

THE ROSS EVOLUTION LT
First up is the Ross Evolution 4 reel. We have all read those first gear(head) reports with the second-by-second, “I waited for UPS, I opened the package, it was gleaming like a tarpon’s a&&, etc …” So, I will spare you the titillating description, and more importantly get back to you with performance updates as time moves on. The Ross is green. The finish is good, but a little more opaque than I like. It must have pretty darn good bearings because it free spins quite well. This reel is less of a wide/large arbor, and more of a straight up large arbor reel. For future reference, the drag is extremely smooth (with extra fine incremental clicks) and kicks in promptly and progresses smoothly as the drag is tightened down. Release of the spool is push button, with a smooth movement and solid clicking sound. Clean, tight inside and out.

BVK Machined aluminum reel by Temple Forks Outfitters. Photo – Texas Fly Caster

NEXT UP TFO BVK

The Temple Forks BVK reel fell into my hands as a trade in on an extremely disappointing machined Prism reel. What a disaster that reel was, after using it only a hand full of times. Being bulked up in the larger reels, I was hoping for something to fit my TFO 4wt Finesse, and the reel prescribed to me was the I, and of course in green. I appreciate, as always, the willingness of the guys at TFO to walk me through the aisles and show me the options. Fit and finish are bright green, and the machining is more square-edged than the Ross reel, which makes for obvious style differences. The BVK reel feels good in hand, the attention to details like the TFO logo on top of the frame and the “1″ and “BVK” on the stem, all add a touch of class to the reel. Inside, it looks something like the same setup on the Orvis BBS reels. The spool has a small spring loaded swing-arm-like release that is easy enough to find and engage. Removing and replacing the spools is smooth, and like the Ross, there’s no need to visually match anything up to get it to lock on. Then, there’s the drag … the first twenty-two clicks from zero drag do the same thing: nothing. Once the drag does kick in, there are plenty more clicks that actually mean something, and each one has value. It will be interesting to see how this reel handles the real world of fly fishing, but I am pretty optimistic that it will turn in good results. I kind of wish they would have covered that darn slotted screw in the drag knob with a little cap or something though. Read more details about the TFO BVK Fly Fishing reel.

BVK Machined aluminum reel by Temple Forks Outfitters has interesting details. Photo – Texas Fly Caster.

If finish matters to you right out of the box, the TFO reel’s overall anodizing is brighter more even and as JH would say, “sexier” than the Ross reel. If drag matters to you, then the Ross is smarter right out of the box. If price matters, then there’s only about 25-dollars separating these two reels in the smaller sizes. If reliability and durability matter to you, you’ll just have to wait and see how this story ends. Stay tuned …

Read more about the Ross Evolution LT.

OK, some guys are gear heads, and some guys aren’t. Everyone has their weakness. Somewhere along the way I became a Simms freak. I’ve always had a weakness for top shelf workmanship, materials and functional styling no matter whose name is on it.

A Simms shirt here and there, and pretty soon there are a few Simms shirts hanging in the closet. Simms waders? Well, I have had my issues with my Simms waders, and wonder who will be selling me my next pair of waders. Gloves and socks, sure.

I was looking to get a few things for this winter, and heard from my supplier that Simms was out of stock on the things I was looking at, making me wonder if there was a supply problem, or new styles were about to roll out.

HOT AIR BAGs
The latter is true, and as usual, you can count on Simms to come out with a new fabric to base some already proven designs upon – that would be airbag fabric.

Now, if you had ever seen an airbag detonated, which I have witnessed, you would have a ample appreciation for the material used to make airbags. I know I do. After all, an airbag is propelled by solid rocket fuel.

Retrograde to Simms felt, and quit slip sliding away?

And what was old is new again. Simms is moving full speed reverse into felt soled boots. The Freestone, Headwaters and Guide boot models are again available in felt. So much for those Vibram “upgrades.” (I just love how computer terms, like “upgrade” have permeated the fly fishing lexicon.)

Coming soon to your local pro basser.

There’s a lot more to see … like the Pro Dry line of products, designed for the bass pros. I heard rumors at the IFTD show that they would include a bass graphic on them, but for now they simply lack the trademark arched trout (for good reason). If there’s a bass, I can’t see it.

Headwaters Half-Day made from Airbag Material.

The real excitement does come in the area of the Simms packs and the new 315 HT 100-percent Nylon Auto Airbag Material. You know I have to get my hands on this stuff, and put it through the paces – Texas flats style, all day long and all summer long. The new Half-day pack already has my name on it. The light color and smaller size look perfect in the two dimensional world. I do wonder why they left out the CamelBak style water carrying capability though.

Simms continues to answer the challenge from Orvis’ highly successful Pack and Travel Sonic Seam Waders ($249.) weighing in at just under two-and-a-half pounds, with the updated Simms Blackfoot Waders at an amazing $179.95. If you are looking for an entry point pair of waders, either of these would be a great start. Orvis has the distinct advantage, in this case, of having more size variations to choose from with the Pack and Travels.

There’s nothing quite like a Christmas surprise, and this year if you’ve been nice, it’s about time to treat yourself to the quality of Simms. If you ever have any problem with their products, they will take care of you, and once you see their attention to details, I think you will be hooked on Simms products for some time to come.

If Santa is reading, take a look at the Half-Day Pack and if I’ve been really good, maybe take a look at the Freestone wading pants.

GIFT GIVING
If you have seen any great things you would like to have under your Christmas tree this year, be sure to let me know. I will be running a gift giving story or two – that feature new products as well as tried and true products still available here in the “Fly Shop.”

Kodak’s new Zx5 has some new upgrades and downgrades.

Nearly thirty years in the photography business has taught me at least one thing; Count on Kodak to take a good thing, overprice it, overhype it, and finally tweak it into obscurity.

Rather than a long treatise on Kodak, the US corporation, let’s just take one simple product the Kodak “PlaySport” consumer grade waterproof camera. I have sold a few to friends and fly fishers through articles on Texas Fly Caster, and phone conversations. It’s a straight forward camera that fits easily in a fishing shirt pocket, vest or pack. And that’s where mine stays, my Simms waist pack, virtually all the time.

I actually like mine so much that I was looking to upgrade to the newest PlaySport Zx5 a few weeks ago. Of course, there’s upgrades galore to the new PlaySport. They have moved the on/off button to the top (fantastic idea!), and have a “Share” button (which means a wifi connection?).

The upgrades to the new camera are significant, when compared to the previous Zx3 interim upgrade to the PlaySport. Default recording in .MP4 is a huge plus, as is something even more critical to fly fishing photography – macro focusing down to ~ 4 inches. Now, I am sure you would have to fiddle around with mode settings and go into “macro” mode to focus that close, but we are talking some fantastic fly tying video details – if that’s your cup of tea.

Guess what? They have also reduced the sensor size from 1/2.5 to 1/3.2, meaning overall quality, and the ability to record in low light is further reduced. And the real downgrade comes in the battery department. We wander far and wide as fly fishers, not just out in the back yard to shoot video of kids in our swimming pools, so batteries and battery life is a much higher priority than the average user considers. Kodak, in their infinite wisdom, has decided to install a permanent battery – invisible and non-removable. What does this mean for users? We already know batteries have an effective life of perhaps two years under best case conditions. We depend on backup batteries when we take these cameras fly fishing, so if one goes down, we have a backup charged and ready to go. Now, once the camera dies, and believe me it will die, you’re done for the day. No more video or 5mp stills … just put it away because it is now dead weight. When the internal battery finally quits holding a charge, pack it up and send it off for repairs – to Kodak! Are you starting to get the picture – the big picture?

Unfortunately, Kodak never gets the clue until it’s too late. Will they go back to a removable battery? Probably not. Will the downgrades continue? It’s Kodak. If you are interested exclusively in video, the gap widens between Kodak and better choices. If you can live without a “Share” button and without macro focusing, run to Amazon real quick and look at the Zx3 Kodak PlaySport.

If you can live without macro function, and share isn’t in your digital vocabulary, look at the Kodak Zx3.