Totally excited to add a new pattern that will be available later in the Spring.  The Lunatic is a great streamer in four colors- brown trout and smallies gobble it up.

As a kid I heard great stories about pike being caught in the early spring just after the ice melts.  Since we have had no ice to speak of the past few years- my search has started earlier and earlier.  Often I spend these searches on pretty little rivers with iced up guides and none of the huge fish that filled my dreams.  Yes, there have been fish but like any good fisherman the next fish has to be bigger and the next day speaks of unheard gluttony.  My boxes are filled, rod rigged tomorrow is going to be grand.  If my ideas for bigger better fish come true tomorrow then this summer is going to be killer for carp.  I came across a photo of one of my favorite carp flats.  Should keep all us carp lovers going until the water warms.

There are many schools of thought in fly fishing- dry flies only, swinging for steelhead, chuck n duck, Czech nymphing….Fly Fishing for gar is not on anybody’s list.  In fact, I recently saw gar on a list of chosen species just above suckers and not fishing at all.  And I would agree.  But sometimes during the dog day’s of Summer I want to catch a dinosaur.  It is the one chance I have to tangle with something prehistoric without the need for a gun, a boat, an alligator and a trip to the ER.  Everything about them is cool- their eyes, mouth, markings and breathing above water making them a brutal Marco Polo opponent.  So, as I tie an order for my favorite gar fly (yes I have a favorite gar pattern- bring on the cool fishermen and tyers giving me crap) I have to smile.  There is somebody else out there wanting to get in touch with their inner kid.  So go all caveman and wrestle with a dinosaur.

Allen Fly Fishing- the ABOO1 Fly Box Review

Like most fly fishermen I am a recovering gear addict.   I don’t know how many Ramen meals I had to eat after I bought my first small stream outfit- doesn’t really matter the rod is sublime to cast.  Recently my new switch rod and reel have had me tying late into most nights.  The first day I swung a streamer through a tail out suddenly I was wide awake. 

So when I saw the extreme affordability of Allen Fly Fishing (www.allenflyfishing.com) I knew I had to try some of their products.   Streamer boxes are pricy- buying enough of them to carry a season’s worth of flies super expensive.  Allen has a numerous fly boxes, each box with pages of 5 star recommendations.  I was most interested in their streamer boxes (7.75” x 4.75” x 1.75”) the ABOO1 for $9.50.  Other companies sell similar boxes for 2-4 times the price. 

The hinges are extremely strong, being more than a little height impaired my boxes get dunked a lot- the ABOO1 keeps my flies dry and the slits in the foam keeps them upright.  While I think that size 4- 10 flies are the best sizes I have gone much smaller/larger and the foam worked awesome.  The AB001 is also plenty deep enough for large poppers for those hungry summer smallies.

So save money buy Allen’s fly boxes, eat canned tuna and peanut butter for the next year to go to Belize.           You will be pleasantly surprised at the extreme value for such a small price tag.

Getting ready for toothy critters- here is an order of R&D patterns heading to Michigan.  Hopefully some bent over rods are coming in the future.

I am close to being done with all these patterns.  But in order to get them dialed in faster I will be offering them at a discounted rate until April 2.  Send me an email and I will send you two patterns.  The more feedback and or photos that each customer sends me the more deals that person will get.  I am really looking forward to getting these patterns wet in new waters with new friends.