broken-fish.net

Deciding on what to purchase is a difficult task…especially for a newb like me just getting into it. Thankfully, I had the experience of a good friend, and also a couple excellent shops here in Edmonton to help make my decisions. I also did a considerable amount of surfing the net to finalize my choices. This is what I started with:

• St. Croix Pro Graphite rod (PF906)
  Nice action, and a lifetime warranty…even if the rod gets run over! I purchased my rod and reel at the Fishing Centre on 83St.
  
• Scientific Angler Concept 2 56LA reel w/ 3 spools
  I like the large arbour and the smooth reel action
  UPDATE (Summer 2005): Bought a new reel… an Okuma Sierra 5/6 – MUCH nicer drag than the SA reel. It’s not a larger arbour reel, but I like the compactness.
• Fly lines – can’t recall what brands I bought for the fly lines..was just concerned about getting the 3 varieties to handle pretty much any situation:
  • weight forward floating
  • weight forward sinking tip
  • weight forward #2 sinking

  The new clear Cortland lines are very enticing…I think I might try one this year, perhaps in a deeper/faster sinking line.

• Trout Trap Pro 350 tube
  A nice size tube…uses a rubber inner tube for the main bladder, and 2 PVC bladders for the backrest. Included fly patch, and backpack straps
• Scotty fly-rod holder, and cup holder
  What can I say….I think this rod holder will be much better than the velcro straps on the tube. I also picked up a Scotty cup holder…to keep those open beverages secure while bringing in the big ones
• Hodgman’s Lakestream “Shorty” vest
  
  I had to replace my old vest this year, after leaving it behind at Twin Lakes one night last year. It was an old vest, bad zippers, but had a camera full of pictures that I miss. This new one I picked up at the Fishing Hole during their Boxing Day sale last Christmas.
• Bare Sport 5mil chest waders
  These were a great buy IMO. I was was initially looking for a pair of Osprey Magnum 357 waders (a friend has a pair) Very comfortable, Canadian-made waders at an excellent price! The Osprey waders are considerably more expensive, but there is a little more to their construction, with a 3mil body, 5mil legs, and 7mil boots and a 7mil sole. Personally, I couldn’t justify spending double the money.
• Plana AvantiHP fins
  These were really comfortable fins… I like the full foot design compared to the strap on fins that are typically offered in the fly shops. These fins have worked great so far, and really seem to provide a great deal of propulsion with a mini mum of effort. The only problem I have with them are for those really long days on the water, they are just a touch too small. The feet start hurting quite a bit after a few hours. So its time to get some new ones this year.
• Well, found these at Ocean Sports on Whyte Ave… brought my waders along to make sure that they fit well. I’m a little skeptical about the 2 materials…but they were under $40, so will give them a try. Was surprised to see how non-standard the sizing is on fins. This new pair has the same metric sizing, but say 12-13, whereas the Plana fins said that the equivalent size was 11-12.
• BottomLine Fishin Buddy 1200
  The main feature that made me select this model is it’s sidescan feature. No other fish finder in the price range has it….and it seems to me that in a tube I would want to be able to look around and see where I should be casting. Also picked up the float tube mount for it (it comes with a clamp mechanism to attach it to a boat or canoe.)It runs on 3 C cells…apparently for up to 40 hours!
  And 40 hours might be a little low… The finder is great for getting right over the holes….and along the drop offs. I really like the side scan as well… less guesswork when casting the line towards the shore. And it’s a thrill stripping your line in, and being able to see the fish following.

There are a couple other items on my wish list that I haven’t gotten yet:

• mesh creel – for the most part, I practice catch and release, but occasionally I like to keep one to bring home . Osprey makes one that looks pretty good.
• wooden landing net – I have a teardrop shaped, short aluminum handled one that does the trick now, but the wooden ones look so nice!
• Chest pack – there are a few out there that interest me, made by Buck’s Bags, and the Midge Plus by JW Outfitter’s

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