Billy Belsom
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Not sure if your priority is weight/packability, or durability/functionality. If you want to go as light as possible, I like the Marmot Precip jacket. My backpacking go-to rain shell.
For a warmer, full-feature wading jacket I am a big fan of my Patagonia SST. Very clean and plain exterior, great pockets, hidden d-rings, but best of all are the cuffs. They are smooth – no gathered fabric – and velcro down and are stretchy so you get a tight seal to your wrist. In Feb. I fished through a cold, steady rain and reached into the river to handle a few fish without getting any water into the sleeve. Rolls up nicely and I strap it under my mountainsmith waistpack.
bill
Bummer! Looks like the weather was OK – what kind of skiff was that?
If you haven’t sworn off redfishing, check out the Saltwater Picnic that my local fly shop is putting on in a few weeks just outside of New Orleans. Pretty good lineup of angling personalities – Borski, Pallot, Puglisi, Chico, and a couple others:
http://www.neworleansflyfishing.blogspot.com/
I think the event was being held to benefit the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.
I don’t know whether Alec is going to keep the blog active – he may have just put it up for the picnic, but who knows?
Thanks guys – as I prepare for the trip, I have developed some more questions, hope you don’t mind but I have never been to the GSMNP.
Thanks! I bought it new, but I don’t think it’s the newest version with the harder anodization or whatever. It’s kind of a blued-steel color, looks pretty nice with the blue Xi2. I was thinking of holding out for the harder finish, but the fly shop gave me such a great deal I couldn’t pass! I liked my Cimarron5, but I’m looking forward to fishing with the true large arbor.
Not sure when you are headed to Panama City, but have a great trip and bring us back a good report!!
BillWell, the morning was dead slow as the water was a little high and milky, we couldn’t even see the fish to cast to them.
Zach,
Cool to hear about the stick. New toys are fun. I gave in and bought a new 8 wt. Xi2 after fishing with a guide’s Xi2 in the Marsh south of New Orleans. I have yet to break it in on the real thing, I’ve just been getting to know it on the practice field. I tend to favor the faster rods, but look forward to hearing about the Heliply once you break it in.
Sight fishing for Reds may be the most exciting fishing I have ever done. Here is a picture of a nice one I caught with the aforementioned guide. I have a number of Marsh day-trips planned for the Fall, which is supposed to be the some of the best fishing here.
Looking forward to the Panama City report!
Bill
I haven’t thought this through completely, but I would say that the competitions and the stocked/fed/pay-to-play fisheries make nice bedfellows. If you think it’s all about catching as many, as big, and as fast as you can, I would just as soon you stay in the private waters away from me. I fish to get in tune with the fish and the water and the outdoors, and to leave everything else – including the urge to “beat” my fellow fisherman – behind. Not to mention the excitement of the initial hookup! In fact, I get nearly as big a kick out of watching a big Redfish peel the line off my fishing buddy’s reel as I do when I’m on deck.
There are lots of reasons to fish, and competition or recognition are as valid as the next reason, I suppose. I don’t think less of you for pursuing it, and it may be good for the sport. It’s just not something I want to be a part of, and not something I want to encounter if I am trying to get lost in the river.
Bill
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