Zach Matthews
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
This is the tent I’m using, in a 2-man:
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/322,88182_%E3%80%80Marmot-Titan-Tent-Backpacking-.html
It’s almost twice as heavy at 5 lbs. as the Tarptent mentioned above, which I’m kind of shocked by. It is possible to set it up without the zip tent, however; just take the poles, the rainfly, and the groundfly (which you need to order separately from Marmot – the Limelight 2 is the same size).
I have to say, the Tarptent looks like the better buy if that weight measurement is accurate.
Hey Bob –
I know at the Show, Scott was talking about releasing the older blanks like the STS and the HeliPly (which they can still make – they release a different old line every year in the Scott Classic series. I have an 8’8″ 8 weight Heliply which is one of my favorite rods ever). However, based on what I was told, I think they were concerned about making it all too complex. If you think about just how many models of all those older lines they actually have at their disposal, it could well be overwhelming.
One other thing I should point out since they haven’t on the site; this is not an order-online situation. If they had done that, it would cut out the fly shop entirely, make the thing way more profitable for Scott, but generally screwing all their partners. That’s not how they roll – they are very dealer oriented. So, if you want a Scott Custom, you have to go through a dealer. And I strongly suspect that if you had a dealer request a custom STS or Heliply for you, you could get it done, even if those rods aren’t on the site.
Zach
PS It’s a good thing the inscription doesn’t show up here, because I hear Quentin Tarantino has the same thing on a wallet.
Zach
The prices are definitely high, but as the Scott guys said when I raised the same objection, “This is a high end product here.” Not many of the components being offered in that custom shop are stock; they almost all higher grade, name brand things that aren’t commonly available on a regular fly rod. A big case in point would be the cork; Scott is offering the kind of cork there that you usually only find on a bamboo rod. Same thing for blued metal hardware and solid titanium reel seats.
I know there’s been discussion over there about integrating this custom shop with their archive of past rods (like the original G). Theoretically it might be possible to buy a rod built to old-school specs for close to the original MSRP (updated for inflation, of course). But they are apparently taking it slow for now. I am not sure that site is meant to be in wide release yet, actually; I know there are still a couple bugs they are working on.
Me personally, I think it’s a great idea. I would like to see the price come down, but for, say, a retirement present or a big wedding anniversary, I could see one of those rods as a gift.
Here’s the awesome one I made.
Zach
Simon –
The Bahamas are frankly the easiest bonefishery on the planet. You should post double-digit days if the weather cooperates. My experience was to find huge schools on the edges of flats, often trapped there by sharks or barracuda. The trick is getting one of the bigger bones in the middle of the school to pick up the fly – there are plenty of five pound bonefish there, but they’re surrounded by thousands of smaller guys. The Bahamas remind you that bonefish are a kind of schooling baitfish, man.
Bring tan Mantis Shrimp in about size 6-8, and Pink Puffs in the same sizes, and bring both lead eye and bead chain versions. You shouldn’t need anything else unless you want to target ‘cuda. Eight weight rod max for bones. Any saltwater line will do, use probably 11’ leaders and expect 60-80 foot casts. The longer casts are helpful for dropping the fly well into the school, where the bigger fish are. When the cast lands, the school will split away from it, but they will inevitably swirl back around and you’ll get plenty of eats. Lots of tailing fish, too.
Here’s what it looks like:
Also, I fished Grand Bahama Island – conditions elsewhere may well be different. The bottom was soft but wadeable; I wore neoprene wader bootie type socks. I had Marlwalkers available but took them off because they were getting stuck. I was there in mid-July but I was told that the previous month had been even better (and the log supported that).
This one is very typical in size:
Zach