DRY TECH FLY BOX

Every year without fail I find many so-called new inventions created to make your lives easier fly fisher in my mail box! If I see a newly designed plastic fly rod, I send it back without opening the package, doesn’t matter to me what planet the incredible space age boron came from! I don’t care how many scientists investigated the awesome flex power or the mind boggling tinsel strength. I love and use fine bamboo only, end of that story. Now every so often a quality fly reel comes along that actually works well, large arbor, heavy sound bearings make a good case for field testing! Mostly the new fly equipment I see each year seems to chase the same bone every other manufacture is after? Rarely do I come across anything really exceptional... The Dry Tech Fly Box is worth writing about because it does exactly as advertised.

I field tested this fly box in rough mid winter conditions and was very pleased when my big Steelhead flies were completely dry not long after closing the box? This quick drying miracle occurred due to Moisture Reduction Technology which dries out wet flies by soaking up moisture and holding it in absorbing crystals. In each fly box a tray of these crystals eliminate all moisture and can be reused by placing the crystals in a micro wave oven after five trips or so. What a great idea this is for hardcore or occasional fly fishers. How many of you have thrown away favorite patterns after finding them a soggy mess, hooks rusted? I love working dry flies, especially the little #18 or smaller, these flies are delicate anyway! After one or two times on the water they need to be redressed or recycled. This new technology has saved many patterns for me this year by completely drying them in no time. A humidity test strip comes with every fly box which indicates humidity, boxes come in different sizes in water tight rugged high tech plastic. If your tired of losing your best patterns because of moisture, this fly box will save you money and time. Contact Angling Designs www.anglingdesigns.com .

REEL THOUGHTS

Now that I have made many more friends in the fly fishing industry, perhaps a few choice words about fly reels ! When I’m in the field or lecturing or visiting friends, if the conversation gets around to fly reels, here is my standard philosophy. First take the reel apart and check out the bearing assembly for strength and stoutness? Is the bearing well manufactured, sealed,? Is the reel made of cheap pot metal or cut from high quality aluminum? Spin the reel many times and listen to it, put it to your ear and one can actually hear the sound of well made bearings! Does the reel have any wobble, is the drag mechanism smooth or jerky? I like large arbor reels as a rule unless it’s a day on small creeks or streams. Large arbors do help getting your line back on quicker! Next I consider the finish and scratch resistance and weight? Modern reel engineers in my mind are actually innovators who keep coming up with ideas that work. These guys impress me each year, especially with the advent of computer technology allowing serious experimentation before manufacturing... Last thought on the endless stream of new revolutionary plastic, carbon fly rods priced in the six hundred or more dollar range, be very careful how you spend your fly dollars Pilgrims, take a hard look at the fly rods in the three hundred dollar class! You won’t be disappointed unless you only fly fish once or twice a year and need all the help you can get?

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“ ADVENTURES OF FLETCHER QUILL “