6 must-haves for travel-savvy fly fishers looking to escape
With anglers pining to make jailbreaks from winter’s bleak grip, the months between December and spring thaw mark great opportunities to escape. And if you haven’t booked destination trips yet, you’re at least dreaming about walking colorful flats teeming with tailing bones or anticipating blanket mayfly hatches on the best trout waters across the planet. With that in mind, we’ve assembled a Yule-Love-It list of game-changing products and last-minute destination specials for those about to merrily hit the water this holiday season and beyond.
Made in the Shade
Costa’s new Cortez Sunglasses take their name from Mexico’s fish-rich Sea of Cortez. Drawing from this inspiration, sunglasses feature a great blend of style and comfort meets high-caliber optics. We’ve tested Costa 580 lenses, available for the Cortez, from Abaco and Bair’s to the Florida Keys and Cuba and, when it comes to fish-spotting, glare-cutting credentials, they’re some of the best. Cortez frames feature a large fit with a bold wrap shape, meant to block encroaching light from entering from the sides. The linear venting system alleviates lens fogging. Colors include: blackout, tortoise, shiny black, Realtree® Xtra® camo, crystal bronze, and white with a blue Costa logo. Costadelmar.com
Constant Communication
Picture yourself miles deep in the backcountry faced with a medical emergency and no signal from your smartphone carrier. This scenario happens more often than you might think. But thanks to the lightweight, easily packable SPOT Global Phone, you’re in good hands in no-man’s land. We’ve tested this simple, affordable SAT unit for the past year-and-a-half, successfully connecting with friends and loved ones from Lower 48 wilderness-areas to remote Bahamian atolls. The only place we struggled to lock in a signal was in Tierra del Fuego, where SPOT is currently resolving coverage issues. Buy it for $499.95, minus a $250 mail-in rebate on all Global Phone purchases made before January 4, 2015. findmespot.com
Rolling Into the New Year
Love chasing big fish with big flies like we do? Then Fishpond’s Sushi Roll is a must for every disorganized streamer junkie with a pile of flies and nowhere to put ’em. Easily organize and carry supersize patterns on the foam interior, then roll it up for simple storage. No worries about putting bugs away wet as the teeth along the edges ventilate internals for overnight drying. $29.95, fishpondusa.com
Dominate your Domain
Sage’s DOMAIN series reel arrives just in time to solve problems. Specifically engineered to ensure your line will never get caught between the frame and the reel spool when chasing saltwater species or anadromous fish, fouling line is now a thing of the past. According to Sage, the reel’s full-frame design and sealed drag will perform in any conditions you throw at it… and the price is just right. $340-$380,sageflyfish.com
Walk the Line
From saltwater destinations to fresh, Nervous Waters’ best-in-the-business guide squad is always experimenting with new lines to gain an edge while casting to wary fish in varied conditions. In the Bahamas, we’ve extolled the virtues of RIO tropical lines for years. This year we’ll be throwing the Bonefish Quickshooter, which promises to load quick and cut through wind when tailers are within range. In Tierra del Fuego, on the other hand, RIO’s Skagit Max series remains the go-to head for launching big bugs on heavy T-14 tips.Rioproducts.com
Give the Gift of Getting Away
’Tis the season for last-minute fly-fishing specials, and Nervous Waters is currently offering great deals on select dates. Fish for Rio Grande sea-runs at Kau Tapen and Villa Maria lodges, target summer trouting in the southern hemisphere at Chime and Futa, hard-charging dorado await at Pira and Alto Parana, and for the best in Bahamas bonefishing at Abaco and Bair’s this winter, it’s truly matter of book it now. Remaining dates include:
And more! Contact info@nervouswaters.com for details on these exclusive winter offers.
