New filming gear for the fly angler!

For a long time now i have been using Gopro cameras for most of my filming while fishing. They are so durable, waterproof and easy to use . A perfect blend for any fisherman that want to record precious memories, film for social media  or vlog. But if you want to spice up your filming quality, you need more than one string on your bow..

A DSLR or mirror less with interchangeable lens will give you that cinematic, smooth, professional feeling, they are also great if you get into filming your own tutorials. But these can hurt badly your bank account, especially if you start buying more lens ( and yes you will buy more lens..)
So for the budget minded angler, Gopro is very reasonable.The new one (Gopro 7 black) is packed with fantastic features, the most notable one is how stable the footage is now! Mind blowing how such a small device can pack so much tech inside.
But coming silently on the market is a company trying to rivalise with the mighty Gopro and get 360 videos more approachable.... Insta360.
360º cameras have been here for a good while but haven't generated much interest in the consumer market. A lot of people see 360 camera a thing for specialized video makers or for making virtual reality videos. And that's what they are mainly used for...Until now!
Insta 360 is changing the 360 world in a big way! To cut down to the chase, no i don't think that this new camera will replace the Gopro, but it will certainly be a fantastic addition to your camera bag.
Why? i tell you why, filming in 360 captures everything that's happening around you! No more pointing the lens at what you want to film, this means that if your fishing with a friend on a boat, both anglers are in the frame, all the time. If using by yourself, you get that feeling that someone else is filming you, as the clever software will simply make the selfie stick/tripod disappear from the final footage giving you a third person point of view.
With different attachments comes a multitude of new camera angles.
The built in 6 axis  stabilizer is amazing ( called Flowstate ) as good as the Gopro 7 Black. Making shaky footage a thing of the past. There's nothing worse than watching a video thats wobbles in all directions!
Quality of the image is surprisingly good, filming at 5.7K / 30 fps , 4K/ 50 fps and 3K / 100 fps ( great for slow motion). It films with two 200º lens, a 1/2.3" Sony sensor and a large aperture of F2.0.
One advantage it has on the Gopro is that with the latest firmware you can now film in HDR (high dynamic range). We're  getting geeky now but trust me it will give the picture more depth, vibrancy and improve the quality of your videos.And i think more software will be released in the future.
Time shift is an other nice thing to have already built in, that will save so much time in editing your video. And talking about editing, Insta360 can be edited on your phone or tablet ( Android&Apple ) via a very easy application. Finished videos can be also uploaded directly from the app to many platforms, Instagram, Facebook,Youtube...
If that's any interest, you can also become a Google street photographer as the 360 pics are so good they are accepted by Google street view. It takes photos at 18MP.
Battery life isn't too bad at 60 mins / battery use under normal conditions. Extra batteries can be purchased too.
Add to all this a myriad of accessories, from protective or dive cases, drone attachments, harness, selfie sticks, enough stuff to cover any situations.

Okay, i have been going on about all the pros of the Insta360 and here's my ( very short ) list of cons:
1: Audio is not great and even worse if you use a protective case...
2: Because of the way the lenses are placed to cover 360º they are prone to damages, scratches and even cracks. But if a lens is broke or badly scratched, you can send the camera to Insta360 and you can have it replaced. I think its a 100$/ lens at the moment, but it's better than having to buy a whole new camera..

So should you buy one? Well that's entirely up to you, but i think Insta360 have reinvented the world of 360 cameras making them more approachable to the common soul. Sure you can get away with filming from your phone or Gopro, but for the enthusiast film maker, content creator the Insta360 X will surely give you an edge and will spice up your shots.We are so used to see now Gopro videos, it's a nice touch to see something fresh and different.

If you consider buying one, please click on the link here, or on the picture on the left column. Being now affiliated with Insta360, i will get a little cut for each sale.You will not be paying any extra, but you will be helping me a bit. Thank you.

                      Link link for purchase: INSTA360 ONE X

A few videos to understand better the potential of getting a 360 camera:

Cameras and fly fishing, a personal evolution.

Since its first release, i have been a big fan of Gopro. They are small, tough, waterproof and with getting the settings right the videos and pictures are great.
I owned  three gopros: the very first one, the number 3 (that one was not great) the 4 black and now the 6 black.
I didn't need to upgrade every year, but instead i waited for a big leap in technology and software.
The 6 fits all this, 4k at 60fps, and a slow motion thats amazing for such a little piece of gear, 1080 at an amazing 240fps, voice activation and many other goodies are packed in this tiny camera.
Over the years, i have tried many different set up, trying to find the right balance between practicality and quality of videos/pictures.
From a  DSLR (Lumix GH-2) + spare lens, a point and shoot camera (i do take this one when travelling, Lumix LX100) to the Osmo+ from DJI.
The Gopro was always by my side, 80% of the time. Yes it can rain a lot here in Ireland, and when you need the camera to be rolling, it has to be rolling, rain or shine.

I recently got back into vlogging, and was starting to look at the possibility in using the gopro.One big problem was the awful sound quality on the camera. Even the newer models that don't need the housing for waterproofing have a dreadful sound.
To solve  this problem  all that's needed is to hook up an external mic. Ok it's not waterproof anymore, because the side door has to be open to plug the mic adapter but at least you can plan the "talking shots" during the dry spells.
Gopro being Gopro, they had to fuck up somewhere along the way...No mic port on the camera, instead you have to buy an ADAPTER on their website for the extortionate price of 64.99€!! (but if you look around you can find cheaper, i got mine for 40€).

65€???

In the last week, i did put a pic of the new set up on social media and a good few asked for details, so there's my set up:
Start with a good support, you cannot go wrong with a Gorilla Pod from Joby. You can use it as a selfie stick, a stable tripod for time lapse, or wrap it around anything you can to create interesting shots or when its impossible to sit it correctly (moving vehicle, wind...)
Make sure to have the tripod equipped with a Ball Head, this will help to keep you shot level no matter how the tripod is set up.
Then add a Tripod mount for Gopro, easily found on ebay for very little money.

Now an aluminium skeleton frame housing to hold and protect the camera.The case need to have an opening on the side to allow the side door to open fully and to be able to plug in the mic adapter. The best case are surprisingly cheap, strongly built, with a cold shoe mount on top for the mic and a 52mm UV filter.This filter can be unscrewed and you can use different filters. I mainly use ND filters (neutral density) and polarised.The 52mm also keep your Gopro lens well protected from scratches.

Side door opens easily for the mic adapter.

To top the set up all we need is a mic (and that stupid adapter). For best results and something that doesn't take too much room i use the RODE Video Micro.

I believe this set up is going to be my main one now for general vlogging and filming.For larger project and travels i always include in my bag  the point and shoot Lumix LX100 for those more artistic B rolls & hero shots and of course the Mavic pro for aerial shots.

• One tip for taking pictures of you and a fish when you are alone, is to set the gopro on time lapse pictures. I set mine to take one picture every second.When your trophy fish is safely in the net, you can clamp your camera and press shoot, this will take a picture every second.Only then you can take the fish out of the water and strike a few pose without the worry of waiting on a timer. By doing this you will end up with way too many pictures, and most of them will be crap, but in that bunch you always have a couple that are top quality, and some pics can be unexpected as well, especially if you let the camera roll while releasing the fish. Just remember to always be in the shot...After a few trials, you will know how far to hold the fish from the lens.Too far and you will see nothing, too close you just look like you're trying hard to make your fish look bigger...Always shoot on wide and not superwide for the hero shot.

As for the gopro 6, its now voice activated, even better!

For the mic placement be aware that once you put the dead cat (that fluffy wind breaker) on the mic, it will be inside the shot because of the wide angle. To correct this, the bottom plastic nut to secure the mic on the cold shoe is surrounded by grooves to hold the wire in place. Just pull  the back of the mic downward and secure the wire in place inside on the the groove.Your mic is now pointing slightly upwards and doesn't obstruct the frame.

The dead cat will show on screen if left like this.

Just pull it back and secure the wire.Its now out of the way .

Have an other solid 8 weeks of work here at the lodge, and i hope to test all this properly once i have more spare time.This set up will be brilliant especially when you are restricted on room and weight while travelling abroad.

1-step looper review

After i posted my last video on how i make my own shanks , i got a message from "anthony_lee " on Instagram, and he put me on these pliers.
After a quick search, i found the best value was on amazon. Two clicks and two days later the loopers arrived. Right out of the package my first impression was not great , as the pliers were smaller than what i was expecting. Are they gonna do the job with thick stainless steel?...
 I ordered the 3mm loop maker for my pike shanks. Not disappointed with the size of loop it creates, i rather have a larger loop to help with movement and not to  get stuck sideways like some shanks can do when you cast them.
You have two other options as well if you want to make smaller and lighter shanks for your trout or bass streamers, the 1.5mm loop and the 2.25mm loop.
I open the package and as soon as i have them in hand, they feel heavy. (usually a good sign) The grip is very nice and it does feel like a quality product...Now lets bend some wire and see...
First go and it makes a perfect round closed loop, effortless! Just need a little squeeze with a set of normal pliers to finish the loop properly. This is so easy!
While applying pressure to cut and bend the wire at the same time, i didn't feel like the whole lot was going to fell apart. It's a solid piece of equipment! My first impression was well wrong.
The bonus with this looper is that you can do the "r" loop as well, not sure if they are fully designed for that but it works perfect. Just check the video to see the different way you need to feed the wire inside the jaws.
At around 25/30€ its not that cheap, but just look at  the price of the shanks in fly shops....If you buy more than five packs of shanks in your fly life, then this is a tool well worth having in your tying desk.
If you want to get one just check the left column of the blog ←, there's a direct link to Amazon (thats the cheapest i could find).
Now i will have to use it for the next 6 months, and i will come back with an update to see if they are still working...I have a good feeling about this one.

Mail time!New gear!

Some new gear has just landed on my doorstep this morning! Who needs an other jacket?..Look no further. Here's a first look at the River Boss jacket  from Smith Fly.
You might have seen on my previous blog entry about the new raft coming this summer at the lodge from Smithfly. In fact i have found the jacket first , then looked at the Big shoals raft. I really like the whole range of stuff that Ethan has developed. It's quality gear at a very reasonable price.

I currently own a Simms G3 Jacket and i have nothing but good to say about this jacket, but this new jacket is different in so  many levels. A breathable, 5 layers! Yes, 5 layers, the same stuff the bottom of your waders is made from.I like venturing to difficult lake and rivers, and i'm always paranoid of the vegetation around me when wearing the G3.We do have plenty of different thorny weeds and bushes here that can easily puncture a quality jacket. But i never really worry about my waders, as the bottom half ( like most waders nowadays ) is made of 5 layers.I  walk without fear of damaging them only a barbwire can do serious damage...or a rottweiler. The jacket certainly feels more "chunky" when first holding it, but i don't find it heavier than the G3. Once i'm wearing it, that first "chunkiness" feel disappears straight away. It feels comfortable and allows plenty for movements. A nice fleece collar and hand warmer chest pockets give a more luxurious feel. Add to this, a large back pocket,  a D-ring, nice handcuffs and a nice hood to get you closer to a very good fishing jacket.But there's more,the laser cut molle panels at the front we're what made me want it in the first place.You can add anything you want, tippet holder, pliers, nippers...The molle is of a strong material that doesn't feel weak when attaching something to it.
To finish, the best part...The price: at  129$ its a steal! But don't wait too long, regular price is at 349$ (i think this is an introductory offer at the moment ).

Gear

Some cool "new" hooks have landed on my desk this week thanks to AHREX HOOKS from Scandinavia. There is a constant evolution in flytying materials, especially for the predator tier. New flashes, new fibres, new heads and the list goes on. But the hooks generally remains the same. So i was very happy when the guys at Ahrex contacted me to send me some samples of their predator range.

First, before i get into these hooks, let me tell you my views on pike hooks. And it's simple: stay sharp and DO NOT open! I often get strange eyes on me when i play a pike, as i like to play them quick and hard. Now we have to make the distinction between stupid brute force and playing a fish hard.You still need finesse, especially with big pikes.If ever the fish is fought with the reel, my drag is set tight. I fish a lot in confined spaces, rivers with hidden logs and roots, heavy strong vegetation in summer.So i cannot afford to let a fish dictate the fight. Always try to stay in control of your fish. I have been lucky to get many memorable pikes , some dirty fighters, other using just pure force, but i never had one (yet) that took me into the backing.
Why play a pike hard? Two reasons, one the fight is shorter.The fish is less stressed, conserve energy and you can be assured of a strong release. The second is not to loose a fish , in snags, under the boat or other catastrophic situations.
 I have tried many hooks , and many did let me down. Some are too soft and open too easily others dont keep their quality and sharpness. Usually  hooks that get blunt easily are very hard to sharpen back with a file as the steel is too soft and a diamond file just melts the hook away.
Some other hooks held very well...Until the day where you hook a big , fiery pike and the bast@*d opens just enough to loose its grip. My favorite hooks have been the same for a long time now, the Gamakatsu SL12S,from 2/0 to 8/0. It's only downfall is sometimes it's short shank .These primarily saltwater hooks are just amazing, some i've reused three, four times, tying new flies over and over them.
The second is the Sakuma Manta XL , usually the 6/0. This is an other solid hook, one slightly open on me one day but i never lost the fish.
So my first impression from the Ahrex hooks, they look very good straight out of the pack, sharp, nice shapes, black nickel , eyes are well finished,(maybe they could have a slightly larger eye, but thats just me) the quality of the built is high standard.
On this picture we can see the range that they sent me, the two hooks on the far left are the ones that most of my flies are made of for comparison. Two types of very strong stingers, one barbed, one barbless. Perfect for those  wiggle tails flies. The Ahrex aberdeen in 3/0 feels a lot to the sakuma 540.( i had 540's opening on me some as big as 5/0's...)A nice little hook, but i tend to go for the stronger stuff. I'll keep them for my trout flies ... ;)
A texas one, nothing new here, looks good, will be useful this coming summer.

As you can see in this picture, these are the two hooks that really caught my eye. On top the Sakuma manta xl and under the two Ahrex, the PR350 and the PR320.The one one the left (PR350) is lighter than what i'm used to, but it does feel strong, i forced it by hand and on the vice and it feels good.I love the slightly raised point and that slow drop on its back, one thing that the sakuma doesn't have being an Aberdeen shape.

Now this was a very brief look at some of these hooks, i will soon start using them in my next ties, but the true review will come in a few months when i had time to tame a few big Irish girls. Again thanks to Ahrex, my first impressions are very good, and first impressions are always important.See you next winter for a more hands on review.

Back in the air

Following my misadventure with Lily (the start up drone that failed to see production line) i went for the obvious choice, Mavic.

Its the portability of Mavic that attracted me straight away, fits in a small Pelican case, or in a dry bag. I hoping to push this little beast, but i am still in the "baby step" mode...Its not exactly cheap, and it needs time to know and put into practice all that Mavic has to offer. Thanks to Youtube there is a crazy amount of guys flying it and putting up some cool tutorials. But i still feel uneasy having over a 1000€ flying over water.

The very first thing i'm practicing is to hand launch and land to be able to take Mavic with me on my pontoon , boat or float tube. It looks easy, but i know its going to be a totally different story doing these manoeuvres sitting in the middle of a lough or river. So, practice makes perfect and i don't want to get my fingers chopped..
 Putting this aside,Mavic looks like a fantastic piece of tech.It does not feel cheap, its sturdy, flies very well, stable , responsive and the camera is fantastic.But now a new season starts for me at the lodge, first guests are arriving this afternoon, that's me busy until mid june...Be patient my friends, i will try to fill the blog as much as i can.

For those who are interested in the procedure i use to hand launch and land, i think i am doing it the easiest way possible. If you know of a better way please do put it in the comment below.
Mavic is equipped with obstacle avoidance sensors in the front and underneath its body. So if you try to catch it, the bottom sensors will see your hand coming towards it and the drone will fly upwards to try to get away from you. I have seen many videos where guys go into the settings and disable the bottom sensors, but why paying big money for all these extras and not using them?..One easiest way it to use the take off option on the app (DJI GO 4 ) to launch and to use the auto landing from the app as well to catch it.Even if your hand is under, by confirming that you want to land the drone, the sensors will not see you as an obstacle but as a landing platform. Mavic will go down about 20cm and will pause for about two seconds to initiate the landing, all you have to do is position your hand under ( away from the blades and your face) and catch it as it lowers itself, then shut off the motors by holding your left stick down.Simple....well we'll see on the water, for the moment i keep doing this over and over in my garden.

The Drone Evolution.

Depuis le tout début des drones je suis un fan.Non pas pour le plaisir de voler, car quand on a plus de 1000 € qui vole au dessus de l'eau c'est souvent plus stressant que fun, mais pour la nouvelle dimension en photographie et videos qui est seulement possible avec les drones.Je n'ai pas encore les moyens de m'acheter un hélicoptère.

Le tout debut de mon aventure commence avec le phantom 1 de DJI , (DJI reste la marque de choix en ce moment).

L'original phantom...Pas d'écran, un codage par blibs lumineux...si c'est vert c'est ok, peut être...Si c'est rouge, c'est pas bon. Pas d'information sur la batterie, durée de vol inconnue. Puis le plus gros désavantage, pas de camera incorporée, il faut ajouter sa Gopro ( encore des €€€), premier vol et on s'aperçoit rapidement que tout vibre, les videos sont horribles ( Jello Effect). Pour fixer ca il faut encore débourser  et se procurer une Gimball 3 axes (plus de 300€ a l'époque). C'est a ce moment là que j'ai abandonné le drone, enfin, pas vraiment abandonné, mais plutôt une pause. Car insatisfait avec la qualité des videos pour mes moyens a l'époque.

Phanton 1+gopro1 a gauche, old school! Phantom 3 pro a droite.

La vitesse du progrès technologique sur ces drones et tout simplement impressionnante. Je savait qu'avec un peu de patience les nouveaux modèles seront bien meilleurs.

Puis arrive Lily... Elle n'arrive pas...Apres retards sur retards de la date de mise en production, le projet s'écroule. Un projet qui a ramassé quand même plus de 34 millions de dollars en pre-orders! Au moins ils tiennent leur promesse de rembourser.

Apres un an d'attendre Lily, je devient très pessimiste du projet et m'achète (d'occasion) le phantom 3 professionnel. Le phantom 2 a eu une très courte existence entre le 1 et 3. C'est le drone que j'utilise en ce moment, la qualité est très bonne, il filme en 4K, mais je suis réduit a filmer en 1080 car mon internet est tellement puissant ( ceux qui viennent au lodge connaissent bien la connectivité de la bête..)

Pour vous donner un example, la dernière video de la montage Cuilcagh, fait 2 minutes 30. Ca m'a pris juste 12 heures pour télécharger cette video sur YouTube...Mais la fibre devrait arriver....avant 2020. (Un des désavantages de vivre a la campagne).

Le phantom 3 , il est superbe, mais sont plus gros default est sa taille. Voyager, aéroports, randonnées, barque,bateau...Ca devient vite un encombrement. 

Dji est une compagnie chinoise qui fait avancer le monde du drone a très grands pas, le phantom 4 pro est magnifique, mais il possède toujours le memes dimensions d'origine. 

Mais Hallelujah!! Voici le dernier, le petit dernier, Mavic!  Tout les avantages sont enfin réunis dans ce petit drone, pliable, un encombrement minimum, léger (moins d'un kilo), filme en 4K, des moteurs puissants, une autonomie de 27 minutes par batterie, un super contrôleur , bref, vous avez vite compris que je suis tombé amoureux...

Le Mavic pro est peut être petit, mais ce n'est pas un jouet, il tient dans le vent, il est super stable, et il a une distance de vol de 7 kilomètres!

Dji n'arrive pas a suivre, avec Lily qui laisse plus de 60000 clients dans le caca, la demande pour Mavic est incroyable.....Il faut encore attendre, une a deux semaines ils disent, mais avec le nouvel an chinois, ca risque de prendre plus d'un a deux mois je pense.Mais une chose est sure, c'est que ce coup ci je vais le recevoir mon nouveau drone.

                                       Regardez juste la qualité de cette video! Epic!

Je vous rappelle que le drone vole au dessus du lodge et dans les alentours chaque mois cette année, passez me voir sur mon compte YOUTUBE et abonnez vous svp.

(J'ai abandonné Vimeo pour l'instant )

Knots...A personal evolution.

Je recherche toujours les meilleurs noeuds pour mes montages, en particulier le raccord entre le leader et le bas de ligne. Depuis trois ans j'utilise de l'inox multibrins de chez American Fishing Wire et sans aucuns problèmes. Ca vrille, bien sur mais beaucoup moins que l'acier. J'aime tellement ce produit que je me suis acheté une bobine de 300M!

 Je n'utilise plus de titane , a cause de sa rigidité et du fait que je ne mets plus d'agrafes pour attacher mes streamers.
L'inox en 15kgs se noue facilement et  ne se dénoue jamais. D'ou l'importance d'employer de bons noeuds.
Pour le noeud de la boucle qui relie le leader a la soie, un perfection loop knot.



Pour le noeud qui relie le leader au bas de ligne , a mes debuts j'effectuais le "Albright" , un très bon noeud mais pas le plus facile a faire sur un float tube au milieu d'un lac un jour de vent et pluie...Conditions assez normales ici...Par la suite je suis passé au "Double surgeon Knot".Celui ci me fut recommandé par Scott, guide de Midnight sun en Alaska. Si c'est bon pour lui, c'est certainement bon pour moi.

Facile a faire et encore une fois, je n'ai jamais eu de casse sur ce noeud ( avec l'inox multibrins). La seule chose qui je n'aime pas avec le Double surgeon, c'est son esthétique. Et il a tendance a accrocher quand il passe dans des herbiers.
Maintenant je suis passé au "Six turn Yucatan knot".
Pour l'instant c'est du solide, a voir dans 12 mois si je suis toujours un fan du Yucatan.C'est très prometteur. Field and Stream viennent de le tester avec une casse a 150%.

Puis pour finir, l'attache de mon streamer avec un "Non slip loop knot" ou noeud "Rapala". Deux a trois tours suffisent avec l'inox.

SaveSave

Gear

Un nouveau moulin qui s'ajoute a ma valise... J'étais a la recherche d'un moulinet pour la mer, plus petit que mon Penn Spinfisher (modele 6500).
Le Ballistic 4000 Daiwa.
Il me servira pour le brochet ici, et quand je part vers diverses aventures...Premier critère: étanchéité.
Le Ballistic de Daiwa promet ça grâce a une nouvelle technologie (inventée par la NASA).Pas de joint en plastique , mais une nouvelle huile magnétique.Le rotor est émmanté pour que l'huile reste en contact constant...Pas de friction, pas d'usure... Un rapport sera posté sur le blog a mon retour de Mahé.
A la première prise en main une chose me surprend, il est léger. Mais solide, la construction a l'air bien robuste, un corps en Zaion®??... alliage anti corrosion. 8 roulements.Et un "air rotor", le rotor est découpé pour minimaliser le poids.De même pour la bobine.
Une anse de panier creuse (mais qui a l'air très robuste) encore pour éliminer quelques précieux grammes....
Une autre chose qui m'a attiré vers le Ballistic c'est sa vitesse de récupération, un impressionnant 6.2:1.
Super, pour bien exciter des garangues au stickbait....
Puis pour conclure son prix est ok...A 200/230€( ou moins cher , tout depends les connections ;) , ça fait quand même moins mal qu'un stella ou un Saltiga...Maintenant, a voir si il résiste aux  prochains six mois...

250m de Power Pro 80lbs

Gear

Un petit retour sur le trip du Costa Rica. Juste pour vous faire part du matos qui a bien marché pour moi. Et en particulier les leurres.
Celui qui a bien fait ses preuves fut le freestyler de chez savage gear.Pour un leurre qui ne m'a jamais donné de bon résultats avec les brochets, ce leurre se transforme une fois dans l'eau salée!
Les carangues  les adorent!
Une seule modification fut le changement des hameçons.Les triples d'origine ont étés changés pour des Owner ST66.

Avant

Apres

Et celui qu'i m'a impressionné le moins c'est les Belly eyes de chez Fox.Vendu comme leurre exotique, fabriqué en bois, voici le résultat après seulement une seule attaque de carangue...Je n'ose meme pas imaginer une attaque de cubera...

Gear

J'adore tout ce qui est hors de l'ordinaire... Qu'on ne voit pas de partout, original,esthétique, pratique et avec une qualité qui est a la hauteur du design.
Que ca soit des cannes, t-shirts,casquettes....ou moulinets!
Et la je viens de recevoir un super moulin tout droit de chez Jesse James Reels.
Si vous ne connaissez pas Mr James...C'est la personne qui est derriere West Coast Choppers.
Ces motos customs connues dans le monde entier.

Jesse est un grand malade de métallurgie....motos, voitures "hotrods"et dernièrement des Armes a feu

Et enfin  les moulinets de pêche.

Ces moulinets sont super bien conçus, plus de quatre ans de test en Alaska avec Marc Mahoric (guide de pêche / directeur de Jesse James Reels et bien sur ami de Jesse James).
Le design de toile d'araignée est super cool...et surtout léger et solide. Ces moulinets sont pour gauchers ou droitiers avec un frein silencieux quand on mouline et un click bien sexy quand le poisson prend du backing.
Je vais bien tester ce moulin pour les prochains mois, eau douce...et salée...

Vous pouvez cliquer sur le logo de West coast chopper a gauche du blog pour un lien direct vers ces somptueux moulinets.

GEAR.

Une chose importante quand on pratique un sport comme le notre a  ( spécialement dans un pays comme l'Irlande) est de pouvoir garder nos précieux gadgets,(Gopro,cameras,téléphone....) et nos vêtements au sec.
Je suis un fan des sacs 100% étanches depuis bien longtemps. Entre la pluie, pêcher en float tube, en barque ou en waders au milieu d'une rivière, on est toujours dans ou près de l'eau.
Pour le float tube et barque j'utilise un modèle 30 litres de capacité.
Pour mes pêches a pieds je vient de trouver un 10 litres  qui est parfait.Suffisament de place pour une paire de vestes, ma camera,une boite de mouches,leaders ,boire et manger.

Et vous pouvez trouver le même ICI. Si 10L est trop petit pour vous, il existe le même en 20 et 30 L.

Gear review

Avec une météo pas très clémente pour le début de 2013, j'ai pu bien tester la veste NANO PUFF de Patagonia.

Fabriquée avec du "Primaloft" compressible (60grms pour les geeks), cette veste est légère,résiste a la pluie , et garde la chaleur comme  une tortilla  mexicaine au piment habañero......
Un autre atout est si on passe au bouillon, même mouillée ce veste conserve votre chaleur ( au contraire du duvet d'oie ou canard).

J'ai pêché pas mal d'heures sur l'eau (ou dans l'eau) avec juste un t-shirt a manches longues et cette veste par dessus, avec du vent nord, nord est, et même âpres trois heures je suis toujours confortable et je continue a bien pêcher sans me soucier du froid.
Elle se porte très bien, sans gène lors des lancers et autre mouvements.
10/10!!!

Garbage Gear?...

Voici quelques temps que je vois les résultats de pêche avec les Real eels de SavageGear....

Une chose de sure, ça prend du brochet sans problèmes, mais le plus gros inconvénient est dans le type de plastique utilisé pour la fabrication....Très fragile avec madame Esox...et pire avec les Jacks...au moins un gros brochet arrive a aspirer le tout...mais les jacks adorent faire de la dentelle avec les queues..
Merci Dom pour ces photos, et comme Dom m'a fait part le plastique est très difficile voir même impossible a ressouder ou a coller...

Savage Gear Real eels:
Pros: Très réaliste.
         Versatilité de montage.
         Choix de coloris (certainement de nouveaux coloris l'année prochaine...)
         Superbe action de nage
Cons:
         Cout d'achat!!
         Durabilité.
         Difficulté pour les trouver en magasins,local ou même sur internet.
         Difficulté de réparation.

Mon avis personnel...j'ai bien dit personnel...:
Je parle comme d'habitude pour les brochets Irlandais ( le cas peut bien sur être diffèrent en France)
Je reste un grand fan des Bulldawgs, même type de queue ( moins longue mais plus large).
Mais il n'y a qu'un Bulldawg...celui de Musky Innovations.Le Bulldawg a été copié et recopié tellement de fois qu'il a souffert de son propre succès.Dans 80% des cas les "Bulldawgs" que je vois dans les boites de pêche d'autre pêcheurs sont des copies..
L'original a un "roulement" que les autres n'ont pas, il se répare très facilement, et peu de personnes connaissent la version "ShallowDawg" (ils ont un trou dans la nageoire dorsale, pour les reconnaitre plus facilement).Le ShallowDawg est très approprié pour les lacs de la région, slow sink.Et le normal coule bien pour gratter les fonds.