A new season is just around the corner here at the lodge and as usual i'm getting the place ready to welcome new and returning clients to the lodge.
This year we are refreshing the stock of float tubes. I remember before everyone wanted to fish from big boats in big loughs, as many believed (for some strange reason) that smaller loughs and ponds would not have pikes in many numbers and more importantly in sizes. But the last ten years this has changed immensely due to the arrival on the market of much better designed float tubes.10 years ago float tubes were like a tractor tyre with two holes for the legs and a huge backrest that acted more like a sail than a backrest..I didn't like float tubing in those days.Your sitting position was so low on the water that at best times you felt like drowning...But it didn't take too long for the major brands to improve on designs. Nowadays we have a huge choice in personal vessels and for all budgets.
Needless to say if you want something that last you need to invest a little. We have been using the tubes from Creek Company for a few years now, a nice tube but definitely not the best built. Stitchings didn't last long on them and a poor design for inflation lead to many twisted bladders, punctures and time wasted for me fixing them most of the time and for my clients on the water.
So it was about time to look somewhere else.
It's a good few of my clients that directed me towards the FLTB-5 from Caperlan. Caperlan is a fishing branch of a huge sporting chain called Decathlon in France.
All the reviews looked good and i had many good returns from my guests. Many of them do own a FLTB-5 and this was the reason i started looking into this model.
With the help of a client that works for Decathlon i managed to secure a deal and import 5 tubes ( 5 more are planned to arrive next year).
Like you will see in the video, they are pretty good at first sight and only time will tell how they last in the long run.
But i will make a follow up video at the end of 2020 to see how they are holding up.
Hey guys! After a long resting period the blog is back...Sorry for the lack of entries but i started running a second blog on the lodge website. It's mostly updates on how the fishing and the clients are doing on a weekly basis.If you are interested here's the link to the website: www.ile-verte.com
I nearly thought of getting rid of this blog all together and merging it with the one of the lodge, but after looking at the analytics i see this blog is still alive and the traffic still look healthy, so i will keep this blog going.
Not that the winter is settling slowly here, my fishing will change a little. Ireland can have some very changeable weather and conditions at the best of times , but in winter this can change for the worse. Fly fishing windows are getting rare for many reasons, cold, wind and fish sitting in deeper waters makes fly fishing difficult and i'm not into struggling for no reasons. Big rubber lures will be more present in the coming months, but don't worry die hard fly anglers, if a good window presents itself i won't miss an opportunity to get the fly rod out.
I know it's not just fly fishermen that read this blog so i will try to keep everyone happy...
Please fill free to leave in the comments section below any subjects you guys might want to see more in the coming months.
Fear not fly anglers, i have many new tutorials coming up in the next few weeks. I'm nearly finished a busy season here at the lodge and soon i will have more free time to do fresh tutorials for you guys!
So for the winter season i am getting my personal boat ready, a new 15HP Yamaha was installed last year but i was having big problems to get my boat on the plane.Quite strange as my old engine was also a Yam 15 fitted with exactly the same propeller.
So i fitted some hydrofoils and the problem was instantly sorted! I went for the SE Sport 200 hydrofoil. They look sturdy and i like the fact that it's one piece. First try on the water and i runs like a dream, definitely a good investment.
Second massive upgrade is the new tech on board. I got rid of my Humminbird 998 HD side imaging and replaced it with a Garmin Echomap plus 92sv. The reason is simple, Garmin is so much more user friendly and when i'm fishing i don't like wasting time changing settings. The GARMIN has a touch screen and i can draw and record the bottom of your favorite lake. Humminbird can do this but it's such a backward software...And it's not IOS compatible.
I can already spot a pike looking at a bunch of baitfish
Garmin has also an app called the Active Captain that you can install on your phone or tablet, and you can move and visualize your maps in a flash.You can also share them with friends...If you trust them...
And one important last detail, this unit is compatible with the Panoptix livescope transducer! As yet no other company has come up with something similar or even got close to the Panoptix. I think it's only a matter of time before other will follow with something similar and the prices will start to come down. Check the video below on the Panoptix livescope.
super easy menu to navigate
The green is so easy to look at with polarized glasses.
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.
Since my return from Alaska, i have kept the blog on the quiet side.... The pike season is back on here, i have been doing some river guiding in August and September, and now we are well into October and the lodge is running at full steam.Its a strange and difficult season, mostly due to the very dry summer we had.The water levels are still very low, we need them to rise to their winter levels soon for the fishing to improve drastically.
But i am very proud to share some good news, after my return from the Innoko, i was contacted by Carl McNeil, CEO of Swift Flyfishing all the way from New Zealand. Swift fly fishing make my absolute favorite rods.I have been fishing glass rods for the last five years, and i simply cannot go back to graphite/ carbon rods. So it was a huge surprise to me when Carl sent me a message wanting to welcome me to their brand ambassador program. Of course without any hesitation i gladly accepted. So yes you guessed it, you are going to see a lot more fiberglass on this blog!
To start off, i just received an 8 weight kit and i am starting to put it together at the moment. I am filming the whole process for those who want to plunge in the deep end and make the move to glass rods and rod building.
First a little unboxing video:
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.
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.
Weather is being a bit of a bitch at the moment, heavy rains, heavy snow, strong winds makes it for very difficult fishing. Water levels and temperatures are like a yoyo at the moment, nothing settles for more than 48 hours. I am not the type of fisherman that enjoys sitting in a bivvy for hours on end with little to no action, i like to be active when i fish.
So instead of wasting hours on the water getting cold, i rather put my time to more constructive occupations. Like getting some hours in the air getting new shots with the drone and tying some flies for the spring/summer here and my return to Alaska ( i am very impatient for this trip!)
For the arial footage, for those who are interested in this type of things...I used the active tracking on the Mavic, but i find it not to reliable.The camera has to be at a certain distance to lock on the subject and if you go behind trees or in shadows the camera will loose you every single time. So to help with this i use an external gps like via bluetooth to my tablet. I got myself a little Garmin Glo.This little device is fantastic.
Glo can receive position information from both GPS and GLONASS satellite constellations ( the Russian equivalent to GPS), allowing it to connect top to 24 more satellites than devices that rely on GPS alone.This allows GLO to lock on to satellites approximately 20 percent faster and remain connected even at high speed.What's more, GLO updates its position information at 10 times per seconds! And that's up to 10 times more often than the GPS receivers in many devices.I got mine from Amazon and got it even cheaper than on the Garmin website.
Glo is about the size of a Zippo lighter.
So now i have no worries of the drone loosing me! Here's a quick edit using just the Active track on the Mavic at sunrise:
Now for a few ties,i am working mainly with Kanekalon hair at the moment, a few more toads in yellow variations, and a few baitfish.The electric yellow and pink leave me great action before, so i decided to top my box up with a few more of them. Next, a few more ties with a flashy trend.
Yellow toads.
"El Classico" always carry one of this colour combo in your box!
Having a good pair of sunglasses is essential when fishing, looking cool is optional but nowadays with so many brands on the market it well possible.The only problem is that a good pair of polarized can be very expensive.
But no more! The Cassette company is a brand coming from Idaho that started in 2011 and is growing every day. First made for snowboarders and skaters, Cassette is expending, offering now great shades for the angler. (check their Stockholm range for quality polarised). What attracted me about this brand is the quality and the value they offer.They use the same factories that more expensive brands use, so they can deliver great quality, but they're not to greedy and offer the customer great value as well!
Recycled skateboard, Canadian maple.
I particularly like their wooden frames : bamboo, kossowood , zebra wood and their recycled skateboard decks in canadian maple.To add to all this they use environment friendly acetate.
So i am pleased and happy to announced that Cassette have now included myself in their brand ambassador program.
Dark bamboo
And to celebrate this, you guys can get any of their product with a discount! Use my own discount code when ordering to get a whopping 20% of your next order!
Here's the code: NORBERTFWA don't forget to share it with friends.
Stockholm range
So if you are like me and suffer from loosing and breaking sunglasses on a regular basis, or if you need a good value spare pair look no further (unless you are loaded with money, so you can buy a pair of Costas twice a year...) The prices range from 45$ up to 150$ , they change their stock on regular basis, offering new model and a fantastic choice of frames, lens and colours. Even if you already own a pair of sunglasses, these can be great to have as a spare , but don't let the price fool you, they are very good quality and they will be very happy as your main fishing glasses too.
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 ).
The changes to the blog and my Youtube channel are moving at a great pace. With , this year the edition of a new drone , the MAVIC PRO (a lot easier to travel and fish with than my old phantom 3 pro.) and now a new camera , the DJI OSMO+ . More details about the gear i will use at a later stage.
The videos are going to take a turn back towards the good old vlogging.Vlogging for the ones left behind is simply a video blog... A mixture of my life here, of course all concentrated around fly fishing ,flytying, gear reviews and my travels here in Ireland and abroad. Costa Rica looks to be on the cards for this winter! Then the Innoko trip summer 2018.
A more dynamic approach, the vlogs will be around 5 minutes up to 10 minutes long maximum...So i don't bore you to death. Its a style of videos that suits me best, so i can still fish and not become a full time filmmaker. I started with this format 6 years ago already! So its long due to bring the blog backbit with a modern, interactive touch.
This was my first ever video...Sorry for the low quality, 6 years is ancient in technologic terms these days.
pike fly fishing,Ireland from Norbert Renaud on Vimeo.
Now for some of the tunes i will be using, in this mad copyright world, its not easy to find great tunes without forking serious amount of money around.But i am very pleased to announce a collaboration between myself and AK Natural for some the music used in the future vlogs. AK Natural , the name gives it away are from Alaska, they are independent fish-hop artists, yes you heard well, fish-hop. Hip-hop but no hoes, no drive by, and no bling, just fishes..If you are not familiar with them, you can find the on Soundcloud , Bandcamp and Facebook.
If you guys have any ideas of what i should include in these vlogs, just mail me :norbertfwa@gmail.com or leave something in the comments below.
Thanks for following me and please don't forget to help the Youtube channel to grow by subscribing: CLICK HERE
And a little look at what the Osmo+ can achieve, i think it one of the most practical cam out there for bloggers on the go..One negative, its not waterproof...But i still have my Gopro Black for wet days.
And some AK NATURAL, thanks, you guys are awesome!
One of the best part of fly fishing is the fly tying. Creating your own flies, your own patterns and catching fish on them. And the best part of fly tying, is that its virtually limitless. Not only you have access to an extraordinary amount of materials in the shops, but there is so much out there that's not ( yet) commercialised. All you have to do is look, be adventurous and inventive.
This is how i started looking into a different breed of materials.We are all used to the naturals, hair and feathers, and of course the synthetics. But i never seen any vegetal fibres used.
I am not trying to reinvent the wheel here, but to simply broaden my horizon. New fibres are developed constantly for the textile industry. Stronger, lighter and a great choice of colors. The ones that really got my attention were the stronger ones of the bunch: bamboo, hemp and flax. At this stage you are allowed to think that i am crazy and walk away....
White:hemp, Orange:bamboo and yellow:flax.
Bamboo: it looks and feel exactly like polar fibres (made by H2O). Same length and the feel strangely identical. I have made brushes with bamboo and i am very pleased with the results. It moves very well and looks durable. It could be a great replacement for making collars and heads on pike streamers.
I am sure that it can be used too for making small trout streamers as well ( i will make some in the very near future).
Hemp and angel hair.
Bamboo and angel hair.
Hemp brush.
Hemp: one of the toughest fibres out there, used for hundreds of years from textile to ropes on ships.
It feels very soft to the touch and its very user friendly to make brushes with it. It takes on water very well...Maybe too well...As expected it soaks up water and holds on to it giving the effect of a wet sock. I tied a couple of game changers with it and the final result is pretty slick.Maybe a mix of 50-50 hemp and synthetic fibres could be better...
Flax: it's the longest fibre that i have tried, it feels and act like icelandic sheep. But i have my reservations on how it will last in the long run.
I have tried banana fibres, but these are very thin and not very good for fly tying ( maybe to make dubbing?) But i don't thing it will have a long shelf life.
I will keep on experiencing with these fibres, but for the moment, the bamboo looks the best.
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.
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.
Over the years i have owned nearly all the Gopros ever made, some for years, other for only a very brief time. We now have 5 generations of Gopros, and apart from image quality and a few more options , the action camera has changed very little ( thats my personal views...)
But Gopro had very little competition in the sport/action camera, some tried but failed....Until now.
Yes finally a true challenger! Thanks to Sony they have popped the Gopro bubble with their latest camera, the FDR-X3000. What's the big difference? Well there two big ones. The fist is the fantastic image stabilisation that the Sony offers.Thanks to a clever built in optical stabilisation, Sony offer very steady footage, and steady footage for an action camera is a VERY big deal! And you can have smoother footage all in 4K. This little beast can give you super smooth slow motion shots too with 120 fps at 1080 and 240 fps at 720.
Now the second big thing : the microphone.
Sound quality is a lot better than the Gopro 5 and you have a jack port to plug in an external microphone, if you use it without the waterproof case. And that is a huge step forwards still don't understand why Gopro never done this...
For those who like the little screen on the more recent Gopros, Sony have a clever little monitor that looks like a watch. Sony use as usual a quality Zeiss lens on the FDR.
I have been looking for a very long time for something else ( and better) than a Gopro and finally there is something out there! Its not cheap, with a retail at 550/650€ but neither is the Gopro 5 at around 429€. But i really think the extra money will go a very long way here.
Here is a nice little video to show you more why i am switching to the Sony side.
