Pole, Pack and Paddle 73rd Edition
Fly
Fishing, Backpacking, Canoes & Kayaks
Tues-Fri
Happy Holidays!
Kelty Packs Half Price…That’s right…every Kelty
pack in the store is Half Price! Red Cloud STs, Trekkers, Internal Frame,
External Frame etc. (sorry no
Kelty Tent (
Diamondback Flawless Fly Rods…30% off. This is Diamondback’s
newest rod and has received great reviews…rating it on par with rods costing
twice as much. These are excellent
performers and excellent for achieving a little more distance. Retail is $250-300….truly a premium rod at a
bargain price. We still have 3,6,8,9,10
weights.
Other great sales this
week: North Face and
Looking for more Gift
Ideas? If
Guppies and Screwzalls and those other gadgets in the last
newsletter weren’t enough, then what about
Fishpond Fly Boxes or Fishpond’s
Thermos Bottle; North Face Windwall gloves;
Temple Fork Rod & Reel case; Simms Freestone Wading Jacket; MSR Pocket Rocket Stove; Benchmade
folding knife; Camelback Water Bladder;
Emergency Radio, light and phone charger; Thermarest sleeping pad; Kelty Fleece sleeping bag liner; Smartwool
socks; Cliff’s Bugger Barn or Bugger Beast….
Tips for Toes…There’s not much worse on
a winter camping or backpacking trip, than crawling out of your sleeping bag
and sliding warm feet into cold, frozen boots.
(makes me grimace just to think about it). The simplest solution is to sleep with your
boots. Put them in a stuff sack or
plastic bag and slide them into your sleeping bag. It’s a little weird at first but you get use
to it. The next morning your boots are
toasty warm when you put them on. Even
waterproof boots can be wet and damp from snow and rain, or at best they will
be damp from foot perspiration. You
can’t dry them in those conditions but at least you can keep them from becoming
frozen blocks of leather and nylon. Your
feet will thank you.
Rain Jacket not Rainproof? Well, it happens to the best of them. It sneaks up on you and you may not realize it
until you’re in pouring rain. (like today)
Over time that waterproof
breathable membrane or coating on the inside wears thin, and it may be time for
a new one. But maybe that’s not your
problem. Sometimes, the seam sealing
tape peels away from wear and washing.
If you can get to the seam (you may have to cut an opening in the liner)
you can reseal it with something like Aquaseal or Seam Grip. Or maybe the jacket isn’t really leaking but
feels cold and damp. When the
chemical water repellent treatment on
the jacket’s fabric exterior wears off,
you can retreat it with one the products specifically designed for that purpose
(Nikwax, Grangers, Revivex). That may be
all you need to have your waterproof/breathable jacket performing like new.
Wader Wisdom…Like jackets, waders can
develop problems from briars, barb wire, pinched in car doors, fish hooks, and gear “cooties.” Protect your waders by transporting them in
a wader duffel, designed to protect your gear.
The Fishpond Duffels are excellent, and we also have some very
functional models from Clear Creek and Stearns.
Now, about the “cooties….” It’s
important to dry the inside of your waders.
Some folks have said that dampness on the inside (and there will be
moisture just from perspiration…especially in the neoprene bootie) causes a
bacteria to multiply and they will cause seam sealing adhesives to deteriorate
(or be eaten). Turn them inside out…the
inside will dry fast. Then turn them
right side out to finish drying… It’s a
simple extra step that will increase the life of waders.
Winter Classes and Seminars…We are putting together a
schedule of winter classes and clinics that should begin in mid-Jan. We’re working on a wide range of topics and
hope to publish a schedule soon. Watch
for details and let us know if there’s something special you’re interested
in.
Here’s
some early brainstorming: Beginners Fly
Tying Class (6 wks), Saltwater Fly Tying
Class; Tips and Tactics for
Smallmouths (and a similar one for
Trout) by one of our professional
guides; Selecting the right Canoe,
Kayak or Pontoon Boat; Beginners and
Intermediate Fly Fishing and Casting Classes;
Intro to Fly Tying (1 night);
Getting Started in Backpacking.
And we plan to continue our “One Night Stand” tying classes….
The first two fly tying classes
require preparation and advance planning.
If folks are interested in those…please call or email before
Christmas.
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Thanks for shopping (and ordering) local…Your
business is important to everybody.