Rep Your Water Hat

    I first stumbled across Rep Your Water while scrolling through fly fishing photos on Instagram.  I saw a sweet fly fishing hat in one of the photos and took a closer look.  The photo was posted by Rep Your Water.  I visited the website and fell in love.  Rep Your Water makes hats and clothing representing individual states and certain types of fish.  A lot of hats (according to my unscientific analysis of their website) seem to incorporate a state's flag or other identifiable feature on them in the shape of a trout.  They're all pretty sweet too.  For example, the Colorado hat features the state's flag on the front, but in the outline of a fish.  Being in Utah, I checked out the Utah hats.  They feature the famous arch from Arches National Park in the form of a fish.  The gray hat with the orange arch and white mesh back is pretty awesome.  But what really struck my fancy was the Native Cutthroat hat.  This hat has a gray front, red mesh back, and a cutthroat trout on the front.  Underneath the cutthroat is the word "NATIVE".  It represents the native Utah Bonneville Cutthroat, which happens to be the state fish.  It is one sick lid.

    I had to have one.  So CurrentSeams contacted Rep Your Water and they sent us two hats and two buffs.  I am loving life.   I love the look of the hat and it looks good when being worn.  I know it might sound weird, but it gives me confidence. I feel good wearing it and like the appearance.  And I've been fly fishing long enough that I know feeling confident on the water can make or break a day of fly fishing.   I love representing my state with a sweet lid.  This has become my go-to hat for my fly fishing.  

   The hat's construction is quality.  I've had it a couple months and fished with it constantly.  I feel it's going to hold up for a long time.  All the stitching is even and looks strong.  The colors are vibrant and look good in their respective color combinations.  The hat isn't flexfit; it has adjustable snaps on the back.  The hat is deep, which I like.  It offers a lot of coverage and the bill can be pulled down low to help block out the glare.  The bill is really stiff though.  Jace likes his bills rounded and has had a hard time getting his bill to bend and hold its shape.  I don't mind a flatter bill, so I have no complaints, but this is something to consider depending on your preference.  The website says the bill is easily shaped, but it's actually not that easy to do.

    Rep Your Water has sweet products and they donate 1% to conservation! So why not get a sweet product and donate to conservation at the same time?  Seems like a win-win to me.  Overall, this is a great company started by a Colorado couple that loves the outdoors, so props to them for making some killer products.

William Joseph Squall Jacket Review

I was really excited when I saw a medium sized box had been delivered to my apartment.  It was just a plain, nondescript, ugly, brown cardboard box that wouldn’t look out of place in a dumpster.

But it made my heart pound.  I was like a kid on Chirstmas.

The return address told me all I wanted to know.  William Joseph.  My wading jacket and rain jacket from one of the most innovative fly fishing companies I’ve come across were finally here.

One of the first things that attracted me to William Joseph was their brilliant magnetic closures on their fly fishing chest packs.  One of my biggest frustrations on the water was fighting the zippers on my fly vest.  More than once I left a pocket unzipped and dumped a bunch of stuff into the current.  William Joseph eliminated that problem (See Jace’s review on the Mag Current chest pack).  The other thing that attracted me to William Joseph was their awesome, no questions asked, lifetime warranty.   Anyway, I decided to get a new wading jacket because my old one was not waterproof.  I found this out a few months after I purchased it.  I was on Boulder Mountain during a summer thunderstorm.  In 15 minutes I was soaked and freezing.  My mind went straight to Willy J’s Squall Jacket I had seen on their website.  With such a great warranty, how could I say no?

The first thing that I noticed when I pulled out the Squall wading jacket was that it wasn’t very heavy.  I feel this is a plus.  I feel more agile on the water when I’m not weighed down by heavy gear.  The Squall’s material was supple and quiet.  The adjustable cuffs on my old wading jacket were big and annoying; my fly line got caught on them all the time.  The adjustable cuffs on the Squall had a slim, narrow profile.  To this day, I’ve never had a problem with the cuffs catching my line.  

The Squall features fleece lined pockets, which are a lifesaver for your hands on cold days.  It features a zippered chest pocket that I love.  I stash a camera in it and it’s positioned perfectly.  I don’t worry about water getting inside because there’s a small flap that folds over the zipper to keep it dry.  It’s in the little details like these that makes the Squall a cut above the rest.  The Squall also has big inside pockets that can be used to stash gear if needed.

The hood is amazing.  It’s cut like a baseball cap.  The brim is long enough to keep the water out of your face but tapers back so it doesn’t hinder your peripheral vision.  The hood can be tightened down with the elastic cord for those nasty winter days.  The zipper at the top of the jacket, right where your chin is, is fleece lined.  This is another amazing, well executed little feature that might not seem like much until you’re out in the cold.  When it’s cold outside, who wants a hard, freezing, metal zipper rubbing against their chin?  Not me. Thanks Willy J for the warm fleece.

I started using my Squall immediately.  It is insulated, but not overly so.  On cool, early spring mornings it’s the perfect piece.  During the fall I’d wear one long sleeved shirt underneath and I stayed warm and dry all day long.  The Squall probably isn’t heavy enough for most to be used alone during the winter, so I wore a fleece jacket under it.  I’ve yet to be cold.

The supple, quiet material had me nervous initially.  Is it really waterproof?  Well, I’ve had the jacket three years now.  It has passed every test with flying colors . . . until this past year. I’m not sure if the jacket is getting too worn or what (I wear it for everyday use plus all my fishing) but the last two times I’ve worn it in rain my shoulders have gotten wet.  Luckily I had my Willy J rain jacket (that is definitely waterproof) and it saved me, otherwise it would have been a long, wet day of fishing.  Before this past autumn though, the Squall handled freezing temps, blizzards, thunderstorms, and blustery autumn weather.  It was/is fully waterproof, windproof, and comfortable.  The fit is great, and I wear it around town as an everyday jacket because it looks so good.  And why not?  So now I’ll contact William Joseph and see what they can do for me.  I wonder if I just worn the waterproofing right off the jacket . . . I’m not sure.  Any ideas?  Let me know!  But still, I would recommend this jacket just because it has held up extremely well and I have worn it a TON.  If you just need a good wading jacket to protect you from freak snow or rainstorms, plus keep the wind out on cold days, this one will do it.  If you’re steelheading is the Pacific Northwest though in constant rain, I’d probably consider something with GoreTex instead.

I’m Mr. Brook Trout, and I approved this message.

William Joseph Current Mag Pack

Current Mag Pack

The current pack functions and feels just as sleek as it looks. The guys at Willy J put together yet another top notch product. When I'm purchasing fly fishing gear I look for companies that are willing to back their products with a lifetime warranty; after-all, I spend a lot of time on the water and I'm not known for being easy on my gear. I don't have time to baby my gear when there are fish to be caught. By the way, the current pack isn't the only thing they warranty for the life of the product- all William Joseph products have a lifetime warranty, and are based here in the great state of Utah.

The mag series packs feature no zippers, but a magnet seal for each pocket. I love the quick access by simply pulling the pockets open, and I will never leave a zipper open again realizing a few runs up river I've been dropping precious gear. A feature that isn't pointed out by Willy J is the fact that you can quickly turn the current chest pack into a comfortable sling pack if that's your thing. I personally like the pack at my chest and have my net hooked to the back. The current pack isn't made to hold every item of your gear on your person, but has plenty of room to get the job done for any day trip. I usually store a couple of nymph boxes and another box, switching between a box of dries or leach patterns (depending on the season) all in the main pocket. The small front pocket is perfect for leaders, while the side pockets are great for split shot, dry fly dressings, strike indicators etc. The organization isn't what's important, my point is there is plenty of room for the basic day trip goods. Going from a vest to a chest pack worried me in the comfort category, but the pack snugs comfortably on the back of your neck and you don't even realize it's there.

Overall, this is a fantastic product that will not let you down and is built to last.  If not, get ahold of William Joseph and they’ll prove their iron clad warranty.  I am in the market for a bigger pack so that I have room to carry back up reels, water bottles, more fly boxes etc to accommodate my clients and I will be most likely be purchasing another Willy J product (even with discounts on Orvis and Fishpond).

Fighting and Landing Fish on a Fly Rod

   Having the opportunity to take clients who are newer or even brand new to the amazing world of fly fishing I am always reminded how technique-sensitive this sport can be.  I can spend half a day or sometimes all day working on fly casting which is great, but when clients start to get the hang of casting, the chances of hooking up are increased; then there is a whole new facet of fly fishing to learn--fighting fish on a fly rod. 

Fighting fish on a fly rod is just like any other aspect of fly fishing, technique-sensitive.  I have thrown together just a few thoughts and tips that I tell clients to help them land those trout that they worked so hard to hook up.  This is by no means a vast guide, but I few quick tips I hope will help you land some dandies.

      1.      Set the hook and let the fish make the first move

I have heard many experienced anglers and casting instructors say that it doesn’t take much, maybe just a flip of your wrist or a slight lift of the rod to set the hook.  I agree that on some strikes this is the case, but I would far rather give a nice strong lift up (as if you were peeling the line off the water to go into another cast) on the rod putting the tip straight in the air to make sure that hook is deep in the mouth of that trophy trout.  Once the hook is set I tell clients to hold the pressure on the fish by putting the tip straight up, not increasing the pressure by yanking or running backwards like you’ve hooked a Marlin on a 100 wt rod (trust me I’ve seen it plenty of times) but letting that fish make the first move.  This is where you can usually determine the size of the fish and what type of ride you are in for. 

      

      2.      Rod tip up, Tension on the rod, not the line

Many new anglers have the inclination to just start reeling like their life is dependent on it and lose the fish before they even knew what hit them.  Fly rods are not like spinner or other rods in that fly fishing tackle is far lighter and more sensitive.  So think about where you would want the pressure of the fish . . . on light 5x (around 5lb test) leader and tippet with a small size 16-22 hook or on the 9 foot graphite 5 weight rod?  Keeping the rod tip up holds the fish on the rod, dropping the rod tip down puts all the pressure on your light leader/tippet, small hooks, and of course, those knots you may not be overly confident in.  

      3.      Work the fish, Don’t muscle the fish

So you’ve set the hook, you’ve got the pressure on the rod and hopefully a big grin on your face.  Now let’s tire that hog out.  With you keeping the pressure on the fish and at times angling your rod tip up stream (angled with tip still in air) so the fish is fighting the current and you, this will tire him out in no time.  If the fish wants to run let him run, this is why reels have a drag system, or if you are stripping the fly line by hand feed a little line for the fish to run.  When the fish isn’t running be stripping or reeling in but not overpowering the fish.  Remember, fly tackle is light.  Once you have tired the fish out it’s time to get him in the net.

     Note: Some fly anglers see the reel as an instrument for simply holding fly line and not much else, thus they use the strip, not reel, method and are their own drag systems per say.  Others put more stock in a good fly reel, and while holding tension on the fish, reel in their excess fly line and put themselves in position to fight the fish with the help of the reel and drag system.  I however am right in between.  I say make the fish earn the reel and probably about 90% of the time I just use the strip method to land fish.  But there is always that chance you get a toad on and you will be in to the reel before you know it. 

      

      4.      Get that fish in the net

So just because you have the fish tired and you are bringing it your way doesn’t mean you have him beat just yet.  The fish may see your net and get a burst of energy making another run so be ready at all times.  Or, if you don’t get that net underneath him, he might end up running or even wrapping himself around your ankles or something breaking you off.  You would think that there is nothing to netting a fish, but trust me, if you don’t keep the head of the fish up and get that net down in the water, all that work you put in can be lost, like down the river lost.  So if you are netting the fish yourself this makes it just a little more difficult, but by keeping that rod tip up (sick of hearing that yet? must be important) and raising it even higher above you head and back while reaching down with the net in your other hand, that fish will be in the net in no time.  It is important to note that you want to leave at least a couple of feet of fly line out of the tip of the rod because it is much stronger than your leader and there are no knots to get hung up on.  

For someone who has had a fly rod in his hand for around 15 years and spends a lot of time on the water personally or with clients, there is still no feeling like getting the fish in the net.  No matter what the size (don’t get me wrong bigger fish, bigger rush) it seems to put a smile on your face. I hope that these few tips help you out and put some nice fish in your hands.  Remember to handle the fish correctly if you are practicing catch and release, and leave that fish for another time.  I wish you tight lines and thanks for reading.  If there are any questions you have or other topics you want to discuss then drop us a line at currentseams@gmail.com or leave a comment.