Shop Update

The shop is open today from 10-4pm and closed tomorrow for New Years.


Saturday we resume our normal business hours:
Saturdays 8am - 6pm
Sun - Fri 12pm - 6pm


We have lots of cool classes coming up in Jan and Feb.The class on Fly Fishing Puget Sound Beaches is full and Gary's tying class on Resident Coho flies is full. Several of the other classes, including the steelhead clinic are half full. Make sure to get signed up if you are planning on attending. To see the list of classes click here.

Tying Flies for Puget Sound Resident Coho

Gary has a really cool fly tying class coming up on the 18th of January. It is only $25 and Gary will teach the class how to to tie several different resident coho flies that will be very effective this winter as resident coho fishing picks up. To sign up for the class click here. 

British Columbia Steelhead Photo Journal

After spending 4 months of guiding people on the various watersheds of western Alaska, I have made it a yearly tradition to take a little "me" time and venture to the last great steelhead mecca left on earth, northern British Columbia.

For two weeks I was surrounded by snow capped hills, the fading colors of fall, and the biggest, meanest, grabbiest steelhead left on earth. By way of picture, I'll attempt to share the experience!

Some days in the late fall get a little on the chilly side so you have to wait for the sun to rise and warm the air water and you up a few degrees before launching.

As you float down the river, as hard as it is, slow down and take in all the little things that add to how special this trip is.

But lets not kid ourselves, at the end of the day its all about finding some fish!





Big bright flies help wake these sleepy giants up when the temperatures drop in the late fall.





Just hooking these beasts is a privilege in its own, let alone getting to shake a tail with a 20lbr





This holy area is a place that allows an angler the chance to realize most every steelheader's ultimate goal; a 30lb steelhead (43.5"x23.4")





and when you loosen your grip on the tail, all you can do is stand in an awe and look around, realize what steelheading is all about and how lucky we are to be able to chase these amazing creatures! Hope you enjoyed!

Gray's Best 2010

Gray's Sporting Journal recently published their top new product picks from this last year. Among them is the Ambush Fly Line, which we have been particularly excited about. They also gave props to Patagonia Guidewater waders and Fishpond PioPod. 
I have casted the Ambush in almost all of the line sizes and have fished extensively the 5wt and the 8wt. When paired with a handful of Airflo Polyleaders, the Ambush becomes probably my favorite single hand fly line. The Guidewater waders I've been rockin since March and have been really happy with them. I'm especially stoked on the wool/polyester blend on the inside of the neoprene foot that keeps your feet warm.


To check out the Gray's article click here.

Tying Intruder-style Steelhead Flies

Chris Ringlee is teaching a really cool class tomorrow night on Intruder-style Steelhead Flies. Ed Ward made Intruders popular and now with the amount of variations of the Intruder it has become its own style. The class is only $25 and materials are included. Chris is also teaching a Steelhead Nymph/Egg tying class coming up. Both of these classes will also be offered in January.
For info on either of these classes or to register for your spot check out our website.

Recent trip to the OP

Chris and I recently headed out to the Olympic Peninsula and it is looking like it is going to be a good season. Over to course of the day, Chris got a couple of salmon and hooked up with two nice steelhead and tied into one steelhead. Nymphing was the ticket and all of the fish were hooked on egg imitations.

A hen coho that Chris caught

Hooked up with some steel

I posted a full report on my blog and you can view it by clicking here.

Justin's top 5 Christmas Gifts

1) Scott G2 8'8" 4wt - "The best trout rod ever made, ever" - John Aqui. This really is the best trout rod out there. I was amazed the first time I cast this rod how far you could "bomb" it. The G2 series are great for accuracy when fishing smaller presentations, but the reason I fell in love with it was because you can toss a small leech or sculpin as far as most 6wts. So for an all in one, do it all light weight trout rod, it can't be beat! 

2) Fishpond Fanny Pack - These are a must have for any angler that covers water! These fanny packs are not only quality and will hold up for years, but they also offer anglers plenty of room for everything you need to take for a long day of hiking on the river. The numerous pockets allow you to have enough room to find everything a home and keep it organized. 


3) Scott S4s 9' 6wt - There is a reason several of us have this rod on our list; It is the ultimate 6wt single hand for the beach. The S4s is Scott's specialty saltwater fly rod, made with titanium guides and an anodized aluminum reel seat not a detail was missed. Coupled with a Airflo ridge line distance taper line, this rod allows you to launch to where the fish are!

4) Fish Pond Thermometer - A must have tool for any angler! There are so many factors on the water that effect fish behavior and one of the biggest and easiest to monitor on the water is temperature. This tool is especially handy for any steelhead fishermen because it starts to helps you keep a more detailed log of why fish were behaving a certain way or holding in particular areas of a river. For under $20.00 it makes a great easy stocking stuffer that the fisherman on your list will actually use!


5) A guided trip - Learning a fishery usually takes years and years of going out, making tons of casts, observations and more often than not, very little results. Going on a guided trip can be more than just hooking some fish, you also cut down the learning curve of the fishery. All our guides are top notch on the local beach fishery, as well as the famed steelhead fishery of the Olympic Peninsula. A guided trip makes a perfect gift for someone who's just getting into fishing or the grizzled vet that just wants to have a great time on the water with some good company.

FREE Fly Tying Demonstration

Chris Ringlee will be demonstrating how to tie one of his tube flies for winter steelhead on Saturday (tomorrow). The demo is free and there will be free coffee as well. So come on out to the shop, the demo is from 9am-10am. 

Christmas in the Harbor

This weekend is Gig Harbor's "Candlelight Christmas in the Harbor". Below is the schedule of events. We will be open Friday and Saturday night until 9pm for your convenience. 


For more details, visit the Gig Harbor Historic Waterfront Association website. 

Special events include:

Friday, December 11th
Enjoy entertainment in historic downtown while shopping under the twinkling lights.
3 - 4 pm	Perry Acker (Pop)
4 - 5:30 pm	Unfinished Lips (Jazz)
5:30 -7 pm	Clint McCune & Co. (Folk)
And in the beautiful Finholm District:
4 - 5 pm	Jerry Brogan (acoustic guitar)
5 -7 pm	Philip Davis (classical)
Saturday, December 12th
All day	Shop at the Gig Harbor Fly Shop all day and enjoy specials at restaurants and shops
10 am - 2 pm	See Santa Claus at the Beach Basket Christmas Shop, located at 4102 Harborview Drive
5 pm 6-9pm	After dark, don't miss the annual Gig Harbor Lighted Boat Parade on Gig Harbor Bay, sponsored by the Gig Harbor Yacht Club. Gig Harbor Fly Shop after-party - 20% off C&F fly boxes, buy one book or dvd and get the second half off, receive free backing and fly line with purchase of fly rod and reel.
Sunday, December 13th
2 - 4 pm	Enjoy the Harmony Shop Quartet while shopping
Monday, December 14th
7-9 pm	Hark the Harbor candlelight event at the Skansie Brothers Park Pavilion

Steelie John

This is my version of the jumbo john and one of my favorite point flies when nymphing faster water for steelhead. Being that this fly is exceptionally heavy and dives to the bottom quickly, it is an ideal choice as a lead fly in front of another nymph or an egg imitation. The color combination also does a great job of grabbing the attention of fish in off-color water and while more fish may grab the trailer fly you can bet that this is the fly that got their attention. With the webby soft hackle tied in the front, the steelie john fishes well on the swing.

Side View

Top View

Hook: Owner Mosquito: Size 2 or similar

Thread: 6/0 in a color to match the fly

Bead: Gold or Spirit River Hotbead sized to match the fly

Underbody: 0.035 gauge lead wire

Tail: A tuft of cerise glo bug yarn and two matching black goose biots

Body: Medium UTC Ultra Wire in Wine and 0.28 gauge Fuchsia Spirit River Hotwire

Wing Case: Black thin skin and wide gauge pearl tinsel, covered with epoxy after the fly is finished

Thorax: Spirit River Steelhead Peril litebrite

Legs: Black size medium rubber legs

Collar: Black hen saddle hackle

For full tying instructions click here

Blake's Top 5 Christmas Picks

Christmas is just around the corner so I thought I'd share with you a few of the fly fishing items that I think might be worthy to make your Christmas list.


1. A fly fishing trip to Alaska is in many fly fishers' dreams and for many has stayed there because of the financial constraints. We are offering a week long fly fishing trip to Alaska for under two thousand dollars, check it out here. Not up for a full week? A one day guided trip on the Olympic Peninsula chasing our state's beautiful steelhead would be the next best thing. For more info on our guided trips click here.


2. Are you just getting into fly tying? Tying with poorly made tools can be one of the most frustrating things in life. A good vise and good tools are a good investment. Dr. Slick makes great quality tools and offers a tying tool kit with the essentials for fifty bucks. They also offer the tools with bamboo handles or stainless steel. Match those tools with a Renzetti Traveller vise and you're set. 

3. Here in Western Washington we have so many options such as trout, steelhead, saltwater, and more that we end up with a bunch of gear. How organized are you? Do you have a lot of gear too? Well it's time to get organized (or get your loved one organized). Fishpond has some great organizational items to make your life easier. You can't go wrong with the Cloudburst or the Storm Mountain. Do you have a few reels lying around? The Fishpond Sweetwater Reel Cases are great for storing one to four reels. For ten reels check out the Fishpond Stowaway Reel Case.

4. The new Bauer Rogue is a great reel for those looking for a great quality USA made reel, machined aluminum, beautiful anodizing, and a carbon fiber drag system. Bauer also just released (and we're one of the first to have them in stock) their new Rogue Classic. The Classic does not have the ported out frame, which adds some weight to the reel making it ideal for spey fishers wanting to balance out their longer rods. The Classic 5 is great on Switch and shorter spey rods and the Classic 6 is perfect on 13-14 footers. 


5. DVDs make great Christmas gifts. Here's three great options. Hustle & Fish - great story line, awesome fishing scenes. Red Gold - Quality documentary on Alaska's Bristol Bay Pebble Mine, great for conservation minded anglers. Raising the Ghost - Fly Fishing in British Columbia for steelhead rising to dead drifted dry flies. I know, I didn't believe it either!


We hope you have a great Christmas!

Gary's Top 5 Christmas Picks

1. Scott S4s Saltwater Fly Rods 

So I figured that I should start out with my favorite new item to come out, the Scott S4s fly rod! Flat out, these fly rods are some of the best, if not THE best, saltwater rods on the market. In fact they won the 2009 Retailers Choice Award at the Fly Fishing Retailer Show in Denver. After testing one out at the show in September I knew that I would be adding one to my arsenal as soon as they came out. The S4s provides a faster action than the S4 and is more suited to dealing with the strain the large fish exert on a fly rod. I recently got myself the 8wt S4s and simply put, it is a powerhouse that is capable of tossing in excess of 100 feet of line.

2. Lamson Litespeed Reel

Just like their name suggest, these mid price range reels are light and a great match for any single hand fly rod. The reels especially shine when it comes to saltwater fly fishing as they have they tough Hard Alox finish and a sealed drag unit. I have several of these and they have proven their worth on Neah Bay coho, steelhead, cutthroat, chum, char, etc, etc... The drag is smooth, bullet proof and the reel is light and durable, which is all that anybody can ask for in a fly reel.

3. Recycled Waders Wallet

While strictly speaking, this isn't a fly fishing item, but a great gift idea for a fly fisher. It is made out of recycled waders and has all of the features that you would ask out of a wallet. Plus they are locally made in Seattle and help to keep waders out of the landfills.

4. William Joseph Current Chest Pack

One of the biggest problem with fly fishing the salt water is that it is extremely rough on gear, especially metal components such as the zippers on chest packs and vests. That is where the William Joseph mag series packs come in. The magnetic seal on these packs provides easy access the your gear, while eliminating the worry of having you zippers seize up due to saltwater exposure. The packs easily fit couple of fly boxes, tippet, tools and all of the other accessories needed for a day on the Puget Sound.

5. Streamworks All Purpose Tool Kit

This convenient little tool kit provides the fly angler with all of the extra essentials that you need when on the water. It comes with a zinger that also doubles as a measuring tape, nippers, hemos, and a tool tether on a d-ring. Also by getting everything in the kit you save over $10.00 if you were to buy the items individually!

Christmas Top Picks

Instead of coming up with a top ten Christmas list for you, we are trying something a little different this year. Each one of the shop guys is going to post their top 5 Christmas picks this week. Some of the lists are actually their Christmas lists! Other lists are suggestions to help you shop for that special fly fisher.


The Christmas season is crazy for all of us in retail. But, like many of you, we will also stop this season and think about the things that matter to us and are important: family, friends, our jobs, our communities, etc. As we close another year please remember the organizations that are working hard to protect the resources in our state. Consider giving a year end contribution to help them in their work. 


We particularly like the Wild Steelhead Coalition and the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group because of the role they play right around where we live, work, and play.


   

Fly Tying - Hot Wire Comet

The hotwire comet has become one of my favorite sparsely tied attractor fly patterns in the saltwater and is the product of a number seasons on the water. It has resulted in some exceptional fish for me and will be a great pattern for resident coho throughout the winter. It is best fished on an intermediate or floating line using moderate paced short 3-5" strips.

Hook: Daiichi 2546 Size 6

Thread: Uni-Thread Orange 6/0

Eyes: Stainless Steel Small Beadchain Eyes

Collar: Orange Chinese Saddle Hackle and Golden Pheasant Chest Feathers

Body: Medium Sized Copper and Copper-Brown Ultra Wire Woven

Tail: Orange hackle and Golden Pheasant Back Fibers

Step 1: Preparing the wire - The body on this fly is prepared by first tying two approximately one foot long lengths of both copper wire and copper-brown wire to the hook. Next using a dubbing hook the two wires are spun together. As soon as the wires are spun together cut them off of the hook. This length of the now woven wires should produce three or four flies.

Attach the wires to the hook and dubbing hook

Spin the wire till it is tightly woven

Step 2: Start the thread about 10% of a shank length behind the eye of the hook and tie in some bead chain eyes by doing a series of figure-eight wraps.

Step 3: After tying the eyes in, wrap the thread back to the bend of the hook and tie in the tail. The tail should be kept relatively sparse and should be about half orange hackle fibers and half pheasant fibers.

Step 4: Tie in the woven wire for the body along the length of the shank up to about 10% of a shank length behind the eyes, to provide room for the hackle collar. Once the wire is secured wrap it forward, making sure to keep the wire flush with the previous wrap. Tie it over at 10% of a shank length behind the eyes.

Step 5: Tie in one orange hackle feather and make one wrap with the feather than tie it off. Next tie in the golden pheasant crest in stem end first and wrap the whole feather in front of the orange hackle, then tie it off.

Step 6: Wrap the thread in front of the eyes and form a head. Whip finish and head cement the fly.

A variety of other color combinations can also be used and are only limited by the tier's imagination. Some of my other favorites are the a cerise color, chartreuse and purple, and red.

Holiday Shop Hours

Starting on Monday, December 7th until the 31st, our shop hours will be as follows:
Sun - Fri: 10am-7pm
Saturdays: 8am-7pm
Online: Always Open




We will also be open late on Friday December 11th and Saturday December 12th until 9pm.