Fishpond Ice Strom Cooler Review-Great Value!

For father's day this year my kids bought me the best cooler I have used to date. As a guide in Michigan we pack lunches, grill on the river and carry extra snacks and beverages. The Ice Storm Cooler by Fishpond is a great asset to my day on the river and taking care of clients. The extra pockets and high quality zippers are just added features to a cooler that definitely keeps things cold on warm summer days. This cooler has more than enough room, a great shoulder strap system and it fits perfectly in my driftboat. I am absolutely impressed with how long my ice and cold packs stay cold. In the past I have used the Blizzard Soft Cooler and have been equally impressed with the durability and quality of this product. Fishpond products are hard to beat when it comes to quality, full function, bullet-proof gear.

If you are in the market for a new cooler in the near future, check out the great products Fishpond has to offer you will not be disappointed.

Rising Products Rigging Station-Keep your Boat Organized

This is a great product to help keep your boat organized and all your fly fishing essentials close at hand. Rising Products have come up with some very innovative and practical products and we are happy to have a selection of their tools and product at The Northern Angler Fly Shop. For anyone who has a boat this makes sense-tools, tippet spools, floatant all in one place. Great Gift Item!

Made in USA and features an unconditional lifetime warranty.

Simms Bottle Opener-Great Stocking Stuffer

What will Simms think of next? TNA has the new Simms Workbench Bottle Opener in stock for the Holidays. Perfect for next to the fridge, drift boat, or even the dashboard of your favorite guide truck!

Give us a call at 877-627-4080 and we can send one your way. Remember FREE shipping for all orders over $50.

Buff Multifunctional Headwear now at The Northern Angler

I wanted to take a minute and introduce a product that is new to us at The Northern Angler, Buff Multifunctional Headwear. The product itself has been around for a few years but it is really starting to gain traction in the fishing world and it is easy to see why. The Buff is made out of Coolmax fabric that breathes, blocks wind, and most importantly, blocks 95% of UV rays and the Buff is seamless so there are no uncomfortable spots or seams to rip and come apart. The Buff can be worn in at least a dozen different ways and we have included a link to a video here that demonstrates some of the functionality of Buff. Buff is available in many cool designs including a few that have Insect Shield bug repellent built right into the garment which might just come in handy while you're out fishing! Check out The Northern Angler's selection of Buff Headwear here.

My personal experience with Buff is that I held out for a long time on the product, despite urging from the company rep that included a free sample last year which I promptly gave away without trying it and now in hindsight, I'm sorry that I did. This year when the pitch was given again (including another sample) I decided to give it a shot and use the product, get some in the shop, and show it off to people. Buff calls its product multifunctional headwear and it truly is. So far I've had it on the flats looking for carp where the Buff, worn as a balaclava, blocked the sun rays from my neck, ears, cheeks, and nose. It performed as advertised, no greasy sunscreen and I didn't get hot at all, the coolmax fabric breathed and kept the sweat out of my eyes. The next trip was hex fishing where I (foolishly) misplaced my Ultrathon and took the Buff as my only protection from the mosquitos. Another big score for the Buff! I wasn't bothered at all in my ears or neck by the bugs (they bit the hell out of my forehead but...) and then when the temp fell after dark, it was nice to have the Buff around my neck to cut a bit of the chill. One other trip to Grand Traverse Bay found the wind whipping at 15-20 and it was quite uncomfortable in my ears until I pulled out the Buff and found another reason to love it. My wife now has a Buff too that she wears as a headband/hair band when working out and to keep her neck from scorching in the sun. With a lot of cool designs and a lot of cool uses, Buff is definitely worth a try!

The Northern Angler

Scientific Anglers Sharkskin Fly Lines

By now, most of you have heard about the new Sharkskin fly lines by Scientific Anglers but I wanted to take a minute and do a quick post about the lines now that they have been out for awhile and we have gotten some feedback and had a chance to use them. I promised myself that I wouldn't copy and paste the info from SA for this post so I will not use the terms revolutionary, microreplication, or premium (even though they are accurate) in my description.

First off, for those that have not seen the line its defining feature is that instead of a super slick surface to the fly line it has a micro texture embossed into the coating of the line, so under a microscope it actually looks "scaly". What the company claims this does is that it creates less surface area in contact with the guides and therefore, less friction and less wear on the guides with better shootability. The line also has less surface tension on the water thus allowing it to float higher. Does it work? Will it improve your flyfishing experience? The answer is yes, the line shoots easier and definitely floats higher so it is easier to mend and pickup line. It seems to have less memory than conventional lines as well. The Sharkskin line will last longer too for one big reason. The first thing to go on your new fly line is that wonderful, super smooth, fresh out of the box slickness, usually it's noticeably less slick before the first season is over. With the Sharkskin line, it doesn't rely on extreme smoothness for its shooting and sliding through the guides, it relies on the texture which does not go away. Even a little bit of dirt does not seem to affect the performance of the line.

So what about the downsides? There are a few minor negatives. The textured surface does create a significantly louder noise than conventional line when it shoots through the guides (it's a "zing") that doesn't bother some people and annoys the hell out of others. Secondly, if you are using the Saltwater taper or stripping flies a lot with any of the tapers, you will want/need a glove or finger sleeve. A running bonefish will burn you if you try to slow the line with light finger pressure. The last downside is/was the price of $99.95 which initially led many people to "wtf? $100 for a fly line?" but given the fact that the price of most other lines has come up to almost $70 and the fact that the Sharkskin will outlast the conventional line, the price is reasonable.

Scientific Anglers started the first year with the Sharkskin line in the Ultimate Trout taper and this past year have expanded the lineup to include a Magnum taper (bigger flies, windy conditions), a saltwater, a steelhead, and the GPX taper (1/2 size heavy to better load fast action rods). Now of course I'm not going to let you go with out a link so check out the lineup of SA Sharkskin lines at The Northern Angler and while supplies last, Scientific Anglers is giving away a free hat with the purchase of a line. Be ready for the upcoming season with a revolutionay new, premium line with the patented SA microreplication technology (damn! broke my promise) and you won't be sorry you did. We welcome your comments and feedback on the line.

Thanks,
The Northern Angler