gear

I make very few fishing trips a year outside of Maryland, yet I always make one that completely takes me out of my comfort zone. Bonefishing, especially self guided week long trips, can test instincts, casting and patience. My recent trip to North Caicos had the normal hurdles of winter tropical trips; a day or two of fishing lost to 30 knot winds, hours of searching flats, and intense moments. I had to deal with curious lemon sharks on numerous occasions and paddled countless miles in an ocean kayak across a lagoon to a ankle-knee deep, twenty square mile flat. I was fortunate to have …

Read more

New lines always promise high floatation, extra distance and slickness to improve casting. One of the most recent lines to hit the fly fishing market is the Sharkskin Line in the Ultimate Trout Taper from Scientific Anglers. The blue heron colored line has a gritty feel, which is actually a precision textured pattern that raises the surface area of the line off the guides. The idea is that the less line surface area contacting the guides during casting will mean less friction and more distance. The first noticeable attribute about casting the line is that it creates a sound, as the fine grit on the …

Read more

A pocket water dream. Tie on a big hairwing dry and get ready to smile! Backwater Angler received the first production Scott SC bamboo rod from Scott Fly Rod Co. built by Bernard Ramanauskas in 2006. We lawn cast this rod upon delivery and found that the Scott SC 6′ 11″ 4wt rod is wonderfully balanced, crisp in action and beautiful in every aspect. Theaux Le Gardeur

An all rounder with no equal- Fish small dries on hand-tied leaders or swing a brace of wets and hold on! The last time we received a Scott SC 7′ 5″ 4wt rod at Backwater Angler the second guy that cast it took it home. Having lawn cast the rod, with both gentleman, (one was certainly luckier than the other) I was most impressed with how quick and light the rod felt in hand and how accurate it was in the short to medium distances. Theaux Le Gardeur

The following is a review of the Airflo Ridge Tactical Trout Double Taper Fly Line by Bill Felter. Thanks Bill! What a great flyline! I picked up one of these Ridgelines this summer to use on a 7 1/2 ft. bamboo rod and I absolutely love it. It shoots like a champ, float high and the tip hasn’t sunk yet. One of the thing I love most about this line is its soft, supple coating which really complements a more fully-flexing bamboo rod. I also like the shooting ability of this line. It makes fishing in close quarters a breeze; you can shoot 20+ ft. …

Read more

Airflo fly lines are our most popular lines in the shop and many are spooled on guide service and guide’s reels. The Airflo Ridge lines uses a design featuring small ridges, which run lengthwise down the surface of the line. These ridges raise the surface area of the line, which decreases friction and increases distance. The Airflo Ridge Line Tactical Trout Weight Forward lines also feature Airflo’s low stretch Power Core. The Power Core means better casting, because the line has no memory. This line is great for loading faster rods at short distances.The Airflo Ridge Line Tactical Trout Double Taper Fly Line is ideal …

Read more