Dentry: Spring offerings sure to have anglers going gaga

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

New for spring 2007, in case you aren't on that page yet: more tools, toys, gizmos and (some) gimmicks for fly fishing than you ever imagined possible.

When the FlyFishing Retailer World Trade Expo met in Denver last month, there was much ado about stuff we won't be able to fish without - tempting stuff, bright and shiny stuff, extravagant stuff and, of course, lots of new fly rods.

The annual event, not for the public but open to fly-fishing merchants bent on catching our attention and loose change, allows sneak previews of fly fishing's latest paraphernalia.

Each year dealers who attend express their mutual admiration with votes on "Ka-ching" awards, which honor new fly-fishing items sure to ring our piscatorial change purses for the following year.

Here are some of those notable gadgets the fly fishing industry is fixing to dangle before us in 2007. We can get real about them after considering one new fly reel that probably won't sell like hot cakes.

• Zane Titanium reel: Hardy, the famed British manufacturers, are known for the excellence of their reels, if not their sense of humor. So this couldn't be a joke. There, agleam under the Convention Center lights, was the "ultimate" saltwater fly-fishing reel, a sparkling gadget crafted from pure titanium bar stock, with a real Teflon drag system for actual fishing. The manufacturer suggests a dazzling retail price of $9,700.

• Split Shot Companion: Along more practical lines, here's a tool that many tinkerers have designed, but never as well as in its present patented incarnation. If you've ever fiddled with pinching open tiny split shot, you understand the frustration of Steven Meiseles, a New Jersey angler who finally solved the problem with a simple tool that removes and attaches split shot with no crimping of the leader material. Split Shot Companion will sell for $12.95.

• Tying Flies Like a Pro: Marty Bartholomew, the Aurora-based fishing author (also of Flyfisher's Guide to Colorado), spins a fine web with this informative and glossy 180-page fly-tying book. Included are patterns, tips, tales and fishing advice from himself and many of the craft's finest practitioners. Even experienced tiers will learn more than a few tricks to speed up and perfect their creations. Published by Frank Amato Publications, Portland, Ore., $29.95.

• Kahuna Twisty: Fly fishermen have tried everything that floats, from balloons to dough, to help them detect a trout's sometimes maddening, subtle take. So why not spaghetti, or something that looks like it. Rio Products, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, will launch its colorful strike indicator strands in 2007. You just wind them around your leader.

• Pseudo Herl: Synthetic fly-tying materials have come light years since dental dam. Hareline Dubbing, of Monroe, Ore., has created Pseudo Herl, a synthetic version of peacock or ostrich herls. It can be wound around or laid flat on a hook shank to create bodies, legs, gills or tails of fishing flies.

• Temple Fork Outfitters rods: Excellent fly rods don't have to be expensive is the lesson this Dallas manufacturer extends. TFO is something of a big-selling, word-of-mouth phenomenon. The rods in all sizes up to Spey were designed and tested by Lefty Kreh. The price stays low on these fine casters because, as TFO's Jim Shulin said at the trade show, "We run a skinny office." TFO rods range from $99 to $250. A new TFO "Casting for Recovery," four-piece, 5-weight rod will cost $140 and will benefit breast cancer research.

• Orvis Watershed Fly Boxes: The new Orvis series of lightweight fly boxes come with water-resistant gaskets, tight locks and multiple configurations to allow anglers to customize their fly box contents. Larger models have spring-loaded compartment covers. Watershed boxes will come in five sizes, costing $20-$40.

dentrye@RockyMountainNews.com