As a 25+ year avid fly fisherman, current fly shop owner, and self avowed fly fishing "gear head", I think I have a pretty good understanding of fly fishing tackle. During my life I have owned dozens of fly rods, reels, waders, boots, vests, etc. In addition, I had the good fortune to live within striking distance of a well-stocked fly fishing pro shop for almost 20 years. Also, I traveled extensively for both work and play visiting countless fly shops along the way.

Here in Maine, many areas do not have a modern full-service fly shop and as such, a good number of anglers still use the brands of tackle that they grew up (LL Bean, Orvis, Pluegar, Cortland, etc.). While still useful, many of the products popular here in the northeast no longer represent the best that you can get for your money. In addition, while staples elsewhere in the country, there are many brands of fly fishing tackle that get very little attention here in Maine.

Well, for what it's worth, here are my opinions in regard to the "Best in Class" as it pertains to fly fishing products! While it would be easy to simply name my personal favorites, this would be misleading and too subjective. As such, I am considering sales success (do people buy it), overall popularity (do people like it after they buy it), company stability (is the company likely to be there when you need them), and innovation as criteria for determining the best of the best.

Additionally, for each category I will name both the dominant company and the dominant product (which while more often than not the same, was not a requirement). In both cases, this is what I feel is strongest today and especially in regard to products, this could change at any time (however most companies listed have been there year in and year out). Lastly, if there is a company or product that warrants an "honorable mention", I will do that too.

For those who notice that I happen to carry all of what I recommend, that is the beauty of owning a non-affiliated fly fishing "Pro Shop" in a state where they are somewhat scarce (compared to other states); I get to pick what I want for the most part. This is a position that most fly shop owners would kill for - there are very few (but clearly some) items that we could not carry at this time if we wanted to. So, this is more objective than some may want to believe!

Fly Rods

The fly rod arena has the highest level of consumer loyalty found in the fly fishing industry. Many anglers use one make of rod and one only (and they are real tough to change). With established names such as Orvis, Thomas & Thomas, Winston, Scott, Sage and Loomis, this is where the big dogs play in regard to our sport. The bread and butter of the industry, fly rod design is constantly evolving. Not immune to hard times, many brands have been left by the wayside.

For the past 15 or so years, Sage has been the dominant player in the fly rod market. While others rise (Winston comes to mind) and fall (Fenwick comes to mind), Sage is and has been for some time the undisputed leader. Going back to the groundbreaking RP series, Sage has put together a string of winners second to none, e.g., LL, RPL, RPL+, RPLx, RPLxi, SP, XP, SLT, TCR, Xi2, etc. Check any fly fishing magazine; Sage rods are everywhere!

As for the dominant product, that honor goes to the Sage XP. After changing the way rods were viewed with the RP (1984), etc., the XP leaped out ahead of the pack and has stayed there for some time now. Is there a better fly rod out there? Not in my opinion and I own many! The best selling rod in the history of Sage may just be the best selling "premium" rod in history. As for an honorable mention, the new Winston BIIx is a real nice rod and worth a look.

Fly Reels

The fly reel game is a real crapshoot! Far less consumer loyalty than found in regard to rods, an angler who uses only one brand of rods is very likely to have multiple brands of reels (although there is some staunch loyalty out there - Abel and Loop come to mind). While unlike quality rods which are predominantly "USA Made", reels are made everywhere. However, the good news is that we still dominate it. The British had their day but it is in the past!

Since 1976, Ross Reels has been a familiar name to most anglers. Weaker here in the northeast than they are elsewhere, most local anglers at least know of someone who owns a Ross reel. In fact, the Gunnison may be the most used "premium" reel in history (I wont call the Medalist "premium"). While there are many great manufacturers out there (Abel, Bauer, Galvan, Lamson, etc.), Ross seems to rise out of the ashes even when some of us have written them off.

As for the dominant product, this is a tough call but I'll have to go with the new Ross Evolution (the reel I loved to hate - that's another story altogether!) After falling somewhat behind the times (no good trout sized large arbor), unless I am wrong Ross has come out with a reel that is destined to become as popular as the old Gunnison. Honorable mentions go to the Abel Super Series, Bauer MSL, Galvan OB (and possibly the new Torgue), and the Waterworks Litespeed.

Fly Lines

Fly lines represent an area where regional preferences do not mimic those of the nation. Here is the northeast I still see a lot of Cortland lines out there. However, while a serious player (and #2 in sales), Cortland is in my opinion way behind my choice of fly lines, Scientific Anglers. With a parent like 3M, what else would you expect but the finest general purpose fly lines in the industry (who knows more about synthetics than 3M?)

In addition to their own branded lines, Scientific Anglers makes lines for companies such as Orvis. Best known locally for their old standby AirCell and WetCell lines (many local anglers don't even know that these are Scientific Anglers lines), these are their economy lines and only the tip of the iceberg. With a range of products that can fit any conditions you may find yourself in, Scientific Anglers has all the bases covered.

As for the dominant product, I'll go with the Scientific Anglers Mastery GPX. Mastery lines represent the best that Scientific Anglers offers and they can only be bought from a "Mastery Dealer". With their proprietary AST treatment (for slickness) and slightly over weighted for today's fast rods, a GPX line can improve most anglers casting. An honorable mention goes to the RIO Grand (and RIO is very likely to become #2 within our lifetimes).

Tippet and Leaders

Another area where regional preferences do not mimic those of the nation (Maxima is still real popular here in the northeast), the world of tippet and leaders is changing rapidly. Long a guaranteed vote for Orvis, RIO has now taken over the #1 position in regard to sales pertaining to tippet and leaders according to fly fishing industry publications. Considering what they have been doing for the past few years this does not surprise me.

With a broad range of tippets (2 freshwater, 2 fluorocarbon, saltwater, etc.) and myriad of leaders (trout, steelhead/salmon, striper, knotless, knotted, 7', 7'6", 9', 12' and 15", etc.), RIO has something for everyone. Based in Idaho Falls right in the heart of fly fishing Mecca, Jim Vincent and the folks at RIO are leaping ahead of the pack with new and innovative products each year. To dethrone Orvis as the #1 tippet and leader manufacturer is a big fete; Cortland may be next!

As for the dominant product, I'll go with RIO's FluoroFlex Plus, the absolute best fluorocarbon I have used and a staple in all of my fishing. Ditto for their PowerFlex; all I now use for non-fluorocarbon. Regarding leaders, the standard RIO Trout series are the best standard leader available, the Classic Hand-Tied are the finest commercially available knotted, and their 15' Spring Creek is my go to leader for stealthy fishing.

Waders

While we still see a lot of LL Bean, Orvis and Hodgman waders around, this is a no-brainer! No one dominates their respective niche more than wader manufacturer Simms (and in the past this honor always went to Sage!). Having leaped way out ahead of everyone, I am not even sure if they have any legitimate competition. In fact, Orvis just signed a deal with Simms to carry their high-end waders in their flagship stores (what's that tell you?)

With waders from $129 to $429, Simms has something for everyone. A quick look at ANY fly fishing publication will show more Simms waders than all the other brands combined. Based in Bozeman, Montana, the folks at Simms have simply figured the wader game out (and they are all made in the USA!) The choice of most guides you see on the water, the old Simms Guide model waders were nicknamed "Montana Formal Wear".

As for the dominant product, while the old Guide (now called "Classic Guide") is the sentimental favorite, the new G3 deserves the nod. With built-in gravel guards (that actually work!), a micro-fleece lined hand warmer pocket, built-in zinger and tippet pocket, and a number of other features, these are the finest waders ever built and someone will have to work real hard to outdo them. As for an honorable mention, here is where the old Guide model comes in ($100 less).

Wading Boots

For the most part, wading boots go hand in hand with waders when it comes to who makes them. While there are some boot manufacturers who do not sell waders (Danner, Wiebrenner, Korkers, etc.), most do (Simms, Hodgman, Orvis, LL Bean, Chota, etc.). As such, one would assume that Simms would be as dominant in regard to boots as they are in regard to waders. Well, although not as clear cut, this is basically the case.

With boots from $79 to $139, Simms has something for everyone. A quick look at their offering and you will see that they are as serious about their boots as they are their waders. While not made in the USA by Simms like their waders (show me a shoe that is not made in China today!), they are designed by Simms and manufactured to strict standards. Like their waders, their line of boots is constantly evolving and improving each year.

As for the dominant product, I would have to go with the new Simms L2. The predecessor of the old Lightweight, I feel that this boot is superior to even their own more expensive "Guide" model boots and our sales reiterate that. With reinforced toe and heel, padded ankles and a great lacing system (that doesn't eat laces!), these are the finest boot I have ever owned. As for an honorable mention, I would say the Korkers Konvertible is a great product.

Miscellaneous

As for the rest of the stuff, vests are in turmoil (traditional vs. technical) and companies like Simms, Fishpond and William & Joseph are my best guess as to who will prevail (and this is the year!), the honor for glasses goes to Action Optics ("Guide's Choice"), wading staffs goes to Folstaff (nothing is even close!), luggage goes to Abel and Fishpond, head lanterns go to Petzl (Tikka Plus), rod cases goes to DBDun, and the rest is up in the air!

Remote Pond Update:

While most articles generate some level of feedback (both good and bad), none has generated as much as my recent piece on Remote Ponds. More importantly, none of the feedback was negative. Most of the people who contacted me noted that they have no confidence that the powers that be will do anything about the situation unless pushed. Additionally, many requested that I update them periodically in regard to what if anything is being done.

So, here is where we are at. One of the ponds noted received new signage but over a month after I had contacted the landowner (Plum Creek), nothing had been done about blocking out the ATV's. The other pond noted is the proud owner of a new road that comes within mere feet of the water as well as cutting the walking distance to two other ponds in at least half. I also discovered that another LURC water in the area was managed for General Law (with wild fish!)

Additionally, while Plum Creek is working on a plan to establish a formal ATV trail network on their property, they were not all that receptive to the idea of non-ATV interests being involved in determining the trail routes (i.e., away from critical areas would be a great idea!). While up north near Chesuncook, I ventured into another of my favorite LURC waters only to find that there are no signs whatsoever and in fact no barrier preventing illegal access.

So, as expected while my article generated a little smoke, it has yet to generate any real fire. My next plan is to approach the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine through the Fishing Initiative Committee (of which I am a member) to see if they will adopt the cause and help force some action. To date, SAM/FIC has done more in this regard than all the other fishing activism groups put together. As such, I hold high hopes that we can win this one.