Author: Nik Reff

Product Review: Scott Meridian 7wt

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve fished on different occasions in the Florida Keys. The Keys is a beautiful, and at times, a unforgiving SOB. It’s hard on your emotions, sanity, and especially your gear. The environment and it’s inhabitants must be met with the sturdiest of gear. I am a firm believer in, “You get what you pay for”. I have no issues spending money on gear. I would rather invest a good portion of my hard earned money on quality, tried and true equipment. Which brings me to the Scott Meridian fly rod.

The Scott Meridian is a true saltwater rod and 2015 IFTD “Best of Show” winner. This is a rod that comes in at a premium price, $865. This is not a cheap investment, but one you’ll be glad you made. The Scott Meridian has premium components, a “saltwater” wells cork grip, a solid reel seat with fighting butt, aesthetically pleasing blank, quality guide wraps, and a beautiful natural finish. Let’s also add that this rod is an American product, handcrafted right in the USA. Scott’s base of operations is in Colorado. Scott handcrafts all their rods, making sure to hit all the details.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Aesthetics

Let’s talk about the aesthetics first. Scott has chosen not to sand and paint this rod. Giving it a natural finish. Scott rod designers believe that a rod should be judged by it’s performance, not it’s looks. That being said, this is a very beautiful rod. The natural carbon fiber look is accented by blue thread on the guide wraps. Also, the white hand painted Scott logo with rod model, length, and rod weight. Scott has also laser etched their logo on the reel seat, and have also laser etched the rod weight right on the reel locking ring, which allows you to grab the right weight rod on the skiff quickly.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Components

Scott has chosen to use titanium recoil snake guides on this rod. This rod is also fitted with two large stripping guides towards on the first section of the rod. The use of the titanium guides adds strength, reduced weight and extreme corrosion resistance. The two stripping guides are lined with a Silicon Carbide. This material is extremely durable and doesn’t crack under intense temperature extremes. The reel seat is designed from mil-spec III aluminum, which is an extremely corrosive resistant aluminum. Without getting to technical about the reel-seat, the mil-spec III is an aluminum that goes through a more intense galvanizing process.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Technology

This rod is technologically advanced, as far as rods go. Scott uses x-core technology and ARC carbon reinforcement in their blanks. This process creates a very strong and durable blank. Scott also doesn’t skimp on castablility and feel in the Meridian. The have incorporated ReAct technology in the rod blank. the ReAct technology ensures that energy generated during your cast isn’t lost to unnecessary vibration throughout the blank. The coupled with x-core technology makes sure that energy is transferred more efficiently from your casting stroke, through the blank, to your line for a eloquent presentation.

My experience with the rod

Now that i’ve gotten the technical jargon out of the way, let’s talk about how the rod performed. Now, I will note that I am not the best caster, but I am also not the worst. Saltwater fly fishing will test even the very best of anglers, which is an important bit to remember when evaluating your gear. If the gear isn’t doing what you’ve expected it to do, it’s probably the user. That being said, quality gear can make your job a lot easier. Especially in unforgiving environment. Rod’s definitely are an extreme factor in quality casts. However, something that most anglers neglect to look at is the line their using. A good rod is nothing without properly matched line. I personally prefer a shorter shooting head for distance casts, especially in saltwater.

During my time in Key West, I was using RIO bonefish taper line on a nautilus CCFX-2 6/8. This was/is my go to combo for bones. The Scott Meridian performed flawlessly. The rod loads quickly and allows for quick casts that are essential on the flats. Most of the time you are making quick casts at various distances. With little opportunity to make several false casts, you need a rod that loads and shoots line out quick and fast. This rod does just that. The Meridian is a fast action rod, with plenty of backbone to make those quick casts. I would also like to add that this is an accurate rod. It will put your fly where you want it when you want it there. It casts various saltwater flies very well. I was casting mainly shrimp patterns, which are pretty streamlined compared to crab patterns. Like most saltwater flies, I was casting weighted shrimp and crabs. The Meridian handled these with ease. The rod presents delicately, but also has enough backbone to launch those weighted flies precisely where you want them.

Every rod performs differently at different distances. Some rods perform well in the 30-40ft range, others at longer distances. I have to say that this rod performs well at all distances. However, that being said, this rod performs its best at 50-60ft. I could send a fly in a tight loop and turn it over well at this distance. Put the rod in a different person’s hands and the result will inevitably be different.

The Meridian is satisfyingly light in hand, which causes less fatigue. The power of this rod is surprising for how light it is. That is a rare thing to have sometimes. You usually sacrifice one for the other. This is not the case with the Scott Meridian.

Dislikes

I really only have two major complaints about the rod. 1st, the price. At $865, this is not a cheap investment. Especially for the occasional saltwater angler. You could go with a more median priced Sage Motive at $450 (Which I have in a 9wt, I’ll review that a different time), or a lower entry level priced TFO Mangrove or TiCr X rods, both ranging from $259-$299 depending on rod weight. This is in the same category of premium salt rods as the Sage Salt and the G-Loomis NRX, with the NRX being the more veteran rod in this category. I chose the Scott simply for the fact that it seemed every one had the Loomis and I wanted something different. Also winning the IFTD “Best of Show” in 2015 didn’t hurt either. My 2nd complaint is the size of the lock ring on the reel seat. It is a bit small and gets stuck on beefier reels such as the CCFX-2. Other than that the rod is spot on.

Overall Rating

Overall I give the Scott Meridian a solid 9.5 out 10. Losing half a point for the price and the smallish reel seat. This rod is, for lack of a better term, sexy. The aesthetics and performance are unmatched. Scott is a stellar company turning out solid products. If you’re in the market for a saltwater rod and don’t have an issue with shelling out $865 bucks, then go with the Scott Meridian.

 

Journal Entry November 8, 2016

“On Earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it”

-Jules Renard-

A friend and I were talking in my truck after a day trip to the Salmon River in Upstate New York this past Saturday. We got talking about the state of steelhead fishing in the great lakes and it’s tributaries. The conversation came up after chatting with some older gentleman after we got off the water. They were talking about how steelhead fishing these days is not like it was in years past. My friend had said, “Artie (a friend of his) has said that the state of steelhead in great lakes is concerning. About 5 years ago you could have several hookups and land several fish. Now going 1 for four or so is a good day on the river”. This is a concern, one that I have noticed even on smaller rivers in my area. The West Canada Creek that runs from Hinckley reservoir down through to the Mohawk river has slowly become a hit or miss fishery. I can remember going to that river with my grand father when I was about 14 and catching fish after fishing on my fly rod. Now you really have to work for our fish. This can also be said about the state of our deer populations in New York. Deer populations are high, mostly females, bucks now a days are few and far between. Trophy sized animals even more so.

This concern and trend got me thinking. What are we doing to this place? or better yet, What aren’t we doing? We see this all over the news now. There are protests currently happening in North Dakota over and oil pipeline, that could threaten millions of rivers/streams, acres upon acres of wildlife habitat, humans lives. All this for a monetary gain. I am a human being, but I must say that I find myself disgusted by what we have become as a species. We prioritize our lives over other lives. We are supposed to be set apart from other living things based on the simple fact that we can reason and know right from wrong. We see ourselves as superior to all other living things. You need to ask yourself though, are we truly superior? The other living things of this world we live in aren’t destroying the place they live. We live in a beautiful world. Only to destroy it for monetary gain. I know as an outdoorsman, I want my children and their children and so on to able to see what I’ve seen and do what I’ve done. That’s why I preach going outside. See what this world has to offer. Money or not, you can experience nature and when you do you have a better chance of protecting it. I try to do my small part, I recycle, I bring out what I’ve taken in, I try and open other’s eyes, I have compassion for the other creatures of this Earth. I hunt, yes, in some peoples eyes this is just blind killing. But, it’s not. We have created a problem in this world. We allow animals to overpopulate, which in turn does damage to an ecosystem. We are by nature, hunters. By hunting and fishing, we give the wildlife value. Which will help keep them safe. Be smart and keep conservation in mind whenever you’re out in the woods or on a river. Take care of game you pursue. If you don’t, one day it may not be there to enjoy.

Initial Gear Review: Patagonia Rio Gallegos Waders (Watch slide show for wader features)

I recently purchased the Patagonia Rio Gallegos wader. I was a die hard Simms waders guy, never thought I would buy another brand,  but I decided to give another brand a shot. The Rio Gallegos is Patagonias “Highest Performing Wader”. They retail at $499.00. I costly investment, but one I feel is where money should be spent. If you fish as much, or more, than I do, a good pair of waders is a necessity.

In comparison with Simms, the Rio Gallegos is Comparable to the Simms G3 Guide wader. The G3 is the same price as the Rio Gallegos. Simms has a superb reputation. Couple that with the Gore-Tex technology on nearly all there waders, they are a tough to beat.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Simms G3

Let me start off by giving you my experience with the G3 wader, which I currently own and use year round. The G3 is an excellent wader, I rate it 4 out 5 overall. The wader sheds water flawlessly. They are tough, I fallen with these waders several times, even on rocks. I hike from fishing spot to fishing spot regularly. They have held up tremendously the past 4 years I have had them. The G3 has a 5-layers Gore-Tex shell fabric. This makes them extremely durable. The front pocket is fleece lined for warming, has storm shields, which zipper shut and has an interior pocket that holds tools and comes with am accordion zinger to hold pliers or nippers. These waders are offered in several sizes, including king sizes, as well as custom shop sizes. I would like to note that the pair I own are not the current model being offered, which were updated in 2014. Overall the features are the same on the 2012 model I own and the 2014 model currently offered. The G3 does have it’s downfalls, however. The G3 doesn’t have a large enough bootie, in my opinion. However, Simms does do custom bootie sizes if requested. The bootie on a Medium wader, which is what I wear, is for a size 9-11 shoe. I wear a 10.5 shoe, however, the smallish booties do not allow for good sock layering in cold weather. When wearing bulkier socks, the small bootie restricts blood flow to the foot, which in turn will cause cold feet….fast. The other downfall of the G3 wader, and all of Simms waders, for that matter, is the neoprene gravel guard. The gravel guard is easily ripped during a few outings. A more durable Material is in order I think. Also, the G3 is a little on the small side. You can layer up pretty well in these waders, but the length of the inseam is on the short side, and the legs and torso fit very snug when wearing a sweatshirt or jacket underneath. Also bulkier leggings in winter, take up a good deal of room in the leg of the wader. That’s why I gave the G3 a 4 out 5. I’ll do a pro-con comparison list at the end. Simms offers a “Useful-Life” guarantee. They will repair the wader for no charge-all the way up to $65 plus Shipping. This all depends on the damage, the age of the wader and the cause of the damage. A manufacturing issue is free of charge for repair. Evaluators will check the wader over and make that determination.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Patagonia Rio Gallegos

Now for the Patagonia wader. The Rio Gallegos, initially, is a great wader. The Rio Gallegos has Patagonia’s H2No technology. Which is waterproof, obviously, and puncture resistant. I have not worn these in the field yet, but steelhead season is quickly approaching, so I will post an official review after several outings with these waders. The Rio Gallegos is loaded with features. Overall, the wader is more generous in sizing, I would say on the larger size compared to the Simms. Something I think will be great for layering in winter months. Patagonia also offers they’re waders in a Regular, Short, and Tall which affect the girth and inseam. A regular has a 32″ inseam, Tall with a 34″ inseam and Short with a 30″ inseam. You can also opt. for the large bootie for the medium waders (12-13) and a medium bootie on the large waders (9-11). The options for the Patagonias are great and do not affect the price of the wader. I purchased the Medium with Large bootie for myself. Simms does custom sizes, at a price ranging from $50-$150, depending on the job.

The Rio Gallegos feels solid. The material feels extremely durable to the touch. The booties are extremely comfortable and anatomically more realistic than the G3. The grid-lined bootie makes wearing these extremely pleasing. The bootie is also merino lined for added warmth. The gravel guard is something I wished Simms would go to. The gravel guard is made of the wader material and, I feel, will offer more durability. The Outer front pouch is fleece lined for warming your hands. The interior pocket is a water proof gear pocket. There are also two interior pockets about where a jeans pocket would be located. The straps are great. The straps extend down the interior of the wader and allow the wader to be easily converted to a hip wader in shallower streams. The downfall of this strap design is the loss of the buckle. Something I like on the G3. You have to put the waders on a little differently than I am accustomed to. There are also two removable knee pads on the interior. A great feature when trying to sneak up on finicky trout in shallow clear streams. Patagonia also boasts a pretty stellar warranty. They will replace their product is does perform to your standards or you are not satisfied with your purchase, they will replace, repair or refund you the cost. However, if it is damaged due to wear and tear, the product will be repaired, “At a reasonable cost” Overall all the waders are a great purchase and also give them a tentative 4 out 5, without testing them on the water.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Patagonia Rio Gallegos Pros and Cons.

Pros:

  • Gravel Guard made of wader material
  • Booties available in variety of size ranges
  • Merino Lined bootie
  • Two interior storage pockets
  • Removable knee pads
  • Waders available in 3 fits, short, regular, and tall
  • Wader straps help to easily convert to hip wader
  • water proof interior pocket
  • hand warming fleece-lined outer pouch
  • Gear loops integrate inside wader
  • larger fit allows for comfortable layering
  • anatomically fit bootie
  • Generous inseam
  • Costly investment at $499.00, but worth it.
  • Warranty

Cons:

  • Straps lack buckle
  • Fleece-line pouch lacks zippers to prevent getting fleece wet
  • interior pocket lacks accordion zinger for tools
  •  interior pocket is not removable.

Simms G3 Guide Wader

Pros:

  • Fleece lined outer pocket with waterproof zipper system
  • Interior pocket removable
  • Accordion zinger on inner pocket
  • Gore-tex 5 layer shell fabric
  • Tool holder tabs on outside of wader
  • Buckle suspender system
  • Waders available in several fits
  • Costly investment at $499.00, but worth it.
  • Warranty

Cons

  • Fit small (booties and wader’s themselves)
  • Booties available in larger custom sizes, but at a price
  • Neoprene gravel guards get torn easily
  • interior pocket not waterproof, however a waterproof pocket can be purchased for $29.95

G3 vs. Rio Gallegos Bootie and gravel guards

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Journal Entry October 31, 2016

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”

-Martin Buber-

   I have often wondered what uprooting and selling most of my belongings would be like. Buying a camper and traveling to see the many places our country and world have to offer. Then I considered what “seeing the world” really meant. To me, the world can be different for everyone. I guess what I am trying to say the world is more than just some terrestrial rock floating in space. Our world can be both physical and spiritual. My world revolves around three things. My family/friends, the outdoors, and culture. On that order. Find friends who are like family. The friends whom I have come to love the most are more like family than friends. I have a small loyal group of friends. Each with their own little things I can take away from them. Patience, wisdom, calmness, knowledge, just to name a few. All my friends and family inspire me in some way. We encounter one another for a reason, in my opinion. Whether you believe in a high power or not, you cannot deny the fact that for some other worldly reason, you are attracted to those who compliment you in some way. It’s an indescribable phenomenon that I don’t think we will ever figure out. Surround yourself with those who make you a better person, and whom you can learn from. That is the greatest gift they can give you and also the greatest gift you can give them. I guess I’m a teacher at heart, in more ways than one. Take every chance encounter and really think about why that person entered your life. Some of the greatest friends I have were met by sure coincidence. We may have worked in the same building and has students in common or had been placed in the same testing room. Maybe a sports team where only a few stood out and kept in touch, even after a short time. I am not a wealthy person in a monetary sense. I am average in my financial bracket. However, I am rich. My uncle once said to me in response to someone thinking I had a lot of money, “Tell them you’re rich in family”. I am rich in family. A family that means the world to me. I think that’s why I have the urge to travel. I want to meet people. I like to make connections. That’s why I love teaching. That’s why I love fishing and hunting. Fishing and hunting will inevitably bring you closer to someone. You have a common interest and passion. In closing, take every encounter with people with an open heart and see what they have to offer.

Journal Entry October 27, 2016

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”

-Dalai Lama-

 

A few months ago I celebrated my 25th birthday. I am at the point in my life where I am smack dab in the middle of late adolescence and early adulthood, at least mentally. I have had worthy enough experiences where I feel I can start putting my thoughts down for others to read. It may help it may not. I have begun my second year as an educator and my second year as husband. Both with their fair share of ups and downs, but I would never trade those for anything. My wife and I returned from our second trip from the Florida Keys on August 12th, 2016.

If you were to walk around my house you would see that I am in love with the outdoors, especially fly-fishing. Not nearly as in love as I am with my wife. Which brings me to my point of this entry. She tolerates this obsession I have with the outdoors. Obsession is a good word for it. She allows me to continue my passions for being out in nature. Most of my greatest inspirations happen while I’m in pursuit of fish or other game. During my time in the Keys I had this epiphany. I remember the day, August 4th, 2016. I starred off into the distant crystal blue water of the Florida backcountry. I pondered my life and asked if I was truly happy where I was in my life. I am a wrestles soul by nature and have never been one for sitting still for to long. When I am casting a fly I am at peace. I reflect on decisions and mistakes I’ve made. There are always opportunities to grow and get better at whatever it is that you do. Constantly reflect on yourself. You have to learn to make yourself happy before you can begin to make someone else happy. I am, for the most part, happy with who I am as a person and where I am at in life. I have doubts and concerns, just like everyone does, but I work through them. I constantly ask if what I am doing is the right thing, for me, and everyone involved.

The point is, make yourself happy. We choose to be outdoors becomes it stirs something inside us. Some do it for the trophy. Some, like me, do it to be at peace when all else seems to be a problem. If you’re in a relationship with someone who is obsessed with being outdoors, even if it’s not your thing, ask him or her about it. Be involved with them with their passion. Experience it for yourself and see what they see. I know my greatest times outdoors are with those I love, especially my wife. There is something special about experiencing your passion with someone you love.

The Salt

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”

-Winston Churchill-

 

 

Ok, this story starts off on August 3rd, 2016. I was in Key West, getting ready in my hotel room for a three-day excursion in the backcountry. My flies were set, my gear in order and my head was in the right place. If you’re new to the whole fly-fishing for the top three in the keys, bonefish, permit, and tarpon, you better rethink it. I prepared for months, casting into the wind with heavy flies working on my double-haul. I tied for hours making variation of barred shrimp patterns. Tying dozen upon dozens of Atpe tarpon flies. Crab patterns for days. I have a brief case full of flies, what I would estimate to be about $600 dollars worth a fly shop down there. All that and nothing was what I expected.

The views, second to none, the weather unpredictable, hot, sticky, humid weather anyone with an A/C would say, “You’re crazy”. The word oppressive doesn’t do it justice. 96 degrees with 96% humidity is the epitome of oppressive. Its something you have to experience for yourself. There’s a reason why summer is the slow season in Keys. Most people would just stay cooped up in their hotel rooms. This didn’t faze me. I was ready to go and was perfectly fine sweating it out. I wore long sleeves, hat, sunblock and whatever other piece of gear was necessary to get the job done.

I met my guide at about 630am that morning. Luke Kelly was my guide. If you want his info, I’ll place in the “The Salt” page on the site. He was fantastic; he knows the backcountry like no other. He was a coach, confidant, and counselor after a tough loss, more on that later. We arrived to our first spot about 30 minutes later. We cruised through the crystal blue water, which in itself makes the trip worth it.

At our first spot we began site fishing for some tarpon. Tarpon are usually to target of choice in the early morning. They feed during this time and are easy to spot when they break water. We had a few roll on the surface but not close enough to chuck my purple and black Apte fly at. We fished for about an hour with no fish movement. We decided to back up and move to our next spot. By that time the tide was on its way back out and the permit and bones would be moving. That first day was tough; we fished until about 2pm and decided to pack it in for the day. That’s the one thing about Luke I learned really fast. He’s a guide, yes, but he’s also a fisherman. He knows when to call it a day and he rewards you in the end.

The second day was pretty much the same. I was tough those two days following a big thunderstorm in Key West. My wife on the other hand had a good day, for the most part. I decided to take a seat for a bit after some unsuccessful casts and frustration. My wife, Erika, took the to bow. Luke spotted something in the distance and said “Erika, about 40 feet out drop your shrimp”. My wife rarely fishes, but that day you could have sworn she was a pro. She dropped that shrimp in the kill zone. Almost instantly the drag on her spinning reel started screaming. Luke responded with “You have no idea what you just hooked”. She hooked a trophy size permit. Luke estimated it to be about 20 pounds. She fought the fish for about 10 minutes until it wrapped her into some mangroves. I was both upset and pleased she lost it. I was upset because it would have been a great accomplishment for her. I was pleased because I wanted to catch one first. Selfish, I know. We got a lot of sun and again called it early, after the bite turned off.

The 3rd day was a different story. Erika decided to stay back that day. She had her fill for the trip. I met Luke at about 730am the third day, trying to take advantage of the current and tidal flows. We headed out to our first spot. He asked at my arrival if I wanted him to get bait for spinning gear or if I was “Fly or Die”. I said “Fly or die my man”. We headed out got to our first spot about an hour later. We were on the flat for about 10 minutes when Luke saw a school of bones moving toward us. He said “Nik, 1 o’clock, we have bones moving toward us. Make a 50 foot cast and let the shrimp sit for a second then tic it.” My cast was dead on I ticked that fly and a bone gulped it up and made a run. I had finally dialed in my cast after three days. After about 10 minutes on the line, I landed my first bone. I hopped down in the water and took a picture with my trophy. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I told Luke “If this is the only thing I catch today, I’m ok with that. That bone just made the whole trip”.fb_img_1477573679395

After that first bonefish we moved to the adjacent flat. I saw something moving around in the upper right corner. I asked Luke what it was; he thought maybe a lemon or nurse shark, “Not sure thought, didn’t get a good look” I trusted his word; he knows the flats better than I do. Not even a minute later I hear him frantically saying “1 o’clock 30 feet out cast and let it sit!!!!” I casted to his location and let the fly sit. “Tic it!” Then drag screaming, into my backing on my Nautilus. “You just hooked a trophy permit”. I watched it unfold; it was if it was in slow motion. I saw the fish coming and stop dead over my fly. It was amazing that the permit just stopped dead over my fly. I watched the permit gulp my fly. I battled the fish for about 30 minutes. I was a little out gunned on my Meridian 7wt. An 8wt or 9wt would have been a game changer. We were both in hysteria over the fish. I hooked and landed my first bone about 5 minutes earlier and now I was hooked into another trophy. The fish finally was giving up and I got the fish to the boat and started to turn him over for Luke to tail. Then it was if the world gave me the middle finger and I watched as my hook dropped out of the permit’s mouth. Luke and I both began shouting profanities and freaking out. I was sick to my stomach. I had hooked and lost a fish that people spend a good portion of their career in pursuit of. We fished the rest of the day chasing tailing permit, without any success. We packed it in for the day and I thanked Luke for an amazing three days.

So what did I learn? Salt-water fly-fishing will test your patience and skill as a caster. I always felt I was a pretty proficient caster. Not the best but not the worst. My regular fishing partner, ironically Luke, but a different Luke, not my guide, is a much smoother caster than I am. What else? Permit become an obsession. That permit hasn’t left my mind since that day. I can’t wait to get back down there and get my first permit. You find yourself out on the salt. Much like a backcountry trout stream, there are not a lot of people out there. A vast landscape and endless water makes isolation out here it’s finest. You contemplate life and who you are as a person. Peace and quiet isn’t the way of describing it.

Tell me what you think. Ask questions. Contact Luke for a great trip. In a new post I will detail the cost of my trip, where I stayed and where I ate.

 

Captain Luke Kelly.

Located in Sugarloaf Key, Florida

http://www.lowerkeysflatsfishing.com

email: keyflat@mac.com

 

Tips:

  • Cast as much and as often as possible.
  • Practice in the worst conditions (Wind especially) a majority of your casts are straight into a strong head wind.
  • Use your guide.
    • Your guide is your coach, confidant and counselor (Remember my permit)
    • They will direct you to the right spot and casting.
    • They are the experts; don’t guide your guide.
  • Accept the fact that you may go back empty handed. These fish are trophies for a reason, they spook relatively easy and they refuse more flies than they take. The eat the fly and immediately know the different between a crustacean and your fly made of fur, hackle, and hair.
  • Do not trout set!!!! You will lose 90% of the fish that take your fly. Strip strike is the name of the game.

Gear:

  • Scott Meridian 7wt
  • Rio Bonefish taper WF7F
  • Nautilus CCFX-2 6/8
  • Barred shrimp pattern
  • Seagaur guide provided tapered leader material
  • Simms guide pant
  • Columbia Omni-freeze long sleeve shirt
  • Orvis neck gaiter.
  • Rep your water cap.

Initial Gear Review: Cheeky Mojo 425

Finally got my hands on a cheeky mojo 425. The Mojo 425 is a moderately priced reel at $360. Expensive, but not in the realm of some reels like Tibor or Hatch in this 7-9wt class. I picked this reel up for a steelhead/large trout rig. Mainly for casting large streamers and nymph rigs and also casting into wind. I haven’t had a chance to use this reel on the water yet. However, I wanted to give my initial unboxing thoughts.20161024_171631Cheeky is a relatively new company that debuted their first line of reels in 2008. The Mojo 425 is in their performance line of reels. They also have a more inexpensive line of reels in the Boost line and Tyro line of reels. I currently own a boost 325 on my 4wt. The boost has a smooth drag and low startup inertia. Just playing with Mojo 425 doing some strips of the line indicated to me that the drag is as smooth or smoother than the boost. The reel also seems to have a very low startup inertia, if there is any. I’m sure you’re asking yourself what is “startup inertia”. Startup inertia is the amount of energy that is required to get the reel spool moving. The higher the startup inertia, the more energy it takes for the reel to get going. A low startup inertia is essential for species where long runs are common (i.e. bonefish, permit, steelhead, salmon, stripers, tarpon etc.). Speaking of startup inertia, lets talk drag. The Mojo 425 has a larger drag knob which is a nice feature to have a on a reel for larger fish. It’s nice to have a large drag knob when playing a drag on a large fish. This becomes common once you start chucking flies in salt or hook into large salmon and steelhead.

The reel also boasts a relatively high rate of pickup due to the large arbor design. At about 13″ of line per crank. Which is great when battling big fish that you want to gain some line on. The spool itself is large enough to hold a variety of lines, I currently have mine loaded with Scientific Anglers WF7F Titan line. There is still room on the spool for plenty of backing if you choose to add more backing, which is nice when you are fishing for some permit or large steelhead. The spool is relatively easy to change with the twist of the center knob on the face of the reel. 20161024_171612So how does the Mojo 425 stack up initially? Initially I have to say the Mojo 425 is an impressive piece of hardware. I am basing this on the comparison of two other reel brands in this class, Nautilus and Sage. I have used the Nautilus CCFX-2 in size 8/10 and 6/8. I have also used the Sage 4280. The CCFX-2 is my go to salt water reel. I have used the 8/10 and 6/8 for bonefish, permit, snook, and sea-trout in the Florida Keys. The 6/8 is a great reel for bonefish and permit (of moderate size). The line pickup on the 6/8 was great, Nautilus drags are some of the best on the market in terms of stopping power. The drag knob is large and nice to have when playing large fish. The 8/10 is another great salt reel, which I have converted to a freshwater reel for my switch rod this winter. The 8/10 has a significantly larger arbor for faster line pickup. Both the 8/10 and 6/8 have low startup inertias, smooth drags, and great stopping power. The drag knob is also a pain sometimes. Even thought he large drag knob is nice for playing fish on the drag, it is also a pain in the fact that line wrapped around the drag knob can crank the drag on accident and lower its tension. This happened to me more than once in the Keys, thankfully not with a fish on. The drag knob is a catch 22. Which I hope won’t be the case with the Mojo 425, due to it’s lower profile drag knob.

The sage 4280 has been my go to steelhead reel for about 4 years now. I have used it on my switch rod the last few seasons. The drag is ultra smooth and easy to dial in. The drag knob is not as large, but has numerical settings, which makes it great for resetting you drag if it’s bumped. The Sage 4280 is lower priced than the Cheeky and Nautilus reels. The sage comes in at $289 bucks. Which is a nice price point for those who want quality without breaking the bank. The startup inertia on this reel is slightly higher than the Nautilus CCFX-2 and the Mojo 425, but nothing that would make or break this reel being right in it with those guys

The reels are all about the same size overall. With the CCFX-2 8/10 being the largest of the 4, followed by the Mojo 425, CCFX-2 6/8, then finally the Sage 4280.20161024_171901

So what’s the skinny? Initially the Mojo 425 looks like a rockstar. It’s comparable to some more well known brands out there, in terms of initial observations. The true test will be on the water. After some time on the water with this reel, I will give you a complete diagnosis on what my thoughts on this reel are.

Getting started 

So let’s start off with where I’m at right now. I’m sitting in a ground blind hoping to God a deer walks out. The weather is back and forth between rain and ok weather. Currently in upstate New York we’re experiencing an Indian summer. Conditions have been warm the past few days. Which is not conducive to stellar deer movement. Which I’m sure we all know. I have trail cam activity on all my major spots. Deer moving during the late night and early day time hours. Right now, it’s a sit and wait game. Pre-rut activity is not prominent in my area yet. The bucks are just not raring to go. Be hopeful. We are moving out of our full moon cycle toward a new moon. Saturday October 29th marks the start of our new moon. I suspect deer activity will increase in the coming weeks from being nocturnal movements to more daytime movement. We are also on the front edge of a cold front moving our way in New York state. Expect that high pressure to be here around late Sunday night. Hopefully that low pressure will help get the deer moving. Good luck out there. More to come.

Cheers