Gear Review - Meiho Fly Box

Ongoing series of review of everything and anything I can get my hands on related to fishing!

On the block today is a Meiho floating fly box I found at Bob Mariott's in Southern California.

Gear Review - Dr. Slick Fly Fishing Lanyard

Here you go!

All in all I rate it a "Try It" if this kind of thing is interesting for you.  Its sits in my trunk currently in case I can sneak in some fishing at some of the local lakes.

The man created waters

I like city park lakes.  Of course I accept they are not natural and most likely stocked by man himself after hatching the same fish.  With that said its like golf course outdoors.  What I mean simply is Golf courses to many represent the outdoors or at least a secluded moment that is separate from the everyday.  I view park lakes that way.  Its a groomed escape from the everyday.  I would still of course love to take that week and head to the Sierras.  But they can't be beat for blowing off steam on a bad day.  Here is my local getaway.

Lets talk about a noobs outfit.

With Bob Mariott's being so close it hard not to stop by to stock up on a few flies.  Yesterday I stopped by and added to my noob arsenal.  Without further adieu lets get to the equipment shots.

Here is a little floating water case I picked up.  Pretty decent I thought for the price.  It also has little spring loaded doors versus nail nicks like on other cases.

All the "OPEN" switches trigger one of four doors.


















Lets get a closeup on some of the flies!  Excuse the low focus control on my camera phone.

Little midge stimulator pattern

 Another stimulator pattern, haven't had alot of luck with it at this point.

My Bluegill killer a green and grey Adams, bought it in three sizes (12, 14, 16).  I like this fly alot for the local park lake.

 Much bigger Adams.  The idea was to match the small gold dragon flies that I have seen up to this date.

Dry ant to mix things up a bit.

Glowbug, the purpose for this was not trout, but Carp.  Given that I normally fish a park lake the carp are all about corn and bread.  My hope was that this would look like corn.  Bob Mariott's does not at this time have food type carp flies.

I'm not sure what this fly is, I assume another Adams, it was given to me by another angler at the lake.  Its had seen use before I received it, but I'm always happy to get new flies.









Just want to note, I purchased these flies for mainly lake fishing.  Since that is what I mainly do and is my "practice" yard for starting out.  It is important no mater where you fish to take a look at the local insect population and match your flies to them.  Remember, match the Size, type and color the best you can!

Side note: This is the outfit I am using: 

Fly fishing classroom Cerritos Regional

I had a few hours to kill tonight, so I stopped by Cerritos Regional to get some casting time in.

Now, I need to be clear here. I was fishing for the Bluegill with my nine foot line spooled with 8 weight line, its MAJOR overkill.

So without further adieu! On with the pictures! 

All these fish were taken using an Adams pattern 14 hook in green and gold.  Every cast seemed to have attention.  Half way through the hour I switched down to a 16 size hook which paid off big time.  The fish easily took them and often set themselves just pulling away.



This boy in particular was a little upset after todays lesson.

I love the coloring of this one.














Sadly towards the end of my time I got a real tug from something on the top water, I thought it was a larger bluegill but turned out to be a small mouth bass.  I got it close to the bank and it spit the hook.

Practice CPR: Catch, Picture and Release!
  

Cerritos Regional trying out my fly rod

On a whim I happened by a wonderful place on Friday afternoon.  It was Bob Marriott's Fly Fishing Store in Fullerton. Ca.  My uncle is a major fly nut, but I myself had little to no interest...  Until I entered the store.  WOW, is the only word I could say.  Tons of people pouring over the many hand tied flies, other talking to the knowledgeable staff and that was only the front half of the store, the other half holds a large selection of fly rods and other assorted gear.

On my first visit I talked to Steve.  What a cool person to meet for a laymen like myself.  He walked me through some of major details that make fly fishing different from spin casting.  A high-level theory I would call it. After giving me some of the details of why tippet is used at the end of a leader a few simple pointers on casting and helping me pick out some flies, mainly for bass, bluegill and carp I was out the door with a nice outfit ready to hit up my back yard park lake, Cerritos Regional Park.

To say I kept my excitement in check as I booked it from the store to the lake would be a lie.  Once I got there with the help of Steve's teaching I was in the water and catching bluegill in less than thirty minutes.  Catching that fish was literally was the last step that threw me into a hopeless addiction.  From that point on its been pretty full-throttle.  I even stopped by tonight just before dusk and again was pulling those bluegill from the water

Hope the readers enjoy hearing about Southern California fly fishing because there is PLENTY more on the way.

Tight lines.