‘Tis the season to be thinking about what we want for Christmas, both in the real world and in that other space in our head where we can afford anything. The Feathers and Fluoro crew have varied tastes and it shows in the three wish list items they each picked for 2023. The brief was simple:
- Smaller fly fishing stocking fillers that theyโre in love with,
- A more expensive โbreak out the credit cardโ kind of item,
and - An I-won-the-lotto experience.
This is what’s on their big-ticket Christmas wish list.
Big-ticket fly fishing gear
LEROY BOTHA
Big ticket item: One of those Waterworks Lamson Force SL fly reels. Man, I want one. I just want one. Aesthetically, it makes my nipples hard. I just really love it. If my experience with other Lamson reels is anything to go by, then they must be freaking awesome.
LEONARD FLEMMING
Big-ticket rod: A Stephen Boshoff bamboo 3 wt (@boshoffbamboo) โ because bamboo rods cast beautifully on bushed-in rivers (like many of our bushveld rivers), they are especially great at roll-casting when there’s a forest of trees behind you and their soft tips and give (bamboo does not recoil like graphite rods) protect fine tippets, like 6X to 7X tippet material that is necessary for #20 and smaller flies to fool fish like Cape whitefish (witvis), bushveld smallscale and bushveld largescale yellowfish. I’d opt for a Boshoff bamboo because his rod work is delicate/precise and very professional.
JAZZ KUSCHKE
One big-ticket item: A full custom L4 LIVE Watersports SUP with all the extras. I have a soft spot for micro skiffs and this L4 with a 10hp on the back would be ideal for where I live – from leeries and grunter in the estuaries to bonnies and yellowtail offshore. I love the fact that you don’t need a trailer.
GERALD PENKLER
The Float tube motor by Float Plus. Adjustable and reversible, this motor gives you 41lbs of thrust right under your seat. It has really helped me explore huge open waters for pike and zander, even in wind and waves.
FRED DAVIS
Yeti Sidekick Dry Bag. Have one for the camera. Have one for keys, phones and extras. Want another. But be aware, not that easy to find these days.
CONRAD BOTES
Patagonia down sleeping bag, for when you’re out sleeping in some canyon for a couple of nights, and you need to be as comfy and warm as possible.
TUDOR CARADOC-DAVIES
A 3-weight Thomas & Thomas Lotic Fibreglass rod. I have very good memories of fishing the 4-weight Lotic on the Barrancoso River at Jurassic Lake Lodge a couple of years back. The trout on my local rivers are just a tad smaller (give or take 8-16lb) so I reckon the 6โ10โ 3-weight would be awesome for the bushed-in headwaters. It would be great for indigenous species like witvis too.ย
ANDRE VAN WYK
20 Bucktails from Bob Popovicโs private collection of tails. Iโm talking 6โ, 7โ and even 8โ hair length mythical tails that Bob has sent me pics and videos of . I lust after these daily!
PLATON TRAKOSHIS
Fish Pond Thunderhead Submersible Sling. Having worn mine out, itโs a very tried and tested sling bag that I would love replaced. Its easy access to gear and the tough materials itโs made of makes it a hard one to beat.
MATT KENNEDY
For on-the-go high quality hybrid shooting (photo and video), the Fuji X range has been and is exceptional. My Fuji X-S10, which packs a punch, is the mini-me version of our other camera, the X-T4, also a beast. Now all I need is a Fuji XF 80mm macro lens to shoot close-ups of flies.
EWAN NAUDE
Well I already bought them, but the Simms FreeSalt Wading Boots. I’ve worn them in for my trip to Farquhar and they’re just super comfortable and great wading boots in general. The test will come in the Seychelles, but I’ve been reliably told that it’s only boot to buy.
See more: The Feathers crew’s fly fishing stocking fillers and their “dream big” I-won-the-lotto fly fishing experiences.