‘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 they’re in love with,
- A more expensive “break out the credit card” kind of item,
and - An I-won-the-lotto experience.
This is what they recommend you put on to your Christmas wish list, if not bucket list.
Fly fishing stocking fillers
LEROY BOTHA
Ahrex SA210 Bob Clouser signature hooks. I can literally think of a tiny handful of flies, saltwater flies specifically, that I wouldn’t tie on that thing and given that I tie hundreds of different patterns, that I think is a glowing review. I love those hooks.
LEONARD FLEMMING
Full range of the Ahrex Bob Clouser signature SA210 hooks. I recently used the Ahrex 3/0 Bob Clouser signature A210 hook for European pike and to me this hook really stood out with successful hook-ups. I’d love to start using the full size range for many other fish species, including our local kob and garrick.
JAZZ KUSCHKE
The Mission BUFF®. You can never have enough BUFFs.
PETER COETZEE
A collection of LeRoy Botha shrimp flies (if you’re reading this, I’m still waiting LEROY).
GERALD PENKLER
Dr. Slick Scissor Clamp. Mine goes everywhere with me. The serrated jaws chop 40lb leader wire, the screw driver bit has performed several emergency repairs and yes, they also unhook superbly.
FRED DAVIS
Can’t have enough Tiemco Ceramic Flytying bobbins.
CONRAD BOTES
Simms retractor for holding nippers close by. When you want to make quick fly changes and the fishing is on, you don’t want to scratch around searching for them. Or worse, having to bite off line.
TUDOR CARADOC-DAVIES
This little LED Lenser ML4 Lantern is pretty much the first thing I pack when going on a hiking/camping/fly fishing trip. The reasons I love it so much is because when you’re pottering around your campsite at night making food, trying to find a comfortable spot to relax and looking for scorpions etc, a headlamp is not always the idea light source. If everyone has their headlamps on, you are going to spend a lot of time blinding each other. This tiny lantern packs a serious punch (there are several settings if you want a more chilled ambience) and lights up a campsite well enough that you can do what you need to do without turning your head torch on. It holds a charge for several days but also takes batteries. Someone whose name sounds like Snonrad Potes just borrowed it and broke it, so I will have to get a new one soon because it is that good.
Read more about my use of it in issue 28 from my and Platon’s trip to the Jan du Toit’s. Platon also made a film of the trip.
ANDRE VAN WYK
RaidZap Xact Bobbin. I’ve used these for about 3 years now, and can’t actually tie with anything else anymore. It has a perfect adjustable tube length, as well as two different tube lengths supplied with the bobbin. I also love how it grips the thread spool nice and tightly so you don’t have to wrap the thread round an arm if wanting more tension when tying on mono extension and the like.
PLATON TRAKOSHIS
Stainless Damasteel Jaws by J-Vice – to replace my ancient current short jaws. The Damasteel just look exceptional with a well tied fly in the vice.
MATT KENNEDY
My buddies from Lemmel Kaffe recently treated me to some of their traditional Swedish style coffee brew while relaxing on the Cape Streams. Their variety of roasts all taste incredible when prepped in the correct way. I would recommend kitting yourself out with their full range of coffee-related gear – to do it the right way.
Ewan Naude
You can never have too many bucktails. I recently got some bucktails from HG Flat Materials in the states. Generally speaking, when you can find good streamer capes, just buy them, and put them in the stocking. Streamer capes are very versatile for a range of streamers, small and large, and I just realised the frustration of getting decent ones when I was tying for the Seychelles now. So, whenever you can get them, buy them.
See more: The Feathers crew’s big-ticket wish list, and their “dream big” I-won-the-lotto experiences.
