[Euan Innes]

For those of you with an interest, here's how I got on with what I brought this year.

Orvis Access 10' #4
This was the dogs danglies from tube or boat. It could roll out an SLX to the right distance in one cast and played fish perfectly, large or small. I tried Hamish's Helios on the last day and it is waaaaay better than an Access, but £300 more, I don't know. I need more practice with my rod and less worrying...

Orvis Access 9' #9
This rod is fabulous! Pollock have no chance, which also tells me that it is slightly over gunned. I wasn't tired after a day with this rod, it is that light.

Barrio SLX
#4 is just the thing north of Inverness - nuff said

Airflo sink tip striper line #9
WTF, what a pig to get right! A foot either side of optimum and you are screwed. You can't carry line so just the head is available for casting. Saying that, if you get it right, hoooo-yaaaaahhhh! It sinks like a carbon credit at the exchange market and takes more abuse than a Buenos Aires hooker, but cheaper (apparently...)

Shakespeare tube
Now that all the mods are done (with a chop chop here and a chop chop there...) and the top bladder has been removed it is all I hoped for. Does well in a BIG wave and is light enough to be carried in. Ace!
Smooth breathable waders are slippy in the seat but I have a plan....
One thing though. Make a tie rope between you and your tube and you may avoid what happened to me...

Clip on polaroids.
These were just right. £22 from http://www.clipon-sunglasses.co.uk/, just do it. I am due new glasses this year so I'm going to hold off until my test is due but I WILL have the whole set to fit. Well impresssed!

Orvis Pro Guide jacket
Just get one. OK I know it's a lot of money buy every penny is worth it. The cut is right, the hood is right and the fit is right. Do your self a favour and go and see Ben, seriously.

There will be a small test on fleeces soon... (shit it was cold)

If you have any questions, just post and I will answer.

 

[Mike Barrio]

Nice post Euan

[Euan Innes]

Thanks Mike.
Seriously, that SLX is the mutts nuts. At boat distances, about 15 yards tops, you strip it in, dibble then roll cast the whole lot back out in a oner. At one point I was having to really short line (line held, just the head out, no shoot) a section of shore as Hamish rowed us back out of the river mouth and I could roll the line into the spot I wanted to cover, draw the flies over the water and then roll to the next spot. The SLX made this a joy.
Visibility of the orange head in the peaty water was great too. Shame you don't do a #9 because my 9' #9 Access would LOVE that one. I am planning on getting a 9'6" Access so there will be an SLX for that outfit.

 

[Loxiafan]

For those of you with an interest, here's how I got on with what I brought this year.

Orvis Access 10' #4

This was the dogs danglies from tube or boat. It could roll out an SLX to the right distance in one cast and played fish perfectly, large or small. I tried Hamish's Helios on the last day and it is waaaaay better than an Access, but £300 more, I don't know.

Hi Euan,

Thinking of taking the plunge on an Access 9' #4 Tip Flex (for river dries) so interested in your comments re- handling big/small fish as yours will be a tip flex also at that length. I too can't really justify (afford, actually!) a Helios ( unless they are halved in the sale !). I'd have to start flogging off guitars and that is serious ! 

Love my new Orvis Hydros II Reel, best reel I have owned, and just looking for that bit more in the rod department now.

Cheers,

Lindsay

[Rob Brownfield]

Orvis Access 9' #9
This rod is fabulous! Pollock have no chance, which also tells me that it is slightly over gunned. I wasn't tired after a day with this rod, it is that light.

I use a #9 Helios for Pollock (and Pike) What can I say..would not swap it for anything! Carrying that sort of kit on rocks is a scary business though, but the Orvis replacement policy means I am not to worried if I slip.

Barrio SLX
#4 is just the thing north of Inverness - nuff said

And pretty much everywhere else! I have recently tried mine on a 10' Orvis Western #4, and it works a treat on that too

Airflo sink tip striper line #9
WTF, what a pig to get right! A foot either side of optimum and you are screwed. You can't carry line so just the head is available for casting. Saying that, if you get it right, hoooo-yaaaaahhhh! It sinks like a carbon credit at the exchange market and takes more abuse than a Buenos Aires hooker, but cheaper (apparently...)

I use the Airflo Striper lines myself. I have floating, intermediate, "glow in the dark" and S5 sinking. Never had an issue with them, seem to load the Helios over a wide range, including a bit of an overhand from a back shoot. I do have a sink tip line from another manufacturer..and that is a pig to cast...maybe its the change in density?

[Euan Innes]

Lindsay,
Go talk to Ben and have a demo. Wild Browns are no problem for the tip flex, as are Haddo browns. The rod will bend a lot but that just means that light nylon will survive. I just love the way it casts - once I learned to slow down and let the rod do what it does best, accurate long and short range stuff was not an issue.
Go see Ben! 

Rob,
It's an S7 head on the blue running line. Very heavy, but does chuck Clousers a very long way if you get it right. Steeple casts with a cliff behind are not fun but Lochinver harbour with unlimited back casts was a breeze. I intend to practise more....

 

[Liam Stephen]

Euan 

I noticed you never mentioned reels... Out of interest what did you use? I can't imagine someone playing a pollock by hand? 

Liam

[Iain Cameron]

Shakespeare tube
One thing though. Make a tie rope between you and your tube and you may avoid what happened to me...

which was Euan... go on... runaway (float-away) tube?

[Mike Barrio]

which was Euan... go on... runaway (float-away) tube?

Or to strangle over friendly seals perhaps? ...... Not sure I fancy the idea of tubing alongside seals in deep water

Cheers
Mike

[Rob Brownfield]

Euan 

I noticed you never mentioned reels... Out of interest what did you use? I can't imagine someone playing a pollock by hand? 

Liam

I'll jump in here too....I use an Orvis Mach IV reel. You need a strong drag to stop the buggers getting in the kelp. I used to use a cheap Okuma Integrity 7/9 which I used for Pike, thinking it would be up to the job...yeah right!! Pike might be strong, but Pollack are fast off the marks meaning a smooth start up and no over runs are essential.

[Euan Innes]

Liam.
My salt reel is an Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbour V with about 200m of backing. Really nice reel that performed perfectly. Didn't really need all that backing but it does make for a fast retrieve. This reel has now been replaced with the Access.

Iain,
Got it in one mate! Wind caught the tube, with rod attached, as I was trying to get over some slippy rocks in flippers. Luckily HM Coastguard was on hand to rescue the Red Oktober. Shakey tubes are very shallow draught and the loch dropped a bit since last year so if I sat down I would have beached.

Never going to let that happen again 

 

[Iain Goolager]

Orvis Access 10' #4

Always been happy with my 9' for tubing but the above is now on my wishlist.

Barrio SLX
#4 is just the thing north of Inverness - nuff said

Brought my 4cast for the 4wt outfit 'cos it was on a reel I liked  It's now holding up the sweetpeas in the garden.  I would have given Euans' Left Orb to have had my SLX with me.

Airflo sink tip striper line #9

Yeah cool line, love saltwater fishing and managed two (small) fish from a mark where roll casting was the only option, line's great.

good things are also;

A buff
Orvis Encounter Reel
Scott S3S 9' 9wt saltwater rod
Pot noodle x lots
Pot Porridge x same amount
LARGE trout flies
snore proof wallpaper
a 4x4 vehicle
a towrope
someone who understands that the closer the contour lines the steeper the hill!
A decent set of fins
Someone with a laugh that sounds like a 10 year old girl (no spin off jokes please)

Iain

[Euan Innes]

I would have given Euans' Left Orb to have had my SLX with me.

Stop being so generous with my tackle Iain

A buff

A must

LARGE trout flies

You can't say you weren't warned  Quote of the week goes to Goolager - "I'd kill for some #6 trout flies right now!"
You see Iain there is this thing called a forum and on that forum people tell you things that you need to know when you are fishing for Highland Brown trout. There is this other thing call Message Privee that tells you the same...

someone who understands that the closer the contour lines the steeper the hill!

Laptop now has a lovely tea stain on the screen.

snore proof wallpaper

We should have recorded that because we were all guilty

 

[Loxiafan]

Go talk to Ben and have a demo. Wild Browns are no problem for the tip flex, as are Haddo browns. The rod will bend a lot but that just means that light nylon will survive. I just love the way it casts - once I learned to slow down and let the rod do what it does best, accurate long and short range stuff was not an issue.

Hi Euan,

Yep had already PM'd Mr.Dixon to see when he will be available at Bunkry for advice etc. Great pity I couldn't manage the open day at the bothy a couple of weeks ago but was too busy with holiday preparations. Interesting that the rod bends so much with fish on, that would be a good thing as you say esp. down at 6x (and less). Even with small (1/2 to 3/4 trout) a Streamflex really bends, that said they cope with the bigger ones too.

Cheers again,

Lindsay

[Derek Roxborough]

Just back from a couple of days near Stoer, using my home built Lefty Kreh , from Blanks I bought from Spiderman,
 I have been impressed with this rod but not being able to afford one of Mikes lines I was using a Mill end and it performed well , I even had a few trout on one of the local lochs, but completely blanked the previous day, I could see the rises but couldnt reach them, still its only a 2 + hour run from me any way, easgach 1