04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments
The Columbia Grendel

The Columbia Grendel

Reviews
The Columbia Grendel The Grendel has fast become a favourite item in my fishing arsenal for streams as well as those misty days on still waters. I love carrying a camera with me but wouldn't dare take the SLR onto the water in case I tripped or the rain came in. Thankfully the Grendel gave me the confidence to take my camera everywhere thereby improving my fishing photos tenfold. This backsack is comfortable to wear and, although not fully waterproof, is very water resistant. It's also stain resistant which means it always looks good no matter how many fish you catch. There's an easy to access, water resistant, back pouch for important items like cell phones and keys, while the main compartment has more than enough space for your jacket,…
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04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments
The Jvice

The Jvice

Fly Tying, Reviews
[caption id="attachment_754" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The Jvice[/caption] For over 10 years I tied my flies on an entry vice which I bought while on a limited budget at University. And for many years I believed that all vices were made equal; that was until the day I got to tie a fly using the Jvice. Suddenly I realised just how wrong I'd been. Yes, perhaps the final fly looked similar, but the process of tying it differed greatly. The Jvice was faster, more efficient and far easier to use. I was once again excited to tie flies and was suddenly tying twice as many in half the time. I immediately decided to review the Jvice and was lucky enough to meet Jay Smit and to spend some time with him at…
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04Dec 2012 by Nick Nortje 2 Comments
The Xplorer Guide II (5wt 9ft 4 Piece Freshwater Fly Rod)

The Xplorer Guide II (5wt 9ft 4 Piece Freshwater Fly Rod)

Fly Fishing, Reviews
[caption id="attachment_745" align="alignright" width="300"] The Xplorer Guide II[/caption] On first viewing this rod I was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the construction of the rod tube. It is made out of carbon fibre and has machined and polished end caps giving you a feeling of class. Unscrew the top cap and you pull out your four rod sections wrapped in a cloth sleeve. The rod is constructed using Xplorer's XP7 modulus graphite blanks, pac bay eyes and a lightweight aluminium up-locking reel seat with a high quality cork handle. I paired the rod with the Rio Mainstream intermediate, weight forward line and the Xplorer Eclipse 4-6wt reel. This combo I feel gives the rod a good balance. The rod action is medium to fast and can effortlessly cast…
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02Mar 2009 by Warren Prior No Comments
The Olympus 1030SW Review

The Olympus 1030SW Review

Reviews
Olympus 1030SW I spent the last week on business in the UK. While this meant no fishing, it also meant I managed to pick up a fantastic new toy. So for all of you who offered input into my camera selection...thank you once again. As I said, I was originally planning to get an Olympus 850SW, but ended up with the bigger (and hopefully better) Olympus 1030SW. I did look at the Olympus "Tough" range, but I couldn't work out the benefits? They were more expensive than the 1030, and only waterproof to 3m, and not 10m. They were also more vulnerable to drops. But they did come in pretty colours...ooooh, aaaah. My initial impression of the camera is that its fantastic (for what it is). It certainly doesn't compare…
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