March Freshwater Lure of the Month: Mepps Trophy Series Spinner

March Freshwater Lure of the Month: Mepps Trophy Series Spinner

When French engineer Andre Meulnart invented the Mepps spinner in 1938, it wasn't long before he realized it was an extremely effective fishing lure. He didn't realize, however, he had invented a lure that would revolutionize the fishing tackle industry. It would take a World War and an unusual series of events to do that. It would also take the vision of a man who could see the lure's full potential.

Todd Sheldon discovered the Mepps spinner in 1951. Owner of a successful tackle store in downtown Antigo, Wisconsin, he was having a bad day on Wisconsin's Wolf River. Determined to try something different, he tied on a small Mepps spinner that had been given to him by Frank Velek, a WWII GI who had returned from Europe two years earlier. Within two hours, he had creeled four trout weighing more than twelve pounds total.

Todd Sheldon was hooked on and began selling Mepps spinners, but soon discovered he couldn't get enough. Velek knew a French woman who sent spinners to the sport shop in exchange for nylon stockings. However, the lures were selling faster than she was wearing out her stockings, so Todd began buying his lures directly from Meulnart's factory.

Soon, other fishermen were experiencing catches like the one Todd took from the Wolf. But, they were catching all kinds of fish, not just trout. As the Mepps reputation grew, so did sales. In 1956, Todd sold his store and formed Sheldons', Inc. to focus his attention on his growing import trade.

The Mepps Trophy Series features all the colors preferred by trophy salmon and steelhead fishermen throughout Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes.

Available only in sizes #4 and #5, these Mepps spinners are designed for anadromous fish, from their perfectly formed eye down to their computer age extra sharp, strong hook. Available with either treble or single hooks. Blades and bodies are solid brass. Environmentally safe. No lead components.

The spinner shaft is stainless steel to resist the elements. Silver blades feature genuine silver plating for maximum flash at all depths and under all water and light conditions. Painted blades and bodies feature brilliant epoxy finishes that are both fade and chip resistant. If you’re planning a fishing trip to Alaska, these spinners were designed with you in mind.

March Freshwater Fly of the Month: Elkwing Caddis Olive

March Freshwater Fly of the Month: Elkwing Caddis Olive

The Elk Wing Caddis is one of the most versatile caddis created. Almost every river has blanket hatches of this must have bug. 

The elk wing caddis dry fly is one of the most popular and proven dry flies in the world. The dry fly pattern imitates the natural caddis, one of the most prolific insects across North America that trout feed on. The elk hair caddis can fish like conventional dry flies, as well as be "skated" across the top of the water to attract feeding trout. 

Invented on the West Coast by Al Troth, the elk hair caddis has over the years proved to be an un-paralleled fish catcher. In the tradition of all great flies its "why didn't I think of that" quality has reinforced its reputation and resulted in a continual presence on practically every trout bearing water in the world.  The best way to think of this fly is as a skater. This is because it is the perfect fly for imitating both the newly emerged caddis flies' maiden voyage (or, the take off), and also the skittering female dropping her payload of eggs under the evening sky.

Tips to fish:

When fishing a caddis hatch the Elk Hair Caddis should be fished using standard dry fly tactics. If you suspect fish are taking spent adults aim for a drag free drift, but if you suspect the fish are after newly hatched adults (look out for slashing rises) employ some judicious twitching of your artificial. Standard presentations will work when using the Elk Hair Caddis as a searching pattern.

References:

http://www.sexyloops.com/flytying/elkhaircaddis.shtml

www.FishingEnthusiast.com

March Saltwater Lure of the Month: Gibbs Minnow

Saltwater Lure of the Month: Gibbs Minnow

An excerpt from GearPatrol.com's "The Art of the Fishing Lure" to read the rest of the article on our blog at www.FishingEnthusiast.BlogSpot.com! 

I

f any item holds special mysticism among fishing gear, it’s the lure. Some anglers spit on them for good luck; many have favorites (my dad and I still call one spinner, which will be kept secret to protect innocent fish, our “secret weapon”); rules abound for their use, like “light on dark days, dark on light”. Or was it vice versa? There are spoons and buzzbaits, tubes and cranks, jitterbugs and streamers (and dry flies, wet flies, and a million other flies) to choose from. It’s a lot to keep track of.

It's understood that at their basic level, lures are deceptions meant to replace live bait, which are hard to gather and often expire prematurely, escape or are used up before the day’s work is done. But beyond that, a surprising majority of fishermen don’t really understand lures — and in this vacuum, myths abound. So we spit on them. And worship them. And generally pick them from our tackle boxes without much sense of why they’re the right choice.

And the lures (the good ones, at least) tend to work, maybe not every time, but on the whole — which, given recent findings about the intelligence of fish, is more impressive than we might have realized. In a recent study, biologist Culum Brown found that “fish perception and cognitive abilities often match or exceed other vertebrates.” Turns out they don't have five-second memories. More like a year, and maybe more. Brown has even written that certain fish species like the wrasse show similar tool use to primates and corvids (birds).

Fishermen have long known that fish are often smarter than they. But the rest of us probably haven’t given the lures used to catch these clever creatures their due. In fact, the best lures are really works of inventiveness, science, utility and even art.

The Gibbs-Delta  "MINNOW" is definitely one of the most versatile fishing lures available today, It can be jigged, trolled or used as a casting lure. "Designed Flexibility" of this sterling silver plated lure allows the fishermen to achieve the desired action simply by bending the lure. The one piece stainless steel wire, 3 extra strong rust resistant hook and extra heavy stainless split ring offer maximum strength to land even the largest gamefish.