Bruce Roche understands the allure of fly-fishing. Since 2007, he has owned and operated Mayfly & Co. in Newton, Mass., after working as a chef for 22 years. His shop sells such high-end equipment as Thomas & Thomas graphite and bamboo rods, his own brand of bamboo rods, and reels by Tibor and Peerless.
Fly-fishing has been his business for the past couple of years, but it has been his favorite pastime for his entire adult life. "It started when I was 18," says Roche, who’s now 52. "My best friend, Skip Mills, was dating a girl who didn’t like me very much. Skip told me, ‘Listen, I can’t hang out with you, but I’m going to make it up to you. I’m going to teach you something that will stay with you the rest of your life."
Skip taught Roche how to fly-fish.
"It’s the coolest thing you ever want to know how to do," says Roche. "Once you learn how to cast a fly rod, it’s something you want to do all the time."
The rods and reels on the following pages—recommended by Kory Kapaloski, a buyer for Urban Angler in New York City, and Brad Tomlinson, owner of Peak Fly Shop in Colorado Springs, Colo.—as well as the ones that Mayfly carries, can make the fly-fishing experience even more addictive.
Stiff Competition
The unusually stiff Winston Boron II-MX is designed to provide more casting power (for windy conditions) and more distance than Winston’s other Boron rods, and more fish-fighting capabilities. “Winston is known for making more traditional-action rods, rods with more bending action,” says Kapaloski.
The 11-foot-long, fast-action Sage Z-Axis series is a light and strong rod that falls into the switch-rod category—rods than can be cast with one or two hands. “It’s a good rod for spay [two-handed] casting,” says Kapaloski. “When you don’t have much room behind you, you can use this kind of rod to cast longer distances with less effort, using a more efficient, single motion.”
Of the graphite Sage ZXL series, Kapaloski says, “It has a very lightweight feel in your hand. It flexes deep in the middle section of the rod; it’s more sensitive than other rods, which allows the fly to land more delicately.”
What a Drag
The Ross Vexsis series features a powerful, heat-resistant drag system consisting of components made of carbon fiber, ceramic, and Rulon, a self-lubricating synthetic material. The Vexsis series also features the Magnalock spool-release system. “The magnetic system locks the spool on,” explains Tomlinson. “It’s a high-tech reel.”
The Ross Evolution LT is an updated, lighter version of the company’s original Evolution series. Ross claims that it is the lightest reel in its class. The reel has an aluminum spool cap, an aluminum drag knob, and an aluminum escapement cover. On the original model, these parts were made of plastic. “It’s a completely new look,” says Kapaloski.
Etched in Metal
The usual medium for Carmel Valley, Calif., artist Lance Marshall Boen is leather, from which he crafts incredibly real-looking fish. The Hatch company saw his work and enlisted him for the Hatch Lance Marshall Boen Engraved Reels. Boen created six different images (the Trout Compass etching is shown here, and Water’s Bounty appears on the opening page)), each available for eight different reel models. The images are machined relief engravings, not laser engravings. “The basic Hatch models are great reels,” says Tomlinson, “but the limited-edition ones are just beautiful.”
Shining Lite
The Waterworks-Lamson Litespeed has a fully sealed drag system and is machined from aluminum. The Litespeed doesn’t incorporate titanium, as other models do, which keeps the price down. Yet it’s still a light and durable reel. “In terms of price and functionality, it’s a great reel,” says Kapaloski. Recently introduced was the completely redesigned Waterworks-Lamson Velocity. “They lightened it significantly and increased the size of the arbor,” Kapaloski says. “It has quick line pick up and more uniform drag.” And like the Litespeed, he adds, “It’s a good reel for the price.”