I thought i'd seen it all until I came across an advertisement for Rio's new MOW sink tip kits, yours for one easy payment of $150. In an effort to cash in on the angling community's inexplicable thirst for hero worship,the add name drops three well known, oft worshiped spey guides telling readers that they can have sink tips just like the "pros". Wow. Basically what they're selling is factory spliced pieces of t-11 or t-14 in various lengths ranging from 2.5 feet to 12 feet. One question, does anyone actually use 2.5 or 5 foot sinktips? I usually carry all of 3 pieces of t-14 when I'm fishing a skagit line 8ft for the greasy, slow tailout, 10 for my all purpose and 12ft for the deep heavy pieces of water. Yes the different lengths/grainweights mean that with each switch of the tip I have to make minor adjustments to my casting stroke, but its really not terribly difficult. On the Delta I prefer t11 tips, with the slightly lower density they dont overload the rod. 9 and 11 feet pieces work nicely. A little secret that Rio doesn't want you to know....making your own sinktips is VERY easy.
Instructions: Buy desired length of sink tip material. Make loop at one end with 10 lb maxima and two nailknots to secure the loop in place. Apply a light coat of aquaseal over the nailknots. enjoy.
If anyone is interested I'm willing to make you a set of three sink tips for the low low price of only $50, guaranteed to be at least as effective of any factory tips you overpaid for and with none of the pressure of trying to be as cool as Ed Ward.
Well said and here here. What a crock of S###. I couldn't agree more. This spey thing is becoming so over marketed it is just insane. They are making it so complicated when it doesn't need to be. If I had everything I "should have" for the spey thing I wouldn't have a place to store it all.I'm with you, a couple pieces of t-14 in diff lengths covers everything...period.
ReplyDeleteMark
Oh oh....Now you have done it...
ReplyDeleteCalling out da industry fro ho-ing it up?
You earn serious points in my book. Mow indeed.
However, to play Devils advocate, 'spey' has become so cool and popular that goons with next to no experience are playing the game. You know the ones... "What's is a nailknot?" "What is aquaseal?" "What knot do you use to tie a loop?" Now they can just buy it all in a box, and snag the bottom.
On another note, me thinks the industry is starting to run out of ideas for 'spey.' Shorter and shorter lines, newer sinktips and systems, crossover or in-between lines like skangit, or skanjo, or whatever. It only can go so far before someone says, "Gee, how about a new DT line..."
Now, now, fellas. All you've done here is guaranteed yourselves a nice feast of crow. I'll bet money you'll both be using one of those goofy tips in the next year. Mark my words. This is how the fish gods work.
ReplyDelete"I'll bet money you'll both be using one of those goofy tips in the next year."
ReplyDeleteHow much cash are you willing to put on the line for this bet? ;)
hahaa, great comments fellows. There is absolutely no risk of me purchasing a set of these tips, since I've never spent that much money on a flyline, let alone sink tips that I can make myself. Put it to you this way, as a grad student, those tips would cost me approximately a quarter of my paycheck. Food v. overpriced tips, food wins
ReplyDeleteI'm always vacillating between irritated/amused/ticked off about these kinds of things. For now, resigned amusement seems safer...The tackle industry has always used a certain amount of name recognition in its marketing strategies, but the brazenness of the spey industry is getting to be a bit disturbing. Whores, the lot of them. On a certain website, there is the statement re the MOW tips: "Ed Ward designed these, so you'd better try them." So if Ed tells me to try fishing with my dick hanging out, I ought to give it a go? I suspect many would. You can bet that any new piece of tackle that hits the market has been independently developed and fished by many people before some quick thinker gets his name on the patent. For now, I'll stick to my double tapers and Deltas. Oh wow, it's like beautiful man...
ReplyDeleteWhy be offended by someone's harmless effort to market a new product? RIO has a lot of families to feed, a lot of people who survive based on effective marketing. New products are a big part of that. Does that make them a bunch of whores? If keeping your job or feeding your family makes you a whore, I guess we're all guilty.
ReplyDeleteWell said chaveecha!
ReplyDeleteThe owner of this blog once took me to task for criticizing the sophomoric antics of a few younger fly fishers who were pouring beer down the mouth of a dead hatchery steelhead and then taking pictures to post.
He speculated that there might be some envy on my part.
Well it seems that that same speculation might be in order here.
You have to wonder.....
So you think these tips are gimmicks and you're not going to buy any? Hey that's your prerogative! Why crap on someones else idea?
"sophomoric antics of a few younger fly fishers who were pouring beer down the mouth of a dead hatchery steelhead and then taking pictures to post."
ReplyDelete=dead horse.
Never said they were whores for selling the sinktips, just that they're slightly silly and overpriced. And yes I am jealous, I just haven't figured out how yet...
overpriced, perhaps, and i'll be the first to call bullshit on the industry, but splicing sections of chopped density compensated cheater to t-11,14 and 17 tips as short as 2' has been very key for years.
ReplyDeleteat least, for those of us who'd rather leave the casterbator runs in favor of overlooked, 20-foot cast schnittle and get some alone time.
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ReplyDelete