FLY RY
NEW BLOG!
Bass Fishing Media is excited to launch the latest addition to the BFM website...a new BLOG!
The "Fly Ry" page has featured reviews and highlights on fishing gear, apparel, accessories and more, but we're stepping up our game. Welcome to the latest from BFM: The Gear Cache
The Gear Cache will share reviews, highlights, and fish tales for anglers of all types - we hope you'll follow along!
Archived Posts
A new “approach”: Gear Review - Garmont Approach Shoes
It’s getting to be that time of year when the days of wet wading in sandals under the hot summer sun grow shorter, water levels begin to drop, and feet get covered in other footwear options.
The good news: High country trout are still active and wading isn’t necessary to land some of these creek sharks. Cue: Garmont.
Garmont is traditionally a hiker/climber company. They create footwear for climbers, mountaineers, and other big mountain and approach purposes - and their footwear is SOLID. But as Bass Fishing Media gear reviewers and field testers, we decided to take on a different activity with these bulletproof kicks: high country angling.
The Men’s Dragontail MNT GTX (above, right. MSRP: $190-200) and Women’s Sticky Stone GTX (above, left. MSRP: $190) were put to the test over the course of the late summer/early fall and truly proved themselves. We hiked rocky high country trails, crawled over boulders along some skinny water near the South Fork and main branch of the Rio Grande and used them on longer access trails to big mountain lakes for some SUP (and good ol’ fashion) fly fishing adventures.
Pros:
These shoes delivered on each and every step...
Stability - Thanks to the construction of these shoes, stability is second to none. The lace-to-toe on the men’s and the heel lock feature on both models mean your foot isn’t slipping out, even on technical terrain.
Traction - One word: Vibram. There is a reason why wading, hiking, climbing, and so many other technical footwear companies use Vibram soles - STICKY! Both models demoed feature a Vibram outsole and we could not have been happier with the outcomes.
Comfort - The comfort game on these shoes is real. While the models differ in the type of inner sole layering system is used, what matters is that they both have an incredible system. Particular, on the women’s model, I appreciated the Expanded EVA insole with anti-torsional shank extra EVA insert in the heel cup. And thanks to the FrameFlex Light insole and PU heel insert on the men’s model, these shoes keep the comfort going all day while still allowing the shoe to be surprisingly light.
Cons:
Honestly, we put these shoes through some paces and as fly fisher folks, the only “downside” of using an approach shoe on fishing trips is that these things are not waterproof. They do, however, shed light water quickly and without fail. They also wick moisture (i.e., sweat) perfectly! We would not suggest wading with either model, but rambling around creeks and hiking/fishing lakes was successful each and every time.
Verdict:
Do it. If you’re ready to cover up those toes and give in to the inevitable seasonal changes taking place - but not to any ideas of stopping your trout-chasing ways - Garmont approach shoes are a great option!
Gear Review: Mountainsmith - Dry Tour Pack
Wild Pursuits (Part 1)
Ryan Michelle is a fly fisher, adventure seeker and wild mountain mama. With PA roots, she moved to CO in 2014 and now loves to search for wild high country trout and spend time with her family on the water