Today for my birthday I took some time to visit a local mud flat to chase Carp. Managed to hook into a  feisty one in 2 feet of water who despite being small still managed to take me into my backing. Only one I landed but it was a lot of fun, first Carp of the year, and a nice way to enjoy my birthday.

Sarge's Crappie Fly is a local favorite and an original pattern developed by a member of my local Fly Fishing Federation Club. Simply a killer pattern it is my go to pattern when targeting Crappie. I have received some requests for what flies I use when chasing Crappie so I thought I would share this one with you all first. Hope it helps you bring to hand as many Crappie as it has for me. 

Snuck in some Crappie fishing before the latest cold front and caught quite a few. No real big slabs but fun nonetheless, also no single pattern stood out but all were caught either using Sarges Crappie Fly, Crappie Candy, or Clousers. Retrieve was very slow. Overall a beautiful and relaxing night. 

At an MSRP of $250, the Greys Streamflex XF2 may be the best 5 weight in its price class. This medium fast action rod has offerings in the 2-6 wt class and designed for technical nymphing applications. I personally have it in the 5 weight 9 foot option and it is my go to trout rod. The blank, while it won't win any casting competitions, is very forgiving and offers a soft tip for a delicate fly presentation and tight loops. While designed as a nymphing rod it is the stick's versatility that drew me to it. On the water I may walk long distances from my vehicle and leave the option for other rods, so it is important that I have a rod that can adapt to whatever conditions I encounter. The Streamflex's soft tip allows the angler to precisely and gently cast dry flies while it still has enough backbone to throw small to medium streamers and of course nymphing rigs. If nymph fishing I often fish a dual rig with split shot and have no problem casting and getting turnover without hangups. It is at medium distances where this rod excels and it can hold its own at longer casts as well thanks to the power within the blank. If I am on a tailwater or any medium to large trout river you can be sure this is the rod in my hand. My only caveat to the Streamflex is if short distance casts are  required repeatedly as you would find in small technical streams. The Greys can do it but there are better rods for that type of fishery if precision at small distances is your game. Finally, as to the aesthetics, this rod is just gorgeous. The maple reel seat will win you over and adds a real sense of pride to owning the Streamflex. If you are in the market for a new trout rod and looking for something a little more on the economical side, you simply can't go wrong with the Streamflex. Per dollar I am unsure if you could get a better all purpose trout rod. It is a great stick and has given the higher priced rods a run for their money. Are there better 5wt trout rods out there? You bet, but be prepared to fork over at least twice as much money for only marginal improvement. Phenomenal quality at a great price. 

The Good: Foremost, the knife is rustproof. In 8 months of using it in and around water, I have not had a single problem, nor from what I have seen from other's tests has anyone had problems with rust. Fresh or saltwater, this knife holds up. This is a knife that is a great tool if you spend a lot of time around the water like me. If you forget to wipe it off or it spends time sitting in water at the bottom of your boat, its just not a problem. The H1 Steel is really phenomenal stuff. Secondly, the handle really has a lot of grip to it, especially when wet and even in gloves, I was really impressed with this. Third, and this may seem an odd point, but I am really glad Spyderco went with a bold yellow color for the handle. Many times when fishing I would set down the blade for a moment, forget about it momentarily, but then see it out of the corner of my eye again very quickly. The yellow color saved me from losing it. Opening and closing is simple and easily preformed with one hand. The blade was easy to sharpen and held its edge moderately well, but does dull faster than other higher end steels. 

The Bad: I honestly had a hard time coming up with much in this category at all. Yet, with an MSRP of $124.99 the blade is a bit price prohibitive for some budgets (if you shop around, you should be able to find it for around $70). Also the blade shape, while great for most jobs around the water doesn't make the greatest filet knife, not that its designed to but for those looking for a "fishing" knife that can do it all, you can filet with this but its not going to be the prettiest job, as I can attest. A sheepfoot style blade is just not the tool for that job. Other than that, I cannot think of a job in or around the water that this knife wouldn't be appropriate for.