First is the new wading boot soles from Simms. It is a vibram sole especially designed for wading. They experimented with various hard and soft rubbers until they found just the right mixture. The new boots are didymo resistant and are reported to grip the stream bottom "better" than felt. I can't wait to take them on a test drive.
Next up is the new line of reels from Sage. The new reels were voted the most outstanding new product by the dealers at this years show. It is a complete
redesign of the reel line. I had a chance to take them apart and look them over very closely. After talking to the team that designed the reels I can say that
they are very, very well designed and built. Almost every reel on the market in the past has had at least one weakness. These reels are as close to perfect as
I have seen. The real shocker is the low end reels for $100. The least expensive series of reels retail for $100, $120, and $140. All the spools interchange
with the pewter or metal spools. You can upgrade your spool if you bend one or you can buy inexpensive pewter spools for spares.
The higher end reels are smooth as butter with a terrific finish. The drag is smooth with no catches. I can't wait to see how they perform with a big brown
and a tarpon hooked to the other end of the drag.
