Anyone who fishes medium to big rivers realizes that walking along the river bank can only get you so far. Many of us have our favorite bank...
Anyone who fishes medium to big rivers realizes that walking along the river bank can only get you so far. Many of us have our favorite bank fishing spots, areas we know exactly where the fish are going to be and exactly what fly they will take. We also find ourselves walking along side a river staring at the perfect tailout, slot, or grassy bank covered with bugs that is just on the other side of the river. Annoyed we can't fish it and more annoyed that there isn't access to that spot.
Along came the boat and with the boat came floating and fishing, or fishing and floating whichever. Going on overnight rafting trips has provide me with some of my fondest memories along with some of the biggest fish have I seen/caught. Before starting a career at Big Y I spent many summers working on the Deschutes River, guiding and renting out boats for one of the local companies. During that time I spent many days paddling and rowing NRS rafts. Most of my rafting gear is either NRS or a brand that they carry. We have been putting their products through abuse for almost a decade now and have to say they hold up pretty darn well.
During a company meeting we floated the idea around of adding some of their gear to our website. It was more of a thought or a dream and we really didn't think it would amount to much. What would this huge rafting mogul want with a online fly shop? Needless to say the owner of Big Y put in an app with the thought being the worst they can say is no.
Couple of weeks later we sat down and talked to an NRS rep, and the meeting wasn't at all what we expected. He was excited to have us and eagerly pointed out the large amount of crossover products between rafting and fly fishing. We were excited and quickly spent hours flipping through the dealer catalog looking at various products that we thought our customers would like. Even though the amount of products and options they carry are immense we broke it down to a few that we thought our customers would like the most along with the ones that have held up the longest in our personal use.
The products we added are as follows: Pelican Micro Cases, Princeton Tec Fuel Headlamps, NRS Bill's Dry Bags, NRS Tuff Sack, and NRS Chinook Fishing PFD. Out of this list of items we have personally tested all of them. .
Both the NRS Bill's Dry Bag and NRS Tuff Sacks have been on Big Y employee rafting trips for over eight years and both have held up amazingly. If you are looking to keep your gear dry while running a class III or IV rapid they are a must. Not only are they waterproof but they are extremely durable. I can't count the number of times I have been unloading a boat and have chucked one of these into some thorny bushes, dragged along sharp basalt, or thrown at the tip of a sharp stick. Each time getting that Oh Sh*t feeling while I run over to investigate the damage. Needless to say we have had yet to replace one of these bad boys.
Pelican Cases and Princeton Headlamps have been through the same tortures and have equally held up. Pelican cases are great for items like your phones and keys, things you may want quick access too but can't get wet or banged up. And the only bad thing we can say about the Princeton Headlamps is if you accidentally drink one to many beers and drop it in the fire pit the straps will melt.
The final item, NRS Chinook PFD, is one Big Y staff haven't had the opportunity to personally field test. However, many of us wear a NRS lifejacket and can tell you they hold up extremely well. Again we have been using these jackets for years and have yet to have even a buckle break on them (not something I can say about every PFD out there). The NRS Chinook Jacket is a Type III vest (the kind needed to float pretty much every river in North America) and includes many features an avid fisherman would find useful. The front includes three zipper pockets; two larger ones which are great for holding fly boxes, and a smaller one that has a coiled zinger built into it. Additionally there are four velcro pockets that allow quick access and secure storage. NRS finishes this jacket off with an additional coiled zinger and a knife clip. While this most likely won't fit all your gear, it will hold the boxes and gear you find yourself using most on your trip. These are great when you are wanting to stop and fish frequently or want to fish from your boat. You have your fish gear close at hand and can rest assured that if something were to happen this jacket will keep your head above water. Wading with a PFD allows you more security, while wading fast water, with your gear secured in this jacket, and its ability to float you if you happen to take that mis-step. A true must have for wading gravel bars in large rivers.
All in all we at Big Y are extremely excited and proud to be adding NRS to our catalog. As Big Y continues to grow be sure to stay tuned for even more NRS products. Their layering products will be added this fall as they are excellent base layer for under waders, and wading jackets. If you find yourself wishing we carried something of theirs let us know and we will do our best to get it in. Special ordering is also available.
Along came the boat and with the boat came floating and fishing, or fishing and floating whichever. Going on overnight rafting trips has provide me with some of my fondest memories along with some of the biggest fish have I seen/caught. Before starting a career at Big Y I spent many summers working on the Deschutes River, guiding and renting out boats for one of the local companies. During that time I spent many days paddling and rowing NRS rafts. Most of my rafting gear is either NRS or a brand that they carry. We have been putting their products through abuse for almost a decade now and have to say they hold up pretty darn well.
During a company meeting we floated the idea around of adding some of their gear to our website. It was more of a thought or a dream and we really didn't think it would amount to much. What would this huge rafting mogul want with a online fly shop? Needless to say the owner of Big Y put in an app with the thought being the worst they can say is no.
Couple of weeks later we sat down and talked to an NRS rep, and the meeting wasn't at all what we expected. He was excited to have us and eagerly pointed out the large amount of crossover products between rafting and fly fishing. We were excited and quickly spent hours flipping through the dealer catalog looking at various products that we thought our customers would like. Even though the amount of products and options they carry are immense we broke it down to a few that we thought our customers would like the most along with the ones that have held up the longest in our personal use.
The products we added are as follows: Pelican Micro Cases, Princeton Tec Fuel Headlamps, NRS Bill's Dry Bags, NRS Tuff Sack, and NRS Chinook Fishing PFD. Out of this list of items we have personally tested all of them. .
Both the NRS Bill's Dry Bag and NRS Tuff Sacks have been on Big Y employee rafting trips for over eight years and both have held up amazingly. If you are looking to keep your gear dry while running a class III or IV rapid they are a must. Not only are they waterproof but they are extremely durable. I can't count the number of times I have been unloading a boat and have chucked one of these into some thorny bushes, dragged along sharp basalt, or thrown at the tip of a sharp stick. Each time getting that Oh Sh*t feeling while I run over to investigate the damage. Needless to say we have had yet to replace one of these bad boys.
Pelican Cases and Princeton Headlamps have been through the same tortures and have equally held up. Pelican cases are great for items like your phones and keys, things you may want quick access too but can't get wet or banged up. And the only bad thing we can say about the Princeton Headlamps is if you accidentally drink one to many beers and drop it in the fire pit the straps will melt.
The final item, NRS Chinook PFD, is one Big Y staff haven't had the opportunity to personally field test. However, many of us wear a NRS lifejacket and can tell you they hold up extremely well. Again we have been using these jackets for years and have yet to have even a buckle break on them (not something I can say about every PFD out there). The NRS Chinook Jacket is a Type III vest (the kind needed to float pretty much every river in North America) and includes many features an avid fisherman would find useful. The front includes three zipper pockets; two larger ones which are great for holding fly boxes, and a smaller one that has a coiled zinger built into it. Additionally there are four velcro pockets that allow quick access and secure storage. NRS finishes this jacket off with an additional coiled zinger and a knife clip. While this most likely won't fit all your gear, it will hold the boxes and gear you find yourself using most on your trip. These are great when you are wanting to stop and fish frequently or want to fish from your boat. You have your fish gear close at hand and can rest assured that if something were to happen this jacket will keep your head above water. Wading with a PFD allows you more security, while wading fast water, with your gear secured in this jacket, and its ability to float you if you happen to take that mis-step. A true must have for wading gravel bars in large rivers.
All in all we at Big Y are extremely excited and proud to be adding NRS to our catalog. As Big Y continues to grow be sure to stay tuned for even more NRS products. Their layering products will be added this fall as they are excellent base layer for under waders, and wading jackets. If you find yourself wishing we carried something of theirs let us know and we will do our best to get it in. Special ordering is also available.
