First off, as anyone who has fished with me knows, I am proudly supported by Rajeff Sports. For those who may not recognize that name, you will certainly recognize the brands they own; Echo Fly Rods and Airflo Flylines. And I am very fortunate to be able to represent both of these fine brands, every day while I am out on the flats fly fishing Rockport. They take great care of me and make amazing products to boot.

James, putting the screws to this Texas redfish on the fly, with his Echo Prime fly rod

When I am on the saltwater, the only rod I have been throwing is the Echo Prime Fly Rod. The first thing about these rods you need to know, is that they are a ONE PIECE fly rod. Obviously this would make them a bit tough to travel with. But for a Rockport fly fishing guide, such as myself, I am able to keep a healthy quiver in my boat at all times with easy. This is a trend you will notice up and down the coastal waters, whether it be the Gulf Coast or The Keys in Florida. Captains and Guides are loving these increasingly popular one piece rods.

So why do I use Echo Prime fly rods?

First and foremost, they can flat out throw line. And I mean they throw it… FAR! They have a ton of backbone to them. They load very well and quickly, which is great for the saltwater. And especially great for redfishing in Rockport, Texas, as many of our shots may not be super far, but you need to get it there quickly. And on top of all of that, they are incredibly strong while horsing one of our large reds to the boat. Hands down, Echo Prime fly rods are my favorite thing going on the salt right now.

I combo up each of my Echo Prime fly rods with an Echo Ion reel. These reels have a great large arbor, solid drag system and balance the rod out well. All of this, without breaking the bank. They have been very durable and reliable for me out there on the Texas flats.

When it comes to fly lines, I am all about the Airflo Flylines when I am out in the saltwater. My new favorite line as of late is their new Super-Dri Tropical Punch. This line was designed for catching redfish while fly fishing Rockport! It has a very compact front taper, which helps it load incredibly fast. Also, it will turn over large flies very well and shoots incredibly far. All hugely important when fly fishing a Texas flat for spooky redfish.

I do overline each and every Echo Prime fly rod I have in my boat. So if I typically throw an 8wt rod, it will have a 9wt line spooled up on the reel. These rods are burly enough to take it and actually throw even better. So this too will help anglers load the rod quickly and with power, then shoot line through the wind to that tailing fish. All of this combined together is a lethal combination on the Texas flats.

For those who have not yet played with any of the above mentioned products, you need to check them out. Even better, contact us for a day of fishing in February and you can test out the whole quiver while in the boat. I am confident that this gear will make you a better angler and improve your chances while fly fishing Rockport, Texas.

I am looking forward to working with Hook and Gaff in the coming years to continue to drive product improvements and design of these killer watches. I’ll be rocking one on the water every day for sure.

For more information, you can click on this link:

Hook and Gaff Watch Company

A shipment of new Under Armour Fishing gear arrived the other day. Excited to get all the new gear for 2016. This will be year two for me in Under Armour Fishing apparel. So far, the stuff is amazing. And this year, they’ve added even more fly fishing type gear. More button downs, more techy shirts, hoody shirts, etc. And I am loving it all.

For that matter, all the Under Armour stuff I have been rocking has been great; running shoes, flip flops, street wear, outerwear, etc. Really digging everything I have thus far. And I am looking forward to continuing to work with them on Under Armour Fishing apparel design and input, to make the gear even better moving forward.

If you are looking for some new gear, that actually comes in colors, instead of the usual greens and browns of other fishing brands, check these guys out through this link:

If you are looking for some new gear, that actually comes in colors, instead of the usual greens and browns of other fishing brands, check these guys out through this link:

Thanks so much to the K2 Cooler crew for adding me to the pro staff, and for the new coolers as well. Nice to know everyone in the boat will be drinking beer that is nice and cold this year.

For more info on these, check them out at www.k2-coolers.com

Thanks to everyone at Stiffy for hooking me up. Appreciate the support. Check out more from them here www.stiffypushpoles.com.