Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3617 August 4-18 2017 | Page 10

8 FRESHWATER August 4 - 18, 2017 HOW TO By Cal Kellogg Grundens Base Layer continued from page 5 Costa Del Mar Bloke Sunglasses I have a great relationship with the team at Grundens. In the past, they have advertised in the Fish Sniffer, but current- ly they aren’t doing any business with us. Despite this they still provide me with an “allowance” for Grundens gear. This May I put in an order for vari- ous items including new bibs, a hunting jacket, another Gage 30 liter waterproof backpack and a top and bottom set of Grundens new base layer clothing. I’m excited about all the gear I re- ceived, but I’m especially worked up about the base layer top and bottom. I re- ally appreciate high performance wicking clothing when I’m hunting and fishing. Not only does clothing that wicks mois- ture away from the skin keep you more comfortable, but in extreme circumstance it might just keep you alive. Don’t believe me? Do a little research about cotton garments and backpacking and you’ll quickly learn wet cotton, be it dampened by rain or perspiration, is a great avenue for developing hypothermia. According to Grundens their base garments are tailored from a unique blend of polyester, polyester hollow core, wool and spandex fibers for warmth, 4-way stretch and quick drying performance. This material’s ability to pull away mois- ture and retain warmth while regulating heat keeps you comfortable in the cold, whether you’re kicking back or working hard. Since the fabric stays dry it resists the formation of bacteria that cause odor. With all the blistering hot weather we’ve had, I’ve yet to try my new base garments, but based on my past experi- ences with Grundens gear I expect them to perform as advertised. I’ll be wearing them under my raingear in Alaska in a few weeks and this fall when I backpack into remote areas in search of deer and bears they will be with me. If pants and shirt work as I expect they will I’ll be purchasing more at full retail pricing. Good wicking base layer clothing is expensive costing upwards of $100 for a shirt or pants, but at $50 the Grundens base layer garments are very affordable. I’ve got a bunch of different Costa Del Mar sunglasses. Some of them were pro- vided to me by the folks at Costa, others I purchased online at full price. Costa glasses are phenomenal, offering the most sophisticated polarized lenses available. They absorb 100% of damaging UV light and also 100% of high energy blue light. They enhance “good” blues, enhance greens, enhance reds and filter out the harsh yellow light that overwhelms your eyes and makes them tired. I’ve tried a lot of different Costa frame styles over the years, but the Bloke frames I received this spring are my absolute favor- ite whenever I’m on the water. I have a big head and Blokes are ex- tra-large frame glasses. This means in super bright conditions I get full protection with- out light leaking in around the sides of the lenses. The frames feature what Costa calls Hydrolite nose and temple pads. These ar- eas are uniquely “sticky” and they keep the glasses in place even when you’re sweaty and being tossed around on the ocean. Blokes can be had with a variety of different lens colors to meet a variety of different situation. I went with the blue mirror lenses because they offer the most aggressive protection. You can also choose from plastic or glass lenses. Glass lenses are slightly heavier than plastic and significantly more expensive. For me there is no comparison, whether I’m requesting samples or paying full retail price I’ll always go with glass. Costa glass lenses are exceptionally clear and much more scratch resistant than plas- tic lenses. Finally, something I really appreciate about all my Costas is the hard case they come with and the included cleaning cloth. On a typical day on the saltwater, I leave my house well before sunrise and when I hit the water it’s usually overcast until late morning at the earliest. It’s awesome having my glasses in a rigid crush proof case. This allows me to toss them inside my Grundens waterproof pack with my camer- as and other gear, knowing they’ll be safe and protected until I need them. When saltwater spray accumulates on the lenses I simply break out the cleaning cloth and dribble a little freshwater on the lenses before wiping them clean. If you wipe your glasses with paper towels or on your shirt, you can damage high end lenses. With Costa’s high performance cloth, you can clean your glasses without fear of dam- aging them! Finally if you do damage your Costas don’t despair, you can send them back to Costa headquarters for repairs! VOL.36 • ISS. 17 FRESHWATER REPORTS: CONTINUED FROM PG 7 CLEAR LAKE Hit Deep Water Rockpiles For Best Largemouth Bite LAKEPORT - If you want to hook good numbers of largemouth bass at Clear Lake now, fish jigs or deep-diving crankbaits off the rockpiles in the mid and south sections of the lake. “Use brown/purple, brown/orange or black jigs for the best success,” advised Dave Brabec of Clear Lake Outdoors. “The top depth range is from 16 to 25 feet deep.” Big fish honors go to Chris Childres, who caught and released an 11.5 lb. largemouth while fishing a crankbait Zac landed this incredible 5 lb rainbow while trolling a threaded worm at Lake Almanor this July. “Two guys reported hooking 30 Photo courtesy of BIG DADDY’S GUIDE SERVICE, bass while using plastic frogs on Quincy. one trip,” Brabec noted. “Frogs with white bellies are the most worms from shore. Kaila Witshire from productive. Generally, the best frog Reno also caught a bluegill while fishing bite is early in the morning.” off the dock.” Bass are not the only fish species offering F