Guideline's new products for 2024

CHRISTOPHER ROWNES PRESENTS THE NEW GUIDELINE PRODUCTS FOR 2024

... AND GIVES US A SPONTANEOUS FLY CASTING COURSE

(We updated the article in March 2024)

For a year now, we have also been offering a wide range of products from the Scandinavian company Guideline in our fly fishing online shop. And after this first season, we can draw a very positive conclusion. In the coming year, we will therefore expand the range of Guideline products. And to do this, Christopher Rownes visited us at the end of October to talk to us about the current products and to introduce us to the new products for 2024.

Many of you probably know Chris as a first-class fly-caster who can be seen in numerous well-made YouTube videos. Or you may have seen and met Chris in person at a fly-casting demo at a fly-fishing trade fair. However, Chris is also a sales agent at Guideline.

1. FLY RODS

With the huge success of the ELEVATION fly rods, it is no surprise that Guideline is introducing two new rod series based on the Elevation family. I was immediately impressed by the 8-foot ELEVATION BROOK in line #4. It is wonderfully light and, in my opinion, ideal for fishing with dry flies in small and medium-sized waters. I can well imagine that this will be my next fly rod for summer dry fly fishing in mountain streams. But before I buy it, I'll certainly do some casting with the shorter #3 rod from the same series as well... just to be able to be on the safe side when it comes to choose one of those. zwinker

The Elevation rod series has caused a stir. It is therefore no surprise that it has been expanded to include short models for small streams and Euronymph rods

Also new to the Elevation family for the coming season is the ELEVATION NYMPH, which, as the name suggests, is designed for the currently booming modern nymph fishing. The slightly longer rods in the ELEVATION NYMPH series are not uncompromising Euronymph rods, but versatile enough that at least the models in line #3 and #4 can also be cast with light classic fly lines. This gives you the flexibility you need on the water, allowing you to quickly and easily switch from nymph fishing on monofilament or ultra-thin Euronymph fly lines to fine dry fly fishing when you see the first rings from rising fish on the surface. Pretty clever!

We were very excited about the new rods. After a detailed presentation in the morning, we went to the casting lawn in the afternoon.

Chris also had something really special with him in the form of the brand new NT11 SALINE. We were only able to try these rods in the light line classes, but even with these models you can feel the potential for long casts, and you really feel how the fly line will shoot towards the horizon when you charge these fly rods properly.

2. FLY REELS

When it comes to fly reels, there is really only one topic of conversation, and that is the new NOVA fly reel from Guideline (which you can find here in black and here in stardust grey), in which the company is also focusing on sustainability for the first time in its fly reels and presenting a reel in which all parts are made of recycled materials and single-use plastic has been rigorously avoided. The reel is so new that Chris is still presenting us with a pre-series model. The very delicate and complex geometry of the reel gives the NOVA a high level of recognisability, as it stands out clearly from all other reels on the market. When the series is actually available, we are curious to see the reaction and interest of our customers.

The new NOVA fly reel. The fine geometric design makes it unmistakable

3. FLY LINES

Admittedly, a product presentation in which you pick up a fly line, compare the diameter of the individual sections, roll it gently between your fingers to somehow not feel anything special and then look at the welded loops and the laser-etched line ID is not very enlightening. After all, trying to predict the characteristics of a fly line by looking at its colour is about as accurate as reading tea leaves. That's why we quickly agreed that the only way to find out is to do some casting with it. Especially when it comes with a big backpack of expectations like the Presentation+. As the legitimate successor to the legendary Guideline Presentation fly line, it naturally cannot fall short of its predecessor. But that's exactly what we need to have a perfect starting point for the practical afternoon. But I don't want to get ahead of myself.

You have to try fly lines in casting to feel how they work. We did that on the casting lawn in the afternoon too.

4. WADING CLOTHING

When it comes to clothing, we are particularly interested in the different waders and wading boots from Guideline, as we have a certain amount of experience in this area thanks to our own wading product line. Here, people try things on, compare them, examine them from all angles and eagerly talk shop.

Every detail of the waders was discussed at lengt

We also want to know from Chris what the feedback from customers is like. We won't be deciding today which models will actually be added to our range.

The products have to convince us, otherwise they won't be added to our range

UPDATE March: In the end, we were convinced by the LAERDAL wading clothing line exclusively for women, both the waders and the wading boots, the LAXA 2.0 waders with waterproof front zip and the current wading boot generation LAXA 3.0, which we carry in both sole variants with felt and rubber soles and spikes.

The LAXA 3.0 wading boot – shown here with a rubber sole and spikes – will be available from us from 2024

WAIST BAGS

We also spent some time about the two models of Guideline waist bags and their smart fastening system. Both bags can be moved freely on the belt and can also be pulled forward very easily, for example when you change your fly. Only the bag is moved, and the belt remains in its position, which is much more comfortable to handle. When you don't need the bag, you simply push it back and you won't have any equipment in front of you that could get tangled up with your fly line.

The ULBC WAISTBAG 3 is a practical waist bag for all those fly fishermen who like to go to the water with light luggage

While the ULBC WAISTBAG 3 was designed with a minimalist look to save weight, the larger EXPERIENCE WAISTBAG 6 has a wide and sturdy belt that also serves as a comfortable backsaver. The ergonomic cut of the belt makes the aforementioned fastening system even more useful, as it ensures that the wide area of the belt always remains in the optimal back support position, even when you pull the bag forward.

The EXPERIENCE WAISTBAG 6 is very spacious and has a wider belt at the back, which also serves as a very comfortable backsaver

The extremely versatile use of both bags is also great. They can be detached from the belt and attached as chest pockets directly to the waders or to the backpacks from Guideline.

A comparison of the ULBC WAISTBAG 3 and EXPERIENCE MULTI HARNESS makes it clear that the chest pack sits significantly higher and is therefore more suitable for deep wading

The modular chest pack EXPERIENCE MULTI HARNESS, on the other hand, is practical, spacious and comfortable. It can be adjusted and customised to fit perfectly and snugly without restricting you. You can also equip the harness with the three vertical pockets as you like, taking only what you really need with you to the water.

6. CLEAN ALL THE WAY

With all the products presented, it was important to Chris to point out Guideline's extensive efforts to use sustainable materials and production processes wherever possible, without compromising on product performance. Since a personal exchange is the best way to address things in a concrete and open manner, we asked Chris straight whether these efforts are also appreciated by Guideline customers and asked for an honest answer. Chris explained to us in great detail that the basis for this decision lies in Guideline's corporate philosophy and is less of a marketing strategy. Guideline would continue to pursue this path even if customers did not value these things. Fortunately, these issues are playing an increasingly important role, especially among younger fly fishermen.

7. TIPS AND TRICKS FOR FLY CASTING WITH CHRIS ROWNES

Although we have examined the individual products in detail and were able to ask Chris a lot of questions during the presentation, it is of course clear that you have to try out at least the rods and fly lines to be able to form an opinion. Just waving a fly rod in the air a few times is certainly not enough to understand how it actually works and casts. And since we have Chris with us today, we would have been stupid not to suggest that he put some of the products we presented today to the test. And Chris didn't need to be asked twice. Since the surrounding waters have unfortunately all unusually high runoff for this time of the year, we have to make do with the casting lawn. But that's certainly no disadvantage, because it means we can concentrate fully on the material to be tested and on the casting itself.

If you can lure Chris onto the casting lawn, there is always something to learn

As an FFI Master Fly Casting Instructor, Chris is immediately in his element. And we realise immediately that Chris is not only a gifted fly caster, but also an extremely competent casting instructor who knows how to convey the essential things in a very simple, easy-to-understand and to-the-point way. So, we were already wondering about a paintbrush that suddenly appeared between all the guideline equipment in the company in the morning. Chris simply said that this was his most important tool for teaching his course participants the correct sequence of movements and the accentuated stop that is necessary for performing the roll cast. Anyone who can splash their opponent with the wet brush by ‘baptising’ them will also be able to master the roll cast perfectly.

Inspired by this little episode, I wanted to ask Chris what he thought the essence of fly fishing was, as he was lucky enough to have Mel Krieger as a mentor. Admittedly, the question is a little provocative, as Mel Krieger's most famous work is a book about fly casting entitled ‘The Essence of Fly Casting’, which was translated into German by a certain Christopher Rownes *.

And here too, Chris surprises me with his answer, because for him, fly casting is not primarily about complex and technical things like timing, acceleration or a sense of rhythm – after all, Chris is also a professional dancer – but about much more fundamental things. For him, fly casting is therefore primarily about breathing. Breathing in and out at the right time not only leads to a natural rhythm, but also makes the whole thing relaxed and brings us to the second important pillar of his philosophy: fly casting must be fun! It's not about anything dramatic or serious, but ‘just’ about fly fishing and casting, which should above all give us pleasure.

Even though it may not look like it, the atmosphere on the casting lawn when testing the new products was very relaxed. Chris is probably just surprised at my resistance to advice when it comes to the exaggerated use of force when casting

And Chris also maintains this relaxed approach in the afternoon on the casting lawn. There are no teachers and no students there, just fly fishermen who want to improve their casting together. And so, testing the various Guideline rod models with different fly lines quickly turned into a casting course for us, with Chris having the almost hopeless task of breaking down the movement sequences that we have learnt incorrectly over the years and decades. His proven recipe: back to the basics. Draw a straight line with your thumb freehand. Lift the fly line with the rod held horizontally and place it precisely. And above all: less power – take the power out and start each movement slowly and accelerate steadily. But for this – depending on the length of the cast – use the whole way. Actually, these are all things that a fly fisherman should be well aware of, but at the water's edge they are all too often subordinated to the sole focus on the fish.

Holding the new Presentation+ in the air at a height of just under a metre, absolutely parallel to the ground, with minimal effort, casting a tight loop and depositing the dummy fly with absolute precision still requires a little practice on my part

We have at least decided to organise a Guideline day with Chris Rownes next year, which will certainly include something like a casting clinic. Until then, at least I will be practising diligently and also reading Chris's book ‘Line Poetry’ about fly casting very, very carefully, which will be published soon.

UPDATE March: The book will be available from 15 April and can already be pre-ordered from the publisher Forelle&Äsche.

Available from mid-April: for anyone who wants to use the Spey cast with a single-handed rod

Because next time I definitely want to be better prepared, both for spontaneous casting sessions and for tricky counter-questions from Chris. In the afternoon, Chris countered my pointed question about the essence of fly casting from the morning by asking me for the right word Mel Krieger used to describe the correct casting sequence and the ideal acceleration. He led me up the garden path with that one. Do you know it?

Note:

* You can find Mel Krieger's book ‘The essence of fly casting’ here for example.