How to carry spare rigs for a quick change on the water
Ivo shares his approach to carrying spare rigs for a quick and easy change on the water.
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Smart Angling Faces: Ivo Balinov
Ivo Balinov, Co-owner and Marketing Director
Ivo has been fishing for over 35 years. His experience covers North America, Europe and the Caribbean. An experienced instructor, Ivo has helped countless people with their first steps into fly fishing. He has also coached many advanced anglers, including several national champions of Canada and members of Canada's National Youth Team. Ivo has learned from some of the World's best competition anglers from the Czech Republic, Spain and the UK.
Ivo started European nymphing more than 17 years ago when these techniques were virtually unknown in Canada. Subsequently, he introduced many others to these productive ways of fishing through organized classes and informal encounters on the water.
With a strong passion for improving and helping others, Ivo organized, for the first time in Canada, master classes by some of the World's very best competition anglers from Europe, on a range of advanced techniques from dry fly, through lake fishing, to fishing rivers with nymphs and streamers. This effort continues today under the banner of the Smart Angling World Class Fly Fishing School.
Ivo has been a successful competition angler with top finishes at major tournaments, including team gold and individual bronze at the 2016 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships, team silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships, team gold at the 2018 and 2019 Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships and numerous top finishes at other national, provincial and regional tournaments in Canada. He has served as Pro Staff for several fly fishing brands.
In addition to freshwater fishing, Ivo has a passion for chasing bonefish and permit on the saltwater flats, which he has been doing across the Caribbean for the last 15 years.
Listen to Ivo sharing views and experience on competitive fly fishing, cutting edge techniques and equipment at the Flyfishing 97 Podcast. Part one. Part two.
Smart Angling Faces: Ciprian Rafan
Smart Angling Faces: Ciprian Rafan, Co-owner and Sales Director
When and how did you start fly fishing?
My first memory about fishing is from when I was probably around 3 years old. Since then every day out fishing would be the happiest time of my life. I started using flies to catch fish much later. Fishing was and still is my biggest passion…and according to my wife a case of OCD😉.
What is your favourite type of water? You favourite technique?
My favorite would be a small trout stream. Probably because of my background growing up in Romania I’m used to small to medium size rivers with gin clear water.
My favorite technique(s) is European nymphing but if the conditions are right I will switch right away to the more spectacular dry fly fishing.
What do you like about competitive fly fishing?
I will answer by saying that what I have gained from competitions is knowledge. Every time I compete I learn something new about fly fishing and about myself. I truly believe competition is the best way to improve your fishing skills. At the end of every competition, regardless of whether it’s a world championship or a one-day mini, there are no losers, only winners, it doesn’t matter if you bring a medal home or not. You’ll grow your skills and make a bunch of new fishing buddies.
What do you think is the biggest myth about competitive fly fishing?
Some people say that competitive fishing is not “real” fishing… I believe it is exactly the opposite; I truly believe that fly fishing has evolved a lot because of competitions. This is how we get new techniques, new flies and better equipment.
Name three persons that have inspired and motivated you the most in fly fishing?
Now that is a hard question. The strongest influence was my father. He was the first to put a fishing rod in my hands, though not a fly fishing one. In fly fishing it would be my Romanian friend Cristian Linter, the former President of Fly Fishing Canada Jim Iredale and of course my actual business partner Ivo Balinov.
What is Smart Angling for you?
Some people think that Smartangling is my company but I look at it as everyone’s company. It was a concept born from the frustration of seeing too much of inadequately designed and overpriced equipment. Now we try to run Smart Angling as a company where you have the opportunity to stay in touch with the latest techniques and the best equipment: rods, reels, hooks, lines, etc. Whenever you buy something from Smart Angling you buy a piece of us, our passion, experience and knowledge.
More about Ciprian
Ciprian started his fly fishing journey on pressured European streams where catching a fish was a success. This has helped him build exceptional skills and in-depth understanding of river fishing. He is also an advanced lake fisherman.
Ciprian has represented Canada at major international contests including the World Championships in 2015 and the Commonwealth Championships in 2016. He has held various titles at Canadian competitions, including individual gold at the Quebec Championships in 2014 and 2018 and team gold at the 2015 National Championships.
An Interview with Ian Troup: fly fishing guide, competitor and Smart Angling Pro Staff.
Smart Angling (Ivo): Ian, when and how did you start fly fishing?
Ian: My dad would tell you I started fishing before I could walk, but what I remember is fishing ponds for pan fish and bass when I was about 8 years old. There was a small lake or big pond, called the 'brick yard' about 5 mins from my house. I must have fished there almost every day in the summer growing up, and got really into bass fishing. When I was about 15 I found an old fly rod in the basement my father had used when he was I kid, I started fishing poppers on the ponds and loved it. I ended up buying one of those all in one kits at a local fishing shop and the rest is history, from then on I only wanted to catch fish on a fly rod.
Smart Angling: What is your favourite type of water? You favourite technique?
Ian: That's a tough question as my favourite is fishing a variety of water using different techniques, I like the challenge of choosing the best techniques for the water and conditions in front of you vs trying to find water to use the technique you prefer. That said if I had to choose one, I really like pocket water on rivers. I'm old school, still love fishing dries on rivers or lakes but tight line or euro nymphing is right behind it.
Smart Angling: What do you like about competitive fly fishing?
Ian: By far is the comradery in being part of a team and the people you meet. Completely understand that competition in fly fishing isn't for everyone, but I think a lot of people would be surprised on the friendships you make and amazing people you meet, from all over the globe. I'll also add that I really like how it makes you a better angler for your 'fun fishing'. It's fun to catch fish and competition fishing teaches you how to catch fish in any condition.
Smart Angling: What do you think is the biggest myth about competitive fly fishing?
Ian: To me the biggest myth is that competitors aren't welcome and we're intimidating. I think most individuals that have tried a competition would tell you that the experienced competitors want you to do well. Not saying we're not competitive but you'll find so many people want to help you succeed that I think people are surprised.
Smart Angling: What is the biggest challenge facing competitive fishing in Canada? What is the biggest success?
Ian: The biggest challenge in my opinion is making sure we keep the youth engaged. The reality is, we're seeing the same folks at the majority of competitions and we're not getting any younger. I've seen amazing young anglers lose interest in competitions and feel we can better develop that talent; the US is doing a good job in recent years. We've seen some new teams join the Canadian National Championships, this is through the focus on local competitions. Some great work to make sure everyone has access and feels welcome to try competitive angling.
Smart Angling: Who is the person that has inspired and motivated you the most in fly fishing?
Ian: I have two - first is Ian Colin James, a Canadian fly fishing icon. Ian was my fly fishing mentor and guiding instructor, I don't believe I'd have the success in guiding and competition fishing without Ian taking me under his wing. To this day when I have an opportunity to learn from some of the best in the world, it lines up with the fundamentals Ian taught me. Second is Joe Humphreys, I think Joe was more influential in fly fishing than anyone in North America. He was and is my fly fishing idol. I must have read his books 50 times each, and watched his videos about 100 times. What was really cool I was able to spend time with him at his house and go fishing with him multiple times, something I'll never forget and it was inspiring to see the master at work in his 'office'
Smart Angling: What is Smart Angling for you?
Ian: Smart Angling to me is the one stop shop for the worlds best fly fishing equipment and materials, run by world class experts. As competitive anglers you know that quality matters and there's a lot of BS out there, so you only provide what you actually use and you test everything before adding to the shop. What I find really cool is that you're on the cutting edge of the latest advances in Europe and the top competition teams and you provide that to Canadian fly fishers. This is stuff you can't get anywhere else or you pay a high price to have shipped over here.
About Ian Troup:
Ian has been fly fishing for over 30 years. A firm believer that you never stop learning, Ian spends all his free time improving his fly fishing skills and has had the benefit of learning from some of the best anglers across the globe, including World Champions and guiding mentorship from the late Ian Colin James.
Ian has a passion for competitive angling and coached the first all women team to compete in the Canadian National Championships. He is a captain of a fly fishing team and member of Team Canada, having the honour to represent Canada internationally in multiple events, most recently as part of Team Canada’s first ever Gold Medal performance, winning the 2016 Commonwealth championships, followed by a team silver medal at the 2018 edition of this major international tournament. Ian earned the individual Silver Medal at the 2017 Canadian Fly Fishing Championships.
He has been guiding for the past 15 years, along with being pro-staff for Smart Angling and for the Franklin Club fishery. Ian is a certified FFF Fly Casting instructor.
Where It All Began: a story by Darian Savage
In the spring of 2016, a couple of friends and I had a goal of catching giant steelhead. At age 16 the only struggle with achieving our goal was that no one had a driver’s license. However, with just a bit of sweet talking, my buddy’s dad was willing to drive us! As the weekend came around, we made the four hour drive out to Lake Ontario to catch some chrome. It was our first time doing anything of the sort so we had very little knowledge. The reports for the season weren’t great and people were struggling to catch but we were determined to have a good trip none the less. The first three spots we stopped at had no fish. With high hopes at catching we marked a couple more spots we wanted to try. Little did we know, the next spot was a honey hole. At the time, I had never tried fly fishing so I set up my spinning rod with 10lb test and a small silver spinner. Both of my friends had been fly fishing for the past two years so they set up their 8 weights with small sculpin imitations. After about 20 minutes of fishing both of my friends had already hooked a fish and I was the only one left that had to break the skunk. We were running out of daylight and both my friends had landed several fish, so they agreed to hand me the next fish they hooked. With that being said, I lost six or seven fish on the fly that day and being the perfectionist I am I was determined to change that. Since we decided to make a weekend trip
out of it, the next day I borrowed small streamers off my friends and threw those on my spinning rod. Trust me, it is much easier to aim your casts on the fly than with a spinning rod which lead me to spooking several fish. My luck completely changed with the flies over the spinners and I managed to hook several fish on the spinning rod, including the BIGGEST of the trip! (Pictures
Attached)
At the end of the trip I couldn’t have been more pumped with the quality of the fish I caught and the experience, but there was still one thing missing. A fly rod in my arsenal! The day after returning from the trip, I made a trip to SAIL and purchased my first every fly rod which was the Echo Base 9’ 8wt combo which I owned for three years before upgrading this past season. Today I spend my time fly fishing as much as possible, whether it be rivers for trout or lakes for gar and other warm water species. In the future I aim to travel as much as possible to
chase all sorts of species on the fly from coast to coast.
And that, is where it all began...
Darian Savage, January 2020
