Welcome to our newest addition to our Great Outdoors page called Gear of the Month provided by your favorite fly-fishing guide Ben Alex of Ten Mile River. Ben will be doing a monthly column covering all things fly.
-Stay tuned, you don’t wanna miss it!
–by Ben Alex
Here is where each month I will talk about a brand or a piece of equipment I believe you all should have. It might be made by one of the several companies I am a pro for as well as a new or old product I would like to highlight.
The one piece of equipment you all cheap out on but is more important than the toilet paper everyone seems to be hoarding (I’m gonna roll with that joke for a while…pun intended) is proper eye-wear- aka sun glasses!
Good glasses are a crucial key to success, because when you are on the front of my boat, and I am screaming at you to 
set the hook on the 40 inch pike that just ate your fly 3 times and you couldn’t see it…we are going to have a long quiet rest of the float. I wear Smith Optics glasses every day. They are the best on the market. They wont cost you a billion dollars like Lysol on eBay, and have a lifetime warranty. They are backed by killer customer service and will not leave you disappointed. My frame of choice is the transfer xl. They fit my giant head perfectly and offer the most coverage around your eye- safety first. For fresh water I always wear the brown mirror lens. Smith offers lots of different frame and lens configurations. I will help you pick which work for you if needed.
I will also highlight this month The Phoenicia Diners new cookbook. If you’ve never had the fortune of eating there, this is the closest thing many will get for the time being. The Phoenicia Diner is on Rte.28, in the heart of the north eastern Catskills along the banks of the Esopus creek, and features some of the most badass eats in the Catskills. The book has become a staple for me when I travel to the Delaware River. So, if you have to stay home you might as well practice your cooking, shop locally, and get fat and happy.
Peace, fly fishing, and bluegrass for all…
Head Fly Fisher in charge- Ben Alex
follow Ben on Instagram @worrilessflyfishing