Useful gimicks

[ian_brown]

Fly catalogs are full of "better" mousetraps, novel items that are meant to revolutionize your time on the stream and make you wonder how you lived without it. Most of them are much more trouble than they are worth, but occasionally they're pretty cool.

I just got a panther vision cap, which is a baseball cap with two LEDs in the bill. It frees up both hands for tying knots ate twilight. Better yet, while most gimicky items (e.g. knot tools) involve carrying something extra, this one let me get rid of the flashlight.

Which of these goofy things do you like?

 

[afishinado]

I've been using an insect net that folds up. It is mounted on something that looks like a fold up car antenna, and extends out a few feet. It folds up small enough to fit in my inside vest pocket, and is very handy.

I was out yesterday and reached for it to catch some bugs, and it was gone. Has anyone seen one of these nets, I’d like to get another one. Right now I’m going to try to make one.

 

[Padraic]

I picked up a seining net that attaches to a landing net. It is stored in a little pouch that slips over the landing net's handle. When you need the siene just pull it out of the pouch and over the landing net. You don't need to carry anything extra (if you like carrying landing nets... which I do)

 

[Padraic]

IMHO the best gadget out there is Dr. Slick's straight bladed scissor pliers. I use 'em for tying knots lickety split.

I had a clip on LED light that goes on any hat. Although the built in light is intriguing since it wouldn't fall off or even shift.

 

[jaybo41]

Something I found in Wal-Mart of all places has proven it's worth time and time again on the stream.

Fisherman's knot-pik-r

I picked up two of these, one for myself and one for my friend. They've saved both of us countless times while fishing. Much better than cutting off leader or tippet and re-tying.

I got a Buzz-Off fishing shirt as a gift this past spring and while I can say they are pricy, they work very well. I had only that shirt on and managed to keep bugs away from me for the most part where as my friend kept treating himself with spray. Anyone else tried clothing treated with Buzz-Off?

 

[afishinado]

Pad Wrote: “I picked up a seining net that attaches to a landing net. It is stored in a little pouch that slips over the landing net's handle. When you need the siene just pull it out of the pouch and over the landing net. You don't need to carry anything extra (if you like carrying landing nets... which I do)”


I have one of those, but it doesn’t do me any good since I never carry my landing net. The fold up net was small and out of the way until I needed it. I’ve had it for a long time and I’m sure it’s not sold anymore.

 

[tomgamber]

I have one of those pouches that makes your gink or other floatant hang upside down so you don't have to shake the heck out of that little bottle when its almost empty. Its good to the last drop...especially when its colder and the stuff is thick.

 

[troutbert]

Here's a gimmick that didn't make in the market apparently. At the first Flyfishing Show in Somerset, NJ there was 2 young guys with a booth that were selling, or trying to sell, a stream thermometer setup that had a sensor (thermocouple?) attached to your wading shoe somehow, a wire that run up the leg, attached to a digital readout which clipped to your vest. So the whole time you are wading, you are getting a constant reading of the water temperature.

I told them all that stuff is too gimmicky, what you need is just a good digital thermometer, that is compact and fits easily in your vest pocket, is lightweight, and that's easy to read.

One of the partners in the business said to the other, "See, that's what I told you long ago."

 

[Padraic]

I think I remember seeing one of those "car antenae" nets at the Feathered Hook. www.TheFeatheredHook.com

 

[Padraic]

troutbert,

I attached a stream thermometer to my wading staff. That and a mini-maglite. You can check the stream temp any time you want to, and the flashlight does "glare" on the surface of the stream. Those maglites are really waterproof. I usually get a whole season out of them, and they are so cheap it's no big deal to swap them out.

 

[PaulG]

the two most important things for me anymore are, a wading staff and the flip focals that you clip to your hat.
It's hell to get old!

One of Merle's favorite saying, the golden years...bull!

PaulG

 

[afishinado]

Pad wrote: “I think I remember seeing one of those "car antenae" nets at the Feathered Hook.”


Thanks Pad, I’ll check it out.

 

[albatross]

Paul,

I'm only 44 and I already use the flip-up magnifyer on my hat. I'd have to say its one of the more useful gimmicks I've run across.

 

"Picking your favorite gadget" is a really tough choice, but a fun topic!
OBVIOUSLY, as seen in my avatar, one of my personal favorites are my "Flip-Focals", just so I can see what breed of fish I've landed, on any given outing......
My Folstaf, also must be on my list, as it's saved me from numerous dunkings many times, when that "2 foot deep hole", was actually "deeper than my Folstaf's length"!
However, I have a newer, quite useful, "favorite gadget" in a little light I ran across not long ago while in a Walgreen's store..................
It's a small,"'flex light", that I'll never leave home without it, again!! About the same diameter as a "fat ballpoint pen"..........it holds 3ea. button batteries-(small, size G13s), has a ballpoint pen type clip and a 5inch long "flex neck" with a single LED bulb at the end. This light is unobtrusive, clipping nicely into the corner of an upper vest pocket, out of the way.
When I need light, (like, when it's dusk and I've landed yet another "monster" and I want to see what species it is, under the magnification of my Flipfocals), I simply twist the flex arm to where I need it, push the little rubber covered switch to turn the light on and I have about a 3-foot circle of light!
With the flex arm/head, it's great for searching in fly boxes, tying on #22 tricos and when walking back to the truck, in the dark, it throws a nice white circle of light ahead of me, when walking the trail! (which, unlike the one I had clipped to my hat........... I don't have to always be looking down to see the trail and when someone asks me something and I look up at them, in the dark, I don't blind THEM with my "hat light"..... by shining it in their eyes while talking to them!)
I've had it about, a year, it's on it's original set of 3 batteries and even being "dunked" a few times............it still works fine! Walgreen's price, for this light, (I've since, seen them many other placed as well), was "Two for $5.00". Money very well spent and my fishing buddy got the extra one, for free! But, I'm nice that way what can I say?

 

[Coughlin]

PaulG,
LOL...I'm with you...
Coughlin

 

[ian_brown]

Hell, I just turned thirty and I might just swallow my pride and buy a pair of flip focals.

 

[jayL]

I'm 22 and I've thought about it.

I don't like carrots much.

 

[flyfishermanj]

ian,

I was checking out those panther hats tonite. Let me know if how they hold up to sweat and rain. Didn't like the way the batteries where exposed.
As far as useful gimicks, I like the tippet caddie I found at cabela's. Keeps my tippet handy and out of the way.
JH

 

[PaulG]

Ian

Which one of those tippet caddies did you buy? The one I have I don't like, it gets in my way and I would like to find a better one.

Thanks

PaulG

 

[albatross]

FlyFishermanJ,

I have this light Energizer LED Light. It straps around my head on top of my hat. I like it very much. It has white incandescent light, white LED light, bright white with both sources, and my favorite for fishing red LED light. Batery life on LED is phenominal.