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Gear Ideas for Fly Fisherman
Seat/Platform
For years I have placed a Sea Deck pad on the lids of my
Yetis and turned the T-Latches around (neat trick on Yeti website to make the
Tundra ice chest more fly line friendly) to make a makeshift bow platform. Well
recently I got a new skiff which ultimately meant that I needed a new Yeti. I
debated whether I should put a Sea Deck pad on it or perhaps a seat cushion to
make long boat rides more comfortable for my customers. I decided on the
cushion and everything was fine for a month or so until one day I decided to
take the bow platform off of my skiff. It just so happens that the next day I
wished that I had the platform back on the skiff. We came across a situation
that required some elevation for the angler to see fish and so, I popped the
cushion off and placed the Yeti on the bow. Needless to say my customer nearly
busted his butt a couple of times before it occurred to me—why can't I have
both? In short there was no reason I could not have the Sea Deck under the
cushion. This set up has served me well a couple of times so far this year. yeticoolers.com
Two-piece Push Pole Ferrule
Fly fishermen are a restless bunch. None of us can seem to
sit still very long before we are packing a bag and heading off in search of
something more exciting. And, for the do-it-yourselfer, this usually means
hooking up to the skiff and putting Texas in the rearview. Being one of these
nomads I have always been nervous while traveling cross-country with my $1K
plus push pole riding in its holders on the skiff. Yes folks, I have had them
stolen while traveling. The solution of course comes from push pole king, Kevin
Shaw, down at Stiffy. Shaw has developed the ultimate, screw together push pole
ferrule that allows you to not only break down your push pole and tie it down
to the luggage rack of an SUV but also to be able to have it short enough to be
brought inside a motel room. In addition, the ferrule seems to be as strong as
the pole itself and when put together, seems to be unnoticeable. stiffypushpoles.com
Ultimate Fly Tying Vise
I have certainly gone off the deep end with this item. A
year or so ago I had the pleasure to tie side by side with the master himself,
Enrico Puglisi. After watching him tie for or a while on this very unique and
monster-like vise, I finally had to question him about it. After hearing how
great this vise that he had designed was and why, I was sold. I had to have
one. Then I heard the price. Nope, I will not be spending that kind of money on
a vise. A few months went by and I was at a buddy's house and he had gotten
one. I asked him if he thought it was worth the price. "Every bit of it," he
said. I sat down at his tying desk and knocked out a couple of bugs and was
sold. The next day I was on the phone with Mr. P ordering one. I am not joking
when I say, this vise allows you to put a fly at any angle you can possible
imaging and by doing so, makes tying much more enjoyable. epflies.com
Barber's Scissors
Here is another great idea from Mr. P. One of the toughest
things in fly tying is to create nice flowing tapers whilst utilizing short,
less than sharp tying scissors. Mr. P. obviously felt the same when he started
using a pair of longer barber-grade scissors for creating his perfectly tapered
EP flies. Again, a solution that is a little pricey in the grand scheme of
things. But in my opinion, worth every one of the sixty-six hundred pennies. epflies.com
Ultimate Trolling Motor Plug
This is one that you should consider if you are buying a new
boat or taking a skiff in to be refurbished. One of the biggest hassles of
having a trolling motor on a fly fishing skiff is the snag factor that not only
comes from have the trolling motor on the bow but also having the power outlet
in the forward bulkhead. Mr. Brian Floyd of Islamarine came up with a way to
not only eliminate having to run long wires (which means extra resistance for
all you electrically savvy individuals) but also the line snagging potential of
a plug in the bulkhead. In addition, it moves the plug inside the front
compartment and out of the elements to help prevent corrosion for longer,
trouble-free operation. He does this by utilizing a waterproof deck fitting
with a cap that can be removed/installed when the trolling motor is in use or
not needed and some PVC pipe fittings. For older skiffs needing a refurb, I
recommend taking a road trip to the Florida Keys and having Islamarine not only
install one of these plugs, but also to make your skiff like new again.
Fortunately, the Maverick Boat Company was able to factory install this on my
new skiff. If they had not been able to, I would have been trailering down to
the keys for sure. islamarine.com
Parallel Jaw Pliers
First let me say that I will never, on purpose, leave the
dock without my titanium Van Staal pliers on my hip. However, there is another
set of pliers that my boat never leaves the dock without. For many old-school
skiff guides, there is only one pair of pliers that you will ever need—Manley
Super Pliers. I remember the first time I saw an old rusted pair in my father's
tackle box and did not think much about them. Then one day, many moons later, I
had the chance to share a skiff with my dear friend and mentor, Flip Pallot. I
was pretty surprised when instead of a pair of Able or Van Staal pliers on his
hip he carried pliers like my Dad's. Then he explained the attributes of
"parallel jaw" pliers. They can grip or cut anything with "unparalleled"
strength. Pun intended. However, there are two downsides to the Manley's—made
of carbon steel they require a lot of maintenance and also that they have a
short reach. It is a good thing that they are inexpensive. tackledirect.com
Anyway, I hope I have shared some information that
you will find helpful. Until next month…. Best of tides and stuff like that.