Fishing Hacks

Originally published October 20, 2019 Alrighty, last weekend was sidetracked with a DIY Honey Do to make a Lazy Susan. Simple build… got it done! Turned out nice. Matched the table too. Able to get  back to fishing again in short order. Whew!

After several temp fixes to broken braille lines to the cast net, finally took the time to replace them all. Hot day but got it done! Took slightly longer… added an extra braille line on the fly when I noticed a portion of the net was drooping lower than the others! PS: One change to the fix for the next net. I would attach the new braille lines next to the old ones, and then cut the old braille lines. No measuring needed!

Simple and Inexpensive Below is a series of posts originally posted in October 2017. We were attempting to make a wooden trout net made with inexpensive material purchased from Home Depot. The trout has done well for us over the years with a couple of modifications made to the netting. Initially, we used a plastic rubber lacing that worked but tended to stiffen as the Winter temps dropped to the 40s and lower. Since then, we purchased a rubber net attached to the wood frame using zip ties. The zip ties had some rough edges that we made smooth using a kayak repair soldering iron. Do check out the series of posts! Q&A: DIY Wooden Trout Net...! #flyfishing Held a YouTube Q&A session to answer questions from Readers about the wooden trout net we are making. Intent was to build one that would be durable, did not tangle with fishing flies when landing a fish, and could be made cheaply without special tools... DIY Wooden Trout Net is coming along! #diy #woodentroutnet Net is coming al

No Welded Loop, No Problem When your fly line does not come with a welded loop, what options do you have to attach your leader to your fly line? Below are four methods we have tried; all will work but there is one in particular that we like. Do read on! Braided Loop The first method uses a braided loop - specifically, Rio Braided Loops. The Fly Line is inserted into one end of the Braided Loop. Super Glue is then applied to the connection, and then a plastic sleeve is slipped over the connection. Other brands use a heat shrink tube instead of the plastic sleeve, but the concept is the same. We have tried this method with several of our fly lines and have had no issues with exception of convenience. That is, more often than not we are either out of braided loops or forgot where we put them. The latter being the case for one particular Field Team Member who we will leave un-named. DIY Loop The next method calls for making your own fly line loop. There are different techniques to make a f

When Light and Easy is not So Light and Easy Several years ago when drought conditions resulted a number of park and boat ramp closures in the area, I decided to build a kayak cart that would allow me to roll my kayak on wheels instead of carrying it on my shoulders. My kayak is light and easy to carry from my compact pickup truck to the water's edge normally.  It is not so light or easy when the park gate is closed and the water's edge is much further away. Build It and You Will Fish After searching the internet for plans, I came across one plan that someone posted on their Blog (Palmetto Kayak Fishing) that looked simple to build. I searched further and found a YouTube video ( Homemade PVC Kayak Cart ) that was similar to the one described in the Blog. Moreover, it provided additional details that convinced me to go ahead and build one. My Kayak Cart The end result is posted in the video below. After cutting the PVC to length, it only took me about 30" to assemble it. I

Prototype Worked But... Work is work but still cannot help but think about fishing. This time, I thought about making a Whip Finish Tool that was just a tad bit larger than the one I bought from Cabela's. After a little brainstorming, I made a prototype using spring wire from little marker flags used for marking buried lines and cables before a contractor digs up the ground. Prototype worked but the diameter needed to be smaller. Let's Try Again! Next round, I decided to head to Hobby Lobby for ideas. In short order, I picked the parts listed below: .047" Music Wire 3/32" Brass Tube 4mm Round Copper Beads Super Glue Using pliers, diagonal cutters, and a vise grip, I cut and formed the Music Wire into a Whip Finish Tool using one I bought from Cabela's as a template.  The modification I made was to lengthen the gap of the tool. This allowed easier whip finishing larger flies that end "mid-body" like the Foam Grasshopper. Once the wire  was shaped and cut,

Bait Finesse Systems and the "BFS Bug" Bites! Bait Finesse Systems Fishing can be expensive. However, Bass Pro Shops Micro Lite Rod that sells for just under $25 makes getting started much easier on the pocketbook! My entry into BFS Fishing started with $70 with the purchase of a KastKing Zephyr BFS reel and a repurposed baitcasting rod gathering dust in the corner of my home office. Shimano BFS Reel I was then hit with the "BFS Bug" and purchased a Shimano Scorpion 17 BFS reel for $290, another KastKing Zephyr BFS reel (a newer model with a reel drag clicker) for $80, and a Bass Pro Shop Graphite Series rod for $38. Although I continued to repurpose rods I already owned, I ended up spending about $500 to satisfy the "BFS Bug" at least for now. Just One More Rod? Since my funds were running low, I planned to hold off on purchasing more gear. I was down to $75 remaining on the gift cards I received for Christmas; I had used them to buy two of the three BFS