“Gadgets”
[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ust like a fly shop, we get hundreds of feeds and emails a week relating to new, old and better products. Too, being prone to wondering through fly shops, tackle stores and attending outdoor shows of any kind, in any weather, we trip over “stuff” that we like, buy, try, and many times share.
And, yes, we get freebies to review. Some just show up at the door. However, if what we get isn’t worth sharing, we don’t. Nor do we say anything derogatory about that fly rod, reel, polarized glasses, shirt, pants, shoes or “gadget” that does not perform well or, at least, as advertised. The exception being ‘Whacko Bird’ politicians threatening to disembowel a trout stream or help a company plunder ocean fish stocks, and of course, anti-environment policies.
Frugal works here at Fly Life Magazine
With budget considerations we generally buy inexpensive “things.” Additionally, the gadgets that we like and use, generally, can be stuffed into our pockets, handily retrieved and used to do things better than by hand: measure the unmeasurable, tying tools or make a simple additives that makes things like knot connections slide through guides without molesting them or the knot.
THE GADGETS
Dennison Leader Vise
Although there are a few blood knot tying tools around, we like the Dennison Leader Vise best. It’s small and sturdily built.
Although it comes with instructions, you’re not going to need them if you already know how to tie a blood knot – it’s very obvious.
Dissimilar diameters are problematic for blood knots, but with the Dennison Leader Vise tool you can, generally, just double the line of the smaller diameter and you’re good to go.
I used to like tying my own knots and enjoyed my dexterity at it, but arthritis visited and stayed.
Tippet Rings
Tippet rings are small rings made from nickel alloy (2.25 mm and 3 mm). They’re tied at the terminal end of your leader, and the tippet ring then becomes the connection between the tippet and leader. Their intended use was also for trout fishers as a dropper or swinging fly combos at ‘steelies’.
They’re advertised as only for fresh water use, but I’ve had no side effects in the salt, yet.
Advantages: Faster tippet changes, longer leader life (much longer – like a year), fast and easy system to change the size of the tippet, introduce significantly different diameters, create a dropper or tandem fly and keeps indicator in one spot, in the tippet ring.
The argument of causing hinged casts should be disregarded. It casts as well as line to line knot connected, use a little floatant on the ring and any drag issue is dispatched, and the strength issue? fughgetaboutit. Try 20- to 25-pounds, which is big game territory.
Tippet rings have a place with any leader type: machine extruded leaders (mono or Fluorocarbon), furled leaders or hand tied (mono or Fluorocarbon).
It’s a good idea to cut back the leader about 18- to 24-inches before adding the tippet ring to which you tie the new tippet section.
The Mike-Rite Leader Gage
This handy tool, built by Ned Grey, measures leader diameters to an accuracy of one ten thousands of and inch. Starting at 2-pound
(.007) all the way to 60-pound (.031″).
For folks that rig according to the International Game Fish Association, it’s a must tool – eliminating the guess work involving leader diameters.
It’s also a great aid to those who want more than superficial knowledge concerning their leader construction and want consistency.
[information]
Your local fly shop will have the Dennison Leader Vise, Tippet Rings and Mike-Rite Leader Gage.
[/information]
