Streamside Tools & Accessories

Fly fishing is a gadget-rich sport and if you love fly fishing like we do, nothing is more fun than a new gadget or two on your next day of fishing. Under our Streamside Tools and Accessories, we feature fly fishing products which will make your day on the water more effective, efficient, and fun. A few of the products included in this category on our website include the following groups of products:

Hook Sharpeners or Hook Files – Especially when fishing larger flies for larger fish, sharpening your hooks is necessary. Swinging flies for steelhead or salmon when hooks are often in contact with rocks on the stream bottom is a good example of when hook files are very important. Over the course of a day, hooks get dulled and a few seconds with a hook file can mean the difference between the fish of the year and another “one that got away” story. Another good example is bonefishing around coral. A good hook file pays for itself in a couple of uses compared to throwing flies away due to dull hooks.

Finger Stripping Guards – These little Lycra strips that go over your stripping finger not only protect your finger from line burns, they also increase the angler’s sensitivity to subtle takes by decreasing the friction of the line going through your stripping finger. Many anglers won’t fish without them when fly fishing for bonefish or stripping streamers for trout in a lake or river. I’m one of those anglers, plus I also find them very valuable for fishing deep sinking lines for bass where just a subtle bump on the line could be big ol’ Mr. Bucketmouth sucking in the fly.

Fly Patches – Putting wet flies directly back into their fly box can lead to corrosion issues and destroy those valuable flies. Plus, who wants to take the time when the fishing is good? Attach a foam fly patch to your waders, jacket, pack, vest, or whatever. Put those used flies on the patch and put them away dry at the end of the day.

Stripping Baskets – We carry just one stripping basket because there is nothing better in our opinion! Stripping baskets are commonly used by anglers fishing saltwater beaches where it is frustrating having your line carried all over the place by the waves in the surf. Increase your casting distance and decrease your frustration with a stripping basket. A good stripping basket should be lightweight and have something in the bottom to keep line from moving around and causing tangles on your next cast.

Tippet Holders – Tippet holders keep your spools of tippet organized and quick to access. There are numerous varieties, but most trout stream anglers have a tippet holder hanging off a pack, vest or in their boat to quickly change or add tippet without rummaging around having to look for it.

Measuring Tape – We all have a fishing buddy that needs one of these! “No, Frank. That was not a 24-inch rainbow. It was 18-inches… tops!”. Next Christmas, you know what to get Frank for a gift. A lightweight, non-corrosive measuring tape is a great item to keep in your pack for catch and release fisheries like those common to steelhead, trout, bonefish, etc.

Net Lanyards and Retractors – Lanyards or retractors can be attached to things like nets or wading staffs to keep them at your side at all times. They can also be handy for other tools too large to put on a zinger. Lanyards or retractors are great for attaching to a float tube or pontoon boat in lakes or rivers for keeping your net from drifting off while you’re distracted with photos of that monster fish.

Fish Release Tools – Releasing fish quickly and with minimal harm is an important topic for most fly anglers. Fish releasing tools can often allow the angler to release fish without even touching the fish. These tools are especially handy in fishing situations where you may catch 15 small fish between hookups with larger fish that are worthy of bringing out the net. The release tools, with a little practice, can pop off those smaller fish with a flick of the wrist.

Thermometers – Especially for lake anglers, steelhead anglers, and bass anglers, a thermometer may be one of your most valuable tools. Taking regular temperature readings can unlock secrets to fish behavior and location. If you’ve ever located an area of a lake where an underwater spring is releasing water, you know how important water temperature can be to finding fish during temperature extreme times of the year like mid-winter and late summer.

Other Streamside Accessories – Other streamside tools and accessories included in this category include water bottles, waterproof cel phone holders, magnetic rod holders, leader straighteners, and more.