Fly Fisherman's EDC

Here's my fly fishing set up, which includes an A.G. Russell One-Handed Knife from around 1990.


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You won't go wrong with something like TAH has. That's a perfect little package. You'll use the nips the most, followed by the hemostats. I clip the hemo's and nips to a retractable key ring. Bonus- You can use the hemo's for taking out flies from your skin too! I only go barbless now........had an "accident" with a fly and my nose a few years into my fly fishing experience. Went to barbless after that and didn't really notice a difference in hook up rates. Only hooked myself once after that!! Lol.
 
I usually carry a nail clipper on a lanyard -- handy for clipping leader after tying on fly. Or a SAK scissors would do, too.
 
Nail clippers and needle-nosed pliers are your best friends for fishing. Overall it's a good idea to have a knife on you, but as someone said here before, unless you intend to cut bait (which doesn't quite apply to fly fishing) or clean the fish right there, you probably won't end up using anything but the nail clippers and pliers. Can use the pliers to dislodge hooks, attach split shot to a line, bend hooks back into shape, etc.
 
TAH said:
Here's my fly fishing set up, which includes an A.G. Russell One-Handed Knife from around 1990.


IMG_3992_zps15577a4e.jpg


IMG_3999_zpsa1a80acd.jpg
Click to expand...


That seems like a great load out! Thanks for sharing!

sanguip said:
You won't go wrong with something like TAH has. That's a perfect little package. You'll use the nips the most, followed by the hemostats. I clip the hemo's and nips to a retractable key ring. Bonus- You can use the hemo's for taking out flies from your skin too! I only go barbless now........had an "accident" with a fly and my nose a few years into my fly fishing experience. Went to barbless after that and didn't really notice a difference in hook up rates. Only hooked myself once after that!! Lol.
Click to expand...

Actually, our guide had my dad and I crimp our barbs down before we started fishing. I landed four fish that were all around 18" that afternoon. I didn't really think I was missing out by not having barbs either!
 
I fish in Alaska, so my needs may be different than Lower 48 fly fisherman - I don't think so though. I carry two primary cutting tools: 1) Stainless combo scissor/pliers on a retractable lanyard, and 2) a four to six inch stainless fixed blade nested in a kydex sheath on my wading belt. The scissor/plier combo works great for cutting line, crimping split shot, hook removal, trimming yarn or feathers, etc, while the knife comes in handy for filleting fish (if you are not practicing hook and release), cutting rope or heavy line (try that with a nail clipper), slicing cheese or sausage while taking a break on the bank, or in a pinch processing kindling and fire sticks for that warming fire after you go in over your waders. I also carry a Leatherman multi-tool on my wading belt. Although I almost never use the blade in it, the pliers often work better at removing stubborn hooks, and the screwdrivers and awl can save your day if you need to fix a reel or work on an ill-tempered outboard, replace a prop, or some other relatively important piece of equipment. I like the file in mine for touching up hooks. In practice, I have never had many rust problems around fresh water. Salt water is something different though. The Spyderco Salt series is good for that. My go to wading knife is a custom Gene Ingram in S30V. I wipe it down after a day on the river and it has never shown a bit of rust.
 
I tried the forceps and just couldn't favor them over a needle nosed pliers. I just don't like sticking my fingers inside the holes and you get just as much control with a needle nosed pliers. Find a pliers with a hole in the handle to put a lanyard on it. They tend to get lost sometimes loose in a vest pocket. If you are catching trout, I use the pliers a lot so I can quickly release the fish more or less unharmed.

Regardless, you'll try both approaches. I did.
 
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