Bring Back the Hook Keeper!
- Thread starter ABITNF
- Start date
At least on the old Sage made rods the hook keeper is on the reel seat on both sides of the front slot for reel foot.
I think at first I was OK with it, but now I just find it annoying. Two Orvis, Two Echo, no hook keepers. I've been using the support to the stripping guide. Is that bad?
I've heard a lot of people complaining about them.
Honestly, why do people not like them? If you don't like it, don't use it? If you prefer to wrap your leader around your spool and up to the stripping guide, do that? I know there's a guy on another forum who's mission is to get them removed from all rods. I just don't get it
Honestly, why do people not like them? If you don't like it, don't use it? If you prefer to wrap your leader around your spool and up to the stripping guide, do that? I know there's a guy on another forum who's mission is to get them removed from all rods. I just don't get it
I've always found hookkeepers to be superfluous. With a 9' leader, using a hookkeeper means putting a 180 degree bend in the stiff butt section of my leader. I don't like to reel my leader inside the tip top, so I have always hooked my fly one guide up from the stripper so that the thin and supple part of my leader or tippet bends around the reel. If the hookkeeper is so important to you, why not add one yourself? It ain't rocket science.
This makes complete sense. I just generally didn't understand why people hated them so much. I have rods with and without and don't have a preference. But unconsciously always hated my leader being reeled inside my tip top. Maybe I'm not in the camp of hating hook keeps, ha!
For most of my fishing, I don't utilize the hook keeper (and I sure as heck don't on any of my Echo hook keeperless rods), similar to Mr. Sg (Hi, Steve), I wrap the leader around the reel and hook the fly to one of the guides. That works pretty well except for one old Orvis reel, it always eats my leader so I have to pop the spool off. Damn thing.
Yes! I do the same, and have to remember to go around the non-handle side of several reels (A Lamson seems to suck them in).
mooseknuckles
Distinguished Degenerate
Aftermarket artisans are hard at work rebranding.
Okay now I want one, especially that one! It will match the ring in my nose!
I don't see why a piece of bent wire to hold a hook gets peoples panties in a bunch. I tend to keep my rods rigged in the summer time. So I'm ready to get to it when I arrive at the Skinny water. That bend on the leader butt will work out after a few casts and getting wet. I just hook my hook to the keeper. It's just a simple thing to do in fly fishing.
wanderingrichard
Life of the Party
With Old Man and others on this; If you need to add one , Cabelas sells them, as well as Sportco/ Outdoor emporium. Totally a personal preference.
My Titan Rod Vault (now Thule Rod Vault) doesn't like hook keepers either. The hook keepers on all my rods are on the underside in line with the reel seat. As designed while stored in the rod vault, the weight of the rod and reel is carried by the hook keeper, until it fails. My solution has been to encompass the rods with a pool noodle prior to placing the rods into the vault.
The Winston and T&T rod builders must have wondered how in the hell is this guy tearing up the hook keeper so badly, when I've sent them in for other repairs. But, as always, they graciously repaired them without asking and sent them back without questions.
The Winston and T&T rod builders must have wondered how in the hell is this guy tearing up the hook keeper so badly, when I've sent them in for other repairs. But, as always, they graciously repaired them without asking and sent them back without questions.
I like hook keepers. All my rods have them and I use them. I don't understand why a piece of wire and some wraps is such a big deal, to manufacturers or people that don't use them.
Then again, I don't understand why anyone would use streamers. Might as well just cast lures on a gear rod. Some people are just broken, I guess.
Then again, I don't understand why anyone would use streamers. Might as well just cast lures on a gear rod. Some people are just broken, I guess.
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