A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS Craig Rist shares a few of his favourite things when fishing the remote lakes and rivers in Tasmania.
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ike most of you reading this, we all learn from trying new things. Sometimes they work for us and sometimes they don’t. Over the years there have been many new products that have become available to make a remote fishing experience even more enjoyable. So here are a few things that really work for me. To keep the weight down I only pack what I really need. I only take one or two small fly boxes that contain flies suited for the time of year I am fishing. One of these boxes is often carried on a neck lanyard or in my wading jacket or trouser pocket. With that goes some fly floatant, two or three spools of tippet, line snips, hook sharpener and fly removing tool. The simplest accessories can make all the difference. Like the elastic line tamers that stop spools of tippets from unwinding in your pocket or hanging from a lanyard. I usually use the Sharktooth brand that is both line cutter and line keeper. But Mike Stevens put me onto the idea of the DIY stubby holder line tamer. These are very easy to make, simply cut neoprene rings from an unwanted stubby holder to fit the width of the spool and there you have it, so simple it works. The best hook sharpener I own is actually made for sharpening Router bits. These are a diamond stone and are perfect for sharpening hooks when a hook point gets rolled or blunt from rocks or teeth. The one I am using now actually came out of a Router Bit kit. I also Fishing News - Page 38
My DIY hook remover and hook file. use the EZE-LAP DIAMOND Hone and Stone that can be easily cut down to make it small enough to hang off my lanyard or pliers. I never go fishing without one because a sharp hook always catches more fish. My DIY hook remover is for removing flies that have been hooked too deep to remove with my fingers. It’s a tool I made myself from 1.6mm stainless steel plate. It’s no longer than a pen and has a small slot cut into one end to slip onto the inside of the hook. The hook can then be pushed out of the fish while holding onto the line to keep the hook straight. The great thing about a tool like this is that it only makes contact with the bend of the fly hook, so it never damages my flies. Pliers on the other hand can destroy flies if the pliers are too big for the fly. I also like to keep cooking gear as light as possible. For me the Jetboil is the only way to go. It’s light, simple and compact and is really all I need to take other than a spoon, fork, collapsible cup and bowl.
A Jetboil is a light, simple and compact. Most of my cooking is done with boiling water, noodles for dinner and porridge for breakfast. Soup, coffee or tea for hot drinks and if I really want to spoil myself I will carry in a Jet Boil fry pan to fry up some eggs or sausages. Throw in a few lightweight snacks to keep me going between meals and I’m happy.
Photography and Nets The other reason I like to keep things as light as possible is I also enjoy photography when I go fishing and that soon adds a few kilos to your pack.
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