Rod/Reel Lanyard

[Wednesday Caster]

I'm sure some of you are much more nimble than I am on the river but I was concerned about possibly losing gear if I slipped while wading. It would be very expensive to replace my steelhead rod and reel ($$$). Conversely, I have protected my wading sticks- any of 3 models: 1 made from a broom handle, another a polyeurathane-finished fallen branch, and lastly a commercial adjustable alluminum hiking stick, worth no more than $15 each (actually in total) by very securely attaching any one of them to my waistbelt with a lanyard.

To me a rod/reel lanyard seems like a good idea and I have previewed a design with BK and he mentioned "I don’t believe I have ever seen this before" but he did reference qualities it needed to be: effective, easy to use and clean looking. And for me the BIG question is will there be a demand for it. This is just a preliminary market research and I greatly value all of your opinions.

1. Do you use a rod/reel lanyard? Why or why not?
2. What is the price you would pay for an effective, easy to use and clean looking lanyard? A.$6-10....B.$11-15

[Darian]

I have an allergic reaction to anything that I have to tether to my body.... :( :( Personally, I wouldn't fiand a use for a lanyard of this nature. I'm having trouble adjusting to the idea that, since my knees are giving me a lecture for all of the good times I gave them, I may have to start using a wading staff.... :roll: :roll: I will not fall into late middle age easily.... :( :(

[Hairstacker]

I don't use a rod/reel lanyard either and wouldn't use one even if I got one as a gift. I've never come close to losing a rod/reel on the water and figure it would just be something else to get tangled in besides my fly line, ha.

[Wednesday Caster]

Darian,
My regular Wednesday fishing partner is 98 this year (I'll be 39) and he often imparts very wise knowledge to me during our fishing time together. However, I have shared a good one with him. Last year, I gave him a wading staff as a gift for his birthday- his first wading staff. He has repeatedly thanked me for this gift and often mentions that he wishes he would have used one in his younger years (at his age that amounts to a lot of younger years) because he passed up a lot of fishy runs that he did not want to risk wading (without a staff). His thankful response in itself is wise, no? Btw, if you do start to use one, don't make it out of broom stick handles, I find they are too bouyant and requires extra effort to push them down to bottom to steady your steps.
If this lanyard idea flies (no pun intended), you'll be getting one gratis. You can thank me when you're 98. :)

Quinn

[Wednesday Caster]

Mike,
Thanks for your input. The post below partly confirmed my idea for a lanyard as I have taken up refinishing a couple woodies from the past. However, his long lanyard design (like all the others on the market) is inherent to tangling. My design is much cleaner and not so obvious. So the only thing that will most likely get tangled around your hat will be your fly line :lol: . Thanks again.

bambooflyrod.com
Maker/Restorer Tip of the Week:
Last year I lost a very nice Heddon Black Beauty when I slipped and fell into a deep hole while wading. At the time getting my head above water and back to the shore was more important than saving the rod. I never did find it. Recently while watching television with my grand children I discovered a method to prevent the loss of a rod if I should fall again. All credit for this can go to the Canadian Mounted Police and the “lanyard” they use to prevent the loss of their sidearm. I drilled a small hole in the bottom of the handle and inserted a small eyebolt. I then attached a cord, made a loop to go over my opposite shoulder and under my casting arm, and then went fishing. It took a little getting used to, and it is important to use a slightly heavy cord so it hangs down out of the way when casting. I do not think I will lose another rod should I go swimming again. My son adopted my method and saved his very expensive rod when he went swimming. That it was a “plastic” rod is, I suppose, beside the point.

[Darian]

Hey Quinn, Thanks for the thought..... :D After re-thinking this one, I recall using as tether for several items while out in the Sea of Cortez in a kayak. I could've been out there without a paddle if it drifted off. :shock: :shock: The tether prevented that occurrance.... 8)

Actually, Mike could probably address this better than I.... 8)

[steve sullivan]

I'm sure some of you are much more nimble than I am on the river but I was concerned about possibly losing gear if I slipped while wading. It would be very expensive to replace my steelhead rod and reel ($$$). Conversely, I have protected my wading sticks- any of 3 models: 1 made from a broom handle, another a polyeurathane-finished fallen branch, and lastly a commercial adjustable alluminum hiking stick, worth no more than $15 each (actually in total) by very securely attaching any one of them to my waistbelt with a lanyard.

To me a rod/reel lanyard seems like a good idea and I have previewed a design with BK and he mentioned "I don’t believe I have ever seen this before" but he did reference qualities it needed to be: effective, easy to use and clean looking. And for me the BIG question is will there be a demand for it. This is just a preliminary market research and I greatly value all of your opinions.

1. Do you use a rod/reel lanyard? Why or why not?
2. What is the price you would pay for an effective, easy to use and clean looking lanyard? A.$6-10....B.$11-15

Hi, instead of worrying about price, IMHO you should be more worried about whether anyone would buy one? I am not even sure I would use one if I was given one for free! (no offense). I dont worry about loosing my rod and reel if I slip, but on two occassions I have been carried off by the current and loosing my rod and reel was very possible. While the lanyard would of prevented my loosing my rod, would it of increased the chance of loosing my life? When I did get carried off, my rod was usefull in keeping upright. If I had gotten into so much trouble that I had to drop my rod, would it not be something that could cause drowning?

I steelhead fish with a ross canyon and a winston boron 2x, loosing them would be VERY BAD. But even with that I wouldnt want to deal with the hassle, plus if I was in a bad enough situation that something could pry my rod out of my hand (except when I fall on dry ground I have trained myself to let go of the rod) I wonder if it would increase my risk of drowning?

[Wednesday Caster]

Steve,
You are very correct in priority, I wanted to see if there was first a demand and then pricing. I chose to add pricing because I did not really want to bring the same subject twice on the board. Figured y'all get tired of me asking.
A couple years ago when I first started fly fishing I obtained a video of Dave Whitlock teaching basics of FF. In it he spoke about falling and specifically using your rod as a way to help keep your body in control and upright as you cruise down stream. Instinctively, I think one would ditch the gear first but infact the gear maybe of great help. Now, should the rod cause eminent danger, I have included a quick release snap into the lanyard design. My purpose in the design is for the retention of gear and not tout the fact that this is somehow a life-saving device though it evidently can assist.
Unfortunately, I am not ready to share the design yet because as I mentioned even BK had not seen such a design and I know he's walked around a few FF shows in the couple of years he's been in this business of catching fish.
Demand is my first variable in deciding whether to proceed. Otherwise Darian and I may be the only person on the water with this INNOVATIVE piece of equipment. Of course, Darian will get to use it more often than I will because of his objection to a wading staff.
Thanks Steve for your valuable input.
Best, Quinn
PS I still have some feathers you sent me and how is that tape measurer holding up. Have you had a chance to max it out on a fish :) ?

[Wednesday Caster]

Please keep the comments coming!!! Tough to do
a statistical study with a population of 3!!!
Thanks.

[steve sullivan]

I currently cant find the tape measure you gave me. I miss it too, it is very cool! Put a pin on it to secure it to ones vest and I think you would have alot of buyers, depending on price of course. One of the companies I rep for has a zinger that instead of having a wire that zings out has a tape measure, which (sorry!) is a bit more innovative than your idea, but until I found out about it I thought your tape measure was the most innovative design for a chest tool!

If you could put a <sorry dont know what it is called, like a safety pin, the part that of a zinger that you pierce your vest with> on your tape measure, and make a profit retailing it for $1-2, I think it would be a viable product.

Your rod lanyard is also a innovative idea, and I hope their are more people that feel the opposite of what I feel, and that you sell a ton of them. It really does show true innovation, whether people would want one or not is a different story tho :(.

[Gregg]

As a younger fisherman I frequently do two things:

1.) put myself in precarious situations on the water
2.) pay attention to everything except for my fly/indicator

After reading the proposal for the lanyard, as well as the responses, I would actually be inclined to purchase one. I read the post by Wednsday Caster and immediatley flashed back to two scenarios where this item would have come in very handy.
The first was when Adam Grace and I were scaling a large group of rocks to access a hole on the American up past Auburn. I remember gripping my rod handle in my teeth while I dangled a few yards above a deep hole we were sure held big fish (which it did). I didn't want to dissasemble the rod, and I definitley feared dropping it into the pool below.
The second time I was lucky enough to drift the American with Keith Kaneko and Adam. We were just past the Sunrise bridge running through a section of somewhat dull-looking water, when my indicator submerged in an explosive take. Of course, I was looking the other way when my rod was ripped from my hand and started to go overboard. Lucky for me, Keith got a hand on it before it jumped overboard. Of course I felt dumb, but if Keith hadn't been so quick to save my gear, I'd be back at Kiene's shopping.
What I would like to see is a lanyard attached to my casting wrist. Something small, possible retractible to keep the lanyard taut. If it retailed for less that $15, I would buy one. Definitley post if you come up with something, Wednsday. Innovation is what keeps this industry exciting, and it would be a shame if people stopped trying to be creative. Good luck!

[BigBuddha]

I wouldn't use a lanyard, I would be too afraid it would get hung up on things and might even affect my fragile casting stroke. I did consider rigging my 10 year old son with one though when I took him float tubing. Like all 10 year olds his mind sometimes wanders. I didn't do it and was very pleasantly surprised to see him handle his equipment with great care while tubing.

[Wednesday Caster]

Gregg and Buddha,
Gregg, don't be surprised as you get older that your attention wanders farther- even whilst fishing.
Thank you both for your input. Gregg, the issue of it being tangled has been addressed in two ways. First, the lanyard is very short and does not dangle and tangle. Second, a quick release snapbuckle has been designed to get out of the eminent danger situations where/when the rod must be ditched.
Quinn