Hook Keepers

JoeE

JoeE

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Joined
Sep 12, 2006
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Hook Keepers: Anybody like them? I can not stand them never hooked a fly on one, i will use the reel seat ring if needed (never the cork). I never added one to any of the rods I made. I was asked if I could add one to a rod for someone and I said why. Joe E
 
If I was fishing a 12 foot rod with a 9 foot leader, one might come in handy on occasion…

However, I like them because it adds a finishing touch to a rod like a winding check or tipping on wraps, other superfluous adornments that serve no purpose other than to look nice. As a result, save for a few custom rods where I deferred to the style of builder, most of my rods have them.

Regardless, I almost never use them preferring to loop the line around the back of the reel foot and attach my fly to a guide in the upper 1/4 of the rod. That accomplishes a couple of things; first, more line is out past the tiptop so any first casts done after securing the fly, line & leader are easy to begin.

In addition, when I want to resume fishing, all I have to do is unwrap the line from around the reel and let it drop, hold my rod horizontal to the water and lightly tap the rod blank in front of the grip with the palm of my hand once or twice. That “bump” and the resulting "jiggle" of the upper rod blank dislodges the fly so it drops from the upper guide and I’m ready to begin false casting.

Finally, when you have the line, leader & fly secured in this manner, you can wrap the belly of line around the rod a few times and "hook" it over a guide or two. That helps to keep from snagging loose line and leader on brush as you walk through the woods.

None of these tricks work if you just hook your fly in a hook keeper.
 
I used to dislike wrapping in general but now I don't mind so a strap and ring style is nice. I like all one wrap, which is a bit tricky, rather than a separate wrap for each leg. I don't like winding checks.

But as you know, the customer is always right.
 
I love hook keeper, have them on my fly rods, and surf rods.
 
I never use a hook keeper on any of my fly rods that have them since my leader is nearly always longer than the rod. As mentioned above, I too wrap the leader around my reel and hook my fly on a guide.
 
afishinado wrote:
I never use a hook keeper on any of my fly rods that have them since my leader is nearly always longer than the rod. As mentioned above, I too wrap the leader around my reel and hook my fly on a guide.

I do that most of the time, but if I'm hiking to the next spot through multiflora rose, the briers have a tendency to snag the leader and pull the loop off the reel. In those cases, a hook keeper is handy.
 
Not sure I would want a rod without one.
 
I'd prefer no but I use them if they are on a rod.

I use a nail knot to connect my fly line to leader and can false cast it through my guides without an issue. In other words it's not necessary for me to have the fly line beyond the tip top before I stay casting. That's the main reason I cut all loops on fly line and use no looped connections on almost all of my rigs.
 
moon1284 wrote:
I'd prefer no but I use them if they are on a rod.

I use a nail knot to connect my fly line to leader and can false cast it through my guides without an issue. In other words it's not necessary for me to have the fly line beyond the tip top before I stay casting. That's the main reason I cut all loops on fly line and use no looped connections on almost all of my rigs.


True about the benefit of a smooth connection of fly line to leader, but folding over your leader rather than fly line at the tip top often results in a kink in your leader....ymmv though.
 
afishinado wrote:
moon1284 wrote:
I'd prefer no but I use them if they are on a rod.

I use a nail knot to connect my fly line to leader and can false cast it through my guides without an issue. In other words it's not necessary for me to have the fly line beyond the tip top before I stay casting. That's the main reason I cut all loops on fly line and use no looped connections on almost all of my rigs.


True about the benefit of a smooth connection of fly line to leader, but folding over your leader rather than fly line at the tip top often results in a kink in your leader....ymmv though.
To that I'll add...

The biggest problem I have when using a hook keeper and NOT wrapping my line around the reel as described (to have line out past the tip top), is having the weight of the line at the reel end pull my leader and fly almost completely out of the guides.

A particular pain in the *** when using a long rod.

When there is line out past the tip top, as few sideways shakes feeds more line out and I'm good to go for that first backcast or a forward flip.
 
It's not hard to keep the fly line from pulling your fly back through your guides, especially without the heavy loop to loop connection. All you have to do is keep your rod parallel with the water and make your first couple of shakes sidearm.

I dont have a big problem with kinked leaders. I tie all of my leaders so they are knotted maybe that's why I never notice any kinks, I'm sure they are there.

I'm not going to say I'd beat anyone in a quick draw the way I do it, but I also can't say I'm in many situations where I need to cast a rod that has the fly on a guide or in a hook keeper as fast as possible.
 
moon1284 wrote:
It's not hard to keep the fly line from pulling your fly back through your guides, especially without the heavy loop to loop connection. All you have to do is keep your rod parallel with the water...
Sometimes and at some places, easier said than done.
 
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