By Jeff Durniak
What’s your favorite fly fishing trinket? Mine might be my scissor/forceps tool, which works almost as hard as my fly rod. Most anglers enjoy its traditional uses like unhooking fish and crimping split shot on their leader, but the multi-tool has extra utility and exceptional healing powers, too!
First, check out the scissors. When my dry fly is riding too high to match drifting naturals (emergers and spinners), I give it a haircut or a shave. I can cut the Mayfly’s thorax hackles shorter to lower its profile. I can also “shave” the abdomen hackles on an Elk Hair Caddis to ride it in the film, like a spent bug, or just under the surface, like an emerging pupa. If Stoneflies are sailboating and I’m short on that pattern, I’ll craft one from a Caddis. By pushing down the elk hair to splay it and then trimming each side, I’ll create a long, narrow stonefly wing. I can also cut my tippet when I can’t find my nippers or it’s too dark for my aging eyes to find their narrow bite.
Second is the hook-eye cleaner, that small needle in the handle. Indeed, it punches through head lacquer well so you can thread your tippet through the tiny hook eye. But it also has medicinal value, as it cures a common ill among the majority of fly anglers: SSA. You know, Split Shot Aversion! SSA affects an abundance of fly flingers, forcing them up and into shallow, fishless drifts and eventual long faces.
Do not fear, the cure is here, as the tool is a great split shot REMOVER and keeps me fishing longer and better each trip! I can easily add and subtract shot from my line to work each pool more effectively. I grab the leader and turn the shot slit-up, then insert the needle point carefully into the closed slit. Once the slit opens slightly, the forceps or my fingernails can finish the pry job. I feel the freed tippet for nicks and, if none, I’m ready to fish slower or shallow water. In the winter, I often change from 2 to 5 size BB shot while indicator-drifting the Chattooga depths. During spring, I may change or remove tiny size 6 and 8 tin shot so the nymph dropper below my Stimulator drifts at fish-eye level, whether that’s at the surface or three feet below. During summer river bassin’, I’ll add and subtract a big #7 shot from a foot above my #4 black Woolly Bugger to swim it at the right depth. Unhooking a 1/0 Clouser from a striper is also easier with this device’s thicker handle and stronger jaws, when compared to flimsy trout tools.
Drape a scissor/forceps on your slingpack to stay in the water and into more fish this season. Stop in either of our two stores if we can help your “accessory adventure” and guide you toward more fish tails and tales. Good luck!
You can find Jeff Durniak at Unicoi Outfitters. Stop in or call the Helen shop at (706-878-3083) or our Clarkesville store on the square (706-754-0203) if we can help you further. After all, we are pretty darn good trouting caddies!