hook keeper's are totally unnecesary. as such my advice is don't even bother with them.Originally Posted by Lotech
result is a much tidier butt wrap. again of course that's just my opinion.
hook keeper's are totally unnecesary. as such my advice is don't even bother with them.
result is a much tidier butt wrap. again of course that's just my opinion.
Dont want to get into the validity of a hook keeper here, but they are a nice convenience when moving from spot to spot with a fly tied on your line. Also you'll notice, and have probably read about the habit of the ol' timers sticking the hooked fly in their cork grip which attributes to a lot of the chewed up grips on older rods.........With that said ....it becomes just a matter of personal preference I guess.
Last edited by ET custom flyrods; 04-13-2009 at 03:36 AM.
Before I built the Elkhorn, I went up to the Trout Hunter shop in Island Park ID to look at their selection of ( high end ) bamboo rods. They had ten or twelve bamboo rods that ranged in price, as I best recall, from about $1200 to $1800.
Only ONE of those rods had a hook keeper. Made me wonder if hook keepers are a glass and graphite tradition rather than a bamboo thing ??
John
The fish are always right.
I think the hook keeper is a personal preference thing. I quit using them a long time ago for the following reasons.
1. If you put the fly in the keeper and wind the line up snug, the line/leader knot ends up inside the guides and it can hang up when you pull the line out again.
2. You can put a crimp in your leader where it passes over the tip top.
3. I got tired of pricking myself on the fly when I picked up the rod wrong.
Now I just loop the leader around the reel spool once and hook the fly into the stripper guide frame. Problems solved.
Shaky;
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Man..I sure dont want to Hi-jack this post and I hope ya dont mind these comments LO.
All good points about hook keepers .ya and na. I like Shaky's idea , and would never of thought of doing that. John........I'll take issue with so called high end rod's without a keeper. I have always taken issue with them. For $2000. rods for the most part dont even come close to traditional, with the exception of their being bamboo.
I'm done........sorry Lo..............build it your way!
No Sweat about the Hi Jack Smern, not a problem.
I know how to use a rod without hook keepers so that's not a problem with me. I can use them or not use them. The only reason I want a hook keeper is because I think they are a traditional addition to a traditional rod. All the older boo sticks I ever looked at had hook keepers. They aren't needed, they are just a cool characteristic. Like fender skirts on a '57 Chevy. Like you say; it's only a matter of personal preference.
Finally got the black guides and tip top. And, hook keeper. Found them at Cabela's of all places. Next I'll be working on guide placement and wrap colors. I'm still leaning toward tan wraps and chestnut tipping. Final decision is still pending however.
Preference
Hook keepers are a matter of preference -- I like 'em.
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