Taking some heat off hungNtree

[Joe Hyde]

Poor hungNtree -- he innocently wades in asking for advice and gets attacked by piranhas.

Let's see if I can create a diversion that spares him a few toothy nips.

This last summer while living in Boise, I went into the REI store and bought a shirt. On the left chest of the shirt, above the pocket, there is a 2-inch tab of material that's stitched down on one end with the other end connected by a tiny Velcro tab.

I've always assumed this tab is intended for holding a fly rod (or other fishing rod) in place against your chest, freeing both your arms and hands to better deal with knotting a fly onto your tippet, or whatever.

But I'm not sure. Thing is, I've never seen a photo anywhere that shows a fisherman using the tab for this purpose. And I've never read anything anywhere that explains the use of this little cloth tab.

Had I been able to attend the Idaho Fish-In this summer I would have asked Castwell about this during the basic-info Superman lectures he gives outside the Rumpus Room. Or maybe DanBob, or Ken or Bob first.

Well, that's it. I'm at y'all's mercy. Could anyone please enlighten me on the function of this little cloth tab on my shirt?

(hungNtree, hurry up and stagger out of the river and seek medical attention before they bite into a major artery and you bleed out.)


Joe
"Better small than not at all."

[bassman]

Joe when I bought my first vest about 45 years ago It had that tab and a loop at the bottom of the vest on the oposit side on the picture that was on the price tag. It showed a gentleman with the butt of his fly rod in the loop and the tab holding the rod blank a litttle higher up. John

[Joe Hyde]

Whew! Thanks, Bassman; I got off easier than expected!

I guess the little shirt tab is something you can, or can't, use for holding the rod blank depending on your attire at the time? For instance, you can't use the tab if you're wearing a vest over your shirt, you can't use it if you're wearing chest waders, etc.

If you're wearing the shirt tucked into your pants and don't have on a vest or chest waders, I guess you either set the rod butt on the ground, place it in your left front pants pocket, or hold the rod butt with your belt, or simply hang it on the waistband of the pants.

I wonder how many fly fishers actually use this little tab? Again, I've never seen anybody use it for anything, anywhere, ever. Maybe it's become merely a "style thing" that shirt makers put on to attract us fishing bums. Sort of like those shirts and pants you see that have 25 pockets sewn on them -- only two or three of which you're destined to use.


Joe

[jeffnles1]

Joe,
I've used said velcro strap and loop system on my vest a few times. It does really come in handy to hold the rod while you're fiddling with tying on tippet or fishing around in your 23rd pocket looking for the fly box that you really know is in there somewhere and you are getting frustrated because the other 16 fly boxes you pulled out of your pockets didn't contain the fly you were looking for.

Of course, a sophsticated and highly intelligent man like you wouldn't have 16 flyboxes all containing a mix of various flies with absolutely no resemblence of order.

Therefore, the strip is most likely useless for you. But for me, it does come in handy about 2 times a summer.

Jeff

[herefishy]

Wow! A revelation! I always need an extra hand when I'm landing a big fish, and now I've found it. Now I'll have to spend the whole fishing season trying to use it.

[ducksterman]

Real men put their rod between their teeth.

[Joe Hyde]

Jeff,


I hear ya. Mass confusion is why I stopped carrying three small fly boxes in my fanny pack. Never could grab the right one with the pressure on! Now I take afield just one fly box; it's about the size of a pack of cigarettes.

My other thousand or so flies stay at home. They're in a cardboard box right now, whining to come off the bench and get in the game.


Joe

[J Castwell]

Will one of you, the next time you accidentally land a fish you are going to 'snuff' please take a picture of the fish, you and your rod 'so entangled' in said tab/loop for inclusion in our 'Bizarre if not possibly true' section.

[Joe Hyde]

Ducksterman,


And here I thought the "teeth grip" rod-holding method was restricted to Fish Porn photo ops! Learn something new every day in this BB.


Joe

[comanche]

try fishing in the middle of the winter like i do-i use the bottom loop for bottom of rod & top velcro for 2cnd. section too prevent reel from being in snow bank or from being in 32degree ice water when changing fly or tippet or relieving my self in woods-no where to set rod-comes in quite handy??