I bought a pair of these on amazon…and have found them useful so I thought I would share. For ten bucks…hell I have already made it back.
SE 8036TM-NEW-2 30" Telescopic Magnetic Pick-Up Tool
I bought this thing for the dreaded dropped fly that gets mixed in with leaves and dirt. Hahahahaha…Sometimes I get obsessed on finding them. I guess this is an extension of that…no pun intended.
I keep one in my shop where I tie and one in my tenkara sling with the rest of my gear. In the winter or cold water this is key. A lot of times I will break off a snag and see my fly drop into the water. In the winter, reaching down is often gonna result in a cold wet arm and discomfort for the rest of the outing.
I have already made use of it twice. Once retrieving a fly in the river, the other was on a pair of flyfishing forcepts that must have broken off of another anglers zinger. I thought for sure they would have been rusted but they must have been high grade stainless because they were in perfect condition. The water was actually about 3’ deep…no way to reach into it without dumping completely into the drink…hahahhaha. Score!
I have one also and it is worth its weight in gold. When tying I always manage to knock over the hooks that I will use to tie flies. I will skim the floor and pick up all the hooks. I found one with a handle missing
and I added a cork top and it works great. I attach it to the metal tying tray and it’s there when I need to clean up one of my mishaps. Great recommendation Gressak!!! I do like the ones you ordered and might get a backup.
hahahahahaha…yeah…that has never happened to me…hahahhhaha. Or have twenty freshly tied flies stacked up on a piece of paper or board and launch them into the air accidentally like a catapult… to have them land on the sawdust covered floor of my woodshop!!! Gressak then says a lot of naughty words…hahahahhaa.
I read this thread and thought to myself, “what a useful tool” then I found it deliver to my door for $13.
Before I purchase anything I run it through the “want or need” process. That’s when I decided not to buy one.
I just want it.
I don’t need a magnet at home or especially on stream for finding a dripped fly. I think in ten years I’ve dropped one or two. On my tying tray? Never.
But I’m the guy that has never broken a rod tip and carries only one rod.
Where do you stop?
Please don’t feel bad, that’s not my intention. It’s my choice. I get no satisfaction from little things like this. I get satisfaction from not making a bunch of little decisions and learning to do with what I have.
It’s not what you have, it’s what you do with what you have.
I think if I wanted a magnet, this one might get my attention?
I also have a similar extendable magnet I use to pick up hooks, get hooks out of the zip-lock bags they come in, and for picking up and controling tungsten beads while tying flies. They also make great gifts for fly tying friends and relatives.
