Previously in regard to handline fishing I have waffled on about my various experiments with fishing rigs -- the irony being that handline fishing is supposedly about travelling lite.
My last few times out the creel I made up for carrying my wares -- and catches -- is proving a real drag on my shoulders.
After my last handline fishing expedition I scooted back from Nudgee Beach on my wee Mibo which has no carrying shelf or basket and the creel road very uncomfortably upon my person.
So after contemplating my problem, I decided that what I needed was a fishing vest upon which I could load my stuff rather than rely upon a bag I draped over my person. But bona fide fishing vests don't come cheap. The archetypal fly fisherman's costume is a wardrobe item for hanging fishing paraphenalia. If you want to keep your chest ware simple , thought I, maybe I could approach this creatively.
If you don't want all that opens and shuts (like the $80 Plano at right or hundreds of dollars more for more expensive vests) you can get the MTI Calcutta Kayak Fishing Unisex PFD --pictured above left -- (see descriptive video) for around the same price. As well as being a vest it is also a Type 3 PFD.
So with a mesh bag for my catch (I'm still experimenting with meshes and bags ) I'm now no longer burdened with carrying gear for the sake of it.
And when I do finally get a paddleski -- I'm already water safe with my already worn in PFD.
So unless I land something really big (huh!), getting to and from the water's edge on a scooter is going to be an easier business, and wading the sandbanks will no longer be a cause for sore shoulders.
Next time I'll show you how I rig up my new vest. (Mine's red).
