Techy Thursday - Line trays for hassle free line control

Wading the stunning flats of the Golden Bay this week it suddenly all came together for me. A kingie finning at 60 odd feet. The pickup, the cast landing perfectly 20' in his path. The strip and the growing bow wave. BANG! It was all on! The fish bolted, and confidently I thought 'I got this', however the smiles were short lived as my running line fouled on debris from the recent storms. Line pulls tight and it is bye bye fish...

Why use a line tray?

There are many benefits of using a line tray in both fresh, and saltwater fishing whether wading or boating it. Here are a couple of the more obvious:

1/ Your line tray keeps any loose line under control, tangle free from debris and swirling currents.

2/ No 'line stick' from the water as you try and shoot out that quick fire cast.

Where YOU can benefit from a line tray

Fishing river mouths / surf where line tangles around feet, debris and washes around itself. Keeping your line organised inside your tray also allows you to move quick when you see that swirl along the beach.

From boats / SUP's Very few boats are set up specifically for fly fishing and are likely to have line grabbing gremlins throughout the hull. Employing a line tray will keep your line free of such obstructions.

Running line in moving water. Every skagit angler knows the frustration of their running line matting to the water, a much needed long presentation impeded by 'stick'. Coiling line neatly in your line tray avoids this and results in fewer tangles.

Controlling sinking lines. Once you set your sinking running line on the water at your feet it will sink, resulting in a series of comical, windmill-like arm movements to lift it again with each false cast to get it back into the fish zone. A line tray keeps your sinking line free from the water and ready to shoot.

Scrubby, overgrown riverbanks or lake shores. Keep your running line free of long grass / bushes / rocks.

Flats fishing where weed / debris from storms, and the pull of the tide can foul your line.... hmm... enough said...

C&F Design CFA-310 Line Pallet

This line pallet is designed for anglers fishing rivers, lakes and saltwater. What sets it apart from most line trays, is that it consists of a flat pallet of floating foam with removable plastic cones to hold your line in place. It helps to avoid tangles and wear of the line by keeping it organised and ready to shoot, above ground or water.