A couple of gadgets that caught my eye

I'm always on the lookout for things that make my life easier. These two fit the bill.

Karmik Outdoors lost and found decals

I like to think I’m pretty good at keeping track of my gear. I have check lists I use and mental routines I do to help me. Unfortunately, experience has taught me hard, annoying, and expensive lessons that sometimes sometime my gear “goes adrift”.¹ as we said in the Navy. Over the years, when my gear goes adrift for whatever reason, I’ve never expected to see it again. I’ve been proven wrong exactly one time. When I came across Karmik decals, I bought some hoping the next time my gear goes walk about, my chances of getting it back would be improved.²

It works like this. You register a decal then slap it on your gear. Each decal has a QR code the finder can scan. You’ll get an email letting you know your gear has been found. You can work out the return with the finder. Karmik offers an incentive to return the gear and you can sweeten the deal.

Image: Karmik Outdoors

I hope I don’t need to test the system, but 20 bucks is a reasonable investment to up my odds.

Fly Banjo

Keeping dry flies floating is an ongoing effort, so anything that aids that endeavor is welcome. Years ago, someone showed me the rubber band trick³ for drying my flies. I like it, but the rubber bands deteriorate quickly, and I forget to replace them.

The Fly Banjo works the same way. Instead of a cheap rubber band, it’s a burly UV-resistant, silicone strand with a loop at either end. Attach it to your vest, pack, waders or whatever, slip your dry in the end loop, pull tension and pluck the fly dry.

Illustration: Banjo Angling Co.

I twang my dry a couple of time and use about half as much powered desiccant as I used to. It works like a charm. At two for 10 bucks, they are less than a container of floatant.

1. The complete saying is “gear adrift is a gift.”

2. Karmik boasts a 78% return rate which, if even at half that, vastly improves my current return rate.

3. Hook a dry fly to a rubber band, pull tension and give the band a couple of flicks.