Finding that perfect gift for a fisherman isn’t easy

As the holiday season rolls around, picking out a gift for someone who fishes can be a problem if you are not into fishing or if the person already has every conceivable piece of fishing tackle known to man. Well, I have an idea that may just help you out.

This will take a bit of shopping around, but once you get the three items together, you will have a unique gift that I don’t believe many fishermen possess.

Almost every fisherman has a pair of fishing pliers. They may be small if he or she only fishes freshwater, or they may be large if used to go after saltwater fish. In either case, these pliers will be carried in a sheath on their belt.

Anglers also need a rag to wipe their hands when they catch a fish, handle bait or get wet for any other reason. Finally, having a Boomerang tool will make it easy to trim lines when tying knots. My little idea puts all of these tools right by the fisherman’s side.

To start, you will need a carabiner from which all the other implements will hang. Next will come a canvas tarp clamp. Lowe’s has them in a four-pack by TekTon. Then you will need a Boomerang tool that you can find at Lewes Harbour Marina or other local tackle shops. And finally, a nice rag that once again you can find at your favorite tackle shop. I also have a cord that runs from the carabiner to my pliers in case I drop them overboard.

Once you have everything together, simply attach the Boomerang tool, the tarp clamp that will hold the rag and the cord for the pliers to the carabiner that snaps on a belt loop, and the angler will have everything he or she needs throughout the fishing day right at their side.

Another little idea that I don’t think I invented, but have never seen anyone else use, is a device that allows you to fill your tires while standing up. This became a necessity when my poor old knees gave out several years ago. I was carrying a beach chair around so I could sit down while I aired up after fishing the beach. My tires take 50 pounds and go down to 20 on the beach, so it does take a while to fill them back up.

I got the idea when my air compressor at home died and I was taking it apart before hauling it off to the scrap yard. I had this nice pressure gauge left over, and I thought if I attached it to an air hose with a valve on one end and a locking cap on the other with the gauge in the middle, I could fill my tires while standing. And that’s exactly what I did.

I took my gauge to the Napa store in Lewes and the nice man there fixed me up with all the parts I needed. I had them all together in no time and they have been working like a charm ever since. This would be a great gift for any surfcaster on your list. Even if you don’t have an air gauge laying around, you can put this together for less than $50.

If the fisherman on your list is like me, they will drop little hints as to what they want. Ads cut from fishing magazines are good ideas. Bringing up the gift idea during dinner, like, “I was in the tackle shop today and, boy, do they have a good price on Tsunami reels,” is always an excellent conversation starter.  Personally, I keep leaving photos of that 70 Spencer all around the house, but so far, I still have my 16-foot tin boat. Wife says Santa can’t get the Spencer down our chimney.

Fishing report

As you know, we have had some interesting weather, but when conditions are good, so is the fishing.

A few interesting catches include a 26.75-inch red drum caught by Tom Martone, who was fishing the Outer Wall with a green crab bait. Douglas Scott Barry Jr. caught a 5.49-pound black sea bass at Site 11 while fishing on the Surface Tension with Capt. Keith Beebe. Belinda Chen caught a 14.4-pound sheepshead at Site 10. Kyle Falgowski caught a 3.14-pound black sea bass. Jules and Bill Mister had seven tog, one short of their limit, at the Outer Wall.

The final standings for the Lewes Harbour Marina Tog Tournament are: First place: James Hill with his 7.84-pound tog; second place: Ron Keeler and his 6.75-pounder; and very close behind in third place: Ted Gorman and his 6.74-pound tog.