[Fly2Fish]

Originally Posted by racine

I've fallen twice in so many years. Once by Cheesman Canyon in Colorado in knee deep cold and fast water while wading and lost my 4 wt rod and reel. . . . The second time was in the Wallowas near Bend, Or. again in about thigh deep water but big rocks on the river. I had a wading staff but fell and lost it never to be seen again. . . .

Racine, not sure whether in your second fall you lost your wading staff or your rod (or both). If it was your wading staff, Orvis sells a Magnetic Wading Staff Retriever (image below) which works very well. Its big advantage to me is that the magnetic connection keeps the staff floating right next to me for instant use while staying out of the way when casting (of course, when not in use, the wading staff can be kept folded in its holster). Like much Orvis, it's expensive, but not so when they have a coupon sale.

As to losing fly rods, after having now used it a number of times, let me recommend again the Waterman Beener Net Retriever which I posted earlier in this thread, along with image. Its big advantage over a simple cord-tethering system is that you let only as much tethering line out as you need in a given situation, limiting "tangle" situations. And with the cable tie/velcro rod attachment I cobbled up, it's pretty easy to disengage when preferred, without a lot of cord lying around to get in the way. While sold as a net retractor, it's compact enough to easily fit on a waist belt or lower vest attachment point without getting in the way.

Hope this helps . . .

[racine]

Fly2fish, thanks for your suggestions. As always I'm open to a better mouse trap. I lost my staff only while wading on a river in the Wallowas. It did not have a leash. I've learned to add a leash to my new staff which lives attached magnetically to the D ring on my back.

[Fly2Fish]

Racine, I should have added that Cabela's has a Rod Leash which is (in my opinion, deservedly) inexpensive. As you can see from the image below, they market it for fly rods, but as my earlier review of it which opened this thread says, I didn't think it worked well at all on a fly rod, so returned mine (& wrote a review on Cabela's site panning it). Frankly, I think from its packaging (which isn't shown in the image) that it's really more intended for use on boats, docks, or float tubes than for wading, but in any case I found it very cumbersome and distracting to use on a fly rod.

[racine]

Fly2fish, I agree with your comments. I think we carry enough junk as it is. I didn't want a leash on my wading staff but I really missed it after losing it. I have short leashes on my fly boxes as well as losing those on a stream which I've done a couple of times in cold weather is a pain. I try to KISS and one day I'll get good enough I'll show up on my favorite stream with one small box, forceps, some water, a cigar and tippet. I think maybe a detachable wrist leash might be a consideration on some fast water?