C&F Design Line Pallet
Enter the line pallet available in 2 sizes, 19” x 12” with 12 cones and a larger 23” x 17” version with 16 cones. It is effectively a tray which will catch your line, before it hits an obstruction; meanwhile the smooth tapered cones store the coils neatly ready for recasting. I can honestly say that during my recent jaunt to the Emerald Isle that I experienced virtually no tangles. Tangles I can handle in small doses!
The C&F Design Line Pallet is ideal for wading
What really gets me are those annoying little rocks (often sharp!) which not only ruin fly lines but generally decide to trap the running line just as it disappears through the rod rings towards a shoal of decent Bass smashing Sandeel! When I was using the CF Design Line pallet this just did not happen. Within moments of hooking a Bass the line was back on the reel and I was in control. If while attached to a decent fish you have ever tried freeing a line caught by a rock or desperately attempted to remove weed as it drags line down tide then you will understand how important some kind of line tray is!
The C&F Design Line Pallet in Action (Picture by Henry Gilbey)
For years I used the “washing up bowl style” and they do work. Whether homemade from your local DIY store or one of the not inexpensive commercially available versions there is no doubting that they are better than nothing. As for the mesh sort, well I would rather do battle with the rocks. However the bowl style baskets have several major drawbacks. At best they are cumbersome which is not ideal for the nomadic approach to fishing, at worst when moving over rocky ground they can become dangerous. On more than one occasion I have caught my breath as the “bowl” got trapped between my body and a ledge leading to that horrible unbalanced feeling. In deep water this style of stripping basket can also become weighed down by liquid, dangerous and uncomfortable.
The advent of the new C&F design pallet has solved many of these problems. It is so lightweight that it can be strapped to a wading belt and you would hardly know it was there. When travelling a considerable distance the smaller version will pack away in a rucksack quite happily; much safer when covering dangerous territory. Alternatively these pallets can be connected to one’s self ready for a substantial yomp by linking the straps to a D ring or something similar. Either way it is far safer than conventional line trays.
It is even handy for storing a rod while releasing a fish! (Picture by Henry Gilbey)
This is also the case when wading. Two straps attach the tray to a wading belt ready for action, which can be quickly released if required, while a leg strap maintains the pallet in exactly the right location. But this is where it gets clever (yet simple) because when wading in deep water the leg strap can be removed leaving a floating line platform! While in Ireland I was wading out well above my waist and able to manage my line very effectively, even when the water was choppy.
The kidney shaped design moulds perfectly to a leg or waist and be in no doubt that this tray could be just as useful when fishing freshwater. In fact stick a bit of Velcro on the back and I reckon it could even be used in a boat! If I had to make a criticism I found that occasionally the cones dropped out, spares are available and I feel sure that the pallet would work even if some were lost. Personally I glued them into place! I am sure that many would argue that this product is expensive, but so is a fly line and it only takes one nick from a rock to ruin both a fly line and a days fishing. Overall a fantastic product that I look forward to using on my next saltwater fly fishing adventure.
The C&F Design Line Pallet is available in 2 sizes. 19″ x 12″ with 12 cones (£50) and 23″ x 17″ with 16 cones (£60). Click Here for further information
