One of the joys of posting articles on Survivaltek is receiving feed-back from readers. After I posted “Hobo Fishing With A Soda Can” a reader commented on a rig that they had used. It was a 3/4″ PVC pipe, 7″ long with removable caps. This created a combination spool/container fishing tool. I decided to try it out for myself.

The advantages of this fishing device is that it stores easily in small spaces like your car’s glove compartment or in your Go-Bag/BOB. It will hold your fishing line, hook, sinker, lures and small float. The line can be stored by wrapping it on the outside with the rigging tucked inside, or you can wrap the line around your fingers to gather it for placing inside the tube as well. Additional fishing gear or perhaps survival kit items can be placed in a plastic bag and tucked inside the tube for easy retreival.

To anchor the end of the fishing line, I cut an 1/8″ deep slot across the open end of the tube then tied a slip knot at the end of the fishing line and fed it up through the inside of the tube from the opposite end. Once the line poked through to the slotted end I placed the loop into the slots and over one half of the tube while cinching up the knot and then capped it, thus securing the line in place.

The disadvantages of the tube is that the small diameter requires more winds than with a soda can for the same length of line to be retrieved. It’s a little more difficult to cast compared to a larger can, and whereas I use a thumb to release the line with a can, I use my fore-finger with the tube. Some times it’s just easier to sling the line by hand for casting.

Yes, it’s nice to have high-end equipment, but sometimes there is joy in simplicity. I keep a hand-spool fishing kit in each car, ready for an unexpected opportunity that crosses my path.