Is it appropriate to put hand tied fly fishing flies in a cache?

[+wmpastor]

Odd. I've never had this problem with the fishing hooks I have bouncing around in the back of my car, or in the bottom of my tackle box. In addition, I mentioned a cork, and a baggie. I'm hard pressed to believe that a cache container is more capable of removing a hook protection than the tackle boxes and fly boxes I toss around my car, garage, and shorelines with regularity.

I final remark and I hope I'm through with this topic.

 

I believe you missed my point, so I'll try to be clearer. It's not that I think a cache container is capable of removing a hook protector. It's that people remove hook protectors.

 

Why would anyone take a cork protector off a hook, then leave the hook in a cache? I don't see that as a problem, might happen, but would be so rare as to negate the argument.

 

NanCycle has seen it twice (post 37). I believe it.

 

Argument un-negated!

 

Did you see someone take a cork off a hook then throw the hook back in the cache? Or did you see a cork, off the hook laying in the cache? One would be idiocy the other poor protection.

 

Unless I saw someone take the cork off, I would have to assume the cork wasn't properly fastened to begin with.

 

I personally would not trust to just a cork, if I were to leave a hook in a cache it would be in some kind of small hard sided plastic container. I have several small plastic cases I have put my lures in over the years. Never used just a cork.

I like the hard plastic container. I assume that you can either see what's inside or it's clearly labeled.

 

I just wonder if any items banned from caches because of an immediate physical hazard -- like knives -- would now be okay under the same reasoning. Is a knife now good swag as long as it's in a hard plastic case???

[+sbell111]

Your grass-roots movement is growing nicely! With this 10% jump in membership (now up to 11), the Fish-Hook Aficionados are about 14 months from going mainstream. However, I'll bet the vast Silent Majority who never come to the forum object as strongly as the rest of us who don't want to risk spilling blood when we open a cache.

I bet that the vast majority of catchers are similar to the forum minority. It's doubtful that there's anything so special about forum members that make them especially pro-fishhook, in my opinion.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Fishing lures, in packages of course, are fairly common swag here in Alabama. I have hidden two caches specifically for parents to take kids fishing, with everything required for dock fishing. One at my lake place and another at a nearby marina. They were big hits. Until you make driving to the cache less dangerous than what is in the cache these concerns are probably emotional rather than analytical. Number of children killed in car wrecks... one MILLION. Number killed by fish hooks in caches... ZERO. Worry about something real.

[+gonzogunner]

I put key chains made out of shot brass in caches. if people don't like them, don't trade for them. they are not ammo and have two big holes drilled in them so they can't be reused unless you are making some kind of small wild cat round. I would put the fishing fly in a plastic container with a lid on it. most people are smart enough not to go digging into a cache with out looking first!!! notice I said most people!!! there are some sadly even geocaching lacking commen sense!!! some of these are just brass and some are knuckle. again if you don't like them, don't trade for it. it's not even close to being ammo of any type any more. there is no live primers, no powder and no bullet. I and engraving my nick name on the knuckle ones now. I also have these I leave in some of the really good caches, which are very far and few between!!

[+uxorious]

Odd. I've never had this problem with the fishing hooks I have bouncing around in the back of my car, or in the bottom of my tackle box. In addition, I mentioned a cork, and a baggie. I'm hard pressed to believe that a cache container is more capable of removing a hook protection than the tackle boxes and fly boxes I toss around my car, garage, and shorelines with regularity.

I final remark and I hope I'm through with this topic.

 

I believe you missed my point, so I'll try to be clearer. It's not that I think a cache container is capable of removing a hook protector. It's that people remove hook protectors.

 

Why would anyone take a cork protector off a hook, then leave the hook in a cache? I don't see that as a problem, might happen, but would be so rare as to negate the argument.

 

NanCycle has seen it twice (post 37). I believe it.

 

Argument un-negated!

 

Did you see someone take a cork off a hook then throw the hook back in the cache? Or did you see a cork, off the hook laying in the cache? One would be idiocy the other poor protection.

 

Unless I saw someone take the cork off, I would have to assume the cork wasn't properly fastened to begin with.

 

I personally would not trust to just a cork, if I were to leave a hook in a cache it would be in some kind of small hard sided plastic container. I have several small plastic cases I have put my lures in over the years. Never used just a cork.

I like the hard plastic container. I assume that you can either see what's inside or it's clearly labeled.

 

I just wonder if any items banned from caches because of an immediate physical hazard -- like knives -- would now be okay under the same reasoning. Is a knife now good swag as long as it's in a hard plastic case???

 

Knives are banned because many land managers object to them, not because they might be dangerous. If park and recreation managers didn't want fish hooks in caches on their lands TPTB would ban them.

[+gonzogunner]

I would trade one of the trade items I made for any trade item somebody else had made over the stuff people purchase. it's those nice hand made items that I like to see in caches. a friend of mine makes swim baits. his wife caches. she just traded a swim bait for a sea horse in the cache she found of mine. I have left it in there because it is in a sealed baggy with no hook in it. she is smart enough to know to put one with a hook in it in a plastic container, oh and she is smart enough to look before sticking here hand down into a cache!! lord knows in these crazy times somebody could booby trap a cache with razor blades, needles or sewing pins.

Edited August 24, 2014 by gonzogunner

[+narcissa]

Until you make driving to the cache less dangerous than what is in the cache these concerns are probably emotional rather than analytical.

 

By this logic, pretty much anything can go in a cache...

 

...but most of us seem to understand that there are things that just aren't wise to put inside a container where they're going to be rattled around, get wet (and around here, frozen), and otherwise not cared for in the manner intended.

 

I've seen lots of rusty fishhooks in caches, including those still in the original packaging. More often, the packaging has failed and the fishing lure is either sticking out of the package, or floating around in the cache.

 

It's just not a great plan, but if someone's intent on learning through experience, have at it.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

This thread made me go look at my cache swag shelf, interesting and memorable stuff I have found in caches over the years. Unfortunately I suck at the memory part and don't remember who tied these. They were sent to me by the cacher as a Christmas swag exchange. His sig item was a plastic bag of four tied flies. I'm thinking it was KnowsChad. I caught bream with the other two... maybe he will see these and fess up!

 

Edited August 25, 2014 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+wmpastor]

Odd. I've never had this problem with the fishing hooks I have bouncing around in the back of my car, or in the bottom of my tackle box. In addition, I mentioned a cork, and a baggie. I'm hard pressed to believe that a cache container is more capable of removing a hook protection than the tackle boxes and fly boxes I toss around my car, garage, and shorelines with regularity.

I final remark and I hope I'm through with this topic.

 

I believe you missed my point, so I'll try to be clearer. It's not that I think a cache container is capable of removing a hook protector. It's that people remove hook protectors.

 

Why would anyone take a cork protector off a hook, then leave the hook in a cache? I don't see that as a problem, might happen, but would be so rare as to negate the argument.

 

NanCycle has seen it twice (post 37). I believe it.

 

Argument un-negated!

 

Did you see someone take a cork off a hook then throw the hook back in the cache? Or did you see a cork, off the hook laying in the cache? One would be idiocy the other poor protection.

 

Unless I saw someone take the cork off, I would have to assume the cork wasn't properly fastened to begin with.

 

I personally would not trust to just a cork, if I were to leave a hook in a cache it would be in some kind of small hard sided plastic container. I have several small plastic cases I have put my lures in over the years. Never used just a cork.

Ok, here's a solution. These handcrafted beauties are too nice to use for fishing anyway. Encase them in a lucite cube to use as a paperweight. Make sure the cube is large enough that a child could not swallow it.

[+jellis]

I don't remember which cacher did it but I use to find them in small sealed paper envelopes.

[+NeverSummer]

Odd. I've never had this problem with the fishing hooks I have bouncing around in the back of my car, or in the bottom of my tackle box. In addition, I mentioned a cork, and a baggie. I'm hard pressed to believe that a cache container is more capable of removing a hook protection than the tackle boxes and fly boxes I toss around my car, garage, and shorelines with regularity.

I final remark and I hope I'm through with this topic.

 

I believe you missed my point, so I'll try to be clearer. It's not that I think a cache container is capable of removing a hook protector. It's that people remove hook protectors.

Where'd I put my eyeroll magnifyer?

 

Glad you came back to the conversation.

 

Another "bottom line" item: If you find a fishing fly, and it has come out of its package, or has an unprotected hook, or has rusted, you're the lucky winner of a new fishing fly. Choose to keep it, or throw it out. But be sure to trade up or even!

[+wmpastor]

Your grass-roots movement is growing nicely! With this 10% jump in membership (now up to 11), the Fish-Hook Aficionados are about 14 months from going mainstream. However, I'll bet the vast Silent Majority who never come to the forum object as strongly as the rest of us who don't want to risk spilling blood when we open a cache.

I bet that the vast majority of catchers are similar to the forum minority. It's doubtful that there's anything so special about forum members that make them especially pro-fishhook, in my opinion.

Actually, the pro-fishhook sentiment is equally mediocre in both groups - a small %! But the Fish-hook Aficionados almost see this as Constitutional right. Like, "I'll give up this fish-lure swag when you pry it from my cold, dead hands! Oops. Ouch!!! #@!&!!!!! Give me pliers and a wire cutter fast!!!"

[+cerberus1]

Fishing lures, in packages of course, are fairly common swag here in Alabama. I have hidden two caches specifically for parents to take kids fishing, with everything required for dock fishing. One at my lake place and another at a nearby marina. They were big hits.

Same here, usually around Fish Commission-owned lakes and ponds and along creeks, streams and rivers.

We find enough that I carry a few flies and spinners in my bag in case I happen to spot one in a cache.

Odd thing is, with all we've found, I'm in the same State as one of the naysayers in this thread.

The only thing I can come up with is, swag may differ by location.

Maybe the closer you get to a city/urban environment, it's possible the swag is less outdoors oriented.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Maybe the closer you get to a city/urban environment, it's possible the swag is less outdoors oriented.

Geocachers being, almost by definition, outdoors-oriented folks I don't think that's it.

 

I expect it's a forum thing. It's easy to drive any remotely safety-related topic into the never-never land of "But What About the Chinldren?!", as if there are hordes of evil geocachers lacking any compassion for the young and dumb, and we must be tightly regulated.

 

The thing is, I fish, but I don't want a hook in my hand any more than you do. I suspect that those of us who use them are more likely to be careful with hooks than not. Thus if we are going to put hooks in caches we are likely to do it in a way that is safe.

 

I found this Rapala in a cache a couple years ago. Like most lures in caches it is in its original package and perfectly safe. I kept it with my souvenirs rather than put it in my tackle box because I like YooHoo and thought this was a neat bit of advertising.

 

Edited August 26, 2014 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+wmpastor]

Maybe the closer you get to a city/urban environment, it's possible the swag is less outdoors oriented.

Definitely true. My caching: mostly suburban, some exurban/rural/city. I have never once seen fish hooks or lures as swag in a cache.

[+sbell111]

Your grass-roots movement is growing nicely! With this 10% jump in membership (now up to 11), the Fish-Hook Aficionados are about 14 months from going mainstream. However, I'll bet the vast Silent Majority who never come to the forum object as strongly as the rest of us who don't want to risk spilling blood when we open a cache.

I bet that the vast majority of catchers are similar to the forum minority. It's doubtful that there's anything so special about forum members that make them especially pro-fishhook, in my opinion.

Actually, the pro-fishhook sentiment is equally mediocre in both groups - a small %! But the Fish-hook Aficionados almost see this as Constitutional right. Like, "I'll give up this fish-lure swag when you pry it from my cold, dead hands! Oops. Ouch!!! #@!&!!!!! Give me pliers and a wire cutter fast!!!"

I'm not seeing that, at all. What I am seeing is that the 'pro-' folks are taking the position that these items are perfectly fine to be placed in a cache if they are properly packaged.

[+sbell111]

I expect it's a forum thing. It's easy to drive any remotely safety-related topic into the never-never land of "But What About the Chinldren?!", as if there are hordes of evil geocachers lacking any compassion for the young and dumb, and we must be tightly regulated.

I wonder if anyone get's that reference any more.

 

Good times.

[+narcissa]

I think it's more likely that people in urban areas just don't see as many caches with swag in them.

 

Anyway, my point of view is based solely on the experience of spotting rusty, unprotected fishing lures, jigs, and flies in caches on numerous occasions. It's not a "what about the children" thing so much as a "glad my tetanus shot is up to date" thing.

[+kunarion]

my point of view is based solely on the experience of spotting rusty, unprotected fishing lures, jigs, and flies in caches on numerous occasions. It's not a "what about the children" thing so much as a "glad my tetanus shot is up to date" thing.

+1

 

Before I place an item, I consider the reaction. As I said, I'm amazed at what people get away with. I can't even place a cache with a cool view of a nature area, at a sidewalk that I think everyone will enjoy, no ticks, no poison ivy, nice clean cache, without the first finder (and others afterward) getting stung by "all the wasps", and making a huge point about how horrible it is . Yet people can place FISH HOOKS without issue? I'm impressed.

 

If I find a sharp object in a cache, I remove it, and it usually is NOT all that popular or it would be gone already (and I tend to trade, but usually the junk is too junky to be worth keeping after the trade). Same thing with wet, moldy items. But I'll remove even a sealed bottle of bubble soap which is not well known to kill most people, doesn't get rusty, doesn't have tetanus. I don't first decide whether an item is deadly (I'm not dead yet equals it's a great idea to place this in a cache), nor even if it's an item commonly placed. If it's problematic, it's best to give it away in another way. Use one's brain of course -- most anything could be an issue in the wrong hands, but sharp objects are kind of a no-brainer.

 

For the OP's hand-tied flies, it may be great to offering them at Events. Otherwise, the most likely scenario is the OP never knows if anybody liked them (cachers take things, and often don't mention doing so), yet the cache ends up with the wrappers. The worst case scenario, well, could be a lot worse.

Edited August 26, 2014 by kunarion

[4wheelin_fool]

I think the imagined drama is what the issue is here, in sharp contrast to reality. I have a series of paddle tos that we do maintenance on in the spring. Usually there is about a half dozen fishing lures caught in trees along the way, which I remove and stick a small piece of wood in the hooks before placing them in a small cache at the end of the trail on an island, and I never imagined that there would be people being alarmed by their presence. There are plenty of other hazards to be afraid of, such as bees in LPCs and guardrail hides, wild rabid rodents and snakes in the woods, as well as small sinkholes and poison ivy. I think the average person over the age of 12 would know better than to reach into any container found in the woods blindly, and stick their hand in without looking. I'm aware of people who post Needs Maintenance logs for poison ivy, and I suppose that this is along the same lines of that..

Edited August 26, 2014 by 4wheelin_fool

[+narcissa]

I think the imagined drama is what the issue is here, in sharp contrast to reality. I have a series of paddle tos that we do maintenance on in the spring. Usually there is about a half dozen fishing lures caught in trees along the way, which I remove and stick a small piece of wood in the hooks before placing them in a small cache at the end of the trail on an island, and I never imagined that there would be people being alarmed by their presence. There are plenty of other hazards to be afraid of, such as bees in LPCs and guardrail hides, wild rabid rodents and snakes in the woods, as well as small sinkholes and poison ivy. I think the average person over the age of 12 would know better than to reach into any container found in the woods blindly, and stick their hand in without looking. I'm aware of people who post Needs Maintenance logs for poison ivy, and I suppose that this is along the same lines of that..

 

I don't know that "alarmed" is the correct word here. I learned how to bait a hook when I was seven years old. I'm not "alarmed" at the site of a fishing lure. I'm annoyed when I find sharp, rusty hooks snagged onto other things inside a geocache:

 

1. The rust makes a mess when the cache is damp.

2. The hooks tear the ziplock bag that the logbook is in.

3. You can look all you want, but it may not be apparent that the cheerful bright green thing that appears to be part of a harmless-looking toy is actually a jig with a big hook on it.

 

It's just not a great idea.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

Properly packaged I think a lure is a great trade item.......especially if they work.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Properly packaged I think a lure is a great trade item.......especially if they work.

There's my problem... identifying the one's that work! Like many fishermen my tackle box of 2oz lures weighs north of 20lbs it has so many lures in it that, at any given time, don't work!

[+kunarion]

my tackle box of 2oz lures weighs north of 20lbs it has so many lures in it that, at any given time, don't work!

If a lure resulted in a purchase, it worked.

[Andronicus]

Hi all,

 

I like to tie my own flies for fly fishing and I was wondering if some flies could be an appropriate trade item. A number of the caches around me are near lakes where I like to fish. I thought the flies may be a welcome item.

 

The rules are clear that knives and other dangerous items should not be placed in a cache, but would that apply to fish hooks? They are certainly sharp, but I would put them in hard plastic case to ensure no one accidently pricks themselves.

 

What do you think - ok, or dangerous if found by a child?

 

Thanks

Yes, it is appropriate, expecialy if you put them in a hard plastic case. It would be kind of rude to give someone tetanus.