-
- Species
- Whitetails
- Rut Reporters
- Deer Camp
- Big Game
- Small Game
- Birds
- Special Methods
- Bow Hunting
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
-
- Species
- Bass
- Trout
- More Freshwater
- Saltwater
- Catchbook
- Special Methods
- Fly Fishing
- Hook Shots
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
-
- Health & Fitness
- F&S Adventurer
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
-
- Rifles
- Shotguns
- 2nd Amendment
- SHOT Show
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
Merwin: The Old Bottle Trick
Recent Comments
Categories
- Ammunition (1)
- Animal Attacks (4)
- Bass Fishing (267)
- Big Game Hunting (1)
- Bird Hunting (1)
- Bow Hunting (2)
- Camping Gear (3)
- Close Calls (3)
- Deer Hunting (1)
- DIY (1)
- Fire (1)
- First-Aid (2)
- Fishing (721)
- Fishing Gear (52)
- Fly Fishing (237)
- Gear (43)
- Guns (2)
- Hook Shots (1)
- Hunting (7)
- Hunting Gear (3)
- More Freshwater (250)
- Other Survival (4)
- Rifles (1)
- Saltwater (226)
- Shelter (1)
- Shooting Gear (1)
- Shotguns (1)
- Small Game (1)
- Survival (11)
- Survival Gear (2)
- Trout Fishing (276)
- Trucks (3)
Recent Posts
- Vintage Tackle Contest: Soap-A-Lure
- Peeing Swimmers Kill 500 Fish in Germany
- 40-Pound Kamikaze Barracuda Launches Assault on Anglers
- Protect Your Skin: How to Use Sunscreen and Keep it Off Your Lures
- Killer Snakeheads: The Real and the Hollywood Varieties
- Vintage Tackle Contest: Whirlaway Rod & Reel Combo
- What Were Some of Your Milestone Rods?
- Smallmouth Jerkbait Tips from Bass Pro Bill Lowen
- How to Free-Line Live-Bait Minnows to Catch Shy Brown Trout
- Vintage Tackle Contest: Heddon Crazy Crawler
Archives
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
Syndicate
The Honest Angler
in your Inbox
January 23, 2009
Merwin: The Old Bottle Trick
By John Merwin
Anybody else do this? Make a line-remover out of a water- bottle cap and bottle. It's fast, cheap, and you can use it to store line or throw it away as you like. Here's how.
Photo by John Merwin
Photo by John Merwin
Take a common water-bottle cap and drill a centered 1/4-inch hole, within which you'll use washers and nuts to fasten a 2-inch-long by 1/4-inch-diameter bolt. The bolt shank will stick out of the top of the bottle cap.
Screw the cap on an old water bottle, and chuck the bolt shank in your cordless drill. Tape the end of your line to the bottle, and set your reel at a very light drag setting or in free-spool. Then rev up your drill to remove all line from the reel very quickly.
Works like a charm with baitcasting, spinning, and even fly lines (although I know that fly lines should be stored in large, loose coils).
ADVERTISEMENT
Today on Field & Stream
Loading...
Visit Our Sister Sites at Bonnier Corporation
| Enthusiast | Kiteboarding | QUAD | SKI | Skiing | Scuba Diving | Sport Diver | TransWorld Ride BMX | TransWorld Business | TransWorld Motocross | TransWorld SKATEboarding, | TransWorld SNOWboarding | TransWorld SURF | WakeBoarding | WaterSki | Warren Miller Entertainment | WindSurfing |
|---|---|
| Travel | Caribbean Travel & Life | Destination Weddings & Honeymoon | Islands | Meeting Traveler | Resorts & Great Hotels |
| Lifestyle & Shelter | Florida Travel & Life | Garden Design | Home Ft. Lauderdale | Home Miami |
| Luxury | SNOW | Spa |
| Marine | Boating Life | Cruising World | Fly Fishing in Salt Waters | Power Cruising | Marlin | Motor Boating | Sailing World | Salt Water Sportsman | Sport Fishing | Yachting | NewBoats.com | UsedBoats.com | YachtBroker.com |
| Outdoor | Field & Stream | Outdoor Life | SHOT Business |
| Parenting | Babytalk | Parenting |
| Science | Popular Science | Science Illustrated |
| Saveur | Saveur |
| Working Mother Media | Working Mother |
| Entertainment / Events | World Entertainment Services | World Sports & Marketing |
Fieldandstream.com is part of the Field & Stream Network, a division of Bonnier Corporation.
Copyright © 2012 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Comments (12)
That looks to cool to actually work. I hate stripping line, I swear I'm making one today but I'm also going to add some red Locktite to the bolt threads and keep that cap in my toolbox.
nice tip
I complained about stripping line from reels so much one year I got two of those Berkley line strippers for Christmas. Against all odds I haven't lost either one in something like 10 years.
John, this is pure brilliance.
I wonder if those of us in a reel hurry (pardon the pun) could take a "more power" approach and adapt this concept to a method that involves a 1.75HP/27500 RPM router, a 2 liter bottle, and enough friction to narrowly avoid melting your berrings.
Mind your fingers though.
I made a similar setup to take off lead- core. I first lathed a large spool and drilled and inserted a lag bolt. Then used the drill press to hold the spool while I held the reel and fingered the line back and forth for an even lie.
That seems a little more complicated than most of us have Charlie, but it probably worked too.
I haven't used that but used to chuck a 12" length of 1/2" dowel in a drill press to do the same thing. Just one word of caution, don't use high speed on the drill press, as it can cause the reel to fly out of your hand and into the wall or become a swinging projectile.
Yes, I forgot to mention using low speed on the drill press.
Wow, I think you guys suggesting drill presses or routers for this job will solve all your line-removal problems just by removing a few fingers. Okay, I know the router was a joke, but even a drill press at slow speed might be a little dicey.....anyway, maybe the next time I post a tip I should run it by OSHA first?
John,
You've inspired me to re-spool my reels this weekend. Thanks for the tip.
Good tip, but I would like to add a suggestion to use the recycling bin for the mono rather than throwing it away.
My daughter recently rescued a coot (of all things) that had line wrapped around its foot and was lame...she took it to a local vet here in Payson AZ...it was an entertaining story that you can read by googling "Payson Coot"
Cool Idea, I am always looking for something new that will save time and keep old line neatly stored.
I have started dropping off my line at the local recycling bin, the only one locally is at academy.
Post a Comment
That looks to cool to actually work. I hate stripping line, I swear I'm making one today but I'm also going to add some red Locktite to the bolt threads and keep that cap in my toolbox.
nice tip
I complained about stripping line from reels so much one year I got two of those Berkley line strippers for Christmas. Against all odds I haven't lost either one in something like 10 years.
John, this is pure brilliance.
I wonder if those of us in a reel hurry (pardon the pun) could take a "more power" approach and adapt this concept to a method that involves a 1.75HP/27500 RPM router, a 2 liter bottle, and enough friction to narrowly avoid melting your berrings.
Mind your fingers though.
I made a similar setup to take off lead- core. I first lathed a large spool and drilled and inserted a lag bolt. Then used the drill press to hold the spool while I held the reel and fingered the line back and forth for an even lie.
That seems a little more complicated than most of us have Charlie, but it probably worked too.
I haven't used that but used to chuck a 12" length of 1/2" dowel in a drill press to do the same thing. Just one word of caution, don't use high speed on the drill press, as it can cause the reel to fly out of your hand and into the wall or become a swinging projectile.
Yes, I forgot to mention using low speed on the drill press.
Wow, I think you guys suggesting drill presses or routers for this job will solve all your line-removal problems just by removing a few fingers. Okay, I know the router was a joke, but even a drill press at slow speed might be a little dicey.....anyway, maybe the next time I post a tip I should run it by OSHA first?
John,
You've inspired me to re-spool my reels this weekend. Thanks for the tip.
Good tip, but I would like to add a suggestion to use the recycling bin for the mono rather than throwing it away.
My daughter recently rescued a coot (of all things) that had line wrapped around its foot and was lame...she took it to a local vet here in Payson AZ...it was an entertaining story that you can read by googling "Payson Coot"
Cool Idea, I am always looking for something new that will save time and keep old line neatly stored.
I have started dropping off my line at the local recycling bin, the only one locally is at academy.
Post a Comment