Little Things Mean a Lot

That statement, which actually is the title of an old tune, often has special significance to a person with health issues, such as arthritis and/or vision deficiencies.

Consider, for the sake of this discussion, that the person we're talking about happens to be a fisherman, and it's time for him/her to change the fishing line on some rods. There are a couple of gadgets available from Rapid Fishing Solutions in Mechanicsville, VA, that can make this job a lot easier. Both were introduced during the 2016 ICAST show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

In case anyone reading this still is having trouble connecting the dots here, I'll do it for you. I'm generally speaking about we folks whose youth is only a memory...a distant one at that and getting more distant.

That being said, let me tell you about the first of these products. It's the Rapid Line Guide (right), which assists in threading fishing line through the rod guides. This uniquely shaped stainless-steel needle has a high-visibility yellow cap. You simply insert the line into the clip end and use the Line Guide to thread all the way up through the tip. The best part of all is that, if you happen to drop the gadget, it helps keep the line from falling back through all the guides. The price is right, too; MSRP is only $6.99.

The other product that aids in management of fishing line is the Rapid Line Clip (left). This gadget was designed for anyone who ever has struggled with hooks getting tangled in their fishing line. It's also a problem-solver for those who worry about that little kink in your line from draping it over your rod tip with a lure hooked onto it while storing or transporting fishing rods. Simply remove the lure from the end of your line, insert the line in the pinch on the Line Clip, and reel it up to the rod tip. The price for this product also is right; MSRP is $7.99.

I have to admit that I haven't bought either of these products yet. Of course, I only learned of them a couple days ago when my buddy called and told me about them. He already has both and has nothing but good things to say about them.

The Line Guides and Line Clips can be ordered online, directly from the manufacturer (http://rapidfishing.com/store), or from Tackle Warehouse (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Rapid_Fishing_Solutions_Line_Guide/descpage-RAPIDLI.html).

Veteran angler Shaw Grigsby (right) has lent his support to these two products. If you're interested in hearing what he has to say about them, check out these two video links:

(Line Guide) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejeLLOVz8jw
(Line Clip) www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_MOFHDg2zU.

There's one indisputable fact that besets everyone: We're all getting older from the day we're born. For a lot of years, we don't really pay much attention to the aging process because, quite frankly, it usually has minimal, if any, influence on our daily lives early on. Just as certain as the sun is going to rise in the morning, though, the day is coming when that will all change.

Here's how Canadian author and fly fisherman Bill Robertson described his day of reckoning:

"Having just recently, OK--a couple of years ago now, joined the over-50 crowd, I find it ironic that I used to laugh at things that now make perfect sense. I started fly fishing when I was 15, and all of my angling companions were older than me, some by a lot... . They all warned me of the impending day when I wouldn't be able to thread a size 22 fly with no trouble, wade across chest-deep water, or tell if the fish 50 yards upstream was eating emergers or adults.

"Well, they were right, and the day has come when I will use anything in any way possible that makes life easier on the water. You wouldn't believe some of the gadgets and gizmos that I've recently added to my war chest against age."

There are only two groups of fishermen--period: those of us who already are at this stage of life and those who are headed here, with no known way to alter their destiny. I urge everyone to enjoy the journey as much as you can along the way, and don't be too proud to look for things to make it easier once you arrive at this station in life. You'd be foolish to do otherwise.