Wire Hook Keeper

There's no surer way to ruin a fishing trip than getting caught by a stray hook. Of course, there's nothing wrong with keeping your hook or lure on the lowest guide, but it's not as convenient as having it right next to your reel. I personally install hook keepers on all my rods because I enjoy the convenience and consistency. In this instructable, I'll show you how to make and install your own wire hook keeper.

• wire
• thread
• super glue
• pliers
• hammer
• file

The type of wire isn't overly important. I personally use wire I've salvaged from old spiral bound notebooks. I bend it into a half rectangular shape with two tabs going out from it. I don't measure the size of this as I'm making it, but I use the very tip of the needle nose pliers and make the shape about as small as I can. I leave the length of the tabs around 5 mm at this point.

Using the edge of a hammer and the edge of an anvil (I use part of a vise as an anvil), I flatten the tabs. It's not paramount that they're perfectly flat, but it helps if they're flattish for wrapping them onto the rod. The entire hook keeper is pretty tiny, so I suggest using pliers to hold it as to not smash your fingers. Once sufficiently flattened, the tabs can be cut down to their final dimension. I cut each of them down to about 3 mm. Then, I use a file with fine teeth to get rid of sharp bits on the ends the the tabs. I also use a file to roughen the bottom of the tabs so the super glue will have more surface area to stick to.

At this point, hopefully you have a rough idea of where on the rod you want the hook keeper to be. Because I'm right handed, I prefer it to be on the left, as close to my reel as possible. Make sure your placement doesn't inhibit taking your reel on and off. It is a good idea to take your reel off at this point, both to ensure you know where you want the hook keeper and because it's easier to wrap without the reel connected.

I super glue the hook keeper where I want it and then begin wrapping thread around. Once I cover the entirety of one tab, I tie it off with two half hitches and apply super glue to the wrapping to secure it. It's the same process for both tabs.

It you want the wrappings to more closely resemble those on your guides, you can finish by covering them with a liberal amount of epoxy and rotating your rod until it has set. This purely aesthetic though, as the hook keeper should be plenty secure without this final step.

At this point, it's time to admire your handiwork. Your fishing rod has been upgraded and your life has been bettered. Now go catch some fish!

If you enjoyed this instructable, please don't hesitate to comment, favorite or look at my other instructables.