I’ll never forget the feeling of sitting on the edge of the river with a cane pole in hand. The minutes ticked by as I impatiently waiting for that next bite. It was just me, my dad, a stick, some fishing string, and a baited hook. Times were simpler. With all the crazy advancements in fishing technology over the years, I’d forgotten how simple fishing could, no, should be.
When I stumbled across the DaggerFish Handreel, many of my childhood fishing memories rushed back, and I was excited to experience a simple fishing style once again. The first time I tossed a hook in the water using the DaggerFish Handreel, I hooked into the biggest fish in my pond. In true fishing story fashion, it jumped and spit the hook (I’m pretty sure it smiled and winked at me, too). Luckily, my wife was there to see it, so at least someone believes my story.
DaggerFish Handreel Review
The DaggerFish Handreel isn’t like the cane poles I used to make as a kid; it’s much fancier and better designed, but the concept is the same. DaggerFish turns its handreels from Sugar Maple or Black Walnut. Each handreel has two storage compartments for hooks, flies, jigs, and small bobbers, capped with corks. I received the Deluxe Handline Bait Fishing Kit, which comes with a few extras.
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Pros
- High-quality woodworking
- Kit comes with everything you need to get started
- Nostalgic/minimalist fishing style
- Short learning curve
- Crazy packable
Cons
- On the Pricer Side
- Line easily twists
- Line tends to slip off the end
- Challenging to set the hook and fight big fish
What I Love About the DaggerFish Handreel
When I first opened up the box to reveal the DaggerFish Walnut Handreel, I was instantly impressed with the quality of the gear and craftsmanship that went into it. My grandpa, a locally revered woodturner, agreed when I presented him with the walnut handreel. The grip of the reel is sanded very smoothly, so you won’t get splinters, and the spool holds more line than you can easily toss out.
The price for the high-quality gear is still less than most other fishing gear on the market today.
Once I was finished admiring the handreel, it was time to head to my pond and begin fishing. I had everything I needed to get started. I appreciated that the kit was all inclusive.
Back to Basics
I’ve seen so many claims being made that you have to have the latest technology to catch fish regularly, but that’s just not true. The DaggerFish Handreel proves that a minimalistic approach to fishing still works. It’s nice to get on the water with “outdated” equipment and catch fish. It’s also wonderful to experience a similar feeling I had as a kid, fishing with a cane pole.
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The simple design also means there’s a short learning curve. If you want to speed up the process even more, get Adam Nelson’s (Founder of DaggerFish) Handline Fishing Field Manual. It demonstrates everything you need to know to get started handlining. Even if you don’t get the manual, handlining is reasonably self-explanatory. Toss the line out and reel it back around the end of the handreel.
I love traveling to fish, but traveling with all my fishing gear is rarely easy. I have lots of tackle boxes, rods & reels, and various other fishing gear that takes up a lot of space in my truck or SUV. The DaggerFish Handreel easily fits in a backpack or waistpack while I’m hiking, camping, or traveling. It’s lightweight and compact; perfect for the traveling angler.
Where The DaggerFish Handreel Can Be Improved
As much as I love fishing with the DaggerFish Handreel, there are a few things that could be improved to make it even better.
As I fish more with the DaggerFish Handreel, I notice my line quickly gets twisted and tangles more easily. It’s probably because of how I’m reeling in the line and spooling it on the handreel, but I don’t see another way of doing it. Once it begins to twist, it slides off the end of the handreel much easier, which is very frustrating when you’re fighting a fish and have all these loops of line coming off. Again, this is likely due to my poor technique, but I think having a deeper lip on the spool of the handreel would help prevent some of the line from slipping off when I don’t want it to.
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Lastly, setting the hook and fighting fish is much more challenging than when using a rod and reel. So, if you’re looking for an easy way to catch fish, using a handreel isn’t it, but it’s definitely fun.
Last Cast: Honest Thoughts on the DaggerFish Handreel
I’ve enjoyed fishing with the DaggerFish Handreel over the last several months. While all the fish I’ve caught with it have been small panfish, it’s been so fun to use an ancient technique and get back to the basics of fishing. If you appreciate a minimalist approach to fishing, you need the DaggerFish Handreel.
I look forward to using it on countless fishing trips in the future, whether I’m fishing from the bank at a creek or my kayak on a lake.
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