The Stripping Guard
Stacked bracelets, purple nails, and a strip of athletic tape on the finger that does all the work holding the line.
No doubt while shopping at your local fly shop, you've seen a stack of these.
What is it? Do I need it?
A stripping guard is a basically a protective sleeve that goes over your stripping fingers to prevent them from getting cuts and burns while stripping and setting the hook.A stripping guard can really come in handy when you're fishing saltwater, large fish, textured or thin fly lines. In addition, these can be helpful when your hands have seen a lot of time in the water and can also protect your hands when tightening knotsUnfortunately, if you have small hands, these can become more of a nuisance than help as they don't fit well and can fall off at inopportune times.
Sometimes the materials and seams can irritate your hands causing more discomfort than a cut.
All that being said, if you've found a guard that works for you - keep it. If you're among the multitudes of anglers still looking for the best solution or you've never used a guard, the age-old cloth Band-Aid or our personal favorite, athletic tape is inexpensive, easy to find in remote locations in case you forget yours and works.
Keep reading
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