The best product you never knew you needed!

Have you ever been strolling down an aisle in some store or surfing some website when you stumble across a product that makes you think to yourself, or even say out loud, "Duh!"

Well it happened to me when I was checking out Loon Outdoors' website and came across the monoMASTER. 

When I saw this thing it all just clicked. I thought about all of the times that I have been standing in the water with a wad of used line or tippet full of wind knots, trying to figure out how to dispose of it.

Do I put it my chest pack?

Do I put in my pocket?

Finally, you settle on the pocket and a few days later, your significant other is screaming at you because this wad of fishing line is now completely tangled up the wash machine.

Even worse, you decide to put it in your chest pack and later on in the day, you go to pull out a new fly only to have that wad of line fall in the water - the very thing you were trying to avoid. As a result, you feel like a jerk and pretend that it's OK as you try to keep fishing.

Easily attaches to chest/waist pack

As I replayed these scenarios in my head, I realized that this is the exact thing that I needed but never even thought about!!! Naturally, I contacted Loon Outdoors and just a few days later, I had a monoMASTER waiting for me at my front door (along with a few other goodies that will be reviewed in due time).


Initial impressions
The product seemed to be very lightweight, small but not too small, reasonable rugged, and quite simple to use. There was no need for instructions as it appeared pretty simple on how to use it; besides, I am man and don't use instructions. If it isn't entirely clear to you, or you aren't stubborn like me, head over to Loon Outdoors for some how-to instructions.



Short term impressions
I grabbed a spool of cheap line from my fishing bench, cut a few scrap pieces, and started disposing of them with the monoMASTER. I quickly figured out that the trick is to push the line in as far as you can and then start twisting. The little spikes on the spool need some line to work, so keep that in mind. Once I figured this out, it seemed to do exactly as I had imagined. I grabbed a new zinger, attached the monoMASTER to it, and put it on my fishing pack. 


Long term

Full of old tippet!

I have been using this for about a month now and I have used it every single trip out. It has become one of those tools that I just have to have with me. I would never go fishing without a set of nippers, knife, forceps, etc....Now I won't leave home without the monoMASTER. I have put every imaginable line through it from thick mono, ultrafine fluoro, and even some braid.

I still found it a touch on the tricky side to get the line started at times, but I eventually figured out that putting it sideways (longways) in the monoMASTER allows more of the spikes to grab the line and once they grab, a simple twist of the little knob wraps up the line.

As far as durability is concerned, there have been no issues. I have thrown my pack in the back of the truck, dropped it on the ground, gotten it wet, and all of the other abuses that a fisherman could dish out

Conclusion
Loon Outdoors says that they strive to provide products that help protect the waters that fishermen use - this product does just that. The MSRP for the monoMASTER is $14.95 which may be the only real drawback. I think that more people would snatch these up two at a time if they lowered it to under $10. 


Even with the $14.95 price tag, it's a tiny drop in the bucket to prevent used line from ending up in the waters we fish. It doesn't matter if you are a fly fisherman or pro bass fisherman, you always have a problem of what to do with that cutoff line. Well, now you have a solution and no more excuses to drop that line in the water. 


Disclaimer: The monoMASTER was provided to us at no cost in exchange for a 100% honest and fair review. Absolutely no monetary or other compensation was given for this review.