The Sustainable Fly Fisher - Recycled Microtrash Collection Container



Come join the sustainable fly fisher as he
recycles and tromps through trash
trying to make something out of nothing,


At work today, I found a discarded cashew can - the kind that has one of those resealable or reusable plastic lids.  Looking at this piece of someones trash I immediately saw the great potential in this refuse particularly since I had lost my store bought micro-trash/discarded tippet collection container.  So I fetched the can out of the trash bin and headed to the prairie home to begin trying to make something out of nothing.

At the bunkhouse I assembled everything I thought I would need in order to turn this spurned object, that once held someones delight, into a workable solution in protecting the environment and saving rivers everywhere!  Sounds kind of grand doesn't it, but the fact is discarded tippet, and mono-filament can stay in the environment for hundreds and hundreds of years.  Besides, fish are attractive to these bright shiny morsels of poly-something and once they eat these micro disasters the chemicals start to break down in their system.   If this happens again and again, then someday we will start to see problems in our fish population.

Saved from the grave of some landfill somewhere.

The first order of business was to take a box blade and cut an X in the plastic lid.  The X serves as a tippet collection portal and after you insert your finger and tippet the tippet is captured upon removing your finger.

See how easily Mr. Happy Finger slides through.

Now, I don't really want to be seen on the river with a cashew can peeking out of my vest pocket, so I decided to gus the can up a little.  I just happen to remember that there is some trout themed wall border around the house somewhere.  Knowing how orderly Miss Carol is, it didn't take me long to find it.  Taking the border trim, I sized it, cut it, and pasted it on the can.

All dressed up and ready to go.

Since I'd lost my store-bought micro-trash collection container out of my vest pocket, I decided to make a fail-safe or safety harness system for this newest recycled environmentally friendly micro-trash collection container - whew, that's a mouthful!

Early today, I found an old bead chain I use to wear around my neck that held Smokey's dog tags - dog tags that are now on my lanyard.  This chain would be a perfect safety harness.  Punching a hole in each side of the can, the chain was threaded through and secured. 

The safety net.

And here we have the recycled environmentally friendly, possibly river saving, micro-trash/discarded tippet collection container.  It's resting in the vest pocket firmly attached to the chain attached to the vest.

Next time on The Sustainable Fly Fisher, we will visit the Seen A Better Day Fly Recycling And Rehab Center.  It is a place of great hope.