A lanyard for fly fishing wraps around your neck and provides quick and easy access to the items you need and utilize. This simple method to fly fishing is particularly popular in the summer, whether wet wading or on day outings.
Having the Proper Equipment at the Proper Moment
The process of attempting to reapply the tippet to the leader and reconnect a tandem fly rig to said tippet, all while in waist-deep flowing water, is sufficient to cause some of us to immediately return to the bank and call it a day.
Having the proper equipment can ease the more technical parts of fly fishing (such as line management), but it is not sufficient. Oftentimes, it is of equal importance to have these instruments on hand and ready for use when the need comes.
How we organize the equipment, we need to spend less time trimming line and tying knots, and more time fishing may be vital, particularly when nasty snags or stuck flies hit.
When fly fishing, a lanyard may assist you in maintaining you’re most often used fishing at the ready and within easy fly at all times.
Lanyards are worn around the neck (also referred to as a fishing neck lanyard) and often have a number of ‘docks’ to which you may connect gear that you use regularly or need to reach quickly. As is typical with fly fishing equipment, there are several versions of this concept on the market, and I will examine some of them in this study.
Top-Rated Fully-Loaded Lanyards
We researched the top lanyards for fly fishing that include everything an angler needs for a great day on the water.
1. Orvis Fully Loaded Lanyard
This package is packed to the brim with some of the essential fly fishing equipment for addressing a variety of circumstances.
The use of molle-style webbing keeps the lanyard from twisting and tangling around your neck while you are on the go.
It is quite sturdy and lies flat. Six paracord docking loops provide simple connection options for your own gear while keeping the provided gear accessible and tidy.
The bottom fly dock enables you to dry spent flies and retain a few confidence patterns outside of the fly box.
The forceps dock is skillfully engineered to minimize ungainly plier swinging when casting or moving, and the entire lanyard has a professional and useful feel, as you would expect from an Orvis product.
These forceps and nippers are simple to grasp, even when wet, and are razor sharp.
Features/Specification
- Molle-style webbing is designed to lay flat to reduce twisting
- Six Docking loops constructed from Paracord
- The Top Dock of the Forceps Prevents Swinging
- Lower the Fly Dock to Facilitate Access and Drying
- Included with loaded lanyards are:
- Comfortable Grip Forceps
- Comfortable Grip Nippers
- Hyflote Gel
- Floatant Holder
- Tippet Bar
- Three 30m SuperStrong Plus Tie Reels (3x, 4x, and 5x)
The floatant container includes Orvis Hyflote Gel to keep your dries floating like corks even when wet, and the tippet bar helps you to organize and manage your spools.
Orvis has gone as far as to provide a tippet selection of their SuperStrong Plus tippet in widely used sizes and strengths. This product is immediately used and has received rave reviews from delighted consumers.
This is a useful, high-quality piece of equipment that I cannot recommend more highly, especially considering the cost.
2. Dr. Slick Fully Loaded Lanyard
Because I tie flies, I am familiar with Dr. Slick, whose gear has a reputation for being ergonomic, extremely sharp, and useful.
This lanyard demonstrates that this brand understands fly fishing, as they have designed a high-quality item with the necessary equipment to facilitate your efforts on the water.
The lanyard is comprised of an adjustable elastic shock cord that is impenetrable to hook points and as sturdy as a nail.
The lower section has an efficient tippet caddy, and the attachment points are straightforward D-Rings.
The supplied shirt clasp prevents the fully-loaded lanyard from swinging and provides an additional point of contact to keep it out of the water.
Features/Specification
- Elastic shock cord with an adjustable padded collar
- Tippet Caddy
- Floatant Holder
- There are two RPD Retractors (Zingers)
- D-Ring Gear Attachment Points
- Collar Clamp
Included with loaded lanyards are:
- Insect Jelly Fly Flottant
- 5″ Golden Forceps
- Offset Nippers
- Water-Resistant Fly Box
- HFG4 Hook File
The fully loaded lanyard includes Dr. Slick’s brand of fly floatant (Bug Jelly) and a floatant container, in addition to 5″ forceps and their razor-sharp offset nippers.
In the accompanying photographs, these two components can be seen attached to the two RPD retractors, which is also how I would utilize them. Having your nippers and forceps linked to retractors makes it nearly impossible for them to fall into the stream, an unfortunate and incredibly annoying situation that I believe is far more frequent than we would want to acknowledge…
Even a hook sharpener and file are supplied, which is especially handy when pursuing more toothy and predatory fish for whom a needle-sharp fly is required.
This lanyard is an excellent alternative to Orvis’ loaded lanyard.
The many D-Ring connectors enable the installation of extra equipment, although I cannot imagine what else you may want.
Dr. Slick has also incorporated a detachable, watertight fly box for both dry and wet flies. This product was developed with exceptional skill and merited your consideration.
3. Geode Vangst Fully Loaded Lanyard
This inexpensive, straightforward, and practical alternative to the previously mentioned items is available at a lower cost.
The lanyard is made from braided 550 paracords with connection points that should be familiar to any competent angler.
These six swivel connection points are sturdy and trustworthy, although they need some effort to open and shut. Thankfully, that can be accomplished at home and not often on the water.
My initial reaction to this lanyard was disappointment that it lacked a tippet bar; however, reviewers were quick to point out that the wire retractor attachment may easily serve as a tippet caddy when placed lower on the lanyard.
This lanyard is equipped with a fly patch for drying flies and keeping some on hand, forceps, and razor-sharp line nippers.
Features/Specification
- 550 Paracord Braided Necklace
- Plastic safety breakaway clip
- Wire Retractor to Secure/Place Tools
- Connections of the Swivel-Type
- Collar Clip
Included with loaded lanyards are:
- Flea Blight
- Forceps
- Hook Sharpener
- Line Nippers
- Line Straightener
- Bottle holder with a carabiner that floats
A new leader is equipped with a line straightener, forceps, and a floatant holder with a carabiner (but no included floatant here).
This lanyard is readily customizable and a good first purchase if you’ve never used one before due to its affordable pricing.
The Best Fly Fishing Leashes
These are some excellent options for those in need of a basic and dependable lanyard but without the bells and whistles of a fully-loaded lanyard.
4. Mountain River Fishing Lanyard
Mountain River has designed a fashionable and practical beaded lanyard that is an ideal blank slate for customization.
There are four provided connection points, but because this lanyard is beaded, you may attach your own D-Rings, O-Rings, or carabiners in between the beads to carry additional equipment.
There is an integrated safety breakaway and a cushioned neckpiece.
With this lanyard, the sky is the limit, and if you already know what you want and where you want it, this product is a wonderful starting point.
Features/Specification
- Handmade Beaded Lanyard
- Four Attachment Points Included
- Extremely Modifiable
- Collar Clamp
- Tippet Bar
- Comprising Brown Trout Chamois
When we fish, not all of us require floatant and an amadou flies drying patch. If you already know what you want from your lanyard, you may use Mountain River’s selection as a starting point to create the perfect one.
5. Scientific Anglers Fishing Lanyard
This lanyard from Scientific Anglers, a firm famous for intelligent and purposeful product design, is packed with features.
The foam neck strap is comfortable and very adjustable, and it has a safety breakaway feature in case of an emergency in the wilderness.
Four swivel-type connection clips, a floating holder, and a shirt clip keep the lanyard close to your chest and away from your fly line when casting.
Two tube-shaped fly docks made of self-healing foam are positioned above the tippet holder, one for drying spent flies so they may be returned to the box and the other for storing new patterns in a state of readiness for use on the water.
Features/Specification
- Foam Adjustable Neck Strap
- Breakaway Safety Feature
- Four Attachment Clips
- Horizontal Tippet Holder
- Floatant Holder
- Collar Clip
- Two Foam Tube Fly Docks
- Drying Fly Chamois
In addition, there is an adjustable Velcro floatant holder that can fit practically any brand of floatant, as well as a fly drying chamois (which I would dump and replace with something I’ll really use, but to each his own).
Best lanyards for the Money
If you’re seeking an economical fishing lanyard of great quality, we’ve highlighted two of these options.
6. Morric Ultimate Fly Fishing Lanyard
This lanyard is Morric’s PRO design, and while it is only a lanyard, the four connection points have been made more user-friendly and robust.
Instead of small, difficult-to-open swivel-type clips, Morric has devised a bigger, easier-to-open carabiner-style clip so that you may access and change your chosen tools more quickly.
Cold fingers are the source of many blunders made while fly fishing, such as losing a fly box or dropping a pair of forceps to their fate at the bottom of a creek. They can be opened with one hand and locked securely.
Features/Specification
- Tailored Beadwork Lanyard
- Simplified Style
- Four Attachment Points
- Carabiner Clips that Are Rugged and Easy to Open
- Two Foam Integrated Fly Docks
- Collar Clip
This lanyard does not have a tippet bar, but the beading on the lower portion of the lanyard makes the addition of one simple. If you need to catch a fish while bending down, the shirt clip keeps the lanyard away from the line and out of the water.
Morric has integrated two tubular foam fly holders into the lanyard, which I find quite handy for drying off spent flies and letting you leave the fly box at basecamp and take only what you need to the water.
This product’s motto on Morric’s website is “Replace the vest!” and I believe that, if constructed to your specifications, this lanyard could handle your gear as well as or better than most standard fishing vests.
7. Loon Outdoors Neckvest Lanyard
As with Dr. Slick, I was more familiar with Loon’s fly-tying supplies than their genuine outdoor goods. However, they are recognized for producing high-quality UV Resin and other fly tying materials.
There is no product description for Loon’s Neckvest Lanyard on their website; therefore, I will try my best to describe it here.
The foam neck piece appears to be adjustable, and the lanyard’s lower half is braided cable, allowing you to personalize it with your own clip.
Features/Specification
- Foam Neck Piece
- Adjustable Tippet Holder
- Two Integral Flying Docks
- Four points for carabiner-style attachments
- Collar Clip
There are four carabiner-style connection clips supplied, and they appear to be big and simple to work. Similar to the Morric lanyard, there are two foam fly docks included in this lanyard.
This lanyard has a tippet bar, which I find to be a really helpful feature. Although I cannot immediately identify the material used to make this lanyard, it appears to be robust and well-made, with a flat black color.
Loon has always impressed me in the fly tying aspect of fly fishing, so their lanyard may be worth a look.
Best Standard Fly Fishing Neck lanyard
We wished to feature a few fly fishing lanyards for the real minimalist. These two lanyards have minimal storage space but are ideal for carrying nippers or forceps close at hand.
8. Simms Guide Lanyard
Simms has designed a high-quality lanyard with a simple yet adaptable layout.
This lanyard is made from Dyneema cording and is completely adjustable through the machined slides on each side.
The 127cm length may be utilized by connecting your own clips and slides to hold your choice equipment.
This lanyard’s single connection point is a stainless steel split ring, which is ideal for that costly set of nippers and forceps.
Features/Specifications
- Dyneema Cord Development
- Adjustable Fit
- Aluminum and Anodized Hardware That Is Machined
- 127 centimeters in length
- Split Stainless Steel Ring