altoids fishing kit "sunfisher"

The Altoids Fishing Kit "sunfisher" 1.0 is just what it sounds like. I wanted to design a little fishing reel that is 100% printable and can be packed down into a standard Altoids tin.

I got this idea while backpacking in the mountains; I stopped to camp next to a gorgeous
little stream for the night and thought (insert thought bubble here): “I wish I had a small packable fishing pole so I could pull one of these trout out of the water for dinner”.

As the 1.0 might suggest, this is the first iteration of the design and may evolve over time. The reel is a basic hand crank spool with a small trigger that functions as a friction break for the drum. I find that casting works best if I pay off the line at my feet first and flip-cast the bait with both hands.

Use 4” zip ties (that slip right into the tin with a couple of my favorite flies) to fix the assembly and the eye guides to a long flexible branch or piece river cane, and away you go!