What one accessory should you pack in your fishing gear for that next fishing trip? The popular picks would be nail clippers, scissors, side cutters or a hook sharpener. Won’t it be great to have one tool that could replace all of these tools; in addition to being lightweight, compact and solid? Well, I have found just that tool. The Deluxe Knife and Hook Sharpener by Smith’s have a hook sharpener, knife sharpener and line cutter.

The Deluxe Knife and Hook Sharpener by Smith’s (www.Smithsproducts.com) is three tools in one. It has a hook sharpener, knife sharpener and line cutter. These tools are all built into a hard plastic mold that makes it super strong and lightweight. Its bright yellow finish makes it hard to lose; in addition to having an opening where a lanyard can be attached. They are inexpensive making them perfect for attaching to your kayak or canoe.

Some anglers never sharpen their fishing hooks. They usually just cut off their hooks and retie a new sharp hook on or just replace them if they are on topwater, crankbaits or other fishing lures that have treble hooks. Learning how to and having a fishing hook sharpener can save an angler money and time. The process of sharpening a fishing hook is easy to learn. Begin by selecting the appropriate slot on the Hook Sharpener. There are three slots to pick from with the Deluxe Knife and Hook Sharpener. Place the hook pointed towards your wrist and pull the hook in the groove back and forth until sharp.

Sharpening a knife with the Deluxe Knife and Hook Sharpener is a two step process. Begin by putting the sharpener on a flat, study surface. Hold the sharpener tightly making sure to keep fingers behind the finger guard. Select the right slot to use. There is a coarse slot and fine slot. Use the coarse slot to set the cutting edge then use the fine to smooth and finish the cutting edge. Only use the coarse slot with dull or damaged edges that require a new sharp edge to be put on the blade. A knife with a reasonably sharp blade may only need light honing in the fine slot. Take the knife and insert knife blade fully into the sharpening slot and tilt the tip of the blade slightly downward. Apply moderate downward pressure on the blade while pulling the knife blade through the sharpening slot from the heel to the point. Repeat this process until blade is sharp. The knife blade should always be pulled from the heel to the tip. Never pull the knife blade back and forth while sharpening it. Normally, it will take four to five strokes in each slot to sharpen a dull knife. Knives made out of hard steel may need additional pulls to sharpen them.

Fishing guides are notorious for abusing their fillet knives and never sharpening them. Big fish have large scales that will dull a fillet knife blade quickly and need to be re-sharpened after each outing. Guides can even use them at launch ramps that don’t have electricity or in the back country. The Deluxe Knife and Hook Sharpener compact size makes it easy to store in a boat or keep in the tackle box.

The line cutter on the Deluxe Knife and Hook Sharpener is located on the lower right hand corner and is easy to use. Just keep tension on the fishing line and pull it into the slot. The razorblade edge will cut monofilament or braid fishing line in one pull.

Anglers are going to love the new three-in-one tool. They have everything an angler needs to keep their knives and hooks sharp; in addition to cutting their line.