Kelly Kettles

Simple, trusty, traditional. Photo: Kelly Kettle USA

Last week we put out the invitation for guests posts on our blog – we love having outside perspectives, and we know our readers do too. The response was fantastic, and we can’t wait to run some of the quality stuff that our readers are sending in.

Today we’ve got a great gear writeup from long-time reader Bill Lenehan. Unlike a lot of what you read here in our gear section, there’s no revolutionary new technology at play here – just years and years of know-how.

Thanks Bill!

Time for a Brew-Up?

Sometimes the best part of fishing in unique places internationally is seeing the local techniques and customs and bringing them back home. Fishing in Western Ireland last summer I noticed the local guides (“ghillies”) and fishermen carrying around a curious kettle, the likes of which I had never seen stateside (frankly, I had never seen a fisherman with any kind of kettle in the US and didn’t initially see the point). The verve with which they treated this piece of kit was equal to their rod or reel. Constructed of light aluminum, a mid-sized version large enough for four cups of coffee weighs just under 2 pounds because it is essentially hollow construction (see picture below – the flame creates a vortex rapidly heating the water which is trapped in the kettles aluminum walls). Fill the bottom bowl with twigs, leaves, a cow patty, almost anything combustible that you scrounge streamside. It will boil water in approximately 3 minutes without the danger of an open flame.

I broke out my Kelly Kettle on a recent trip to the Deschutes and I knew immediately that it is indispensable for cold water trips. Midday coffee, after fishing from o’dark thirty, was a welcome break before heading out for another long session. Seems like those old Irish fisherman, with century long traditions of fishing in cold crappy weather, have figured something out.

—

NOTE: If you’re interested you can buy Kelly Kettles online right here.

Want to write a guest post for us? Great! Drop us a line.