On The Fly Gear

January 2023

The pursuit of outstanding angling often takes you into places far removed from civilization. Whether it is deep in the Everglades in search of snook and baby tarpon, in the vast wilderness of the Cohutta Mountains on the Georgia/Tennessee border, or the Ouachita National Forest of Arkansas, it is best to be prepared for any emergency in such places.

Usually, anglers travel light, especially when trekking in for a day of fishing. Smith’s Consumer Products of Hot Springs, Arkansas now offers the Pocket Pal X2 that is the ultimate sharpener and outdoor tool to have in your vest or pack for those wilderness adventures.

The Pocket Pal measures just 4 inches by 1.5 inches and weighs 3.5 ounces, but provides plenty of useful tools for both the wilderness and fishing destinations closer to home. It has a knife sharpener for standard blades, which is replaceable when needed, and a retractable, diamond sharpening rod for serrated edges and gut hooks. The unit also contains a signaling whistle and LED light, with a compass attached via a short lanyard.

Another valuable piece of wilderness gear is the X2’s fire starter that is rated for twice the spark for easy lighting. All of these are housed in a hard plastic case.

The Pocket Pal X2 provides all of this functionality for an MSRP of $24.99. For more details, visit the Pocket Pal X2 page on Smith’s website.