You wouldn't leave your lunch wrapper on the bank. So why leave your fishing line?
Discarded monofilament, fluorocarbon, and leader line are among the most persistent threats to waterways — and one of the easiest to prevent. Here's a practical, no-excuses guide to packing out your line every time you fish.
Why Packing Out Matters
Fishing line doesn't biodegrade quickly. Monofilament takes up to 600 years to break down. In that time, it tangles birds, traps fish, entangles aquatic mammals, and breaks into microplastics that work their way up the food chain. It's not just an eyesore — it's an ecosystem problem.
And it's a solvable one. Most discarded line comes from anglers who didn't have a convenient way to stow it. That's where gear makes a difference.
Step-by-Step: How to Pack Out Your Line
- Trim and coil. When you cut leader or remove tangled line, coil it tightly. Loose line is harder to manage and more likely to blow away or drop unnoticed.
- Use a dedicated pocket or container. Don't rely on your general trash pocket — it gets full, it gets skipped. A purpose-built line holder keeps things organized and makes the habit stick.
- Pack it out, every cast. Make it a ritual. No exceptions for small pieces — the short snips matter as much as the long tangles.
- Dispose properly at home. Many fly shops and outfitters have monofilament recycling tubes. Check Berkley's Recycling Program or your local TU chapter for drop-off locations.
Gear That Makes the Habit Easy
The biggest barrier to packing out is convenience. If you have to dig through a vest or wader pocket to find somewhere to stow a piece of leader, you won't do it consistently.
The Leader Eater Mini was built for exactly this. It's a wearable line collection system that clips to your vest, waders, or shirt. When you snip a piece of tippet or leader, it goes straight into the Mini — no fumbling, no forgetting. For larger-volume days or guide boats, the Leader Eater Max fits any standard cup holder and handles the bigger cleanup jobs.
Or grab the Pack Out More Kit — Mini and Max together — and cover every situation on the water.
The One Piece Rule
Our whole brand is built around one simple idea: pack out more than you pack in. One piece at a time. Every piece of line you take off the water is a bird that doesn't get tangled, a fish that doesn't get wrapped, a kid downstream who gets to see a healthy river.
It doesn't take a hero. It just takes a habit.
Ready to make it easy? Check out the Leader Eater Mini and start fishing cleaner today.
