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Dave Huck

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Fisherman Flat Harness
June 20, 2010, 07:53:38 PM
Hi,

I've been researching fighting belts and there seem to be a lot of recommendations for the Fisherman Flat Harness. I have a few questions:

How deep is the cup on the Fisherman? If I were handed a gimbal butted rod would it hold OK or could it slip out?

How do people wear the Flat Harness, just on its own (seems to be various options from what I can tell on the Fisherman site)?

How heavy is the Fisherman Flat Harness? I can't find any reference to its weight anywhere and I'm always trying to keep luggage weight down.

It looks difficult to find. The only price I can find on the web is US$ 319 at JDM and around JPY 27,000 on the Fisherman site  :o.

Finally, are there any other recommendations for a light fighting belt for general use? I like the look / spec of the Alutecnos Dolce Vita (aka Soft Fighting Belt) but I'm not sure about the hinged tube on the front.....

I tried the Braid Dolphin belt on my last trip (mainly due to its light weight) but the thing came without a gimbal pin and has a V design so the rod butt tended to fly up when pressure was exerted, useless  ::).

Sorry for all the questions but the Fisherman is a lot of money and I can't try before I buy so I'm keen to get as many opinions as possible before I stick my hand in my pocket.

Cheers

Dave
Last Edit: June 20, 2010, 09:33:51 PM by Dave Huck

Kai Caiyang

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Re: Fisherman Flat Harness
June 21, 2010, 12:13:06 AM
Hi Dave,
I have used the flat hardness for a couple of years for both popping n jigging and i would say they do a great job for me of not shifting left to right nor worry about the gimbal popping out for nothing. Another good thing is the cup is pretty big so getting the rod butt in and out is a breeze. This is my go-to belt :) and i do not think you will regret it. If you have the luxury of trying out any fisho's flat hardness for fit and comfort, that would certainly help a lot in your purchase decision......

1. The cup depth is approx 1cm deep (did not take out my belt to measure). I would suggest using only rubber capped gimbal else u will scratch the cup badly as the cup is made from anodized aluminum. All my rods are rubber capped butts thou so no issue.

2. Personally i wear my belt a little lower, 3-4 inches or so below my belly button resting on my groin/hip area. This helps me distribute the load more evenly and allows me to grip higher on the foregrip during a fight (more leverage)

3. I do not have the exact weight but it is definitely light if not the lightest i have come across. The whole thing pack flat too and that allows easy and efficient packing in your tackle bag or luggage.

4. It is not too difficult to find, i would say. But yes, price of it is high now with the soaring yen.

For light tackle... how light? if on the lower end you can get away with a fisherman pad or similar.

Alternatively, You may want to take a look at the JM Master GT gimbal belt. I have not used this before but it looks of the same "concept" as the flat hardness through pictures and is friendlier on the pockets too.       

Hope this helps :)

Cheers,
Kai

Dave Huck

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Re: Fisherman Flat Harness
June 23, 2010, 04:41:37 PM
Thanks Kai,

I've seen the Jigging Master S Belt but I'm not sure how it compares to the Fisherman in terms of weight, flat packing and functionality?

Cheers

Dave