Walton’s Thumb Fisherman’s Multi-Tool was first made in the early ‘70s by the Hank Roberts Company of Boulder, CO. It was sold across the country at fine tackle shops such as Abercrombie & Fitch and showcased in magazines such as Field & Stream and Popular Mechanics. Hank Roberts sold his company in the early ‘80s and by the late ‘80s production of the Walton’s Thumb sadly came to an end.
Fortunately the tools were so well made they remained in use and could be found on occasion at yard sales and the like. The guys at the Creek Company, who are avid fisherman, and had seen the Thumb in use by fellow anglers were quick to buy a few when many years ago they came across some at a yard sale and found them to be the perfect addition to the gear they carried while fishing. Finally, after so many years of using them and constant compliments and inquiries from friends and fellow fisherman they decided it was time to bring it back so everyone could have a chance to use and enjoy the amazing tool. So, after almost two years of work the Walton’s Thumb was finally re-introduced to the world in October of 2015.
Named after Izaak Walton, famous author of The Compleat Angler and the use of our opposing thumb, the Walton’s Thumb features 10 unique functions that all anglers can appreciate. There are 4 lever operated functions, including Pincer (great for pinching down barbs or use as a small plier), Cutter (for cutting your fishing line), Crimper (for crimping monofilament at the tag end of knots so there is no line slippage)and Split Shot Remover (re-use and recycle your split shot), and 6 more functions including the folding tools: Knife (for everything you use a knife for), Screw Driver (slotted, for tightening screws on reel feet, etc.), Split Ring Remover (makes it easy to replace or remove hooks from lures) , Scissor (trim the hackle on a fly or anything else scissors can do), Hook Eye Cleaner/Knot Pick (clean the glue out of the eye of a fly and paint from a jig eye, then get that tangled mess of a knot undone) and Lanyard Ring (hang it from a vest, tackle bag, lanyard, etc.)
The Walton’s Thumb is made of stainless steel, and at about 3” long it is small enough to hang from your tackle bag or go in a vest pocket and it is the perfect tool to hang on your fishing lanyard. Small and compact, it’s also a perfect keychain tool as many of the features come in handy during your everyday activities.
Written by Dave Gowdy from The Creek Company
Learn more about the Walton’s Thumb with these video’s.
