As spring rolls around again, many of us – from weekend hobbyists to obsessed anglers – are dreaming of getting back to a treasured New England pastime: fishing. As relaxing as this rewarding hobby is, there can be a lot of moving parts, a lot of equipment to store. Clutter can not only induce stress but also make it hard to find what you need when you need it, so a place to keep everything organized would go a long way. Imagine setting up a fishing shed with a spot for all your gear, and then some. Picture the ultimate space where you can prep your tackle, clean your catch, store your rods, and always know where to instantly find whatever you need, all in one place.
Sizing Your Fishing Shed
Even with a modestly sized shed, you can accomplish the goal of keeping your fishing stuff in order. The key is making sure there’s a designated place for everything you regularly use. If you’re building a new shed as opposed to outfitting an existing one, size is probably the first decision you’ll make. One factor in that decision is accommodating the length of your fishing rods, and whether you don’t mind breaking them down for storage or you prefer to store them assembled and ready to go. Figure out as well is you’d like to store them vertically, pool-cue style, or horizontally on racks or hangers. If you’re proud of your gear, this could even be a way to showcase your collection by lining everything up on a wall or even mounting your rod-storage system across a sloped ceiling.
You’ll also need some square footage if you plan to have your fishing shed double as a hangout. Plan for it to accommodate at least a couple of chairs if you want it to provide shelter. Think about windows as well: how many and where to locate them for light and ventilation. A more serious man cave/fishing shed might even require a small air conditioner or at least a fan, and maybe even a space heater for the shoulder seasons. Don’t sweat it if your shed is prohibitively small: you can simply create a hangout area on the outside, with chairs, a table, a fire pit, and – of course – a grill.
Essential Accessories for the Serious Angler’s Outbuilding
With any size shed, if you’re eating your catch, a cleaning station should be the cornerstone. Start with a good, solid weatherproof countertop, ample storage space for cutting boards and gloves, plus a safe place to keep your knives. Proximity to a hose is essential – unless you go all out and have your fishing shed plumbed. An easily cleaned stainless-steel sink would be a fundamental piece, but the sky is the limit (perhaps with some input from your budget). And if you’ve got plumbing, you should have electricity: lighting is always good to have, even if it’s just on the outside, and a refrigerator will keep your catch fresh until you’re ready to cook it (leave a little space for some beer, too).
It’s also a great idea to outfit at least one wall with pegboard for hanging small items, such as spools of line and new tackle still in the packaging. If you use waders, you can have hooks on the outside for rinsing them, with hooks inside the shed to move them to once they’re dry. A shelf or two dedicated to tackle boxes makes perfect sense, while a flat-drawer system could hold extra lures and assorted hardware. The showcase aspect goes double if you fly-fish: you’ll surely want a way to display those beauties. A wall-mounted vertical case with a glass-paneled door would be an elegant way to store them and show them off at the same time.
Customizing Your Backyard Fishing Shed: Let Your Needs Dictate the Details
With that said, if you tie your own flies, a dedicated fly tying station would be a game-changer as well. If there’s enough square footage, you can set up a small workbench with a vise, tools, and a spot to keep all of your materials close at hand. This level of organization will allow you to concentrate on creating that perfect fly, and having your tying station integrated into your hyper-focused fishing outbuilding will get you completely into the groove of this rewarding and relaxing hobby.
The details of how you set up your fishing shed will depend on what types of fishing you do and what accessories you have. Again, your imagination, budget, and amount of gear will fill in the blanks as you customize the building to become something your angling friends envy as well as an asset that exponentially increases your enjoyment of a timeless activity.
