Dave Walko of Punxsutawney displays the use of his clever rod holding device that helps anglers handle their gear while they're standing in an icy stream.

Simple tasks like changing lures, retying tippets, baiting a hook and unhooking fish aren't always so simple when you're standing waist deep in icy water while handling a cumbersome fishing rod.

That situation spawned the invention of Fish Hands Free rod holder by Punxsutawney's Dave Walko.

The device provides an easy way of suspending a fishing rod from a vest or wader straps by way of two lightweight, rubber-coated hooks that attach to the garment.

The reality of Fish Hands Free is a dream come true for Walko. During a trout-fishing outing in May of 2005, Walko dropped his rod in the stream while performing a tackle task. The frustrating experience was fresh in his mind when he went to bed that night.

"I woke up around 3 a.m., muttering to myself, 'That would work,'" said the retired school teacher, recalling a dream in which he envisioned a simple, yet splendidly effective rod holder.

Rigging the Fish Hands Free goes like this: Slender, threaded pins pierce the fabric, tapping into brass sleeves in each hook. A hook is fastened to both the left and right chest section of the vest or wader straps.

An upward facing hook accepts the reel end and the tip section then settles into the downward facing hook, hanging the rod along the user's chest perpendicular to the water.

Since the reel end is heavier, it acts as a counterweight and keeps the rod securely in place. A small secondary fastener on the tip-section hook is provided for looping the line coming from the rod tip, taking the strain off of things while working the terminal end.

Inspired by his late-night brainstorm, Walko designed a rod holder for himself. Later, he showed it to other experienced stream anglers.

"I shared it with a fellow up on Pine Creek, near Galeton," said Walko. "He said, 'Dave, I think you've got something.'"

Walko's next step was to contact small business development centers in Clarion, Indiana and Bloomsburg for assistance in transforming his invention into a commercially produced product.

Molds were made for pouring the hooks, a process for coating the hooks with a non-slip rubber was developed and marketing issues were addressed.

"I sold my first rod holder in May of 2006, a year after I developed the first one," noted Walko. "I was standing in line at a copy store, getting business cards printed, and got to talking to a guy about the rod holder. He said he'd buy it, so out to my car I went to get him the only one I had on me. I have the $10 bill and six dimes on display in my basement, a Father's Day present from my daughter."

Since that humble beginning, Walko has sold thousands of Fish Hands Free rod holders across the globe. An initial boost came when Field & Stream magazine published a tidbit on the product in its June 2007 issue.

"When that hit the newsstands, I got orders from the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Australia — literally from all over the world," he said.

Walko supports his business by participating in major fly-fishing shows across the country. At many shows, his supply barely meets the demand. For anglers looking for a third hand, it's the best thing to come out of Punxsutawney since Phil.

Additional information is available at: www.fishhandsfree.com, including an informative video that shows how to use the device.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.