Hi, I'm Adam. Daggerfish is my workshop, where I make tools for fishing, foraging, and exploration.
My Favorite Gear
Products I reach for most, and recommend often.
Browse gear by category
Born in the National Parks.
Handmade in Pennsylvania.
Let customers speak for us
What customers think about the store
This store offers exceptional American-made outdoor and fishing gear with outstanding craftsmanship. Customers praise the high-quality leather work, beautiful wood products, and innovative designs. Fast shipping, excellent customer service, and attention to de...
AI-generated from customer reviews.
Enjoyed by members of the
US Federal Wildlife Officers Association
More about Daggerfish
Who I am
I’m Adam Nelson, the founder, designer, and craftsman behind Daggerfish. I grew up outside of National Parks in California, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania, where my dad worked as a park ranger. Since I was a kid, the outdoors have shaped how I live and the way I see the world. You can read my story here.
Why I started Daggerfish
I believe the gear we use should connect us to nature, not insulate us from it. I started Daggerfish to make the kind of gear I couldn't find at my local outdoor shop - products made from natural materials, designed to work, built to last, and crafted to be beautiful.
What I make
I started making handline fishing reels in 2018, and in doing so helped revive the hobby of handline fishing throughout the US. Daggerfish still makes the best handlines out there, as well as other sustainable gear for fishing & fly fishing and foraging & exploration. More outdoor adventure gear in the works ;-)
How I work
I make virtually every Daggerfish product myself, from my workshop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Everything is shaped by my belief that outdoor gear should be simple, durable, and thoughtfully made, and good businesses should be ethically run. You can read the 10 principles that guide my designs here.
Resources and guides
You can find written and video guides to every Daggerfish product on the Gear Guides page of this site. If you'd like to learn more about handline fishing, you can read the free Handline Fishing Field Manual here.
More
You can check out the shop blog, where I talk about design, prototypes, and other ideas, or you can subscribe to the email list where I announce new products, sales, and other things your might find valuable. (I'm not really on social media anymore, so this is the best way to hear about these kinds of things.) If you've got a question about anything else, you can send me an email here.
Thanks for reading
Genuinely, thanks for reading this far down the page. If you resonate with the ideas behind Daggerfish and the work I'm doing, I hope you find something you like in the things I've made, and that you'll stay connected.
See you out there,
-Adam
Founder and Craftsman, Daggerfish