The nipper we hand across the counter more than any other. Umpqua's River Grip line put a proper rubberized grip on a tool most companies make out of slippery bare metal, and that is the whole point — you use a nipper two hundred times a day, often with cold wet hands. Why this one River Grip rubberized handle — grips when your hands are wet, cold, or slimy Precision-ground jaws that cut tippet square instead of crushing it Built-in eye-clearing pin for head cement in a hook eye Lanyard hole; clips to a zinger or a pack A square cut matters more than people think. A crushed or angled tippet end will not thread a size 20 hook eye, and you will stand there in fading light blaming your eyes. Sharp jaws are the difference. Check the selector for available colors. Current pricing is on the selector above. Cutting braid or wire? Get the tungsten carbide version instead — same River Grip handle, harder jaws that will not roll their edge on modern braided backing. Also stocked here, and deeply. Where this sits in Umpqua's line. Umpqua has since released the Rivergrip PS and RiverRun nippers, and we carry those too — including a Big Nipper for heavier line and a RiverRun with an integrated lanyard. They are not upgrades so much as variations; the original River Grip cuts just as cleanly and it is what we stock in depth. If you want to compare them in the hand, come by — they are all on the counter. Honest advice: buy two. Nippers get left on tailgates and dropped in rivers, and the second one lives in your other pack. This is the cheapest piece of gear in the shop that genuinely improves every day you fish. Ed's Fly Shop, 432 E Main St, downtown Montrose, Colorado.
