ABSOLUTE MUST HAVES - Bob Boese - August 31, 2009

ABSOLUTE MUST HAVES

If you've got lots of money, that's one thing. But there are certain things you just gotta have when heading for the water.

1. Me.
2.Troutmobile, for getting from here to there and back again.
3. Fly rod, reel, and fly rod case.
4. WaterSkeeter Poontube.
5. "Sterns" Foliation Vest (has two pockets, up high on the vest which is all I need).
6. "Stetson" XXXX beaver-cream colored to reflect sunlight, for keeping the sun off of my head and ears, and to store my smokes and keep them dry.
7. Yellow Strong Polarized Sunglasses.
8. Lanyard, for holding my snippers, tippet spools, fly box (wet flies and nymphs), hemostat, butane light (for lighting my smokes).
8a. Another lanyard for under my shirt for wallet, car keys, and fishing license.
9, 3-20 ounce plastic recycled Pepsi bottles, filled with household water,gallon freezer bag for ice. (storage unit on right Poontube).
10. Portable radio, for entertainment during when fish are not biting, and listen for Storm Warning!, lunch keep in a gallon size freezer bag. Extra fly box for my belly deer-hair bass poppers, one Altoid's tin, with minute rice-for storing flies that have been fished storage unit on left Poontube.

K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Simon) ~Parnelli

You been lookin' over my shoulder??

Guess I'll have to go shopping or do without a number of those "must have" items for trout fishing, like I've been doing for some time now.

Actually, doing fine doing without.

John

Yep!--Got 100% of those items.

I got one or two of them. You would think that after 30+ years I would have EVERYTHING. Oh wait, I do, I just realized I don't actually NEED quite so much stuff and so it stays home or lives somewhere in the back of my truck.

To me those tippet spool holders are just another thing that hangs down and can get in the way. I prefer to keep my spools in a pocket in my vest. As far as a pfd is concerned, if the water is moving so fast that I'm afraid of drowning, I won't be wading. And I think there have been enough tests that show you won't drown if your waders do get full of water. When I'm in my canoe or float tube, I always wear a pfd.

As for the rest of the "must haves" I agree.

Bob Tabbert of the FFF did a study on flooded waders and drowning potential. These were carefully structured pool tests. His findings were conclusive that water in waders (not even completely full) made walking, swimming and surviving VERY difficult.
PFDs are like seat belts. You often hear about the folks who died without one, not the other way around.

I only have waders, pfd, sunglasses. hat. Plus the obvious. I also like the altoids boxes they're cheap and you get free candy.

MUST have?
Naw...
Might be nice to haves.. some of it.
But must have? Nope. ;)

I carry:

bear spray
Hemostats
Nippers
fly dry powder (seems to work better after I land a fish)
cortland fly float gel type stuff
4 fly boxes (hoppers, stone flys, san juan worms, and everything else)
net
tippet (3x,4x,6x)
Leaders (2x,4x,6x)
Indicators
nikon s240 digital camera
tape measure/scale... although this is mainly for when I'm bass fishing on my boat. But nice to have if I ever land a trophy.
Clif Bars (Usually one or 2)

Sometimes if I'm going for a hike, I carry a 2L water reservoir in the large back pocket and Lunch... PB&J.

Paul

I think we all have our own must-have list. A camera, tippet holder and PFD don't make my must-have list. In fact, they don't even make my nice-to-have list. A net is optional for me. I don't take it if I know I'll only be catching small trout.

Drinking water is high on my must-have list and my solution for it is a Katadyn water purifying bottle. Insect repellent makes my must have list for some locations in some seasons. (I'll at least have it in my vehicle.) And high on my nice-to-have list is a small Swiss Army knife that includes tweezers and sharp scissors.

A couple of well-filled PBJs. Can't leave home without them. 8T :)

... a small pocket first aid kit!

Takes up very little space and can be real handy stream side.
From the Canada Archives

My "must haves" are most likely the things I left in the car. BUT, I NEVER forget a dram or two of fine "Highland Dew".


Mark

After rod, reel, and flies the most important piece of gear I must have is a cheap pair of 2.50 reading glasses. Makes changing flies and undoing wind knots much, much easier.