WHAT'S IN YOUR VEST?
Heres an interesting question.
Ever wonder what the pro's have in their vest, and what you might be missing? Or perhaps they are?
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WHAT'S IN YOUR VEST?
Heres an interesting question.
Ever wonder what the pro's have in their vest, and what you might be missing? Or perhaps they are?
I don't use a vest, but I have a May pack . 2 boxes of flies ... one wet, one dry, roughly 16 per box. 3 tippet spools, 2 with tippet, one empty. Zinger with hemostats, and nippers. A "tail knotter" tool. An Able tool. A big orange whistle. I tend to fish fairly light!! Oh, and a chamois like cloth from BP that sucks goop off a fly, or your hands. That's it!
How do you fit 16 fly boxes in one vest? Wow!
OK, here's mine. I have a simple lightweight mesh vest that I bought for $25 somewhere. I don't even know what brand it is.
Lower front pocket left: Sci-Angler Nymph box (Orange). Nymphs on one side, Dries on the other
Lower front pocket left outside mesh: Junk. found bobbers, found hooks and other trash that gets thrown out when I get home.
Lower front pocket right : Sci- Angler classic fly box (Blue). Dries and wets on one side. Larger wooly buggers, hoppers, streamers etc. on the other.
Lower front pocket right outside mesh: Mini Leatherman knock off. Strike indicators.
Left inner pocket : Water bottle.
Left chest pocket : Over priced C&F "not at all waterproof" nymph box with 2 threaders for micro size flies.
Right chest pocket : Tippet spools and clip on magnifier that clips to my hat.
Right chest pocket outer mesh : Extra floatant and sink.
Front of left chest pocket: Wool fly patch. Forceps on zinger. Monomaster on zinger.
Front of right chest pocket: Fly floatant. Nipper on zinger. Fishing License.
Clipped to back of vest : Net.
I hardly wear a vest but I fish mostly for steelhead and all I need is one box of flies, tippet or leader, nippers, hook file, tip wallet. All of this will fit into the pockets of my rain coat or the upper pockets of my waders on those rare occaisions when I don't need a raincoat, nippers and hook file are on a lanyard. Oh, and in the back storage pocket of the rain coat is a ziploc bag with a partial roll of tp.
On a lanyard hemostat, bottle floatant, tie fast knot tool, fingernail clippers. file.
In a fanny pack main compartment
one box of buggers.
two boxes assorted, poorly tied dry flies
One box assorted wets
one box pan fish flies.
one Little south fork,(thanks danbob) magnetic box full of size 22 and smaller drys wets etc.
in the small pocket
leaders
strike indicators
expired state of wa parking pass
Three spools if tippit
one pair of small smooth jaw needle nosed pliers
two bobbers in case I need to introduce a spin fisherman to the joys of fly fishing.
(way to much stuff)
Eric
16 fly boxes....holy smokes !
In my trout vest, I carry 4 boxes plus a streamer wallet
No zingers for me either.... more trouble than they're worth
For years I never used a vest. The reason was for the same reason stated in the article. They were just too heavy and I found they got in the way when I was fishing. I also lost a lot of stuff out of them.
I just used a small pouch that held two or three small fly boxes and a few other essentials and I used a lanyard.
I ended up buying a vest last summer...the Filson Strap Vest. I'm not sure what the major driving force was that got me to put the bucks down for it. I always liked it's classic look but I think the reason I felt I had to have it was because I was needing a way to carry a rainjacket, food and drink with me on full day outings. I really didn't want to use my regular day pack for that. This vest has a nice little pouch in the back that would hold all that.
This year the vest started out HEAVY :rolleyes:... but now I have that tamed down again. :) What is with the idea that we have to fill every pocket? I had the thing stuffed at first. Now I go through the vest every couple of weeks, sometimes every couple of days, to decide what is now what is now obsolete. There's no point in carrying several boxes of flies I won't use and other items I won't be using on a particular outing. Most of my tools are still on my lanyard. On some nice days or a short outings I don't even need the vest. Once I've fished an area I can get it down to one box and my lanyard.
My wading staff is attached to my belt.
2 large & 1 small Flambeau Blue Ribbon fly boxes
hook hone
nippers
forceps
Ketchum Release tool
tape measure
red tin (actually plastic) Mucilin
4 furled leaders
3 spools tippet/mono
thermometer
small 1st aid kit
Magnetic Fly Guard-GREAT item from Dot Man (Fly Reel Dots)
I carry my 4-6 favorite patterns on it-seldom have to open a box
20/20 Tippet Threader...again, from Dot Man
waterproof digital Pentax camera
(I also carry a gym bag & soft tackle bag in the Jeep with various other items in case I need to switch out)
Th-th-th-that's all folks!
Mikey
if I'm dry flying (small creeks)
3x - 5x tippet
3 fly boxes
dry fly's (has a few small nymphs in it, usually if I want a dropper I'll do something more like a midge emerger, or the swamph or whatever it's called lol). also a few large fly's in this box like hoppers, chernobyl ants etc which I usually only use as a strike indicator for a dropper)
streamer box
floatant
insect repellent
leatherman
zinger w/ clippers /hook eye cleaner (only zinger I use)
wading lader waters (usually nymphing only)
3x, 4x, 6x, and 7x tippet
4 fly boxes
dry fly's
small scientific nymph box (small nymph's)
other nymphing box with bigger stuff
streamer box
small sinkers
strike indicators
floatant
zinger w/ clippers /hook eye cleaner (only zinger I have)
net on the back on large zinger
most of my time on larger waters is in my boat. I carry everything including the kitchen sink, and I don't feel iike writing a book so we'll just list the contents of my 1 bag that I fish out of. no vest here
tp
polarized sun glasses
3x -7x tippet
furled leaders (6' 2WT-5WT, and some 9' 6WT-8WT)
5 fly boxes
dry fly's
small scientific nymph box (small nymph's)
other nymphing box with bigger stuff
streamer box
large fly's including cidda's for the green
sinkers, tons
strike indicators, 4 different kinds
floatant
zinger w/ clippers /hook eye cleaner (only zinger I have)
leatherman
4 reels (3 6WT - mine, usually 1 for my passenger I usually provide their gear, and my 4WT that never leaves my bad as I carry it as a backup)
about 5 bottles of floatant
and a partridge in a pear tree
the vest is accurate I change empty it / load it every time I use it. the bag is off memory I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting.
Here's what I ALWAYS have:
3 flyboxes....dry,wet/nymphs/streamers,midges
2 spools of tippet
1 sinking leader,1 mono (knotted)leader (got extras just in case)
muskol (bug juice)
thermometer (just in case I get a fever)
night lamp
canister for insects (if I'm lucky enough to catch 'em)
snippers
When I DO go out, I include:
my cigarettes and a lucifer
Some snacks and water bottle
When I DO go out, I EX-clude:
work
worries
the hustle and bustle of everyday living.
It's sure is GRRRRRRRRRRREAT to leave them off my vest and take them off my chest!
Happy Fishing All!
I have a vest and use it, even though I don't like it. I find that I have too many places to put "STUFF." I'm thinking seriously about using my wicker creel as an over the shoulder pack. At least everything would be in the same place. Anyone else have that same idea?
Joe the creel would be a good choice in that it would limit what you can carry, I would suggest along with it a lanyard for the tools you use often. you already have it so give it a try.
I have a hip pack,(when did they stop being fanny packs?) the problem with it is its always behind me and hard to find stuff in, If I have it tight enough that it doesn't fall off I have to take it off to get inside of it, too loose and it is on the ground, Because of this I tend to carry it over a shoulder and throw it on the ground when fishing.
I have thought about a mesh vest as my main dislike of a vest is how hot it is and I know that I would stuff it to the gills.
So I am considering something like either
theEquinox Shoulder Bag or the Old School on this page.
http://www.mwflytying.com/tackle/wmjoesph.html
not necessarily these exact ones but something similar
Eric
I am terrified to even dig into mine to see what I do have in it!
I don't have a vest. Not a fishing vest.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lotech
I carry a creel.
Joe -Quote:
Originally Posted by Lotech
I've been using a Fishpond Chestpack for several years now. More recently, I've lengthened the strap and have been wearing it over the shoulder, unless I am also wearing a day pack with my hiking gear.
Typically, my "vest" ( read chestpack ) holds one fly box or a camera in one compartment, nippers, floatant, one spool of tippet, a few extra furled leaders and a few poly yarn indicators, and 2.5 power magnifier glasses. When I carry the camera in the chestpack ( when I am not wearing a jacket ), the fly box goes into a shorts pocket. When I don't carry a day pack, my wallet and car keys go into the chestpack and the tippet goes in a shorts pocket.
If I am going to be away from the truck any distance or time, the day pack carries the "ten essentials" for backcountry hiking.
John
P.S. The Fishpond Chestpacks are lightweight, and bulletproof. I just got my second one after using the first one something like 500 days. After thousands of hours and many thousands times opening and closing zippers, they finally failed.
The contents of my vest are usually a result of the water I'm going to fish.
Most times though it would be very similar to Betty's.
A couple boxes, wet and dry.
Two or three tippet spools.
Floatant (Gink and Frog's Fanny), forceps (pinched to vest flap), one zinger for my nippers, an extra leader (in case I make a true mess of the one I'm fishing), my eyeglasses (gotta have 'em...dang it!), a camera (in case I run across something that cries out to be photographed), bug repellant, and my licenses.
That's pretty much it.......I think!
Bob
I use an artic creel that I sling across my shoulder. Being I havent keep fish in years , rather than just have it lay around ,I deceided to use it as a shoulder bag. The contents are almost indentical to whats in Betty's pack.......Ed
These days I travel light... I got a great vest from Cabela's, but it's been hangin' on the wall for three years now... I use a little bitty shoulder bag, a converted Filson waist pack I bought for a song from a great FAOL member.... what's in it ??
.....Two stuffed flyboxes.... and I mean stuffed..
..... My trusty old Herters pliers, had 'em 40 years
..... nippers
..... very sharp folding knife
..... red mucilin
..... waterproof matches
..... folded wad of T.P.
..... Fishing Licenses for OR and CA
..... Floatant & sinket & leader straightner
..... couple spools tippet
..... some tiny split shot & a couple tiny foam indicators
..... a folded plastic bag
sounds like more than it is... pretty light little bag, very cool to travel light
I also always have my rod and wading/hiking staff, and in remote areas or bear and cougar country a six shooter........................................Mod ocDan
red mucilin???
My vest is actually pretty light. On my home waters, the truck in usually pretty close-by so the vest is more of a work bench than an fully stocked fly shop.
- 4-6 fly boxes
- mini first aid pack
- Streamer wallet
- forceps
- green muslin
- slick and line cleaner thingy
- leader material (6 spools) maxima
- lighter
- smokes :-O
- folding landing net (hung off the back)
- extra baggies and garbage bags
- 2x reading glasses (gasp!!)
I clip to my belt a multitool and a head lamp
I also usually have a neck thingy with 3 spools of tippet and nippers.
mucilin is a floatant, red is the traditional with out silicone, green is more modern and contains silicone, both work well for different things.Quote:
Originally Posted by solowookie
for me it just melts all over my trunk, thus the reason I no longer Carry any mucilin.
Eric
I have a vest but I replaced it with a nice chestpack. But the contents never changed.
small fly box for foam flies
Medium fly box for all others
3 tippet spools
Sticky strike indicators
pliers
multi-tool
Yesssssss...Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric-WD
The first day I had it, it tried to leak on my passenger seat. Luckily it was still in the bag!
I keep it at home now and use it to pre-treat furled leaders I intend to use for dry fly fishing.
I've had the same trouble with Mucilin melting... I do use it though, and often take it out when it's warm or hot. I use the newer plastic containers of it, and they weal better, the old tin cans of it leaked pretty bad. I do like the little cns though for small hooks.
.........ModocDan
Fishpond Mesh Vest w/
1 zinger w/ nippers + hemostats
1 bugger barn for big flies
1 CF box w/ all my nymphs
1 big cliff flybox w/ my midges and dry flies
0x-6x tippet
3-4 mono leaders
3-4 indicator/streamer/dryfly furled leaders
2 bags of split shot
strike indicators
frog fanny
watershed dry fly floatant
poncho
nalgene
plastic bags if i'm fishing for stockies
multitool
small knife
compass
whistle
energy bars
and the most important item......a can of grizzly wintergreen chew.
5 Fly boxes
1-Dries
2-Nymphs
3-Terrestrials
4-Big Stoneflies/Rubberleggs
5- Streamers
2-6x Flourocarbon Spools
Hemostats
Nippers
Seine
Indicators
Gink
NonLead splitshot
TieFast Knot Tool
I recently put the vest away in favor of a Fishpond San Juan chest pack, and carry it off to one side using only one strap.
fly box - either my trout box or bluegill box
tippet - 4x for bluegill, 5x and 6x for trout
extra leader or two
thingamabobber
license
splitshot
hemostats on a Simms retractor
nippers on another Simms retractor
I like to pack light.
Let me just echo the thoughts of several of the previous posters. SIXTEEN BOXES! SIXTEEN BOXES! SIXTEEN BOXES! If this is indeed true, we have a new entry for Ripley's Believe It or Not. Even if he used just small, plastic fly boxes with 6 or 8 little comparments this seems like an awfully high number. Maybe Lee had a couple of flies in small split-shot or hook boxes and was counting those. I'm not from Missouri but I would sure like to see this one myself. 8T :)
:shock:
That must be a misprint?
Heck, you'd spend half your time on stream just searching your boxes, if you could find the right one!?
bobbyg
I hate carrying more than I need. I have a shirt pocket that holds all my fishing related stuff. Small flybox, precut tippet in a tiny ziplock bag, pocketknife and floatant when I fish drys. If I need water I have a caribiner to clip a bottle onto a D loop or belt loop if I'm wet wading.
Jim
I have one spent round from a M1 Grand recovered from the ground after a 21 gun salute honoring the man who introduced this sport to me.
Thanks again Old Man.
And a whole bunch of other stuff.
Sean