Gear storage on water

Well a few weeks back I went through my fly fishing vest. And despite it having some 17 pockets total, I only had 6 things in the entire vest (2 fly boxes, tippet, leader, mini-ruler, and bag of split shot that also contained my strike indicators. ) The black thing on the right is a multi tool which has a loop, and knife sat clipped on my pocket. So I think its time to downsize to a small pack. So far the only thing that intrigues me is this small BPS pack.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_103022____SearchResults
So I was hoping you guys would know of something that would efficiently hold all this stuff? Heres how much, with the ruler (12in end to end) showing you just how much.

Lately, for short excursions I have been using a fanny pack I bought at Wal-mart for ten bucks. It will hold all that plus an extra spool for my reel. It also comes with two 12 oz water bottles, several clip-on places externally for zingers and such. It ain’t designer but it’s functional. Jim

I have a Fish Pond fanny pack. Although I think it’s larger than what you’d want, they may make something smaller.

Pahfisha,

Decent looking pack. Don’t ever have a fly box sticking out of the top of the mesh, you will loose it. I trust the mesh has a Velcro strip to close most of the top, but that is a great place for smaller items like the ruler and split shot.

I would keep the leader and tippet inside so the direct sunlight can’t destroy it. If you are using fluorocarbon tippet, you can keep it in the outside mesh. Your fly boxes can easily be reduced down to one box and keep that inside the pouch as well. Wise choice to have a multi-tool. I always carry one. Keep that inside with the fly box if there is room.

You need some forceps for sure, those can clip onto the outside of the pouch, or onto your shirt pocket. You will eventually want to have a set of nippers on the hanging off the outside and a Tie-Fast nail knot tying tool. I also have my Cinch Tie Knot Tyer hanging on the outside for instant use.

Then you are good to go.

Larry :smiley: —sagefisher—

I generally use this one from Cabela’s http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0017287315860a&navCount=0&podId=0017287&parentId=cat370015&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=null-cat370015&catalogCode=QX&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat370015&cmCat=netcon&cm_ven=netcon&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=mayfly%20chest%20pack&cm_ite=netcon&rid=0180101070502 plus a lanyard. The pack is very similar to the one from Basspro. I know the Cabelas pack can be worn as a fanny or chest pack. It has a front mesh pocket two small side pockets for floatant/tools and one rear pocket in addition to the bigger main compartment.

Howdy Panfish !
I have just downsized to a pack rather than a vest… same reason.
I’m using a Wright-McGill Rock Creek pack now, you can see it on their website at wright mcgill .com. n I modified the strap to go over the shoulder like a messenger bag rather than a chest pack. It has room for two fly boxes, floatant, leader&tippet and a sharp folding pigsticker. I like it quite a bit, I used it all last year. Hook&Hackle has a nice little pack also, for minimalist carrying. it’s got plenty of room for everything you have there, and only costs $28. I think I paid about $50 for the WrightMcGill bag.
Also, Hook & Hackle is one of our sponsors… I got an order to send off to H&H for some rod building stuff, And I’m gonna get one of them bags they got.

From what you have there…

No vest or pack needed at all.

A decent ‘multi pocket’ fishing shirt will hold all that…easily…maybe double that.

A fly box in each ‘large’ breast pocket, the tippet spools and split shot/indicators in the smaller outside pockets. The folding ruler in with one of the fly boxes…the knipper/clipper thingy on a retractable reel pinned to the shirt.

I try to do without the vest or pack when I can, and find that on waters I know pretty well, I seldom need all the crap the vest can hold (I don’t need all that stuff on ANY waters, but since I don’t always ‘know’ what to have on unfamilair waters, I always bring too much…)…and it’s much more pleasant to fish without all that stuff hanging from your shoulders.

I have a couple of shirts that would hold more than twice what you have pictured here.

Good Luck!
Buddy

Panfisha:

I bought a Fishpond Blue River chest pack two years ago and love it. It’s great in the summer when a vest is too warm, and I can just leave it on the shore when wading. It can hold two reels in its main pocket and there are many more smaller pockets for spools of leader material, etc. The only problem with this type of pack is that it absorbs a lot of water so it’s not great in the rain. It doesn’t fit under a jacket either, which rules it out during the cold weather.

There was a good article on packs in the summer issue of Fly Rod and Reel magazine as well.

-Logan

Panfisha -

I use a small Fish Pond chest pack. Probably big enough for what you show in the picture, although I do carry glasses and floatant and a couple things you don’t show.

Except when I wear a shirt with enough pockets to carry what I need, much like Buddy suggests.

For what it is worth, while the Fish Pond chest pack cost a few dollars more than the other stuff on the market when I bought it, it has been bullet proof. I have well over 400 days fishing with it now, maybe even 500 ( got it in the fall of '04 ), and it shows a bit of wear and fraying here and there, but it looks good and the zippers all work, and it still does what I need it to do.

John