Funny this is being brought up as I have been using a small waste fanny pack or a cheap $12 wal-mart vest. I have been looking over the last week for a new vest and have been considering many. The Fishpond has a nice pack vest I like but it looks uncomfortable for wearing all day. I look at Cabellas and they have a nice looking vest for like $89 that looks to work very well but I would like to talk to somebody that owns one. I want the right vest. One that is very light, dries quickly and will hold all my essentials. It would be nice if it had a small drink case on the side built in. Anybody know of such a beast?
I’ve been using a Joseph Williams Chest Pack for about two years. On big trips, those that take me far away from the car, it carries way more than I need. I put a water bladder in the back compartment and I’ve found that handy. My only complaint is it’s tough to see over when you need to look at your feet, so crossing fast water or tricky ground requires some really close peak and sneak to make sure you know where your feet are. I bought a Mini II over the summer but haven’t used it yet. Looks perfect for those quick trips afterwork!
Joe B
SW Ohio
“I grew up in PA, I work in Ohio. My heart still belongs to PA.”
there is a thread in [url=http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=410072:8ce9c]http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=410072[/url:8ce9c]
on the same subject. I have the Patagonia Double haul for the hikes and vest for car access.
Filson strap vest
I have vest, chest pack, waist pack, They all have alot to be desired. When your 5’7/16" high nothing stays dry and hip boots are a joke. Fanny pack with shoulder straps helps alittle.
Philip
I have never been organized with a vest or with my Solitude jacket. I lost about five dozen soft hackles somewher last week and I’m still kicking myself in the butt because of it.
Yesterday was warm so I went back to my old method. I carried everything either in a creel or attached to the straps. What a pleasure! I had completely forgotten how comfortable it was not to have a vest full of junk hanging on me.
I see no disadvantage except that the creel may hit the water when wading deep but I use hippers more now and don’t wade deep enough for that to happen. I didn’t get any unapproving scowels either! Almost like the good old days.
Ol’ Bill
1932
P.S.
No, I didn’t carry any fish home! Didn’t even catch any.
Vest. I’ve lightened the load considerably as I tend to get back pain or stress due to its contents.
I’ve seriously thought about utilizing a chest pack or possibly one of the chest fly boxes used by Joe Humprheys or George Harvey. I just wonder if the boxes will get in the way of fishing and casting?
Lanyards kick butt. If it’s summer then I use the backpack that goes with my camelbak to hold a couple flyboxes.
RkyMtnGuy:
I have used a Richardson Chest Box for years and IMHO they do NOT get in the way. Some of the larger chest packs do get in the way because they are wider than the 5" or so width of a chest box. The amount of trays you use can at times make the box stick out far but if you are a minimalist and can suffice with 3-4 trays it is a great system.
Take a look at the Downs Box which is a plastic version of the Richardson Box at a fraction of the price. It has interchangeable trays and will give you an idea if you would like a chest box and how many trays you would need without spending $$$ on a Richardson. IF you later decide on upgrading to a Richardson; you can confidently spend the bucks with the less expensive knowledge you gained with the Downs Box.
E. Hille sells the complete Down’s system:
[url=http://www.anglersupplyhouse.com/shop/category.asp?catid=2:fd72e]http://www.anglersupplyhouse.com/shop/category.asp?catid=2[/url:fd72e]
[This message has been edited by Bamboozle (edited 07 November 2005).]
I never had a problem with my Richardson Chest Pack getting in my way. The only problem I have with it is of my own making: Too many flies! The two I have are older models and don’t have the ability to switch trays of flies…or at least not dry fly trays… or at least I don’t think so… never tried… I did order mine with only four units, Leaders on the bottom, then one for wet flies and nymphs and the top two for dries. I can have them put the fith tray on but it would only mean still more flies to choose from.
Funny, because each winter I take everything out, steam some perkiness back into the dries on my patch which looks like a big rat’s nest by then and put back only what I need for April, May and June. I picked up another, older yet, model in an auction that I was supposed to set up for late season but it didn’t work out that way.
I am forever stopping at the fly shops along the river towns and picking up a half dozen of this and that and in they go.
If it were a perfect world I would take out the flies of hatches past and put them in larger plastic compartmented boxes at home…Bob
I’ve tried several different chest packs, but always seem to go back to a vest. My biggest complaint with the chest pack is that most of them stick out just far enough that I can’t see where my feet are when wading, and they tend to interfere with my stripping hand.
Dan S
The poster formerly known as Outrider
Bob:
I modified my Richardson box so I could swap out the dry fly trays depending on the season. Right now I’m using my box set up with three trays because of the lack of hatches; at other times of the year I may be using as many as 5 or 6 trays. While the tray swapping isn’t as easily accomplished on my box as it is on a Downs box; I only do the swapping thing about 3 times a season so it really isn’t a major hassle.
It took some doing and $$$ to make it all work out but I used to have a Richardson knock-off that I modified in the same way and I really liked NOT having to carry more stuff than I needed. When I finally sprung for the “Real McCoy” I decided that despite the fact I would be voiding my Richardson warranty by modifying the box; I’d rather have what I wanted.
I modify or make from scratch about 90% of my tackle carrying equipment including my chest box, chest box harness and accessory pouches, waist pack, leader wallet, tippet dispenser and a bunch of other stuff. As a result I get what I want, designed the way I want as a result of what works best for me. Because of this I have two vests that haven’t seen the light of day in eons and I can spend less time fussing and more time fishing.
Hello I’m new here to the bulletin board. Have been a fan of FAOL for a few years now.
For quick freshwater trip I use a hip pack. For something that involves a hike I use a vest type that has two chest compartments on front and a water bag enclosed in back pocket. For saltwater I use a small chest pack.
Flopper
Tye Me, Fly Me, Whip Me, Strip Me.
Started with a backpack, graduated to a chest pack and now use a lanyard with a couple of fly boxes in the shirt pockets. Lots more comfortable especially in warmer weather.
Plain Old Jim - “am thinking of making a tool to release fish while they are still in the water and I won’t need the net.”
I have one - it’s whatever tippet knot I’m using at the time. It seems to part company with my leader just before they come to hand!
“Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reason.”
Grn Mtn Man,
That’s called catch and release, huh?
So far I don’t have a tippet to leader knot problem. I just tie on a new tapered leader. Times may change…but that is what I do now.
Gem